Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Nilfisk Morgantown celebrates Team Week with some holiday cheer!

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Time flies! We can’t believe it has been a year since we said goodbye to our Malvern office and said HELLO to Morgantown! To celebrate this joyous occasion, we kicked off our annual team week for the first time at the Morgantown location. For this year’s festivities, we decided to bring back some employee favorites from Team Week’s past while, hopefully, instilling some new traditions here in Morgantown.

We know that our employees are some of the most talented people! So this year, we divided up our office into teams for the greatest competition ever – Nilfisk’s Got Talent. Teams were given a week to utilize the skills of their teammates and put together a 5 minute act to be performed in front of the whole office! The winning team was chosen by our very own in-house judge, Paul Miller, Vice President and General Manager of Nilfisk-Advance America Inc. Employees not only showed off their Nilfisk and industrial vacuum knowledge but broke out in song and dance and cracked a good joke while doing so!

Other events included:

  • Stocking Stuffers: Every morning, employees were surprised with a special treat left by the Nilfisk Santa!
  • Santa’s Baby Picture Guessing Game: Curious as to what fellow comrades looked like during their diaper days – Morgantown employees were challenged to match their fellow team members with the correct baby photos.
  • Chili Cook-Off: Our talented in-house cooks put their homemade chili on the table for the ultimate office taste test!
  • Also, we couldn’t forget our annual employee holiday luncheon and white elephant gift exchange.
While Team Week and the holidays are always filled with fun and laughter, we also wanted to give back. As our annual holiday contribution, Nilfisk Morgantown employees donated 195 lbs. of food and personal hygiene items to the Greater Berks Food Bank, a local food bank who collect, stores, and distributes food to more than 270 charitable agencies in the area!

Some of our favorite moments from Team Week 2011:

Dust produced by polishing linked to (another) blast

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

In Shanghai, 61 workers were injured after aluminum dust produced by polishing cases for iPads ignited. According to a statement by the China Labor Watch, this blast at the Ri Teng Computer Accessory Company owned by Pegatron Corp. was similar to the Foxconn explosion earlier this year. In May, Foxconn (a major parts supplier for Apple products) was in the headlines for a blast in their polishing workshop due to an explosion of aluminum dust in a ventilation vent.

Apple is still working with Pegatron Corp. to understand the cause of this particular explosion. Details on the conditions of the employees have not been released but we hope they do not suffer from any serious injuries!

To learn more about the history of combustible dust fires and explosions (in the U.S.) and the hazards it can present to manufacturers and industrial companies, tune in and listen to our two part podcast: Combustible Dust, Manufacturers’ Dirty Little Secret.

Beware of Combustible Dust Levels in the Winter

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board continues to urge OSHA for a new combustible dust standard. As the winter months approach, manufacturers must continue to take proper measures to decrease combustible dust accumulations as weather conditions during this season can increase chances of dust igniting.

Taken from Safety Messages – Take More Action to Prevent Dust Explosions by John Bresland, previous Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, February 4, 2009

Recently I spoke about the need for effective winterization programs to prevent dangerous failures of process piping and equipment. But there’s another kind of hazard that appears to be particularly acute during the winter months: combustible dust. I call on industry to take this hazard seriously – during the winter months and throughout the year. And I urge the incoming leadership at OSHA to act upon the CSB’s recommendations from 2006 to develop a comprehensive regulatory standard for combustible dust. Of eight catastrophic dust explosions since 1995, all but one occurred during cold weather months. Four disastrous dust explosions occurred during the month of February alone. According to experts, low humidity levels in winter can make dust particularly easy to disperse and ignite. And this danger is not one to overlook: since the CSB was established in 1998, three of the four deadliest accidents that we have investigated have been combustible dust explosions. These accidents struck suddenly at major manufacturing sites in North CarolinaKentucky, and Georgia, and they caused horrible human suffering. A total of 27 workers lost their lives, and scores of others were injured. A number suffered severe burn injuries that left them terribly disfigured or unable to work. All three plants were devastated and needed to be completely rebuilt at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. The tragic thing about dust explosions is that they are readily preventable. The key is to avoid accumulations of combustible dust – particularly on elevated or hard-to-clean elevated surfaces. The National Fire Protection Association warns that even 1/32” of an inch of accumulated dust can give rise to an explosion. That’s about the thickness of a dime. Many common solids – like sugar, flour, coal, aluminum, and most plastics and organic chemicals – can pose a dust explosion risk. This is an insidious danger, and it doesn’t take much dust to destroy a facility. So companies that handle or process these materials in powdered form need to be extremely vigilant.

