tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31504316050308241342024-03-05T23:07:50.561-08:00FieldData ProFieldData Pro, Inc. provides an extremely versatile mobile data collection solution. It is used by facilities to manage data for tasks such as Operator Rounds, eyewash testing, RCRA tank inspections and fume hood readings. FDP's mobile application syncs with their easy-to-use web application to make managing data effortless. For more info visit www.fielddatapro.com, email us at info@fielddatapro.com or call us at (919) 323 3703.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-83950853531569387862013-01-09T01:35:00.001-08:002013-01-09T01:35:30.849-08:00New Series of Training Module IntroducedFieldData Pro recently released a series of 13 self paced training modules. These modules are designed to give end users a comprehensive overview of all aspects of our solution. <br />
<br />
These modules were designed to be integrated into a plants Operator training program, but can also be used by supervisors and managers to maximize the benefits they receive from using our system.<br />
<br />
For more information on how we can help you improve the operations of your plant, give us a call at (919) 323 3703 or email us at <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-74564030532685803852012-11-03T07:12:00.000-07:002012-11-03T09:27:15.541-07:00View Your Operator Readings in an Excel Pivot TableA powerful new feature of the FieldData Pro solution is the ability to access the data collected by your staff in a MS Excel spreadsheet with a direct connection to the database that stores your historical data.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NHeWTk3soGa-u_okUm5d9dAUkZUsEqfItMfaYwIR_JXbYg9xA5of6Mgo4_Tkryl1TikpruuqVF06aYqNwpndjMxpzJ43cC-J7usRObUROz7-2Fq-BDkQVeOPCmkVp4YS3Y2JqPzhmzc/s1600/excelpivotimage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NHeWTk3soGa-u_okUm5d9dAUkZUsEqfItMfaYwIR_JXbYg9xA5of6Mgo4_Tkryl1TikpruuqVF06aYqNwpndjMxpzJ43cC-J7usRObUROz7-2Fq-BDkQVeOPCmkVp4YS3Y2JqPzhmzc/s400/excelpivotimage3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
As shown in the image above, viewing your data in a pivot table allows you to perform more powerful analyses than in a standard spreadsheet.<br />
<br />
In our example, with just a few clicks we filtered by:<br />
<ul>
<li>Parameter (pH)</li>
<li>System Type (Cooling Tower)</li>
<li>Site</li>
<li>Year</li>
</ul>
We also sorted by:<br />
<ul>
<li>System</li>
<li>Employee</li>
</ul>
<br />
All of this with just a few mouse clicks. <br />
<br />
This data is data that was collected using FDPMobile, our mobile app designed for use with barcode scanners that run Windows Mobile. <br />
<br />
This data used to be recorded on log sheets that were maintained at the cooling tower locations. Back then, if you wanted to analyze this data, you had to start by spending half a day collecting the log sheets, carrying them back to the desk and keying them into a spreadsheet. Now this data is available for analysis as soon as it is entered into the barcode scanner.<br />
<br />
FieldData Pro helps you put your data to good use.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-36931537400529628772012-11-03T06:56:00.000-07:002012-11-06T16:09:50.910-08:00Explanation of a pivot table<br />
For typical data entry and storage, data usually appear in flat tables, meaning that it consists of only columns and rows, as in the following example showing data on cooling tower water:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X9wb8i_iWSWf-kzpdVuPrhKH-tJC51wwrGXzpYR_Kz6ksOts4-V2JCJkYxwwVVKPzWEx7FO6oIOm6QpigplUaEBW6ScGUIOzwbIv0dFLICGOnSR1lXJrbYdftGhGhfqAhkD20uwFRqA/s1600/spreadsheetimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X9wb8i_iWSWf-kzpdVuPrhKH-tJC51wwrGXzpYR_Kz6ksOts4-V2JCJkYxwwVVKPzWEx7FO6oIOm6QpigplUaEBW6ScGUIOzwbIv0dFLICGOnSR1lXJrbYdftGhGhfqAhkD20uwFRqA/s320/spreadsheetimage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
While tables such as these can contain a lot of data, it can be difficult to get summarized information from them. A pivot table can help quickly summarize the data and highlight the desired information. The usage of a pivot table is extremely broad and depends on the situation. The first question to ask is, "What am I looking for?" In the example here, let us ask, "How does water pH vary in each cooling tower over time?":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADCBH2_7DvWRXQAeaqlTEXLhSNCll7uA223r4OKXerW-ufpxLlQjC2zSpkYlLE49be3tOvT0mfYRfcyMFQeUf2tDabAVgJjhF6uhAziiysjq_EHHMyKKhYxST9TYQL6RllH_E0HDCRpU/s1600/excelpivotimage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADCBH2_7DvWRXQAeaqlTEXLhSNCll7uA223r4OKXerW-ufpxLlQjC2zSpkYlLE49be3tOvT0mfYRfcyMFQeUf2tDabAVgJjhF6uhAziiysjq_EHHMyKKhYxST9TYQL6RllH_E0HDCRpU/s400/excelpivotimage2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
A pivot table usually consists of row, column and data (or fact) fields. In this case, the column is Observation Time, the row is Point of Interest and the data we would like to see is (average of) Observation Value. The pivot table allows you to quickly filter and summarize data. This allows you to run different scenarios, compare results under different conditions and identify trends. This type of analysis allows you to use your data to solve problems and improve your operations.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-6542123398099549522012-11-01T04:21:00.000-07:002012-11-03T09:27:25.557-07:00Bacon Fried TurkeyHow do take something great, like deep fried turkey, and make it better? <br />
<br />
Wrap it in bacon, of course.<br />
<br />
We did it this Thanksgiving and it tasted even better than it sounded. The turkey maintained its moist and tender texture while absorbing some of the bacon flavor. Both the kids and adults will fight over the chunks of bacon / skin that fall off in the bottom of the carving plate.<br />
<br />
Here is what you need:<br />
<br />
10 pound turkey, thawed<br />
2 pounds bacon<br />
3 gallons canola oil (peanut oil will work also)<br />
cooking twine<br />
<br />
You will also need a turkey setup.<br />
<br />
In the kitchen, wrap the turkey in strips of bacon:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVOc1uivPLRlfxMowzS1hCBKIPNby4gsxiNWpx4Iyle9boLaPlr-EaIKiKdxTDdYxs8Y4416emfFrmF5ovON_xyBTdz5uuNMqhsLVEGQ3fIhHDcGTEmQAGylp_fn7uCdmTORtQC96DRo/s1600/Photo_9F423A79-A130-637B-9F91-77581745B491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVOc1uivPLRlfxMowzS1hCBKIPNby4gsxiNWpx4Iyle9boLaPlr-EaIKiKdxTDdYxs8Y4416emfFrmF5ovON_xyBTdz5uuNMqhsLVEGQ3fIhHDcGTEmQAGylp_fn7uCdmTORtQC96DRo/s320/Photo_9F423A79-A130-637B-9F91-77581745B491.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Tie up the turkey with cooking twine, securing the bacon to the turkey. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnratSdBTnvy55uc2m3zD-e1s8FZIsUDuK2EGaSpL-AIHys0asqoGBs_Rp3zw8ifF2H8iS0ket2ixmi3LEUfcwdhePSHfU3w5nZkZf9f4UzuM4QVgB1-hXjd7XD0BBKbmi4fj6cJaXyI/s1600/Photo_AC3649C3-67AA-1C78-0BC3-5D60C10FC322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnratSdBTnvy55uc2m3zD-e1s8FZIsUDuK2EGaSpL-AIHys0asqoGBs_Rp3zw8ifF2H8iS0ket2ixmi3LEUfcwdhePSHfU3w5nZkZf9f4UzuM4QVgB1-hXjd7XD0BBKbmi4fj6cJaXyI/s320/Photo_AC3649C3-67AA-1C78-0BC3-5D60C10FC322.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Set the turkey in the frying basket:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZFaTN6w0d5fGyYOH_RUr2FCy2s2HYIJhQxIZtGOErRqAU9jq8bjAr7MGD1ADMTe36Nz2lDmXBYeYZ2eXc7G0w44YIItt7qmFn4m6srtH0LWcLG053tkR9v-Fgq4rei3P_J-7aWvSzHE/s1600/Photo_5CE0E783-70B7-214C-37C4-9029F1742B83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZFaTN6w0d5fGyYOH_RUr2FCy2s2HYIJhQxIZtGOErRqAU9jq8bjAr7MGD1ADMTe36Nz2lDmXBYeYZ2eXc7G0w44YIItt7qmFn4m6srtH0LWcLG053tkR9v-Fgq4rei3P_J-7aWvSzHE/s320/Photo_5CE0E783-70B7-214C-37C4-9029F1742B83.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Preheat the oil to 400 F.<br />
<br />
Slowly lower the turkey (in basket) into the oil.<br />
<br />
Be careful here. The oil may splatter up and get you here. I recomend the following safety precautions be taken when lowering the turkey into the oil:<br />
<br />
Long sleeve shirt<br />
Leather gardening gloves<br />
Safety glasses<br />
Use a set of channel locks or pliers to grip the basket handle.<br />
<br />
The turkey should cook for 3 1/2 minutes per pound.<br />
<br />
You will need to monitor the oil temperature and maintain it at 350 F while it is cooking. This may require adjusting the flame every 5 minutes or so.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrigqspLByiNdwy5WzRhpZogH47qX2_oFHCTkbkSJMQy1LhXrbRXggqPI9Ct9Qkk_tI3tJyW8tw6vktnPQjvexEZR7tT1SRS9R6wxpdYGQYaUDUoBKq6XHbp0YV00rRYWaoAvzwzjI94/s1600/Photo_84127944-851A-6F9A-2C3C-C19039557E1F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrigqspLByiNdwy5WzRhpZogH47qX2_oFHCTkbkSJMQy1LhXrbRXggqPI9Ct9Qkk_tI3tJyW8tw6vktnPQjvexEZR7tT1SRS9R6wxpdYGQYaUDUoBKq6XHbp0YV00rRYWaoAvzwzjI94/s320/Photo_84127944-851A-6F9A-2C3C-C19039557E1F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After the 35 minutes or so has passed, follow the same precautions you followed when you lowered the turkey into the oil (gloves, glasses, etc) and remove the turkey (in basket) from the oil. The turkey will stick a little to the sides of the basket. Jiggle it loose and slide the bird into a pan.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJc4mTb9zo6yXPUSPZjuYb_4oPbHWAlQTdJPO58qnUe9I3z3NrjA6PP8MB0wDzEInngy6CDjgR2HzjeKGorFXCL5RRrKKbBw1orSa_NlIyku77Q-PIBzf7NNrzjVWJj2v1N1Lb7SJSEM/s1600/Photo_E8550235-ECD9-EFF7-FE5E-49936D6EB907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJc4mTb9zo6yXPUSPZjuYb_4oPbHWAlQTdJPO58qnUe9I3z3NrjA6PP8MB0wDzEInngy6CDjgR2HzjeKGorFXCL5RRrKKbBw1orSa_NlIyku77Q-PIBzf7NNrzjVWJj2v1N1Lb7SJSEM/s320/Photo_E8550235-ECD9-EFF7-FE5E-49936D6EB907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Remove the cooking twine, carve and serve.<br />
<br />
Delicious.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-19651193481611014932012-10-28T05:29:00.001-07:002012-10-28T05:29:56.864-07:00Integrating Handheld Readings with SCADA Systems using OPCSCADA systems are used by large facilities to monitor the conditions of various equipment and systems around the facility. Most of the data displayed in a SCADA (<strong>supervisory control and data acquisition)</strong> system is real time data sent to the system by measuring devices installed around the plant. This will often include various pressure, temperature, level or flow values. By pulling all of this data into one place, the people who operate the systems can make decisions on whether their systems are working as designed, or if adjustments need to be made.<br />
