Accidents happen, but oftentimes they can be avoided by asking ourselves one big question before starting each day: “What can hurt me today?” Why is this question so imperative? And is it really worth pausing to think about?
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Whether we want to think about it or not, our chances of dying in an auto accident are great. In fact, the US Department of Transportation reported that 9,560 people died in traffic accidents in the first quarter of 2022. This is an increase of seven percent over the previous year! So, how do you avoid becoming part of this alarming statistic and what should you do after an accident has already happened?
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Recently, KSLA News 12 reported that the new COVID-19 subvariant, BA.5, is the reason people are now getting sick for a second or even third time. In fact, BA.5 causes 80 percent of new infections. The scary thing is this is double the infection rate of any of the previous waves of the pandemic. Because it is so highly contagious, base counts and hospitalizations continue to climb.
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Do you strive to run a safe workplace, but have difficulty keeping all your lockout/tagout locks and keys organized and properly stored? FCM can help!
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Low clearance signs are an integral part of many companies’ safety programs. Why are they necessary? Imagine a mode of transport pulling in to unload only to be too tall to navigate under an awning, bridge, scaffold, or other over-the-road structure. What happens? The two videos below give you an excellent idea of the kind of damage this type of accident can do.
But trucks aren’t the only modes of transport to cause this kind of damage. Trains have also been guilty of racking up some costly snafus. Keep in mind most box cars stand 17-feet 10 1/2-inches off the track.
These kind of disasters are easily preventable, however, which can save lots of money, merchandise, and even lives. All you need is a low clearance sign positioned at just the right distance from the potentially hazardous area. If a truck or train hits the sign, it is clearly evident that the vehicle should not even attempt to go under the structure ahead.
At FCM, we have manufactured these type of signs for many different institutions. The one pictured in this post prevents rail cars from coming into a building that is tall enough to fit them. It was fabricated in December 2020, but wasn’t installed at a local paper mill until February due to inclement weather.
We installed this particular sign using an excavator, a powered auger, an articulated man lift. It is 20-feet long and constructed of aluminum and the posts are 3-inch galvanized pipes cut 18-feet and 11-inches in length. The pipes were then attached to 4-foot piers that are 24-inches in diameter and burrowed into the ground and fortified with reinforced steel.
These signs can be custom made to fit any size. If your business would benefit from having low-clearance signs or any other signage, please let us know and we will be happy to make your company an even safer place to work.
At FCM, we love to help our clients provide safe environments for their employees. One way we do that is by creating guards that prevent workers from getting caught in dangerous mechanisms, like the reel pictured above.
This reel helps supply energy to Domtar’s paper mill in Ashdown, Ark. It uses a pulley system to move a hopper full of coal to an awning that is attached to the coal boiler. As you can probably imagine, if something malfunctioned and someone got stuck in the reel, or even pulled into it, they could be severely injured or possibly even killed.
That’s why we were commissioned to build this new safety guard out of 1/8-inch aluminum and coated it in a special safety yellow colored polyurethane paint that not only makes it more durable, but it also gives it a glossy appearance that makes it highly visible and helps protect the mechanism from rust. This particular model is 43-inches wide, 55-inches deep, and 22-inches tall, but we can really build them in any size clients may need.
Now that this guard is installed, it is not only a beautiful addition to the mill, but it protects the reel from the elements, makes the workplace safer, and eliminates a potential hazard for the workers.
[Safety Manager Nikita Griffin contributed to this article.]
Let’s face it, there are always going to be individuals who are up to no good. There is no sign in the world big enough to keep people from trespassing on your property if they aren’t inclined to obey. That’s where custom security fencing comes into play, and when you need it, FCM is ready to build it.
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FCM’s Roll-Around Tool Box offers an adaptable design that will keep your team organized and safe. (Photo by FCM Products, Inc.)
If you’re a business owner, you undoubtedly try to run a tight ship. One of the best ways to do that is to stay organized. Who needs their employees searching high and low for the tools they need to do their job? As our fearless leader is often heard saying, “Time is money.” That’s where we come in. With the right tool storage, we can save your organization’s resources by protecting your equipment, time, and even your bottom line. Continue reading
Electrical control switches awning (Photo by FCM Products Inc.)
When you visit a mill like International Paper’s Mansfield facility, there is so much to see structurally that you probably won’t notice all the little details that make it a better place to work. Upon closer inspection, however, we think you’ll start to appreciate all the quality craftsmanship that upgrades the plant as a whole. Continue reading
Domtar’s new sign inside its Ashdown Mill is both beautiful and charming. (Photo by FCM Products, Inc.)
FCM Products, Inc. doesn’t always build on a monumental scale. Sometimes, we craft custom objets d’art like this beautiful sign featured inside the main entrance of the Domtar Paper Mill in Ashdown, Ark.
For this project, we used 1 1/4-inch weathered oak for the canvas and built aluminum letters to showcase the client’s name, then surrounded the entire creation with a machined aluminum bar frame.
Always attentive to detail, FCM even gave this table a great pair of legs. (Photo by FCM Products, Inc.)
We also created the support beneath the table, which is made from 1/4-inch carbon steel plate. To give it a rustic look, we applied paint to give it a special antique finish which helps set off the room.
Are you interested in having us make something special for your business? Feel free to contact us and tell us about what you’ve got in mind. Remember, if you can dream it, we can build it!
FCM Products Inc. 