Monthly Archives: April 2013

General Safety Issues

TEN TOOLS EVERY HOMEOWNER NEEDS (GUEST POST)

Sent by Ryan Edun:

Assembling a proper toolkit for basic home maintenance can seem overwhelming. There are so many tools out there to purchase, and you may not be sure which ones you really need. The fact is that you will naturally assemble a collection of tools as you tackle projects and make improvements around the home. However, there are ten tools you should purchase as soon as you move into a home, so you will be ready for most little emergencies and repairs.

The Basic Hammer and a Pry Bar
Hammers and pry bars do go hand in hand, and it’s wise to have at least one of each. The hammers will come in handy when you are hanging pictures and mounting new window treatments. If you have new carpet put in your home, then you will need the hammer and the pry bar for removing the old trim.

Mixed Set of Screwdrivers
Whether you choose a simple set of 10 or the deluxe set of 50, you need a quality set of screwdrivers. Choose a portable one that you can carry into the house for those occasions when you aren’t sure what size you really need. These are ideal for assembling new furniture, taking toys out of packages and odd household repairs like installing new hardware on the kitchen cabinets.

Vise Grips
Vise grips are also referred to as locking pliers. They have a screw drive in the handle that allows you to adjust the jaws and change the size. These are vital for handling most plumbing repair emergencies or tightening up a leaky faucet. Have a few on hand in different sizes.

Drill
Most items on this list are hand tools, but you really need a drill. You never know when you will need to drill a hole or drive a screw into a stud. Without the drill, you will get a workout with these chores, so invest in a decent quality drill that will last.

Tape Measure
When it’s time to buy furniture, you will need a tape measure to know what size you can buy. The tape measure will also come in handy when you are buying window treatments and when you start getting into home improvements like a new deck.

Utility Knife
From cutting open packages that arrive in the mail to cleaning up a crack in the wall before you repair it, there are countless uses for a good utility knife.

Level
You don’t have to buy a fancy laser level for most home project. A simple 9-inch torpedo level will work for most homeowners who are just dipping their feet into DIY projects. You will want the level for everything from hanging pictures and shelves to building a railing for the patio.

Needle-Nose Pliers
Every time you need to grab something small, you are going to wish for a pair of needle-nose pliers. This tool features a long, tapered head that starts out wide and narrows out at a tiny point. Make this tool even more useful by choosing one with a wire-cutting blade positioned near the handle.

Saw
Whether you choose a handsaw, a circular saw or a cool miter saw, you need to have a saw in the house. The right one for you depends on the types of projects you are planning on doing. If you aren’t going to get into any major renovation projects, then you can probably choose a handsaw or a small, battery-powered circular saw.

Wire Cutter and Stripper
Most homeowners can handle replacing a light fixture, and it’s a relatively safe DIY project. However, you will have to strip the wires a little on the new fixture for it to work. This tool makes stripping the wires safe, effective and easy.

When you are moving into a new home, there are certain tools you need to have on hand. This basic collection of tools is an excellent start for most homeowners. It will allow you to handle most small projects around the house yourself. Invest in quality tools that will last a lifetime, and you won’t have to worry about them breaking when you need them the most.

Thanks, Ryan for these great tips. 

 

 

General Safety Issues

LEVERAGING CLOUD TECHNOLOGY TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST NATURAL DISASTERS (GUEST POST)

There is a close relation between disaster preparedness and cloud technology. Many small and medium sized enterprises are adopting cloud technology with the aim of improving their preparation for disaster. This move is paying off for businesses that invest in cloud technology.

Today’s small and medium enterprises are in a unique position to adopt the cloud, which does not just provide a competitive advantage but it also improves the ability of businesses to recover from disasters while protecting company information.

Many small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) cannot afford lengthy downtimes. Such companies should have the ability to recover quickly from a disaster. Cloud technology offers sound solutions and comprehensive data security measures that enable businesses to be better prepared for disasters. The technology also enables companies to recover quickly from natural disasters such as floods and fires as well as man-made problems like theft and destruction to property.

Businesses that adopt the technology early, especially in the area of server virtualization, enjoy even greater disaster preparedness. It is very important for companies to embrace innovation so that they respond better to challenges. In order for business owners to take advantage of the opportunity to improve disaster preparedness, they should take the following actions:

Start planning now

Business owners should device a disaster preparedness plan now. The plan should have an evaluation of how strategic technology such as cloud computing can help in such efforts.