<br />
Often times there is a need to view data that is collected manually alongside the data that is collected automatically by the SCADA system. We have developed a solution to this problem.<br />
<br />
Data collected with FDPMobile, our handheld data collection software, can be integrated into SCADA systems by using OPC technology.<br />
<br />
OPC stands for <strong>OLE for Process Control.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Using an OPC server, any data that is entered in our database can be viewed in the SCADA system. When the data is updated in the FieldData Pro application, the data will be updated on the SCADA system. <br />
<br />
This does not only apply to data collected with the handheld device. Our web application also has a web based data entry portal. This is often used to enter data from paper sources, such as utility bills or lab testing results.<br />
<br />
Once this data is in the SCADA system, out of spec conditions of this data can be managed in the same manner that the plant manages out of spec conditions for all the SCADA system data. If your plant uses an alarm notification system such as WIN-911 from Spector Instruments, you can send out email or text messages notifying key people of out of spec events.<br />
FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-84179825653188204342012-10-22T11:12:00.001-07:002012-10-22T11:12:47.856-07:00Integrating Handheld Readings with CMMSFieldData Pro data collection software is designed to compliment any Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). There are many good CMMS out there, and when an organization decides to implement one they normally intend to use it for a long time. You may have implemented a CMMS several years ago and it meets most of your needs, but now you wish it had mobile data collection capabilities that are just not offered. That is where we come in.<br />
<br />
Our solution is a stand alone data management system that works well alongside most any CMMS. <br />
<br />
In the FieldData Pro solution the primary transactional data that is collected are called Observations. Each Observation has the following properties:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Point of Interest ID - Defines the data point being observed</li>
<li>Observation Time - Time and date that the Observation was made</li>
<li>Observation Value - Numerical value of the Point of Interest at the time the Observation was made</li>
<li>Employee ID - Identity of the employee making the Observation</li>
</ul>
<br />
These Observations can be mapped to several different locations within a CMMS. Examples include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Meter Readings</li>
<li>Inventory Levels</li>
<li>Task Completion </li>
</ul>
There are currently over 400 different CMMS types in service at organizations around the world. We have very talented data base programmers that can look at your system and write the code that puts the data collected with our data colletion software into your CMMS.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-21844502622256923132012-10-02T06:50:00.000-07:002012-10-28T10:06:50.859-07:00A Simple Naming Convention for Data Points, Assets and EquipmentOver the last 20 years I have been involved with the implementation of several CMMS and SCADA systems, as well as many data management systems like our own FieldDataPro solution.<br />
<br />
Without fail, one hurdle that shows up early in every project is what should we can the assets, in the case of a CMMS, and what do we call the data points that describe these assets in the SCADA or data management system.<br />
<br />
Any naming convention should have the following goals:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The names should be intuitive. A user should be able to look at one asset or data point name and be able to tell what it is describing. The user should also be able to look at an asset name and guess what the name of a similar asset is.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The name should include hierarchical references to locate where the asset or data point is in the system.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The name must be distinct. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
There are several standardized naming conventions in use today in industry, but none of them met our requirements, so the FDP Naming Convention was created.<br />
<br />
The FDP Naming convention creates names by concatenating abbreviations the following parts:<br />
<br />
Location (Either site or building, whichever is appropriate)<br />
System (Everything is a part of a system)<br />
Equipment (if necessary)<br />
Parameter (for data point naming)<br />
Parameter Descriptor (if needed to help identify the Parameter)<br />
<br />
The parts of the name are separated by either underscores(dashes or periods may also be used).<br />
<br />
For example, on our North Campus we have a chilled water system. This system has several chillers. If we wanted to create an asset name for the first chiller on the system, it would be:<br />
<br />
NC_CHW_Chiller1<br />
<br />
The chilled water inlet temperature for this chiller would be:<br />
<br />
NC_CHW_Chiller1_T_In<br />
<br />
<br />
The chilled water Outlet temperature for this chiller would be:<br />
<br />
NC_CHW_Chiller1_T_Out<br />
<br />
Many data points describe the system as a whole as opposed to individual assets that are part of the system. In these cases we leave out the Equipment portion of the name. Following our example above, the name for the pH of the chilled water in this system would be:<br />
<br />
NC_CHW_pH<br />
<br />
Some data points describe properties of the site as a whole. In these cases we would leave out the System portion of the name. Following our example above, the name for the outside air dewpoint for the entire campus would be:<br />
<br />
NC_DP_OA<br />
<br />
<br />
Adopting this naming convention, or a similar convention, makes using your CMMS, SCADA or data management system easier for the end user. It is easier to search for data. It is also easier to identify which data is being represented in a trend, which asset is being referred to on a work order.<br />
<br />
Including the hierarchical information in the name also makes it easier to relate different assets together, and to relate data points to assets to systems to locations. <br />
<br />
<br />FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-50822807687508947262012-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:002012-05-01T02:25:52.627-07:00Monthly Testing of Emergency Lights<strong>Background</strong><br />
<br />
Section 1910.36 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires among the other things: In every building or structure equipped for artificial illumination adequate and reliable illumination shall be provided for all exit facilities. <br />
<br />
<strong>Testing Requirements</strong><br />
<br />
Testing requirements for emergency lights are defined in NFPA - 101 Life Safety Code Section 7.9.3 Periodic Testing of Emergency Lighting Equipment. <br />
<br />
This section includes provisions for equipment that must be tested manually as well as self-testing / self-diagnostic equipment. For equipment that requires manual testing, a functional test shall be conducted on every required emergency lighting system at 30-day intervals for a minimum of 30 seconds. An annual test shall be conducted for the 1-1/2 hour duration. Equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the test. Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction."<br />
<br />
It has been our experience that the primary failure mode for emergency lights involves the batteries. The minimum 30 second test duration is important because many times a light with bad batteries will illuminate initially when the test button is pressed, but fail within 30 seconds. Also, the focus of the 1-1/2 hour annual test is to determine if your batteries are strong enough to illuminate during an extended emergency period.<br />
<br />
<strong>Frequency</strong><br />
<br />
As described in the paragraph above, 30 second functional testing shall be conducted at 30 day intervals. <br />
<br />
Functional testing shall be conducted monthly with a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum of 5 weeks between tests.<br />
<br />
1-1/2 hour duration testing shall be conducted annually.<br />
<br />
<strong>Testing Instructions</strong><br />
<br />
The following is an example of how the task instructions may be written in your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Visually inspect emergency light for signs of damage.</li>
<li>Press test button and hold for 30 seconds.</li>
<li>Verify that emergency light illuminates for entire time test button is pressed.</li>
<li>Record inspection results. </li>
<li>Initiate corrective action for deficiencies identified during inspection.</li>
</ol>
<strong>Required Tools and Supplies</strong><br />
<br />
Barcode scanner to quickly record inspection results<br />
Stick to press hard to reach test buttons (optional)<br />
Step ladder (optional)<br />
<br />
<strong>Labor Time Requirements</strong><br />
<br />
It should take less than 1 minute to actually conduct a monthly functional test. However, the following must be considered when estimating labor time requirements for conducting monthly testing:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Labor estimates should include travel time to each emergency light. </li>
<li>In our experience, 5 minutes per emergency light, including travel time, is a good initial estimate for most commercial buildings. This estimate can be refined using actual data after the testing has been conducted a few times.</li>
<li>If a step ladder is required the labor estimates will need to be higher than with no step ladder.</li>
<li>Emergency light testing may also be combined with Lighted Exit Sign testing, which has very similar requirements.</li>
<li>Some organizations assign this testing to electricians, however it can be conducted by any conscientious employee who has been trained to perform the testing correctly.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Recording Test Results Using FieldDataPro</strong><br />
<br />
Managing the testing of emergency lights scattered around a large facility or campus can be challenging. FieldDataPro can help you use barcode technology to track when each unit is inspected and more importantly, identify units that are not inspected or have deficiencies that need to be corrected.<br />