Read the entire safety message.

Meet your LOCAL Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums Rep (Southwest)

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Time to meet another member of our league of housekeeping experts!

Say howdy to Bruce Gordon, our Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums District Manager responsible for solving industrial housekeeping challenges in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana! Bruce has been serving the southwest region of the country since 1999. He has worked closely with industrial manufacturers on their unique maintenance challenges to develop effective and efficient solutions for their dust and debris problems. Bruce is a long-time member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and is an active member of his local AIHA chapter in Rio Grande, AZ.

Bruce is traveling within the Lone Star State this week. If you are in the area and would like to know how he can help you, email him at Bruce.Gordon@nilfisk.com or call him at (602)820-1595. He would be more than happy to schedule a visit to your facility and take a closer look at your housekeeping challenges. Bruce is also offering a 10% discount (off your first vacuum order) to all our friends in the southwest region when you mention this blog post!

Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums Brings Sustainable Cleaning to Vegas

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

Nilfisk Industrial Vacuum Division goes to Las Vegas! This week we’re networking with the world’s most recognized cleaning association and bringing our housekeeping solutions to ISSA/Interclean 2011.

If you’re in town, remember to visit us in booth# 1915 and bring all your questions about industrial vacuum cleaners, contamination control, facility maintenance, and combustible dust! We will be showcasing our iconic Nilfisk GM80CR, our explosion-proof model 118EXP for combustible dust, and our ready and reliable S3 industrial vacuum cleaner.

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This year, we proudly exhibit alongside our sister brands Viper, U.S. Products, Clarke, and Advance. Here’s a sneak peek at what Nilfisk-Advance Group has in store for you!

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The ISSA/Interclean exhibit officially opens tomorrow, we look forward to seeing you there!

Worker Deaths by Explosions and Fires Increase Dramatically

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Not what we were hoping for. According to the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2010 saw a 47% rise in worker deaths associated with fire and explosion.

According to the report, work-related fatalities resulting from fires and explosions increased from 113 in 2009 to 187 in 2010 — the highest count since 2003.  The woodworkingnetwork.com observed that these fire and explosion deaths stand out from the rest of the report which indicated that overall job-related deaths held steady from 2009 to 2010. In fact, four fewer workers died on the job in 2010 than in 2009, 4,547 compared to 4,551 respectively.

As we know, reducing combustible dust related fire and explosion hazards has been a key priority for OSHA, and while the manufacturing industry has been infiltrated with preventative resources, these new numbers demonstrate there’s more work to be done to raise awareness that these risks are REAL.

When do I change my industrial vacuum cleaner filter?

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Fortunately, Nilfisk Industrial Vacuum Cleaners come with very little maintenance and upkeep. If you use the vacuum properly and change the filters “regularly”, your Nilfisk should last you many years.  Of course, one of the questions we’re often asked is “How do I know its time to change my vacuum cleaner filter?”  Here are some general tips to follow:

Paperbag : If your vacuum is equipped with a paper bag as the first stage of filtration, you should change the bag whenever it is full.  You can normally tell its full UZ964 high filtration dust bagsby visually inspecting it or when there’s a slight drop in suction from your vacuum. You may also want to change the bag if you’ve picked up something “smelly.” Pet owners across the U.S. have learned the hard way that if you collect pet fur and don’t change the full bag, your vacuum will smell like pet fur. Tip: to get rid of smells, vacuum up some baking soda! Note: Paperbags often only apply to our Nilfisk branded professional HEPA vacuums like the GD 10 Back, GD 930 and GM 80.  