Implement strategic technologies

For better disaster preparedness, small and medium sized businesses should adopt integrated cloud backup which offers offsite storage and disaster recovery. Cloud computing also offers automated physical to virtual backup conversion which allows businesses to easily recover data from applications like accounting programs and customer relations software.

Protect company information

Business owners can exploit cloud technology’s comprehensive security and backup solutions to protect their physical and mobile systems. Many business owners opt to backup in the cloud.

Review

Conduct a quarterly review of the company’s disaster preparedness.

The cloud environment is quite stable. Clients are allowed to perform technical due diligence to estimate the level of risk in a cloud solution. When choosing a cloud service provider, find out how the cloud is structured. Many cloud service providers have their data centers in stable countries that are not prone to political instabilities or any other natural disaster such as earthquakes or volcanic activities. This minimizes data loss due to natural or artificial factors.

Many cloud service providers allow business owners to undertake site visits and audits to find out the providers’ recovery time and point and to calculate the impact on the business in case of a failure.

About the author

Zoe Maldonado is a freelance writer and blogger for TechBreach who enjoys writing about all things mobile and electronic and spending time with her very active twin boys.

 

General Safety Issues

FIVE WAYS CITIES LOSE MONEY ON TICKETS (GUEST POST)

 Many people know that parking tickets and speeding/ traffic tickets constitute an important part of a city’s funding. However, they may not know that some cities lose almost all the money either on certain types of tickets or even all tickets. This is because the money from a traffic ticket does not just go directly into the city’s coffers. Instead, it is parceled out to various different agencies and funds, and a certain part is returned to or kept by the city. 

Let’s discuss in the subsequent paragraphs, some of the ways in which various cities and municipalities lose money on tickets. 

1. Ticket funding goes immediately to higher-level government.

In some cities and counties, all of the revenue from the tickets written in that area goes to the county or state. The higher-level government then parcels it out as they see fit. This can result in some cities getting more funding than they “earned” through tickets and others losing out. However, this method does help in ensuring that all cities or counties have adequate funds necessary to provide services, even if they cannot write as many tickets. As such, in these types of cities, ticket revenue has little or no bearing on the area’s funding. 

2. Traffic camera programs cost more than what they bring in.

In some cities and counties, traffic camera programs cost more than they earn. This can be surprising to some people, since they catch a lot of traffic offenders and bring in plenty of revenue. The programs are just so expensive that what they bring in is not always enough to make up for what they cost. 

Cities typically contract with outside companies to provide the traffic camera equipment and sometimes even the personnel to run it. These companies make money but the cities don’t always get a part of that money. It tends to depend on the type of contract that the city has with the camera operating company. In some cases, the city pays a flat fee and loses money or only breaks even based on the number of tickets they write. In other cases, each ticket is divided between the company and the city according to an agreed-upon percentage. 

Still, these programs remain popular both because they are seen as a safety measure and because they make the state money. For instance; in Arizona, the state takes 84 percent of every ticket, including the ones issued because of traffic cameras. So, even though the cities bear the burden of paying for the traffic camera systems, the state benefits from every additional ticket written because of them. 

Some cities turn around and put all of their traffic camera ticket revenue into installing more traffic cameras. Although the cities that do this are technically making money, they are not profiting from them. Because of the cost of traffic camera programs, it can be difficult for big cities to adequately cover their roadways. Instead, they expand their programs slowly in this manner. 

3. Most of the revenue earned in some cities goes to fund the court system.

Courts also have to be paid because not all criminals are in a position to bear the cost of their own trials. One of the ways that courts are funded in some states is through the money made from issuing traffic tickets. Courts and court-related expenses that these tickets fund include: 

  • State court systems
  • County court systems
  • City court systems
  • Judicial information systems
  • Judges’ salaries

4. Operating costs are higher than ticket revenue.

Because so much of the money from each ticket goes to other government agencies and outside companies, it is easy for the operating costs of the police department that writes the tickets to be higher than what they receive. The cost of maintenance and repairs on the police vehicles, the salaries of the officers, the information management related to issuing tickets, paying to send officers to court and providing training can easily be more than the total funds received through fines in a given period of time. It is easy to see how this is the case when a city writes only 200-500 tickets per month, yet has 5 officers performing this task. 

5. A large percentage of the ticket goes to a state fund.

In some areas, certain tickets go into state funds that are used to launch safety campaigns and compliance crackdowns. For example, as much as 50 percent of the money made from tickets for seat belt offenses or texting while driving goes to a state public safety fund in some states. These funds are used to create ads informing people about the dangers of not using seat belts as well as fund the additional manpower used to crack down on offenders. 

