Safety Archives - Unitherm Insulation Systems

May 21, 2015 by UniAdmin

Proactive Maintenance : Insulation

The mindset of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” is a thing of the past. It is a mentality that even the best of us have been guilty of from time to time. While it may sound like a good idea, it can be damaging to a company in the long run. Staying the course down a single path can lead to a business owner getting blindsided by future problems. Just because something is working at the moment, doesn’t mean that future problems won’t arise. The new trend is to start protecting your investments and wellbeing by stopping the problem before it ever begins with proactive maintenance.

Preventative Maintenance: Insulation

Stop The Problem Before It Happens = Greater Savings

Whether you’re trying to make the most of an ever-dwindling staff and budget, or looking for even more ways to trim operations and maintenance costs, preventative maintenance on equipment and facilities can help save time and money in the long run.

The key point to preventative maintenance is stopping the issue before it ever begins. While there are some expenses related to running a good proactive maintenance program, it costs less to properly maintain equipment and facilities than it does to repair the damage from a premature breakdown or early deterioration of property.

Proactive maintenance of equipment and facilities is very similar to regular vehicle maintenance. The key to keeping your vehicle running well today and down the road is routine proactive maintenance. Many times significant and expensive repairs can be avoided if the vehicle is properly and regularly maintained.

Increases Life Cycle of Applications

Regular equipment Untitled-2 maintenance leads to an improvement in the overall safety and reliability of the system. Planning and management of asset maintenance improve the life cycle of the assets and keeps them performing at peak productivity levels. As a result, costly unplanned downtime is minimized; workforce productivity increases; and asset lifecycle and return on asset (ROA) are improved.

Increases Performance

Regular improvements to the process for better machine efficiency and product quality increases maintenance productivity by detecting and identifying potential equipment problems before they grow. This reduces the frequency, severity, and cost of repairs while enabling your team to avoid unnecessary and unproductive tasks.

Provides a Safe Work Environment

More efficient and frequently maintained work environments (including equipment and personnel) lead to a safer work atmosphere. When machines break down and errors occur, accidents are more likely to happen.

Where Does Insulation Fit In?

Insulation is built upon the idea of proactive maintenance practices. Insulation does all of the benefits listed above plus more. Once installed, your insulation needs no further maintenance. So you can feel good, knowing you are doing your bit for the planet while creating a more efficient and more collaborative work environment, to reduce costs and support your organization’s work processes.

What’s Next?

You can head over to our online shopping cart and check out all of our possible solutions for your facility. For as little as $16, you could be protecting yourself, your employees, and your business for the future.

For more information about our products and UniTherm, check out our website and social platforms:

April 7, 2015 by UniAdmin

Dangers of Heat Illness

HEAT ILLNESS CAN BE DEADLY. When employees are exposed to hot temperatures, maintaining a safe work environment can be more challenging than you think. As summertime temperatures continue to rise, it becomes increasingly important for employers to focus on providing workplace conditions that are safe from the excessive heat.

Heat Fatalities 2008-2014

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), thousands of workers become sick and even die as a result of exposure to heat each year. In the United States, an average of 400 deaths per year are directly related to heat, and an estimated 1,800 die from illnesses made worse by heat.

Many industries face challenges when it comes to providing a cool working environment, particularly in heat-susceptible areas such as industrial plants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. When surface temperatures on pipe and equipment routinely exceed 140° F (60° C), measures should be taken to improve the working environment. Without adequate cooling or precautions, workers are put in danger while equipment and manufactured products are at an increased risk of failure, which can impact worker safety and productivity, and certainly, a company’s bottom-line.

So how can you protect your employees from heat exposure while also ensuring that the work is accomplished on time?

According to OSHA, “The best way to prevent heat-related illness is to make the work environment cooler”. However, the dilemma now becomes how to efficiently and economically cool large, open areas where high ambient outdoor temperatures and heat-generating machinery are factors.

OSHA Touch Safe, Ambient Air temperature

The radiating heat of a running barrel affects the ambient temperature.

Fortunately, the use of industrial insulation on process equipment and piping not only saves money and energy, but also reduces the potential for heat- related illnesses. As insulation is added to systems, the surface temperature of these systems is dramatically reduced. This provides a cooler work environment that yields higher productivity, as workers do not require as many breaks and are less concerned with the potential for burns from hot surfaces. Furthermore, insulation helps reduce the amount of work your machine has to do by decreasing the amount of energy used without sacrificing quality or performance. Learn more about the energy saving benefits of insulation.

The use of UniTherm’s UniVest® and ISOCOVERS Insulation Systems product lines provide easy and efficient ways to save energy and money while creating a cooler and safer work environment. Additionally, these product lines can be purchased online because they now are available in standard “off-the-shelf” sizes, which drastically reduces the time and costs often associated with custom insulation jobs. For all of our heat prevention products, view our online shopping cart here.

For additional tips on how to keep your facility cooler and your workforce happy and motivated, click here for more information about preventing heat-related illness.