<br />
When collecting emergency light test data with FieldDataPro you can use either the Detailed method or the Pass/Fail method. Either method makes effective management of the testing easy and eliminates paperwork and manual record keeping.<br />
<br />
With the Detailed method, the tester records the status of each inspection point for each unit as shown in the image below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbdgfwd5KlMKmARrszRq_tRbVC0mDlvVF_tSzt25a7-7m1UN3Xrrg5t9TQ9kBL1AfVYAfPGhd4SJFFrGOIJZzQtKT2VOsu2M7bNCTyUMWF4yHrkrtl-b1Jp6vM1hHzQbsPjTbwxeZ84Q/s1600/handheld+screen+emergency+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbdgfwd5KlMKmARrszRq_tRbVC0mDlvVF_tSzt25a7-7m1UN3Xrrg5t9TQ9kBL1AfVYAfPGhd4SJFFrGOIJZzQtKT2VOsu2M7bNCTyUMWF4yHrkrtl-b1Jp6vM1hHzQbsPjTbwxeZ84Q/s1600/handheld+screen+emergency+light.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
With the Pass/Fail method, the tester creates a timestamped record indicating that the device was tested, and whether it passed inspection or was found to have deficiencies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiualNiwnfaBLS4Xvf7DFGxB5_Ppllao-1ZRQ4FjUEBkjXwavejEQj4W7TfQvnGQpu-aIR32iXnflXNht_J4PaflsZAAE6GNvjCUfr_zBdiSU30jOIexFCTLzBPM8LljmAoG5tCS60Sjg/s1600/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiualNiwnfaBLS4Xvf7DFGxB5_Ppllao-1ZRQ4FjUEBkjXwavejEQj4W7TfQvnGQpu-aIR32iXnflXNht_J4PaflsZAAE6GNvjCUfr_zBdiSU30jOIexFCTLzBPM8LljmAoG5tCS60Sjg/s200/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
For a more detailed description of how FieldDataPro can help you manage Safety Inspection data, see this blog post <a href="http://fielddatapro.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html">(how it works).</a><br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1393482725"></span><span id="goog_1393482726"></span><br />
Call us at (919) 323-3703 to set up a demonstration.<br />
<br />
For more information, email us at <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/">http://www.fielddatapro.com/</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-89801805836872832422012-04-26T15:02:00.000-07:002012-05-01T02:27:49.270-07:00OSHA Fines Manufacturer $46,000 for Fire Extinguisher, Emergency Exit SignIn a June 20, 2011 news release, the US Department of Labor OSHA announced that they had cited Spears Mattress Co. in Rome, Ga for 14 serious safety violations. Penalties totaled $45,850.<br />
<br />
The violations included improper storage of oxygen and acetylene compressed gas cylinders, fire extinguishers not mounted or identified, a malfunctioning emergency exit sign, walking and storage areas cluttered with flammables and heavy equipment, missing machine guards on equipment, a drill press that was not secured to prevent movement during operation, improperly adjusted bench grinders and allowing an employee to operate a forklift with non functioning emergency brakes. There were also several electrical code violations identified.<br />
<br />
One of the things that a Facility Manager may find significant with this story is that it was a pop-in inspection by OSHA. There is a belief that OSHA only shows up after an incident, but that was not the case here. OSHA began this inspection as part of its Site-Specific Targeting Program, which focuses enforcement efforts on industries that report higher-than-average injury rates.<br />
<br />
It has been this author's experience from participating (as a facility owner) in OSHA and EPA audits, that having your documentation in order is an absolute necessity for surviving these audits. <br />
<br />
Three of the findings that this manufacturer was cited for were things that should be on periodic safety equipment inspections. These include forklifts (daily or at the beginning of each shift), fire extinguishers (monthly) and Emergency Exit Signs (monthly).<br />
<br />
Forklifts inspections are typically documented using logbooks stored on the forklift. A great source for forklift logbooks (or any other type of logbook) is <a href="http://www.logbooks.com/">http://www.logbooks.com/</a>. These inspections can also be documented using FDPMobile our handheld data collection software. <br />
<br />
Managing inspections of safety devices that are spread out around a facility, such as emergency lights, lighted exit signs, fire extinguishers and eyewash safety showers is made very easy by using a mobile software like FDPMobile. Inspection results are entered into the mobile device at the time of the inspection, then uploaded to an easy to use web application, where missed inspections or deficiencies that were identified during inspections can be easily tracked. To see a case study of how the FieldDataPro solution is used to manage safety inspections follow the link below.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/case_studies/FieldDataPro_CaseStudy_book.pdf">http://www.fielddatapro.com/case_studies/FieldDataPro_CaseStudy_book.pdf</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-76824614530519795882012-04-25T02:04:00.000-07:002012-05-01T02:25:07.803-07:00Monthly Testing of Lighted Exit Signs<strong>Background</strong><br />
<br />
Section 1910.36 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires among other things: In every building or structure equipped for artificial illumination adequate and reliable illumination shall be provided for all exit facilities.<br />
<br />
<strong>Testing Requirements</strong><br />
<br />
Section 7.10.9.1 of NFPA 101 requires that lighted exit signs be visually inspected for operation monthly:<br />
<br />
"7.10.9.1 Inspection. Exit signs shall be visually inspected for operation of the illumination sources at intervals not to exceed 30 days or shall be periodically monitored in accordance with 7.9.3.1.3 (7.9.3.1.3 discusses both manual testing of lighting as well as self-testing / self-diagnostic equipment)."<br />
<br />
Section 7.10.9.2 of NFPA 101 dictates that exit signs with battery backup be tested monthly following the same standards as applied to emergency lighting, which are described in Section 7.9.3.<br />
<br />
Section 7.9.3 of NFPA 101 requires that a functional test be conducted on this equipment at 30-day intervals for a minimum of 30 seconds. An annual test shall be conducted for the 1-1/2 hour duration. Equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the test. Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction.<br />
<br />
It has been our experience that the primary failure mode for emergency lights involves the batteries. The minimum 30 second test duration is important because many times a light with bad batteries will illuminate initially when the test button is pressed, but fail within 30 seconds. Also, the focus of the 1-1/2 hour annual test is to determine if your batteries are strong enough to illuminate during an extended emergency period.<br />
<br />
<strong>Frequency</strong><br />
<br />
Functional testing shall be conducted monthly with a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum of 5 weeks between tests.<br />
<br />
1-1/2 hour duration testing shall be conducted annually.<br />
<br />
<strong>Testing Instructions</strong><br />
<br />
The following is an example of how the task instructions may be written in your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).<br />
<ol>
<li>Visually inspect lighted exit sign for signs of damage.</li>
<li>Press test button and hold for 30 seconds.</li>
<li>Verify that sign illuminates for entire time test button is pressed.</li>
<li>Record inspection results. </li>
<li>Initiate corrective action for deficiencies identified during inspection.</li>
</ol>
<strong>Required Tools and Supplies</strong><br />
<br />
Barcode scanner to quickly record inspection results<br />
Stick to press hard to reach test buttons (optional)<br />
Step ladder (optional)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<strong>Labor Time Requirements</strong></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
It should take less than 1 minute to actually conduct a monthly functional test. However, the following must be considered when estimating labor time requirements for conducting monthly testing:<br />
<ul>
<li>Labor estimates should include travel time to each exit sign. </li>
<li>In our experience, 5 minutes per exit sign, including travel time, is a good initial estimate for most commercial buildings. This estimate can be refined using actual data after the testing has been conducted a few times. </li>
<li>If a step ladder is required the labor estimates will need to be higher than with no step ladder. </li>
<li>Emergency light testing may also be combined with emergency light testing, which has very similar requirements. </li>
<li>Some organizations assign this testing to electricians, however it may be conducted by any conscientious employee who has been trained to perform the testing correctly. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<strong>Recording Test Results Using FieldDataPro</strong></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
Managing the testing of safety devices scattered around a large facility or campus can be challenging. FieldDataPro can help you use barcode technology to track when each unit is inspected and more importantly, identify units that are not inspected or have deficiencies that need to be corrected.</div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
When collecting lighted exit sign test data with FieldDataPro you can use either the Detailed method or the Pass/Fail method. Either method makes effective management of the testing easy and eliminates paperwork and manual record keeping.</div>
<br />
With the Detailed method, the tester records the status of each inspection point for each unit as shown in the image below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZog_uGRCIu7-1gBvaErLetpBt07qxY9JIvo6I5HVo3e6IuXUGac75W7c0EqGO1w-I07laP-9VMNcz97vdlIlOp2tMHpcOffQMCdHNxb_Owc9vgMTBLMy0gr5mIQEkADnNIbypGy4g1Yg/s1600/handheld+screen+exit+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZog_uGRCIu7-1gBvaErLetpBt07qxY9JIvo6I5HVo3e6IuXUGac75W7c0EqGO1w-I07laP-9VMNcz97vdlIlOp2tMHpcOffQMCdHNxb_Owc9vgMTBLMy0gr5mIQEkADnNIbypGy4g1Yg/s1600/handheld+screen+exit+sign.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