To conclude, we must understand that the traffic department does not issue tickets just to earn revenues and make easy money. It entails a lot of underlying issues which include promoting safety on roads and making citizens aware and responsible.  

Author Bio: Traffic attorney Scott Desind helps LA drivers fight tickets such as speeding, red light, stop sign traffic tickets. He shares his experiences on his blog and at various events.

General Safety Issues

APRIL IS NATIONAL 9-1-1 PUBLIC AWARENESS and EDUCATION MONTH

 For the past several days, we have learned to respect and appreciate our first responders, more than ever.  In Boston, we viewed the aftermath of two explosions, deliberately set to kill and hurt runners and bystanders at the Boston Marathon.  Within seconds, there were runners helping those who had been injured- police, firemen, SWAT teams, paramedics, EMT students, and physicians swarmed the scenes to treat and rush the victims to hospitals. 

Miles away, in the small town of West, Texas, again, the heroics were played out when a fire started near a fertilizer plant, and volunteer firefighters, paramedics and EMT students rushed to try to put out the blaze and assist with  injured.  Suddenly, the heat came too near ammonium nitrate being stored in the facility, and a huge explosion happened.  The explosion devastated a four-block radius of the plant, and many families have lost everything they had.  The death toll is now estimated to be 14, with the vast majority of those being first responders.  Approximately 200 persons were injured. 

It’s events such as these that we realize how truly important our first responders are.  This past week was spotlighted as National Public Safety Telecommunications Education Week, in order to promote awareness of proper practices when calling the emergency assistance number.  Behind the scenes, there are highly trained professionals who are the first persons to answer this life-saving number when a call is made.  Dispatchers take the calls and coordinate the response of emergency medical services, fire department, or local law enforcement.  

When 9-1-1 services are needed, we should understand how to place the call, as well as educate our children, too.  It is important that we describe the situation as carefully as possible, and give out any landmarks in order to assist the responders in finding your location.  Don’t text 9-1-1, as it won’t be received.  Don’t become frustrated with the dispatcher’s questions, as he/she probably already have a unit on the way, but it is helpful to the responding team to have as much advance information as possible. 

If you should call 9-1-1 by mistake, don’t hang up, because there will probably be a unit sent to your address.  Just stay on the line and explain what happened.  Teach your children never to play a prank call on anyone, especially that important number. 

Dispatchers are screened thoroughly and receive classroom and on-the-job training.  They are entrusted with medical information as well as the law enforcement side of the occasion. Stop and think how fortunate we are to have seen the display of courage that law enforcement, firefighters and medical teams play on an every-day basis.  It is times like these that we need to stop and be thankful that they stand at the ready.  And give a pat on the back to those dispatchers and others in the 9-1-1 call center that can save lives with a speedy response or just knowing how to talk to persons who are in highly emotional states at that time.

As has been mentioned several times: when there is an emergency, our fire departments, healthcare providers and law enforcement are headed toward the situation when everyone else is running away.

Ergonomics, Fall Safety, First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

TAMING THE WORKPLACE HAZARDS OF AN OFFICE (GUEST POST)

Sent by Jay Akers, from Safety Services, whose team works diligently writing and preparting safety programs, training, posters, and other safety information.

The average office setting may not seem like a place where accidents ever happen, but the truth is there are few places in which you’ll find as wide a range of ways to sustain an injury. Don’t let a safety hazard catch you off guard by assuming that it won’t happen to you. We’ve put together some ways you can stay safe at work.

Begin by arriving to work safely. It’s not unusual for office hours to begin at very early hours, and the roadways can be dangerous and dense with traffic. Among the thousands of sleepy drivers who just got out of bed, you’ll want to be as alert as possible. Maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep. If you have the option to take public transportation, you can save yourself the trouble altogether.

Some of the most common workplace injuries are the result of slips, trips, and falls. Evaluate the entire work area for possible trips like computer cords, slips like work surfaces that can be slick when wet and falls, especially in the more dimly lit places.

Copy and fax machines, computers, overhead projectors – there are a lot of sources for loose electrical cords in your office. Keep them organized and out of the way. In a situation where there are many cords bundled in the same location, tie them together with a band or twist tie. Try not to position electrical equipment across a walkway from the outlet. If it’s unavoidable, run the cords under a rug. Check your hands to ensure they’re thoroughly dry before handling electrical cords and equipment.