Share your stories about dangers of heat illness and let us know how you are preparing for the coming summer months on our social media pages:

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January 21, 2015 by UniAdmin

4 Common Misconceptions About Industrial Insulation

We come across many people who have the wrong idea about industrial insulation and think what we offer is not right for them. We ask them a few questions, and usually they are left wondering why they haven’t insulated their equipment sooner. We throw them a UniVest and they rush out the door to install it (cause it’s really that simple).

So we don’t have to go through the same spiel every time, we’ve compiled the most common misconceptions people have when it comes to industrial insulation.

1. Insulation is for my home, not my machines

This is the most common one we come across and it’s pretty obvious why. The first thing people think about when you say insulation is their home and what’s inside their walls. That’s a perfect analogy because UniVests work the same way. Properly insulating your home saves you hundreds of dollars a year on home heating and cooling costs. It protects outside temperatures from affecting the temperatures you want inside. The easier it is for your home to maintain its temperature, the less you spend at the end of the month. UniVests are no different, except we deal with higher inside temperatures. Take a second and think, if you save hundreds by properly insulating your home, imagine how much could be saved when insulating your machine. We’ll give you a hint…its much greater!

2. No Budget for Insulation

We all have budgets. Yeah, and we know they can be small and hard to deal with. Trust us, Windows 98 is getting really old at the office. Making new purchases on things that you are already operating without can seem like a luxury purchase. Little known fact is that with proper insulation, a company can see ROI (Return on Investment) in under 12 months. In the right conditions, a single set of UniVests or ISOCOVERS can last 5+ years after installed. That’s 5+ years of return. In 12 months or less, most companies make back the purchase price of a UniVest from energy savings alone.

3. My machines are working fine now without insulation

We’re sure they do, but wouldn’t you like for them to work better? Insulation minimizes the downtime of the machines they are on and relieves stresses from a hard working machine. This even increases the lifespan of the equipment. Wouldn’t we all like to work a little easier? Your machines would too.

4. Who Needs Protection Anyway

The biggest thing that people don’t realize is that insulation also improves workplace safety. As seen in a few of our videos on Youtube, a heated barrel with a UniVest on it can be touched and worked around without any special protective gear. More Safety = Less downtime and less liability. Insulation can also decrease surrounding ambient air temperature. Decreasing work fatigue due to high temperature and more comfortable work areas.

Here’s typically the point where some people are kicking themselves for not already having insulation installed. If you didn’t make it this far, we completely understand. Our insulation systems are much more than the sum of their parts and offer a lot more usability than most people realize. If you’ve finally come to the conclusion that insulation could benefit you, take a look around our online shopping cart at www.shop.unitherm.com. For some help finding the product, measuring, or just want some more insulation entertainment like this blog, visit our youtube page: www.Youtube.com/UniThermInsulations

October 10, 2013 by Kendal White

All Aboard the Simplicity Train- Final Destination, Further Money Gain!

Energy efficiency, in theory, is one of the simplest ways to save money. As energy costs continue to rise, industrial industries in particular, need effective ways to reduce the amount of energy they consume. America’s manufacturing sector is the largest in the world and reducing energy waste at industrial facilities can provide huge benefits for companies by boosting industrial competitiveness while creating and retaining jobs through cost-effective energy efficiency improvements

According to the U.S. Energy Administration, estimates show that the industrial sector consumes more energy every year than any other U.S. entity. Yet, reaping savings in the industrial sector is more like a scavenger hunt thanks to the myth that energy efficiency improvements are easily attainable. Energy efficiency in this area is always more work, and it requires a good amount of experimentation.

So what makes the industrial sector so much different? Here are a few factors to consider:

Industrial environments are extremely complex and consistently changing, making predictions far more difficult to ascertain due to various factors such as weather, product variation and constantly changing schedules.
Efficiency is a relatively low priority for many industrial companies. Industrial customers are very risk-averse and will not make changes to existing processes if they could jeopardize the flow of operations.

It may seem that big problems require big solutions…

When it comes to guaranteed money savings and economical, efficient operation of a vast array of facilities, using thermal insulation is like “solid gold.” With rising energy costs and the unwanted environmental emissions accompanying lost energy, the time has definitely come for facility owners, operators and energy managers to fully take advantage of this valuable money saving, energy conserving, and emissions reducing tool.

So it all comes down to money. This makes it critical to find solutions that are easy to install and support; and offer you the most value for your money.

A major culprit across all industries is heat waste, the byproduct of inefficient technology. The more heat you lose the higher the cost, so identifying key areas for insulation can go a long way towards increasing efficiency. Equipment valves, flanges, expansion joints, and other irregular surfaces are common culprits of heat leakage. Routine system maintenance on industrial processes often involves removing insulation on pipe valves and fittings. If it is not replaced, the energy loss can be substantial.

To circumvent these issues, many industrial professionals have turn to removable/reusable insulation jackets to maximize heat retention and increase performance. The efficiency and proficiency of utilizing a removable/reusable insulation jacket, translates into improved facility and personnel protection, enhanced operational efficiency, and less energy consumption- easily making this product a no brainer for companies.