With the Pass/Fail method, the tester creates a timestamped record indicating that the device was tested, and whether it passed inspection or was found to have deficiencies.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq30WkMdd9iSSDkQ3WIldwBI5LHEIiXb2tsHm7Y0NezhO-GN3PB1nW39vpeWrAzAhLOa2iZ-qVIpvmuPiZbniebJ3vii2HNpGkTwbsqev6YVg3AFRZGaSCs1yvJuNLP2qa7hxGXm0KM3Y/s1600/Lighted+Exit+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq30WkMdd9iSSDkQ3WIldwBI5LHEIiXb2tsHm7Y0NezhO-GN3PB1nW39vpeWrAzAhLOa2iZ-qVIpvmuPiZbniebJ3vii2HNpGkTwbsqev6YVg3AFRZGaSCs1yvJuNLP2qa7hxGXm0KM3Y/s1600/Lighted+Exit+Sign.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
For a more detailed description of how FieldDataPro can help you manage Safety Inspection data, see this blog post (how it works).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
Call us at (919) 323-3703 to set up a demonstration.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
For more information, email us at <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/">http://www.fielddatapro.com/</a></div>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-82052698195746455702012-04-12T06:26:00.000-07:002012-04-18T03:15:12.142-07:00Structured Troubleshooting by Plant OperatorsTo make your Operator Rounds or Inspections meaningful, you need to:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Establish criteria for each reading that defines what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. </li>
<li>Ensure that each reading is compared to the acceptance criteria (high and low limits) each time it is recorded.</li>
<li>Define what should be done if any out of limits conditions are discovered.</li>
</ol><br />
FDPMobile is a mobile application that helps Plant Operators collect data and troubleshoot problems they may find during their inspections.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyfvYDW8dkoBGDbH3oG042_umtjfkaJosRAKj_U6o-4nYbnenEPoxh1QFLs4HWypvgZtItW_wa2Qa64CNHNGkNsliSY8eaFsjFPVcmQ0SEPlitjSAEuRLWeC9U7Da5gySO2d2EvuRLCA/s1600/handheld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyfvYDW8dkoBGDbH3oG042_umtjfkaJosRAKj_U6o-4nYbnenEPoxh1QFLs4HWypvgZtItW_wa2Qa64CNHNGkNsliSY8eaFsjFPVcmQ0SEPlitjSAEuRLWeC9U7Da5gySO2d2EvuRLCA/s200/handheld.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In FDPMobile, for each data collection point you may establish acceptance criteria in the form of high and low limits.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnw5YYeZRJDSr-jVD3zlYm1_2XGdBPP5z_XrqO1Jc3F0lO31aDeTK-Lmr9Xljdk04fdtL02HPbZlnIJS6Lk0imOLfEfuvABehvb7-WtSLXvjCPh6uXBPfYZmGIPhvQs89_w6weOlELRM/s1600/fdpmobile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnw5YYeZRJDSr-jVD3zlYm1_2XGdBPP5z_XrqO1Jc3F0lO31aDeTK-Lmr9Xljdk04fdtL02HPbZlnIJS6Lk0imOLfEfuvABehvb7-WtSLXvjCPh6uXBPfYZmGIPhvQs89_w6weOlELRM/s320/fdpmobile1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div align="left">High and Low Limits are displayed to Operator. All data entered is automatically compared to the limits set up for the data point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For each data collection point you may establish up to four condition based messages that will be displayed to the Operator if data is entered that is outside high or low limits for that data point. These messages are customizable and can include instructions that you would like the Operator to follow when they find things that are not the way they ought to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9Fjx2u2PbLvtaN0Wr1q7LI7EzA7jk-kAa90_iH3kuF4UbJ6Kt66oOt4bZpm-DgZjm__T6qEfNoz-wXKdxdT8wKD0OSN95LREKhWub-1Rj3z0bJT2CwUI7wmTLk_-5hWbGnPe2XMByuk/s1600/fdpmobile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9Fjx2u2PbLvtaN0Wr1q7LI7EzA7jk-kAa90_iH3kuF4UbJ6Kt66oOt4bZpm-DgZjm__T6qEfNoz-wXKdxdT8wKD0OSN95LREKhWub-1Rj3z0bJT2CwUI7wmTLk_-5hWbGnPe2XMByuk/s320/fdpmobile2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we work with clients to implement FDPMobile and FDP Plant (the web application that works with the mobile application), we are often asked what should the content of the error messages should be. We respond by telling them to imagine themselves as a Plant Engineer receiving a phone call at 2:00 AM from an Operator who just encountered a problem on a very critical system. What three steps would you ask them to take while they are waiting for you to get dressed and get to the plant. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By putting this information at the Operators fingertips while they are in performing their rounds we are enabling them to solve problems quickly and safely.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-46159086139244080472012-04-10T06:43:00.001-07:002012-04-18T03:18:04.564-07:00FieldData Pro Adds Ad Hoc Charting and Data AnalysisOur customers can now build ad hoc charts to easily analyze the readings collected by their plant operators.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBOpaqlI8EPDG0a8zLIh8j9WuyYH3DdZkuSvqGdWMjiso_JyEDBo-6JgYe9zRkrL1tb5mWy81Hwqfzn8eCNivY4_633QEWvORhS8Esaxz9vLJJMRFI1R85DYqKc4EESTbWj40d4v7nbo/s1600/B4+Hot+Water.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBOpaqlI8EPDG0a8zLIh8j9WuyYH3DdZkuSvqGdWMjiso_JyEDBo-6JgYe9zRkrL1tb5mWy81Hwqfzn8eCNivY4_633QEWvORhS8Esaxz9vLJJMRFI1R85DYqKc4EESTbWj40d4v7nbo/s400/B4+Hot+Water.png" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
With a few simple clicks you can analyze your data over time. Any number of Points of Interest may be trended against each other so you can see how the variables interact with each other.<br />
<br />
Each chart is summarized with a table that details the average, min , max and count of each Point of Interest included in the chart. These charts are easily exported for inclusion in reports, emails or other documents.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojAS0gW2tvMIrKzAsiewueRRrHjCCA_7qbV0Z91ZdRjZKregFHzOfz8xUVKOGN7JR8OFwFEi3kw16HEy3mNATYSYkdWhd0IinFwvD-hk0GHziP0gFKWzjfx-w7HpR3SMTdkRwt3V4d_8/s1600/b4htwtable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojAS0gW2tvMIrKzAsiewueRRrHjCCA_7qbV0Z91ZdRjZKregFHzOfz8xUVKOGN7JR8OFwFEi3kw16HEy3mNATYSYkdWhd0IinFwvD-hk0GHziP0gFKWzjfx-w7HpR3SMTdkRwt3V4d_8/s400/b4htwtable.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
FDPChart is now a standard feature of the FieldData Pro data management solution.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-62940287712994256722012-04-04T14:19:00.000-07:002012-04-18T03:11:42.762-07:00How Accurate are Your Pressure Gauges?<div dir="ltr"><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma;">Almost once a week I find myself troubleshooting a problem with a water system. The majority of the times I am using pressure gauge readings as part of the troubleshooting. I have learned the hard way to be very skeptical<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> of the accuracy of pressure gauges<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> installed in the field. I estimate that 30% of the gauges<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> I have encountered in the field are not accurate.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Often times the gauges I find to be inaccurate are the same ones that our plant operators record each day during their Operator Rounds. This puts into question the accuracy of much of the historical data for that gauge reading.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LvmnKZLElMKT_OYrG_56sllOmcFJ70U6ihrKS4f0zfimq6no5qNaCCE7fkqAlhUirt9iR1uxt3dNPLUG3_B27uizSDmUebowuosGaxj1ge0h2zQYrT7NrQbVpHts3rawb2OB1kF88d4/s1600/pressuregage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LvmnKZLElMKT_OYrG_56sllOmcFJ70U6ihrKS4f0zfimq6no5qNaCCE7fkqAlhUirt9iR1uxt3dNPLUG3_B27uizSDmUebowuosGaxj1ge0h2zQYrT7NrQbVpHts3rawb2OB1kF88d4/s320/pressuregage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">It is very good practice to verify the accuracy of your pressure gauges at least annually. Verifying the accuracy of gauges attached to a pump could be made part of the PM tasks for that pump. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma;">The level of accuracy you require is up to the user. It can range from a quick check to verify that the gauge is functional and returns to zero when all pressure is removed. Or you may require the gauge to be accurate to within tenths of a pound using a test pump and an electronic calibrator like a Beamex.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: tahoma;">Once you have verified its accuracy you should put a dated sticker on the back of the gauge to show when it was last tested. </span></div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Periodically verifying the accuracy of your pressure gauges will help ensure your operators have accurate data when troubleshooting or assessing the performance of your power plant or process system.</span></div><div dir="ltr"></div>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-2891216271557387232012-04-02T13:28:00.000-07:002012-04-18T02:48:14.402-07:00Operator Rounds vs. SCADA -The Cost of Adding Points to SCADA SystemPlant operations professionals are routinely faced with the decision of whether to add a data point to the plant monitoring system (SCADA, BAS, etc) or add it to the Operator Rounds. For example, a manufacturing plant has been having trouble with a cooling tower pump periodically losing prime. To help troubleshoot the problem, they decide to start tracking the suction pressure of the pump. They can either add the pressure to the Operator Rounds, or add instrumentation to add it as a point to the plant SCADA system.<br />
<br />
There are a number of factors to consider in each of these decisions. These include:<br />
<br />
How critical is the data point? <br />
What are the consequences if this data point goes out of spec?<br />
Is continuous monitoring with out of spec alarming required?<br />
Or is it a data point that if it goes out of spec for a few days will not cause costly damage?<br />
<br />
These are very important questions and are the basis of processes like Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). This article does not address these questions. <br />
<br />
This article addresses determining the cost of the SCADA vs Operator Rounds options. These decisions should always be business decisions, where a cost / benefit analysis is performed of each option then used to help select the option that is best for the plant.<br />
<br />
It is our opinion that the costs of both of these options are routinely under-estimated. I hope this article helps you make accurate cost estimates that are useful in making the right decision.<br />
<strong><u>What Goes Into the Cost of Adding a New Point to SCADA System</u></strong><br />
<br />
For this example we will be adding a pressure sensor to the suction side of the cooling tower pump. Our plant uses a SCADA system to monitor critical system. Field devices send their signals back to the SCADA server using a plant Ethernet system. The following are items that may go into the cost of installing a new data point to a SCADA system:<br />