Always use an approved ladder if you need to reach an upper shelving unit. Don’t climb on the shelving or create makeshift ladders (such as stacked boxes or an office chair). Stock the shelves with larger, heavier items on the bottom to address the risk of items falling on you. If you can anchor the shelving to the wall behind it, do so.

Watch out for puddles. Large or small, they’re just a slip and a fall waiting to happen. Keep an eye on the break room and the communal water cooler where spilled coffee or water is more likely. Immediately clean up spills, and make sure to put out a sign to let your coworkers know that the floor is wet, if the spill requires a mop.

Keep your office supplies contained and organized. Don’t leave papers lying around on the floor, and maintain smaller items such as pins, paper clips, and rubber bands in a container on your desk. Move items away from the desk’s edge so that you don’t accidentally knock them off.

Office furniture poses threats of its own. Make sure garbage cans are out of the walkways. Filing cabinet drawers left open are a good way to get a nasty gash. Before you sit down, check that your chair (especially if it has rollers) is in position so you don’t take a nasty spill on your rear. When you’re carrying a load down a walkway, ensure that the way ahead is clear and that you can see over the load.

Make sure everyone knows company procedures in the event of a fire, from attacking the fire to evacuation. Locate fire extinguishers in your building and take the time to learn how to use them. Keep in mind that not all fire extinguishers are designed to eliminate the same kind of fire – read labels, get training, and make it a habit to regularly check that the fire extinguishers inspections are up to date. If there isn’t one already, consider assembling a fire safety team in your office that can monitor the environment for potential fire hazards as well as take point in the organization of emergency evacuations.

Your surrounding environment isn’t the only source of safety hazards in an office. Because an office job often involves long periods of sitting, standing, lifting, and repetitive movements, your body is just a hazard waiting to turn against you.

Know your personal physical capacity before you lift or move a load. Get a buddy if it’s beyond that rather than putting your back at risk. Make sure you’re using proper lifting techniques.

Implement appropriate equipment and controls that address individual work requirements. Use anti-fatigue mats for shifts involving a lot of standing, ergonomically designed chairs and computer equipment for working at your desk, and safety gearsuch as gloves or back braces if your day involves a lot of lifting. Remember to mix it up throughout the day – get up, sit down, stretch, and shake your hands out. Try to rotate through different sorts of asks throughout the day so that musculoskeletal injuries don’t have the chance to build.

Stay safe at work by knowing what to watch for and how to disarm hazards before they surface. Your body and your wallet, free from overwhelming medical bills, will thank you.

 

General Safety Issues

EASIEST WAYS TO DRIVE SAFELY (GUEST POST)

Don Elfrink is our resident auto expert and the owner and operator of AutoMatStore.com, a company selling auto mats throughout the nation. Before AutoMatStore, Elfrink was the operator of an automotive production site. AutoMatStore focuses on logo, carpeted, molded and all weather floor mats. 

Easiest Ways to Drive Safely

Safety on the road is an enormously important topic for drivers of all ages. While many people think that young drivers are the most dangerous (and studies show they are the most likely to have accidents), there are plenty of older drivers who need to take a second look at what they’re doing behind the wheel. Some of the most innocuous seeming habits can be hugely detrimental when it comes to safety. Here are some of the most important things to stop doing right now.

Texting While Driving

It’s difficult to think of a topic that’s more in the news lately than texting while driving. It’s become a global cause of concern, and rightly so. Texting while driving is incredibly dangerous – it takes your focus completely off the road. It’s been linked to tens of thousands of accidents and fatalities, and numerous studies have pointed out that texting while you’re behind the wheel is actually more dangerous than drinking and driving. Thankfully, law enforcement is stepping up their efforts to curb this dangerous, negligent behavior (another good reason to put down the phone and concentrate on driving).

Talking on the Phone

While most people think that texting on the phone is dangerous, but talking on the phone is fine, that’s actually untrue. When you’re having a conversation on the phone, you’re splitting your concentration between two tasks. Even if you’re not one of those people who have to talk with their hands, you’ll find that having conversations while driving is very dangerous. Put the phone down and concentrate on what you’re doing – invest in a hands-free system if you have to use the phone while driving. Many newer vehicles are now coming with built-in Bluetooth systems that connect your phone directly to your vehicle’s audio system for easier communication with less danger.