In a nutshell….

Companies need to work smarter, not just harder, in order to be successful. A company’s success should be measured by how wisely it uses energy, water, and other resources; how well it maintains a high quality of life for its people; and how smart it is in building prosperity on a sustainable foundation. Companies must become smarter about how they use existing capacity and resources in order to be productive and profitable. If not, they will be overshadowed and outpaced by other companies that are laying the foundation to prepare for future growth.

March 15, 2012 by Kendal White

Solutions for Secondary Containment

In response government regulations and eco friendly incentives, more and more facilities are finding new ways to go green. It’s always a good idea to stay in line with Uncle Sam, but facility owners and operators often discover that protecting the environment also delivers worthwhile ROI. Win win.

Back in 2007, the EPA introduced the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Regulations that require facilities with large amount of oil storage (1,320+ gallons aboveground, 42,000+ gallons underground) to have a written plan addressing how it will prevent and/or respond to oil spills.

This makes sense. Oil products pose a threat to the environment and our safety if accidentally spilled or leaked into soil, ground water, or surface water.

SPCC regulations apply to facilities that handle “petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, oil mixed with wastes, fats, greases, and vegetable oils,” and I’m sure these preventative measures come as no surprise to those involved in oil-related industries.

The good news—the EPA doesn’t specify the means by which facilities must control spills. Rather, the regulations afford facility owners and operators the autonomy to decide how they will comply and to determine the best methods for their facility.

The bad news—the EPA doesn’t specify the means by which facilities must control spills, which means owners and operators are on their own in devising a plan. All the EPA asks is that the methods align with accepted “good engineering practices,” and in some cases be certified by a Professional Engineer (PE). Pretty vague.

The SPCC report does suggest using containers suitable for flammable liquids, installing overflow alarms or vents, and constructing secondary containment areas.

Secondary containment areas are common solutions in the oil industry as they connect to bulk storage and can handle any accidental overflow. They are not infallible, however. The EPA recommends that pipes and containers be periodically inspected.

For additional spill protection, facilities should reinforce containment walls. SolarShell fiberglass laminate does just that—soft SolarShell sheets conform to the shape of the containment area, bonds with steel or concrete walls, and cures into an impenetrable shell that will prevent potential leaks and spills.

If secondary containment is a part of your facility’s spill prevention plan, consider reinforcing the area with laminate. In the oil industry, owners and operators can never be too careful. According to the EPA, a single gallon of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water, damaging both the environment and a company’s pocketbook.

What else can your facility do to enhance existing preventative measures?

October 19, 2011 by Kendal White

Machine Safety: There is a Return on Your Investment

According to OSHA six million workers suffer non-fatal injuries every year in the US – costing businesses over $125 billion. Despite this number, some safety professionals and risk managers still struggle to justify investments in safety programs, training, and assets.

Calculating the ROI (return on investment) for safety is possible, and Liberty Mutual and the American Society of Safety Engineers calculate that on average the ROI for for safety programs is between $3 – $5 for every $1 spent. For most safety personnel the question is not so much is there a true ROI – but how to calculate it. Rockwell Automation’s Proving the Value of Safety whitepaper by Lyle Masimore details the steps to follow to create a safety investment analysis for your organization. [Read more…]

October 11, 2011 by Kendal White

Compressed Air Safety

Thanks to Kirk Edwards, Application Engineer Manager at EXAIR Corporation for his contribution to the UniTherm blog. EXAIR Corporation manufactures compressed air products for industry with a focus on efficiency, safety and process improvement.

My first experiences with compressed air were many years ago and involved welding gas tanks. My friend’s dad was a welding supply salesman in Grand Rapids, MI and we had full access to his welding rigs in the garage. This generally included large tanks of oxygen, acetylene, helium and regular compressed air. We had a few favorite activities with all this gas. One, for when the parents were away, involving helium to lift a plastic bag of acetylene, a long string (wick), and a lighter – enough said? The other was blowing air at each other or using a needle nozzle to blow the air on our skin and watch the cool indent it made. We always knew raising flammable bags of acetylene in the air was a bad idea, but couldn’t resist feeding our youthful pyromania. And we never gave a second thought to blowing air at each other or onto our skin. Come to find out that’s a really bad idea too… [Read more…]

October 4, 2011 by Kendal White

6 Steps to Building a Plastics Manufacturing Safety Program You Can Be Proud Of

Plastics is one of the most massive manufacturing industries in the US. According to Bonnie Limbach, chief communications officer with The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), “The industry accounts for more than $330 billion dollars in annual shipments with another $89.5 billion generated by upstream, supplying industries, bringing the total annual shipments to nearly $421 billion. Nationally, the plastics industry employed more than 1.5 million workers in 2000. Another 843,300 persons were employed by upstream suppliers of the plastics industry, bringing the employment impact to nearly 2.4 million – about 2 percent of the U.S. workforce.” It does not seem that economic downturn or global recession will severely diminish consumer and OEM demand for plastics in all shapes, sizes and formats. [Read more…]