GM80 microfilterMicrofilter: The microfilter, which filters the air before it passes through the motor and HEPA or ULPA filter,  should be changed about every 3 months or when discoloration is noticeable.

 

Main Filter:On our Nilfisk CFM brand machines, the main filter is the large star-Nilfisk CFM main filtershaped, pleated filter. A general rule of thumb is to replace the main filter every 3 to 5 years or when you see vacuum performance drop. To extend the life of the vacuum, our Nilfisk CFM machines are equipped with  filter cleaning systems (manual filter shaker and/or automatic filter cleaning systems), that allow the operator to easily shake the filter free of caked on dust, without having to open the vacuum.

Nilfisk UZ934 HEPA FilterHEPA Filter: We typically suggest you replace the HEPA filter on your vacuum after 1,000 hours of use. So of course, it all depends on the application. If you use your vacuum 24 hours a day, the HEPA filter will be need to replaced sooner rather than later, but if you only use it for 15 minutes a day, the life of the HEPA will be much longer.

All Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums feature multistage filtration, so each level of filtration protects the next level. If you’re diligent about replacing your paperbags and microfilters, you’ll easily extend the life of the larger, more expensive filters…and the life of the vacuum.

Please remember that the above are just guidelines and filter replacement intervals can differ from application to application. Nilfisk vacuum cleaners are used in hundreds of applications, everything from home cleaning, to laboratories, to food manufacturing facilities to coal power plants.  We’ve seen clean and we’ve seen the downright dirty!

Still have questions?  Check out the below links:

About Filtration

Types of Filtration

Types of Filters

Don’t forget you can also purchase many of your replacement filters on our website, http://www.nilfiskcfm.com/Store/ProductList.aspx

Nilfisk GM80 to the Rescue!

Friday, May 6th, 2011

They can be found on the walls, in the lights above, and on the ground below! Unfortunately, these three-quarter-inch creatures are taking over the mid-Atlantic by storm and they may be coming to a household near you! Last summer, worst cases of the enemy were reported in homes in West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The enemy is the mighty stink bug.  These bugs have glands that produce a defensive compound to repel predators and give off a pungent smell when they are frightened, disturbed, or squashed!

How do we combat the stink bug?

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At the Morgantown office, our iconic Nilfisk GM80 came to the rescue! Although one of our smaller vacuum cleaners, it does a big job of capturing these little creatures! Office staff simply attach a steel wand to the end of the hose, power the GM80 up, and suck the stink bugs up. Remember to tape or plug the end of the wand when the job is finished so that the bugs do not wander out of the vacuum! Finally, do not forget to dispose and change the paper bag (or other collection method) periodically or an unpleasant smell of stink bugs will come out of the exhaust!

Other tips from ABC News:

  • Caulk cracks: Stink bugs can flatten themselves down to a very narrow profile in order to wiggle through the smallest household cracks and get inside your home.
  • Use window screening: cover ridge vents and other necessary openings in your home with window screening so there is still air circulation, but so that stink bugs cannot get in.
  • Treat your attic: Stink bugs like attics. Some pest control contractors are experimenting with setting off pesticide “bombs” in these uninhabited spaces, but you should know that studies have shown stink bugs have the bizarre ability to appear dead from pesticides and then come back to life a few days later.
  • Use insecticidal soap: Making your vegetable garden and house plants unpalatable to stink bugs may help. Insecticidal soap sprays are available at nurseries and less toxic than full-fledged pesticides.

Vacuums making homes cleaner; one bug at a time …