Eating While Driving

Are you one of those people who routinely cram down a fast food burger while traveling 70 miles per hour down the interstate? If so, it’s time to put down the burger and put both hands on the wheel. Many people think that eating while driving is less dangerous than talking on the phone or texting, but that’s really not the case. It can be all too easy to become distracted while eating – spilling condiments, slipping buns and spilled drinks can all add up to disaster. While eating on the go is often a necessity these days, do yourself and everyone else you’ll meet while on the road a favor and pull over to eat.

Slow Down and Remain Vigilant

Too often, drivers become desensitized to the danger they’re in every time they get on the road. Familiarity breeds contempt, after all. However, you have to remember that you are operating a dangerous vehicle, and that there are other people around you. Slow down and pay attention to what you’re doing and where you’re going. Don’t let the banality of the daily commute inure you to the danger posed by operating an automobile – more people die every year in car wrecks than any other way combined.

Cultivate a Sense of Caution

Perhaps the most important tip for driving safely is to cultivate a sense of caution when you’re on the road. Think about it – you’re driving a vehicle that weighs a ton or more at high speeds in close proximity to other vehicles. The potential for danger, accidents and even death is bigh enough even without adding in dangerous habits like texting or eating while driving.

Driving with safety and care while avoiding bad habits like texting behind the wheel can help save your life as well as the lives of other drivers.

General Safety Issues

A FEW PRACTICAL TIPS FOR IMPROVING SAFETY AND SECURITY AROUND YOUR HOME (GUEST POST)

 In this day and age, improving the safety and security around your home is something in which I encourage all homeowners to consider investing in. After all, your home is where you live, where you raise your family. It contains expensive electronics, jewelry and other valuables like financial records that could lead to identity theft in the wrong hands. Therefore it is important to protect your property both indoors and out as well as secure your family’s peace of mind.

Consider installing security cameras

One easy way to improve the safety of your home is by installing security cameras. When installing surveillance cameras as part of a security system you can typically expect to earn a break in your insurance and can expect the system to pay for itself in a short amount of time and is ultimately a lot less expensive than having your home burglarized.

Home security cameras are often installed above the main entrance point. This is a great way to keep aware of who is coming and going from your home even if you are not present. Moreover, some security systems allow you to unlock a locked front door from a remote location. This is an extremely helpful way to let your kids in the house when they lose their key while you’re at work.
Also, be aware that you can also set up your own remote home monitoring system without the expensive dedicated setup and save some additional money. However, I’m not sure if this approach would qualify you for any discount on your homeowners insurance.

Take your landscaping into consideration

Burglars are always looking for an “easy mark,” and when they pick a home to burglarize it’s rarely, if ever done at random. One of the first things a burglar does is scope out the neighborhood. The last thing a burglar wants to deal with is a nosy neighbor and one of the main things they look for is a home with the least visibility from the street.
Burglars can get exceptional cover from tall privacy fences; break into your home without being caught by using tall trees and unkempt shrubbery that conceals windows. They look for things like un-mowed lawns that could indicated the homeowner is away from home a lot or kids toys left on the lawn because kids in most instances means a mom lives there which means there’s a good chance there’s jewelry inside.

Improve the lighting in your yard

One of the most important steps to take when making your home more secure is by installing adequate lighting outside your house. These lights can be solar-powered which prevents you from having to replace batteries, times so that they come on as the sun goes down and go off as the sun rises or they could be motion sensitive lights that are triggered when motion is detected in the lights “protection zone”.

Choosing the type of security lights to install is largely a matter of your own personal preference and not every type of light will meet the needs of every homeowner. Nevertheless, since security lights do a very good job of highlighting someone’s approach, they can be powerful deterrents to anyone who wants to enter your home uninvited.

Secure your front door

Although many homeowners may be unaware of this fact, one of the main entry points for burglars is through the front door. This is because homeowners often times neglect to replace a worn out and brittle door. Therefore, the burglars can sometimes break the door and gain entrance with little or no real effort.

About the author

Alex Goodwin is a writer, husband, father and aspiring novelist. When he isn’t writing for HomeDaddys or completing chores from his “honey- do” list, he’s most likely spending quality time with his wife and kids or working on his novel.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

IS MY CHILDCARE PROVIDER UP ON SAFETY MEASURES? WHAT TO LOOK FOR (GUEST POST)

When you place your child in day care, you do so under the assumption that they will be safe. You want to know that your child is free from any type of harm, including that from dangerous toys or accessories. You also want to make sure that the place is sanitary. Children touch everything, and viruses can spread quickly if their surroundings are not kept clean.