<ol><li>Cost of the measurement device. In this example we are adding an pressure transmitter ($350 - $3,000 depending on your plants requirements).</li>
<li>Wire and conduit to get the signal from the measuring device to the sending device ($200 to $500). </li>
<li>Power wiring for the measuring device (if needed) ($200 - $500)</li>
<li>Cost of the sending device (if needed). If we have a PLC nearby with an available I/O then we are in luck. If not we will need to add either a PLC ($1500) or Remote I/O module with Ethernet connection($300).</li>
<li>Wire and conduit to get from sending device to Ethernet drop (if needed). ($800 - $1500)</li>
<li>Power wiring for the measuring device (if needed) ($200 - $500)</li>
<li>Configure new data point in SCADA system. Assume it will take in house person 1 hour (if you have one) to add the point and configure the low and high limits ($50), contractor ($250). </li>
<li>Add new data point to graphic screen in SCADA system. Again in house ($50), contractor ($250). </li>
<li>Miscellaneous engineering costs. Include 4-6 hours for selecting and procuring the correct measurement device, selecting and procuring the correct sending device, routing power and communication wiring, establishing high and low limits and implementing response protocols. ($300)</li>
</ol>The costs quoted above are very rough estimates. Actual costs will vary at each plant. But at the very least, each of those items listed should be considered when calculating your costs for adding a point to a SCADA system.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>What Goes Into the Cost of Adding a New Point to Operator Rounds</u></strong><br />
<br />
There are costs associated with adding a data point to Operators Rounds. This is true whether your operators use a clipboard and pencil or handheld data collection software like FDPMobile(<strong><a href="http://tinyurl.com/3qykyvb">http://tinyurl.com/3qykyvb</a></strong>) to record their readings.<br />
<br />
These costs include:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Add new data point to paper log sheet or to handheld data collection software like FDPMobile. Assume it will take an in house person 1 hour to setup the new point and, if using paper log sheets, publish the new log sheet ($50). </li>
<li>Operator labor time required to collect the data. This cost can vary greatly depending on frequency of data collection and location. If you can add the reading to an established set of Operator Rounds and the new point is along the route then you may consider the costs to be negligible. If this new data point can not be added to an existing set of Operator Rounds then you need to quantify the labor hours required to collect this data. In an extreme example, if the pressure gauge is in a confined space that requires 1.5 labor hours to do a confined space entry each time you read it, it could cost thousands of dollars per year to get this data.</li>
</ol>Just like with the SCADA system, the cost of adding a data point to Operators Readings varies greatly depending on the application and the specific plant. <br />
<br />
<u><strong>Conclusion</strong></u><br />
<br />
When plant operations professionals are deciding whether to add a data point to a SCADA system or to plant Operator Rounds installation and on-going costs should be considered. <br />
<br />
Adding a point to a SCADA system can cost from just over $1000 to over $10,000, but with continuous monitoring and alarming capability can greatly improve the reliability of the system.<br />
<br />
Adding a point to Operator Rounds can range in cost from $50 to several thousand dollars per year. When added to a well designed Operator Rounds program, the new data point can add to the plant operator's knowledge base and improve his or her ability to identify and correct potential problems.<br />
<br />
________________________________________<br />
<br />
Our software solution, which includes mobile data collection software FDPMobile and web application FDP Plant, was designed by plant operators to solve some of the challenges faced daily by operators. It is designed to be complementary to any SCADA system. If you would like more information please visit us at <a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/">http://www.fielddatapro.com/</a> or email <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a> .FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-9995948606566726112012-03-01T06:41:00.001-08:002012-03-11T06:43:34.652-07:00Mobile Computers for Health CareThe line of mobile computers that FDPMobile is optimized to run on is the Motorola MC55. The MC55 comes in a version designed for use in Healthcare facilities. This versitile mobile computer comes in a version that is lightweight yet rugged; built for year-round use in nearly any environment; can be sanitized with common medical disinfectants to help prevent the spread of bacteria and disease.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWByNExYl0P1gYOLR1cBnBG7ebHMCQ7MFs022D4WNrpZ6lHqChJXY6ypvSWJzyJLM8akyA_LLmjhm5e6w6dLcEnCgg7RN7qNcuET8J2oz5PJWbCEeu5Rkz8-gknllN5SuHg6mJoKis6YI/s1600/MC55A0-HC_LG_US-EN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWByNExYl0P1gYOLR1cBnBG7ebHMCQ7MFs022D4WNrpZ6lHqChJXY6ypvSWJzyJLM8akyA_LLmjhm5e6w6dLcEnCgg7RN7qNcuET8J2oz5PJWbCEeu5Rkz8-gknllN5SuHg6mJoKis6YI/s320/MC55A0-HC_LG_US-EN.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
If you have critical data that you need collected in a healthcare environment, then FDPMobile on the Motorola MC55-HC is the combination for you.<br />
<br />
For more information, email <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-5891377153995639462012-02-16T07:06:00.000-08:002012-03-11T07:20:33.286-07:00Cooling Tower Drift to Be Treated as Particulate Matter by EPA PM 10Ken Hennon from Clean Air Engineering gave a nice presentation at the Cooling Technology Institute Annual Conference about new EPA standards for particulate pollution and their application to cooling tower drift.<br />
<br />
When most people think of particulate pollution, the image of black smoke coming off the stack on a diesel engine comes to mind. But, cooling tower drift will soon be considered in that same category. As Ken explained it, when the water in the droplets of tower water that leave the towers as uncontrolled drift evaporate, they leave behind their salts. These salts include hardness from the make up water source, residual water treatment chemicals and any solids that the tower has scrubbed from the air.<br />
<br />
These solids that are left behind form particles that will be considered particulate pollution per the EPA standards. For more information visit the link below:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/aqtrnd95/pm10.html" target="_blank">http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/aqtrnd95/pm10.html</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-72725581072438345772012-02-10T06:18:00.000-08:002012-03-11T06:27:48.374-07:00FieldData Pro Goes to CTI Annual ConferenceFor the second straight year FieldData Pro participated in the Cooling Technology Institute's Annual Conference. This years conference was in Houston, Texas and was well attended by both owner operators and equipment manufacturers.<br />
<br />
FieldData Pro's software was featured in the presentation, "Going it Alone: Lessons Learned from Managing Our Own Water Treatment Program". In this presentation, it was shown how using FieldData Pro's data management system, one comapny was able to save money and do a better job managing the water treatment program at a large manufacturing plant.<br />
<br />
Email <a href="mailto:john_young@fielddatapro.com">john_young@fielddatapro.com</a> for more information on this application.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-113640973145159662012-01-19T16:22:00.000-08:002012-01-19T16:24:27.479-08:00Eliminate Travel Time Required for EHS Inspections<span lang="" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span lang="" style="font-family: inherit;">Many inspections required for environmental (RCRA Tanks, SPCC Inspections, etc) or safety (eyewash, Emergency Lights, etc) compliance require very little time, maybe a minute or two, to complete.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span lang="" style="font-family: inherit;">Often, the bulk of the time committed to these inspections is the travel time to and from the individual inspected devices. These devices are typically scattered around the plant or campus. The technician performing these inspections may spend 5 to 10 minutes getting to each device, only to spend 1 minute to perform the actual test or inspection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">FieldDataPro has developed a way to eliminate the travel time required for these inspections. We have integrated mini barcode scanners, the size of automobile keyless entry devices, into our solution. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ALYtVbpRdf4Wzn3r9wZQMVs1Eo4-JahWdMPkoEdjQ7aTdiGkg6GSd90cyuZoUUZJJC8N809t1ZalqWnke7MTaCHRXgAHeDWY5hxkBCJZpJTfwLdgp9ETNkVuK_4wuguYNJVBD3-YL-g/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ALYtVbpRdf4Wzn3r9wZQMVs1Eo4-JahWdMPkoEdjQ7aTdiGkg6GSd90cyuZoUUZJJC8N809t1ZalqWnke7MTaCHRXgAHeDWY5hxkBCJZpJTfwLdgp9ETNkVuK_4wuguYNJVBD3-YL-g/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One scan of these devices, along with our Smart Barcoding System, can capture detailed inspection results that include:</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Inspection Result (Pass / Fail)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Name of Person Completing Inspection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Date and Time of Inspection</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Measured Value (Numerical)</span></li>
</ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our miniscan devices cost less that $150, so it does not break the bank to outfit each of your staff members with one.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs6Mt0ML9eAZOU0YuYrssI9_oSEC8LiGx-YuD2qKjQaTVN-CINRFWZmKnOVuSkjkVN-TrDkjF0YZRJ4X6bu_ic_LkFe8l9NQpoOKOmbTEhGaHrPu6-aHqxGXSvjrAYlv5kbc5fQv331Q/s1600/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200px" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs6Mt0ML9eAZOU0YuYrssI9_oSEC8LiGx-YuD2qKjQaTVN-CINRFWZmKnOVuSkjkVN-TrDkjF0YZRJ4X6bu_ic_LkFe8l9NQpoOKOmbTEhGaHrPu6-aHqxGXSvjrAYlv5kbc5fQv331Q/s200/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" width="198px" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's How Our System Works</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the EHS staff travels around the plant carrying out their normal duties, they perform inspections on devices at locations they pass by. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lets say your technician has to meet a customer in the Chemical Storage Building. Why not have her inspect the satellite waste storage location in that area. She can record her results with her mini scanner. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a meeting in the Physical Science Building? Go ahead and test the emergency lights in the stairwell. Record your results with your mini scanner. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using the mini scanner eliminates the need to go back to the office to get the clipboard. With it you are prepared to record your inspections at any time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you get back to your desk, simply plug the mini scanner in to the charging cable and your inspection results are automatically uploaded to our easy to use web application.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Each week a report can be run detailing which devices have been inspected, which devices failed inspection and any devices that have not been inspected.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQocXEDKy8aT2lRUBnpVJ81S-hfHHLZDDGm3BTfl3614jSID0zGDM-MukjqO5yctKISxRG_N030-vepXWmFYZ0stKbcI7n9kaGSdhRns7G7hyHeM8peUvVNAxRfsy9sNews461nVJpGdI/s1600/FDP+Route+Report+Sample+June+27+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="233px" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQocXEDKy8aT2lRUBnpVJ81S-hfHHLZDDGm3BTfl3614jSID0zGDM-MukjqO5yctKISxRG_N030-vepXWmFYZ0stKbcI7n9kaGSdhRns7G7hyHeM8peUvVNAxRfsy9sNews461nVJpGdI/s400/FDP+Route+Report+Sample+June+27+2011.jpg" width="400px" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A schedule report can also be run periodically, detailing for each device:</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Inspection Date</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next Due Date</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Days Past Due</span></li>
</ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE59dcxapuAEr6G3wXYQbOa9axEZC1O9Gj2JcEWkpj0ouw4YQr-zq0ah-hESgxdh18VhktKGHvXmvYeT7llCAcwTH6CPA-FqqtBd80S9EXfHeSqoDFSKeHN9sk3ir8MiGpiR_QlbKrgM/s1600/Schedule+Report+Sample+June+27+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="268px" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE59dcxapuAEr6G3wXYQbOa9axEZC1O9Gj2JcEWkpj0ouw4YQr-zq0ah-hESgxdh18VhktKGHvXmvYeT7llCAcwTH6CPA-FqqtBd80S9EXfHeSqoDFSKeHN9sk3ir8MiGpiR_QlbKrgM/s400/Schedule+Report+Sample+June+27+2011.jpg" width="400px" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use our detailed reports to actively manage your inspections. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Towards the end of each period(week, month, quarter) our reports help identify which devices were not inspected over the course of the period. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The FieldData Pro system greatly reduces the time required to complete your regulatory inspections. And by using our system you will do a much better job of managing and documenting your inspections. </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every organization I come in to contact with is facing the same challenges, more regulatory requirements, less people to do the work. At FieldData Pro, we help organizations do a better job managing their environmental and safety inspections while using less resources.</span></div>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-57468573101071264722012-01-16T04:45:00.000-08:002012-01-16T04:45:28.377-08:00Send Safety Home with Your EmployeesAs a manager do you encourage your employees to take personal protective equipment home for personal use?<br />
<br />
Do you even allow it?<br />
<br />
I beleive that encouraging employees to use company issued PPE at home can help improve safety performance at work. It accomplishes this by helping instill a safety mindset in your employees.<br />
<strong>Reinforce Positive Behavior</strong><br />
<br />
A safety conscious employee gives thought before each endeavour and considers the safety risks associated with the job. This employee breaks the job down into it's steps, identifies the hazards associated with the step, identifies the precautions to mitigate the hazard and ensures these precautions are taken before proceeding. <br />
<br />
Consider the potential hazards associated with household tasks:<br />
<ul><li>Lawn mowing - Hearing Damage, Eye Injury</li>
<li>Cleaning Gutters - Fall Hazard</li>
<li>Painting - Inhalation hazards</li>
</ul><br />
This is just a fraction of the potentially hazardous tasks your employees can perform at home. By encouraging employees to use their safety glasses or ear plugs at home your will help make safe work practices habits that they will take to work with them. <br />
<br />
<strong>Minimize Negative Reinforcement</strong><br />
<br />
The flip side of the previous example is to minimize the reinforcement of negative behaviour. One of the biggest impediments to safe work practices is the confidence some employees have in their ability to perform tasks without being injured even without following safe work practices. How many electricians do you know who are comfortable working 120 V or 480 V hot, without gloves, glasses and arc resistant clothing because they have done it hundreds of times before without incident. <br />
<br />
Every time they "get away" with doing it the wrong way, their confidence in those methods grows. Interrupt this cycle by make it easier for them to do it the "right" way whether they are working at home or at work.<br />
<br />
<strong>Create a Safety Conscious Family Environment</strong><br />
<br />
My kids wont let me or my wife drive a car without a seat belt on. They start hollering the instant we try to do it. That is because riding in a vehicle with a belt on has been the only way they have ever known. They don't know that seat belts were optional when we were growing up. And we are better off for that.<br />
<br />
Develop that same safety conscious attitude in them towards household work. If your children see you wearing safety glasses and ear plugs when mowing the lawn, they will adopt that practice when it it their turn to mow the lawn. If they see you put a lockout device on the light switch when you are changing a light ballast, they will ask you why. Explain to them that you don't want Uncle Billy to accidentally electrocute them when he stops by unexpectedly and throws the light switch. Make it easy for your employees to create a safety conscious family environment by encouraging to use their company issued PPE at home.<br />
<strong>Guidelines and Expectations</strong><br />
<br />
Of course you will have to set guidelines and expectations. The expectation should be that the equipment come back to the workplace and be in good condition. Guidelines should include notification to the supervisor that they will be borrowing the equipment. A simple email to the supervisor on a Friday afternoon letting them know that the employee will be using their electrical gloves at home over the weekend protects the employee from being accused of theft and helps the employer keep up with the equipment it provides.<br />
In the end both the employer, the employee and their family will be safer and better off.FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-68279703064795245282011-12-11T17:56:00.000-08:002012-01-16T04:46:47.736-08:00How to Keep Your Emergency Exits Free of ObstructionsBoth OSHA regulations and the NFPA Life Safety Code require unobstructed egress from buildings. The Life Safety Code states that "means of egress shall be free of obstructions that would prevent its use"; while the OSHA requirements of 29 CFR 1910.36 (b)(4) require exits to be "...maintained so as to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of the building or structure at all times when it is occupied."<br />
<br />
One of the most common discrepancies found during safety inspections of facilities is emergency exits obstructed by stored materials. Emergency exits are often times located in quiet alcoves that seem ideal locations to "temporarily" store boxes or furniture. <br />
<br />
Vigilance is required to keep emergency exits free of obstructions. One method is to make it inspections of emergency exits a part of security officers daily rounds. It is common for security guards to perform inspections of exterior doors to ensure they are locked. By asking the security guards to also verify that the exits are free from obstructions you can increase the safety of your facility with little to no added expense.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqF_d6sQPNOspeQ_EVuUy48eDax317EZz36XwpbzX6m-4prdqSOugm6hyphenhyphenGwsUdG-MSmqmMSDh3ru2KTbPMuNpqP31pifJrRXCPGeWF3jOOaNXgafIYgE1X8HsvYRWJMWf8v7mjKWS3M/s1600/emergency+exit+inspection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZqF_d6sQPNOspeQ_EVuUy48eDax317EZz36XwpbzX6m-4prdqSOugm6hyphenhyphenGwsUdG-MSmqmMSDh3ru2KTbPMuNpqP31pifJrRXCPGeWF3jOOaNXgafIYgE1X8HsvYRWJMWf8v7mjKWS3M/s320/emergency+exit+inspection.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
By using an inexpensive barcode scanner your employees can easily record the results of their inspections.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh860YIRV2rOZhRNNQS5y7SeOYbwYvoRkL0x6l9fmxhXPrDH2Sfk9otFVRqHnQASaDzBBU21HPkAWmA0fVs2b64ToBgpQvSOI7XHLDkiAMBTAmItprDeBs5MGMgKryCbsOsTQu4bovCzbI/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh860YIRV2rOZhRNNQS5y7SeOYbwYvoRkL0x6l9fmxhXPrDH2Sfk9otFVRqHnQASaDzBBU21HPkAWmA0fVs2b64ToBgpQvSOI7XHLDkiAMBTAmItprDeBs5MGMgKryCbsOsTQu4bovCzbI/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Results are automatically uploaded to our easy to use web application. If any blocked emergency exits are found, messages can be sent automatically to the appropriate people for corrective action.<br />
<br />
By adding these inspections to existing facilities inspections you avoid the burden of <span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">creating a </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">new inspection route. By using barcode scanners you will eliminate unnecessary paperwork related to tracking completed inspections and identifying missed inspections.</span><br />
<div><br />
