Monthly Archives: May 2010

ANSI requirements for first aid kits revised

Posted by Carol Blakey  –  Safety & Personnel
May 27, 2010

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) revised the standard relating to first aid kits in the workplace. ANSI Z308.1-2003 has been replaced by ANSI Z308.1-2009. There are a few changes that our customers should pay attention to. The old standard listed eight items that were required as minimum fill for workplace first aid kits. The new standard brings the required item total to ten.  The other notable change is that latex is to be eliminated from first aid altogether.

The new required items are:
(1) First Aid Guide
(1) Absorbent Compress 4″ X 8″ minimum
(16) 1″ X 3″ Adhesive Bandages
(1) Adhesive Tape 2.5 yard roll
(10) Antiseptic Treatment Applications 0.9 Gram each
(6) Burn Treatment Applications 0.9 Gram each
(4) 3″ X 3″ Sterile Gauze Pads
(2) Pair Medical Exam Gloves
(1) Triangular Bandage 40″ X 40″ X 56″ min
(6) Antibiotic Ointment  Applications  0.5 Gram each.

There are also now ten items listed as Recommended Supplies.
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Tricks of the Trade – pH Electrodes

Posted by Stephen Zdun  –  Cheese & Dairy Products, Laboratory & QA/QC
May 21, 2010

Many food processing companies store pH electrodes as spares for those that are currently in service.  This program works well to ensure testing can continue in the event an electrode has exhausted its usable life, or if a situation such as breakage occurs.

One drawback of this practice is that there are several styles of electrodes – especially those that are pressurized to ensure electrolyte flow – that have a set amount of usable life simply because of the way they are manufactured.  The other drawback is the determination and awarding of a manufacturer warranty for a new electrode.  Supply partners are increasingly stringent with their standards, making it more difficult to honor warranty claims, so we have some recommendations for lab managers!

  1. Always inspect each electrode upon receipt.
  2. Perform an initial calibration.
  3. Place spares into inventory as soon as possible.
  4. Consider monthly rotation of electrodes.
  5. Contact the supplier within 30 days of receipt for “out of box” failure.

Using these tips will help ensure your supplier can work with the manufacturer to remedy your warranty-related problem.

Organization Made Easy

Posted by Todd Schreiner  –  Production & Material Handling, Safety & Personnel, Sanitation & Janitorial
May 12, 2010

Does your plant do internal audits? My guess is you are all doing some sort of plant audit, from HACCP to safety programs. One of the newer audit tools available today is the 5S Program to help you organize every area in your plant. This simple, but effective audit can be used in every application, from maintenance, production, all the way down to janitorial needs. Following is the basic principal how the system works:

Sort: Area for unused items and another area for tools and supplies used separately.

Set in Order: Determine what items are needed in your area to perform your job.

Shine: Clean the equipment or supplies you need.

Standardize: Use posters, peg board, and hangers so supplies are always returned to their proper place.

Sustain: Keep the process in order and get workers involved.

This simple approach is a popular tool used in many lean manufacturing environments. Becoming-and-then staying-organized allows plants to convert excess inventory into cash, improve productivity, safety and quality. To learn more, or to discuss how you can implement such a program in your facility, just let me know.

Never Underestimate The Power of the RIGHT Business Partner

Posted by Sharon Copet  –  General
May 7, 2010

The past two weeks have found me on the road with a number of  co-workers looking for the “right” software to run our Company.  Web demos have led to site visits, and even more calls from sales reps courting us in hopes of their software being selected as our solution.  What we thought should be an easy decision after the web demos has proven it is not after the site visits.

Choosing the right software is imperative for the sustainability and future growth of Nelson-Jameson.  But, what we have  realized that software is not the only thing we are choosing – we also need to find the right business partner, as they are the ones that will make this easy (or more difficult) once we go into implementation and beyond.

Case in point.  My last blog was about a minor crisis enhanced teamwork in our CSR department.  I do understand things happen, and when they do, I try to look at things in a positive manner.  But, after further problems this past week I’ve changed my tune and am starting to feel that – while the software is a stable and viable force – the technical support and knowledge that we receive from the business partner might be lacking.  Our questions to them have led to more questions, and not a lot of concrete answers.  Which is leading to even more frustration on our part.

So, why I am blogging about business partners today?  From my perspective, I want beleive that Nelson-Jameson is a really great business partner for both our customers and our vendors.  Responsive.  Timely.  Reliable.  It is written into our business model that we will go the extra mile for you, our customer, in order to gain your trust and your business.  While business partners are important, the RIGHT business partner helps you to succeed.

Using the right tool to get the job done!

Posted by Marketing Dept.  –  Cheese & Dairy Products, Production & Material Handling, Sanitation & Janitorial
May 3, 2010

Using the right tool can get the job done in half the time. Our own Todd Schreiner, Account Manager, was featured in this Food Engineering article about a creamery’s dust problem.

Read the article here: “Creamery combats dusty whey powder with industrial vacuum.”