Posts for October 29, 2010

UTAH BUSINESS 2010 GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS

Utah Business
Many Utah companies have learned that green business is good businesses, and Utah Business magazine recognized some of those companies at this year’s Green Business Awards luncheon on Thursday, October 28, 2010. The 2010 recipients include small and large businesses all doing their part to make green practices part of their services, products and business cultures. Mark Wilson, principal of FFKR Architects accepted the award for his company.
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HAND INJURY PREVENTION

Greg Summerhays - Director of Public Relations and Community Outreach at Workers Compensation Fund.
No matter what we’re doing, we generally use our hands all the time. Because we use our hands so often, our hands can be cut, bruised, punctured, fractured and burned. This can occur during the course of work, at home, and during recreation. By recognizing hazards, using personal protective wear and following established safety rules and procedures, you can save your hands from injury and yourself from an unnecessary disability. There are times when it can be unsafe to wear gloves, such as when working with machinery with exposed moving parts. However, there are many activities where using a proper glove will prevent an injury or at least minimize the severity of the injury.

• When involved in material handling activities, take the time to put on a good pair of leather gloves. Without the use of gloves, rough or sharp edges, burrs, protruding bolts, and wood splinters can all cause minor to severe lacerations and punctures.

• Prior to handling chemicals, read the material safety data sheet (MSDS) to know what, if any protection is needed, and follow the instructions. For example, if a butyl rubber glove is recommended, then a butyl glove should be used. Substituting a regular rubber glove, unless recommended, could prove disastrous. If unsure as to the proper protection, ask your supervisor.

• When handling hot or extremely cold materials, a proper thermally protected glove will guard against burns.

• If handling glass or metal with very sharp edges or if using cutting materials, a cut resistant glove would be best.

The Right Tool

Always use the right tool for the right job. Never substitute a wrench for a hammer, a screwdriver for a chisel, a pocketknife for a utility knife, etc. In addition to using the right tool, keep tools and equipment in good repair and maintain sharp cutting blades. • Periodically inspect tools for cracks, wear, and proper function. • Repair or replace worn or cut power cords. Tools such as sockets and wrenches that are worn should be replaced to prevent slippage. • Dull utility knives or saw blades take more effort and force to cut the material. This can cause slip-ping or kick backs. Keep blades sharp! Don’t use broken tools!

Safeguards

• When working with machinery, make sure all guards are in place and properly adjusted. Never remove or circumvent guards as they are designed to protect you from coming in contact with potentially dangerous moving parts. • Some machinery such as presses and shears are equipped with two hand actuation controls that are designed to keep your hands out of harms way. Never bypass safety controls in order to speed up work. Always be aware of where you put your hands. Areas without guard protection can still be dangerous.

Repetitive Strains

Hand strains can be caused from force, frequency of motion, hand position and static grip. You can avoid strains by observing the following: • Periodically change your grip and wrist position. • Take mini-breaks for periodic hand, finger and wrist stretches. • Utilize tools with a properly designed ergonomic grip. • Rotate through different job tasks.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do turn off power and do utilize lockout procedures where appropriate, especially when cleaning, repairing and inspecting machinery. • Do use a push-stick when cutting on a table saw. • Don’t wear rings, watches or bracelets, especially around machinery. • Don’t grab for dropped tools.

Focus

It only takes a small distraction when using a tool or piece of equipment to lose concentration. Focus on what you are doing and don’t let yourself become distracted. When engaged in an activity involving tools or equipment, don’t talk to anyone until you’re done and don’t interrupt your co-workers when they are involved in an activity that demands their full attention. Never become distracted by other things going on around you.

Conclusion

Before you start a job, take a minute to think through the task. Ask yourself: • What hazards are involved? (chemical, thermal, mechanical). • What precautions need to be taken? (gloves, tools, push stick). Then follow through without taking shortcuts.

ECONOMY GROWS AT SLIGHTLY FASTER PACE IN 3Q

Today in Manufacturing
Commerce Dept. said economy expanded at 2 percent annual rate in July-September quarter, improving from 1.7 percent growth in April-June quarter ... continue

EMPLOYMENT COSTS SEE MODEST RISE

Today in Manufacturing
Employment costs for civilian workers rose 0.4 percent in third quarter and are up 1.9 percent for 12 months ending in September, Labor Department said ... continue

THE NAM/INDUSTRYWEEK MANUFACTURING INDEX -- SALES PREDICTED TO GROW 3.5% OVER NEXT 12 MONTHS

Quick Manufacturing News
While sales and investment prospects improved slightly, expectations for pricing power, employment and wage growth slowed while inventory investment expectations deteriorated. Click to continue

DECLINING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IS AFFECTING THE ECONOMY

Quick Manufacturing News
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released nationwide and state-by-state Transportation Performance Indexes which suggests there's been a significant decline over the last five years in how America's transportation infrastructure is serving the needs of domestic commerce, international trade and the overall U.S. economy. Click to continue

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DATA TO MANUFACTURERS?

