Health and Safety

• Lowering hot surface temperatures
• Preventing accidental burns

Thermal insulation is one of the most effective means of protecting workers from burns resulting from contact with hot or extremely cold piping and equipment. For hot surfaces, especially, insulation reduces the surface temperature of piping or equipment to a safer level, resulting in increased worker safety and the avoidance of worker downtime due to injury. With today's specification tools it's very easy to calculate the insulation thickness needed to bring the surface temperature of your piping and equipment to safe levels.

In addition to the safety benefits of insulation, NIA member companies take job site safety very seriously and strive to meet the highest standards to protect their own personnel.

The Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award

• For More Information
• To Learn More About the 2007 Safety Award Winners

Health and Safety Committee

The NIA is committed to the health, safety and welfare of its members, customers, and the insulation industry. Through professional safety leadership, the Committee will actively promote the highest standards of safety and health excellence, to ensure a safe working environment.

If you are an NIA member and would like more information about joining this committee, please contact the membership department. You may also log in to the Members Only to download committee minutes.

Articles

• Ask the Professional
  Date: October 2007
  Author: Gary Auman

  This recurring Insulation Outlook column features Gary Auman, the National Insulation Association’s (NIA’s) legal counsel. While attorneys cannot legally be called experts, Auman has agreed to answer some questions about business and legal issues. In addition to being NIA’s general counsel, Auman is an attorney at Dunlevey, Mahan & Furry and is actively involved with OSHA regulations. Contact him at 937-223-8550 or gwa@dmfdayton.com.

  Q: I have heard th...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Commitment to Safety Leads to Success
  Date: October 2007
  Author: Gary Auman

  The National Insulation Association (NIA) is committed to the safety of all who work in the commercial and industrial insulation industry. This commitment was furthered in 1998 when the organization re-established its Health and Safety Committee. In 2004, NIA instituted the Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award. Rather than focus the award only on statistics, NIA determined that the award winner must demonstrate its commitment to safety in communicating and enforcing its safety program.

  A few years after the award was established, NIA’s Board of Directors decided th...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Side Effects
  
  One workplace accident can set off a chain of events for employers to handle. When it comes to on-the-job safety, prevention really is the best cure.
  Date: October 2007
  Author: Gary Auman

  Employers in every industry are deluged with information concerning on-the-job safety. Everyone knows that safety is the right thing to do and that it is the law, yet most employers do not take safety seriously. They talk a good game, but that is as far as it goes. Very few employers truly confront the potential for serious on-the-job injuries. Most will not accept the fact that with a serious injury, their world can collapse without warning like a house of cards.

  The first thing employers must accept is that without a well-planned, well-drafted, well-implemented, and well-enforce...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Introduction to Molds
  Date: September 2007

  Introduction to Molds

  Molds live in the soil, on plants, and on dead or decaying matter. Outdoors, molds play a key role in the breakdown of leaves, wood, and other plant debris. Molds belong to the kingdom fungi. Unlike plants, they lack chlorophyll and must survive by digesting plant and other organic materials for food. Without molds, our environment would be overwhelmed with large amounts of dead plant matter.

  Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce, just as some plants produce seeds. Mold spores can be found in both indoor and outdoor air, and on indoor and outdoo...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Quality Check
  
  Certification program creates a new resource for purchasers of building materials.
  Date: September 2007
  Author: Kalli Rasbury

  Improving indoor air quality and reducing mold growth are quickly becoming top priorities for all types of commercial building projects. Many factors—including the presence of moisture and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—can affect indoor air quality. Testing for microbial growth helps point to problems that can lead to product deterioration. One organization leading the way in testing, studies, and indoor air quality certification is the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). This industry-independent, nonprofit organization oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program, w...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Carbon Offsets: The Next Hot Trend in Energy Savings
  Date: August 2007

  Insulation industry professionals are naturally interested in the latest news and trends in saving energy because insulation is a proven energy saver, and an easy way to reduce energy expenses and preserve the global environment. Many businesses have incorporated insulation, along with other environment-friendly approaches, into their strategic plans. For example, the Subaru manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Indiana, was the first auto assembly plant to achieve zero landfill status: Nothing from its manufacturing efforts goes into a landfill—everything discarded is reused and recycle...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Trendsetters: Paving the Way to a Cleaner World
  Date: August 2007

  The green movement is sweeping the globe, and with all of the pressure to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, several companies (listed below) are taking the lead by making significant corporate efforts to go green. Businesses in the insulation industry will see that implementing similar initiatives can lead to savings of both energy and money.

  Subaru

  According to Subaru.com, this car company has focused not only on its vehicles, which have 90-percent cleaner emissions than the average new vehicle, but also on ...READ FULL ARTICLE