For a more detailed description of how FieldDataPro can help you manage Safety Inspection data, see this blog post <a href="http://fielddatapro.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html">(How it all works)</a>.</div><br />
<div>Call us at (919) 323-3703 to set up a demonstration.</div><br />
For more information, email us at <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/">http://www.fielddatapro.com/</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-19021570419168553842011-11-27T03:53:00.000-08:002011-11-27T03:56:15.138-08:00Train Security Guards to Perform Safety Inspections<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A client of ours was struggling to get their required safety inspections completed. They simply had too much work to do and not enough people in the maintenance department to get it all done. They came up with a unique solution to the problem – integrating safety device inspections into the security guards’ rounds. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The periodic safety device inspections that the maintenance department is responsible for include:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Weekly eyewash safety shower testing</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Monthly emergency light test</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Quarterly automatic electronic defibrillator inspections</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Monthly lighted exit sign test</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">First-aid kit inspections</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Satellite waste collection weekly inspections</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Monthly SPCC inspections</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The client maintains a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility. These inspections were taking over 60 man-hours per month to complete. Meanwhile, the maintenance department was being squeezed for resources. Vacant positions were not being filled; new positions were not being considered. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">At the same time, the company was putting a strong emphasis on staying compliant with regulatory inspection requirements.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This customer came up with a neat solution, by training their security guards to complete many of the safety inspection tasks and integrating the safety inspections into their security rounds.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Security Guard Rounds</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">As is common in many facilities, the security guards at our client’s facility perform rounds each shift. These rounds include roving the facility and verifying that all exterior doors are secure and all important offices are locked. The fact that the security guards already travel throughout the facility makes them ideal candidates for performing these inspections.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Most of the inspections listed above take about one minute per device to complete. However, the average travel time to each device is 3-5 minutes. So up to 85% of the time devoted to safety inspections is travel time to and from each device. By adding these inspections to the security guards’ rounds, the travel time is eliminated, since the guards would be traveling to these areas to perform their security functions anyway.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Buy-in from Security</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Any time you shift responsibilities from one group to another, it is important to get buy-in from the folks who will be assuming the new responsibilities. Oftentimes the receiver may feel the new responsibilities are being dumped on them without consideration for the responsibilities they already have. To get buy-in from the security group, the maintenance department presented a plan that included:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Maintenance acknowledged that they were asking security to operate outside their traditional scope of work and expressed appreciation for security’s assistance.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Security would be provided with training to perform the inspection tasks. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Oversight for the safety inspection program would remain with the maintenance department. The purpose here was to take advantage of the elimination of travel time, not to eliminate the administrative responsibility.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The new responsibilities would require security to perform little to no added paperwork. The inspection results would be collected via easy-to-use “key fob” barcode scanners. </span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The maintenance department would serve as the “sweeper” at the end of each month. They would identify the inspections that may have fallen through the cracks and commit resources to complete the inspections.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The two departments would meet after three months to assess the program. Assumptions made at the outset of the program (that the added responsibilities would be absorbed by security with no additional labor requirements, etc.) would be reviewed to see if they were valid or if adjustments needed to be made.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Advantages for Security</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The primary advantage for the security guards was career development. Security guards would be trained in a new field, namely safety. They were receiving both training and hands-on experience in conducting a variety of OSHA- and NFPA-required safety topics. This could possibly open up career paths for them as facilities technicians, EHS technicians, or fire protection inspectors.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Another advantage for the security guards was adding variety to a job that could at times be mundane. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Inspection Selection</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Selecting the right inspections for the security guards to conduct was important. Care was taken to select tasks that would minimize the labor time requirements added to the guards. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Emergency light and lighted exit sign testing were a natural fit, because most were located in areas the guards were already traveling through.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftrDKI4wvjqxM24C0oy93AbmKKD8kTreq5w8bPWTiu1O0FFN5c0BI8qOysTUreskYd7RXzLrA1wJ5FMe31hmSDPCkX2tNPCje3dme3xJhIgVUTuJYXRQqQLvg4WlwRZ0XYCKabh3EYsM/s1600/exit+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftrDKI4wvjqxM24C0oy93AbmKKD8kTreq5w8bPWTiu1O0FFN5c0BI8qOysTUreskYd7RXzLrA1wJ5FMe31hmSDPCkX2tNPCje3dme3xJhIgVUTuJYXRQqQLvg4WlwRZ0XYCKabh3EYsM/s200/exit+sign.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Eyewash and safety shower testing was not included, because these tests often require equipment (buckets and hoses) and time to deal with the flushed water.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">AED inspections <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were </i>included because they were quick and easy to do.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">First-aid kit inspections were not included, because inventorying the kits could take a significant amount of time.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Dividing up the Inspections</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The security guards work 12-hour shifts. Security requested that the safety inspections be assigned to the night shifts only, since the day shift spent more time each day dealing with customer requests (office lockouts, HR terminations, etc.). There are two night shifts, front-end nights and back-end nights. There are four weeks in a typical month. The list of required safety device inspections was divided into eight distinct routes:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Front-End Week 1</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Back-End Week 1</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Front-End Week 2</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Etc.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Each shift would receive a list each week detailing which safety device inspections would be completed that week. Each list included 10-12 emergency lights, 6-8 exit signs. and 1-2 AEDs.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Training</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Short training presentations were created for each inspection task. The presentations were created in PowerPoint and included background information about what function the device that is being inspected performs, frequency of required tests, and detailed instructions with pictures showing how to perform the test. The presentations concluded with a short quiz that the employee could print out and hand in as proof that they had successfully completed the training.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The PowerPoint presentations were then published as PDF documents and posted on the company intranet site so that they were easily available to the guards day or night.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The training was self-directed. Guards were asked to complete training when it was convenient for them. This eliminated the need to schedule the off-shift guards to come in for training classes on overtime.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Managing the Inspection Completion</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Small “key fob” barcode scanners were used by the security guards to track the inspection results.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht223eNV5EARJOFXeqkCS7ExNOx8vfwgqPhQLz8uMiDOcgD73zOynaJ9a2DokCQKzsTAzKu4AmK7r3R8v2_c0tQqddQhm1wAdx0wbBmAAPnPJfyftsnL3ULyZrLWdsWcnmFeBPK3IYZEc/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht223eNV5EARJOFXeqkCS7ExNOx8vfwgqPhQLz8uMiDOcgD73zOynaJ9a2DokCQKzsTAzKu4AmK7r3R8v2_c0tQqddQhm1wAdx0wbBmAAPnPJfyftsnL3ULyZrLWdsWcnmFeBPK3IYZEc/s1600/Keyfob+Scanner.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Barcode labels were posted at each inspection location.