Quick Manufacturing News
"The best kind of information for a business is actionable information..." Click to continue

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Manufacturers in the Courts (NAM)
Constitutionality of Texas tort reform. A Texas statute limits the total asbestos liability of companies that purchase troubled assets from other companies. Despite NAM arguments to the contrary, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the statute unconstitutionally limited liability retroactively when applied to pending lawsuits. Robinson v. Crown Cork & Seal Co. (Tex.).

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Manufacturers in the Courts (NAM)
Supreme Court Considers Broadening Anti-Retaliation Remedies. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from retaliation by their employers after complaining about discrimination in the workplace. This case involves not the employee who complained, but her fiancé, who was terminated from his job. The Supreme Court will decide whether to broaden the anti-retaliation provision to include "friends and family" of the complaining worker. On Oct. 29, the NAM filed an amicus brief arguing that the statute is clear on its face and protects only those who personally "opposed" a discriminatory employment practice or personally "made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated" in a Title VII proceeding. A rule that permits third-party retaliation claims would put employers in the untenable position of having to speculate about possible relationships an employee may have that could give rise to potential liability each time they contemplate disciplinary action against that employee. Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP (S. Ct.).

TRADE SECRETS

Manufacturers in the Courts (NAM)
NAM Supports Protective Order Request. The NAM asked the Arkansas Supreme Court to review a state court order that requires a manufacturer to give valuable trade secrets and commercially sensitive information to a plaintiff's lawyer without a protective order. Disclosure would cause irreparable harm to the company's competitive position. The NAM argued that the trial court should first consider the content of the documents to determine if they are needed by the plaintiffs, and if so, issue an appropriate protective order. American companies sustain billions of dollars in losses from the theft of their proprietary information, and American courts should not make this situation worse by allowing the improper disclosure of know-how and trade secrets. The court has agreed to hear the appeal. Cooper Tire Co. v. Neal (Ark.).

EU LEADERS AGREE ON MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN EUROPE'S ECONOMY

European Union
EU leaders meeting in Brussels endorsed the report of the Task Force on economic governance. Its implementation will constitute a major step forward in strengthening the economic pillar of European Economic and Monetary Union by increasing fiscal discipline, broadening economic surveillance and deepening coordination. The report also sets out the guiding principles for a robust framework for crisis management and stronger institutions.European Council President Herman Van Rompuy welcomed the agreement: "With the endorsement of the Task Force report and the decision on the way forward for the Eurozone crisis mechanism, the European Council has sealed a solid pact to strengthen the Euro!"EU leaders also discussed their priorities for the upcoming G20 Summit in Seoul (November 11/12). European Commission President José Manuel Barroso stressed: "We received a strong mandate to promote the global governance reforms with our partners in the G20."MORE

CALIFORNIA'S OTHER BUDGET DEFICIT: THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FUND

California Manufacturing and Technology Association
This week the Legislative Analyst’s Office released a report confirming that California’s unemployment insurance (UI) fund continues to be insolvent. This report looks at the history of the UI program, compares California's program to those in other states, examines different scenarios for addressing the insolvency, and makes recommendations to the Legislature for solving this difficult problem.

California's UI program became insolvent in 2009, ending that year with a shortfall of $6.2 billion. According to the LAO, absent corrective action, the fund deficit is projected to increase to approximately $20 billion at the end of 2011.

The LAO says that solutions must be implemented quickly, yet carefully:
“Because the magnitude of the UI fund insolvency is so great, the Legislature should act quickly to improve the fund condition. Ideally, some changes should be adopted this year. This is because businesses and payroll processing companies need time to prepare for changes in tax rates and/or the taxable wage base prior to the start of calendar year 2011. Mid-calendar year changes pose administrative difficulties for employers. Although not ideal, it is possible to change the tax rates after the start of the fiscal year. As we discuss below, the Legislature may ultimately need to phase in a series of changes over multiple years. Legislative action during the fall of 2010 to improve the fund condition during 2011 would in part lessen the need for stronger action in later years.”

Just last week, CMTA highlighted the gravity of the fund’s situation in an article about the $8 billion outstanding loan now due to the federal government. To revisit that article, click here: www.cmta.net/legupdate.phpCMTA needs your expertise to continue monitoring the UI fund, discuss potential reform proposals and minimize the tax increase that is now unavoidable. If you are interested in actively participating as a member of CMTA’s UI Committee please email Cynthia Leon, CMTA’s Director of Labor and Employment, at cleon@cmta.net.

The LAO report is available using the following link: www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx
A short video summarizing the report can be found here: www.lao.ca.gov/webcasts/2010/ui_102010/ui_102010.aspx

Note: this is a very interesting comparison to what is happening in Utah with the UI Trust Fund that is solvent at this time. However the trust fund is projected to go insolvent in 2013 if everything were to continue the same until then. Triggers applied to the Utah UI Trust together with a more conservative approach to increasing benefits have made the difference and are expected to preserve the solvency of the fund. California has not applied such triggers nor have they controlled benefits.