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTrLLf9CZiP7_ny_YZJ-jrO8wHAKyCBDOmEcyhVFdA0vLwcuAquWx2YxJyp_XDoT8JiLdyyOs6YGs88TZdunTUOANmASfCxPrxrGvLotG_mKQqZ_i-Z1dqnQuJqTyOPA5cx-EtexJC3s/s1600/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTrLLf9CZiP7_ny_YZJ-jrO8wHAKyCBDOmEcyhVFdA0vLwcuAquWx2YxJyp_XDoT8JiLdyyOs6YGs88TZdunTUOANmASfCxPrxrGvLotG_mKQqZ_i-Z1dqnQuJqTyOPA5cx-EtexJC3s/s200/emergency+light+barcode.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When the scanner was connected to a desktop computer at the end of the shift, the inspection results were automatically uploaded to the web application, FDP Plant. FDP Plant is an easy-to-use web application that is used to set up the inspection points, create schedules, and manage the inspection results.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">At the beginning of each week, the guards receive an automatic report via email that details the inspections to be completed that week. At the end of the week they receive another report detailing which inspections were not completed, and any discrepancies found during completed inspections.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Success</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This is a unique solution to a common problem. The solution was made possible by the adaption of barcode technology to safety inspections and by the willingness of the two departments to work together. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The client is in the early stages of implementation, so we will report back with any lessons learned.</span></div></span>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-50574861937711364272011-11-26T04:36:00.000-08:002011-11-26T04:36:54.349-08:00Turkey Frying Safety TipsI regularly perform job safety analyses as part of my job, so when I started frying turkeys a few years ago I was very conscious of the hazards. The primary hazards are related to the 400 F oil used to fry the turkey. These include:<br />
<ul><li>400 F oil can burn you severely. </li>
<li>Oil can also catch fire it rolls over the side of the pot into the fire.</li>
<li>A frozen turkey dropped into hot oil will explode causing both of the above</li>
</ul>Over the years I have come up with the following precautions to take when frying a turkey.<br />
<ol><li>Turkey must be fried outside.</li>
<li>Do not fry on a deck or porch.</li>
<li>Clear out an area to set up your fryer. Rake leaves and brush from around the fryer.</li>
<li>Remove any trip hazards (toys, oil bottles, etc) from around the fryer. You do not want anyone tripping into the oil.</li>
<li>Be mindful of keeping small children and dogs away from fryer. Barricade with lawn chairs if necessary.</li>
<li>Make sure your turkey is thawed before frying.</li>
<li>Wear long sleeve shirt.</li>
<li>Wear leather work or gardening gloves when working near the oil (lowering the turkey in or removing from oil).</li>
<li>Wear safety glasses whenever top is off of heated oil.</li>
<li>Adult supervision around turkey fryer at all times while oil is heating and while oil is hot.</li>
</ol>Be safe and enjoy!FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-65379961780084242012011-11-15T03:00:00.000-08:002011-11-15T03:00:46.632-08:00Low Cost Internet Access for Low Income FamiliesThe FCC, along with companies like Microsoft, Best Buy and all major cable companies, are rolling out a program where low income families can get broadband internet access for $9.95 a month.<br />
<br />
The program, which will start next summer, is available to families with children eligible for free lunches in school.<br />
<br />
The inititive is called Connect-To-Compete, and also includes access to low cost computers.<br />
<br />
Read the full article <a href="http://www.wral.com/news/technology/story/10355935/">here.</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-49787006872097003932011-10-26T02:14:00.000-07:002011-11-27T03:58:12.233-08:00Weekly Testing of Plumbed Eyewash Safety Showers<strong>Background</strong><br />
<br />
OSHA Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.151(c) requires that suitable facilities for drenching or flushing of the eyes and body be provided near locations where any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials. <br />
<br />
Many facilities install combination eyewash safety showers to meet this requirement. These are typically plumbed, or connected to a continuous source of domestic water.<br />
<br />
Flushing exposed body parts within seconds immediately following an eye injury or chemical splash is critical to minimizing damage. Emergency eyewashes and showers often go unused for long periods of time. When a chemical exposure occurs, these devices must function properly. Regular testing and inspection of combination eyewash safety showers is very important.<br />
<br />
<strong>Inspection Requirements</strong><br />
<br />
OSHA does not provide specific testing requirements for eyewash and safety showers. Instead, OSHA defers to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z358.1 standard for the requirements of all plumbed emergency eye, eye/face wash and emergency shower equipment.<br />
<br />
<strong>Frequency</strong><br />
<br />
Based on the ANSI Z358.1 standard, plumbed eyewash safety showers should be inspected weekly to ensure they are operable. <br />
<br />
<strong>Inspection Instructions</strong><br />
<br />
At a minimum, the inspection should include verifying water flow to the eyewash nozzles and safety shower and that there is a clear, unobstructed path to the eyewash safety shower.<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Verify there is a clear path to the eyewash / safety shower. </li>
<li>Ensure no materials are stored under unit.</li>
<li>Verify water supply to safety shower. Flush water for 30 seconds.</li>
<li>Verify water flow to eyewash. Flush water for 30 seconds.</li>
<li>Ensure dust caps are on eyewash nozzles. </li>
<li>Record inspection results.</li>
<li>Initiate corrective action for deficiencies identified during inspection.</li>
</ol><br />
<strong>Required Tools and Supplies</strong><br />
<br />
Barcode scanner to record inspection results.<br />
5 gallon bucket to catch flushed water.<br />
Safety Shower Test Curtain<br />
Spare eyewash dust caps<br />
<br />
<strong>Labor Time Requirements</strong><br />
<br />
It typically takes less than 5 minutes to perform a weekly inspection of and eyewash safety shower. However, the following need to be considered when estimating labor time requirements for completing weekly tests:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Labor estimates should consider travel time to and from each eyewash. </li>
<li>Inspections in clean room environments require additional time for gowning.</li>
<li>Collection and disposal of flushed water must be considered. </li>
<li>Water flushed from an eyewash is easily caught in a 5 gallon bucket. </li>
<li>A test curtain may be needed to catch the water while testing a safety shower. </li>
<li>Water from your tests can create slip hazards. Allow time for cleaning up water.</li>
</ul><div></div><div><strong>Recording Inspection Results Using FieldDataPro</strong></div><br />
Managing the inspection of eyewash safety showers scattered around a large facility or campus can be challenging. FieldDataPro can help you use barcode technology to track when each unit is inspected and more importantly, identify units that are not inspected or have deficiencies that need to be corrected.<br />
<br />
When collecting eyewash inspection data with FieldDataPro you can use either the Detailed method or the Pass/Fail method. Either method makes effective management of the inspections easy and eliminates paperwork and manual record keeping.<br />
<br />
With the Detailed method, the inspector records the status of each inspection point for each unit as shown in the image below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOErHSLW-kmc3a0gC7BMeSmpcGVcLsXS0FyI5f8A4zKkOWIrQPYUV0zGWkMRm6NPXIMCmIFuTexEttRwuIQWAxV4YAHbQTB8XA5xjMywf4jarIm9TMmP1MMjiPuSqBowf9R7UsYjb2uw/s1600/eyewash+data+coll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOErHSLW-kmc3a0gC7BMeSmpcGVcLsXS0FyI5f8A4zKkOWIrQPYUV0zGWkMRm6NPXIMCmIFuTexEttRwuIQWAxV4YAHbQTB8XA5xjMywf4jarIm9TMmP1MMjiPuSqBowf9R7UsYjb2uw/s200/eyewash+data+coll.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div>With the Pass/Fail method, the inspector creates a timestamped record indicating that the device was inspected, and whether it passed inspection or was found to have deficiencies.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsptmg2u3pfaS16ZtbVtEJKwulljIlJvP_zd1G5pVeh7V5tlQQLWF9qc-tKy_vbFLUI7j4p42cQ-ErJoaAvyyoaGrrysUoOo4Mqi7iMEUxW2ux8Im1vxStoSv9ZvPVgc5mSFJpOTx_ww/s1600/EyewashSticker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsptmg2u3pfaS16ZtbVtEJKwulljIlJvP_zd1G5pVeh7V5tlQQLWF9qc-tKy_vbFLUI7j4p42cQ-ErJoaAvyyoaGrrysUoOo4Mqi7iMEUxW2ux8Im1vxStoSv9ZvPVgc5mSFJpOTx_ww/s200/EyewashSticker.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div>For a more detailed description of how FieldDataPro can help you manage Safety Inspection data, see this blog post <a href="http://fielddatapro.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html">(How it all works)</a>.</div><br />
<div>Call us at (919) 323-3703 to set up a demonstration.</div><br />
For more information, email us at <a href="mailto:info@fielddatapro.com">info@fielddatapro.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fielddatapro.com/">http://www.fielddatapro.com/</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150431605030824134.post-65972645418351740802011-10-16T12:47:00.000-07:002011-11-27T03:58:38.446-08:00Pipe Fitters Exposed to Acid Waste, Safety Shower Saves DayLate last year two pipe fitters were exposed to acid waste when a pipe broke at a Durham manufacturing plant. <br />
<br />
According to news reports: "The contractors immediately washed the acid off in nearby showers, which are located throughout the building as a precaution"<br />
<br />
The incident occurred at a Cree, Inc. manufacturing plant. Cree uses handheld data collection software from FieldData Pro, Inc. to manage their eyewash / safety shower inspection program. <br />
<br />
Luckily, eyewashes and safety showers are not used every day. But because of their infrequent use they must be tested regularly to make sure they will function when they are needed.<br />
<br />
Luckily for the two exposed employees, the Facilities Department at Cree takes this responsibility very seriously.<br />
<br />
To read the entire news article, click on the following link:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/8676689/">Cree Eyewash News Article</a>FDPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11646963496984509853noreply@blogger.com1