To ensure that your child remains safe while not in your care, parents should look for signs that their care provider is keeping up to the standards you expect. Some of these “signs” include: 

1. Look at the outdoor equipment. Does it look rugged and well worn? While it is to be expected that play items will be well-used, you need to know that your child care dollars are going for upkeep as well as payroll. If the equipment looks too used, chances are it is not safe.

2. Look at the toys inside. Do the toys seem age-appropriate for the children? Some toys can present choking hazards or have sharp edges. These are dangerous to very small children.

3. Look at the infant area. This is especially important since babies can easily be harmed and catch viruses. Does this area contain:

*Does the baby play yard have removable mats and fabric? You want your infant to be in a play yard that can easily be washed and cleaned. Is a top sanitary precaution.  

*Heavy objects? As infants start to grow, they begin to reach and pull themselves up. Large bookcases and other items of this nature can easily topple over on infants, causing great harm.

*Hand sanitizer? You want your care providers to have clean hands when they are interacting with your baby.

*Crib sheets. Are the cribs or bassinets being used look and smell clean? Do they have removable sheets? You do not want your baby sleeping in an area that cannot be easily cleaned.

*Stuffed animals or large blankets in sleeping areas. Babies should never be placed to sleep with a large comforter or stuffed animal. This can cause suffocation.
4. Children’s furniture. Do the tables and chairs appear to be the right size for the children? Are they well-worn and seem to be wobbly? Are they made of metal? All of these things could pose a risk to your child.

While this may seem a little overprotective, it is not. Day care centers are obligated to keep your child safe, and that includes making sure that the equipment that they use, toys they provide, and their cleanliness level all meet specific standards.

If you have any concerns about any of these issues, or other things that you may have noticed, you should take the time to talk with the center about the problems. In many cases, the problem can be quickly resolved. If not, you may find that you need to search for more qualified care providers for your child.

Researcher and author Nickey Williams writes this article to create child safety awareness. The washable baby play yard is part of the Shiloh by InGenuity collection. Fabrics simply zip off in less than a minute for machine washing and you can swiftly fold & go without extracting the bassinet, making this product extremely convenient. 

 

 

General Safety Issues

SOLAR POWER FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS – INVESTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY (GUEST POST)

Energy demands are a hot topic in today’s society. Everyone is looking for a better way to conserve and live without sacrificing the creature comforts they have become reliant on. As a small business owner, you have the ability to assist your community by providing means to reduce the consumption of electricity within your establishment. The eco-friendly ramifications aside, a great deal can be accomplished by moving your system over to solar generation. Even the smallest, and most affordable, solutions can be beneficial to your community in a variety of ways.

1. Less Demand – By putting less demand on the power grid, you could essentially be helping your community in terms of power conservation. For each kilowatt-hour your business doesn’t use at its location, there is one kilowatt-hour of use in a private residence. If more businesses were like-minded, the price per kilowatt-hour could decrease as less of a demand is present, theoretically. Indirectly, this could help the economies of those locations as consumers are now able to spend more money instead of paying higher energy bills.

2. Decreasing Overhead – Even installing a few panels at a low cost to cover some of the energy demands of your business will decrease your monthly utility bills. With these bills decreasing, your business will have more money readily available for improvements, technological business advancements, payroll, or anything else you could use the extra money for. An eco-friendly establishment doesn’t just imply you are helping save the environment. It also implies you are helping to save your checkbook.

3. Promotional – Reducing your overhead means you are able to provide promotional discounts to customers with less fear of losing too much money. As you are saving money on the utilities, you could offer discounts on a regular basis which could turn into regular sales from consumers. People like a sale and offering such could greatly increase the business income. You could even go so far as to strike a deal with the solar power installation company to promote its work with a “we save so you save, thanks to…” type of campaign. Some organizations will consider the aspect of affiliate marketing and could create an additional revenue stream for your business. However you wish to spin the marketing campaign, you can use eco-friendly conscientious decisions to your benefit for creating a strong customer-base.

4. The Nights – Some will argue that solar power is lower at night greatly reducing the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. While this is true, consider how much power is actually used during the night compared to the amount of power you could feed into the grid during the day. While some businesses operate specifically at nighttime, the savings during the day should be more than worth the investment to you. Even if you close your business for the weekends, power is still generated that is being fed back into the grid which could possibly grant you a check from the electric company.

Being an eco-responsible business, you could very well become a trend-setter within your community. It’s in your best interest to at least investigate the possibilities of renewable energy sources for monetary benefits and reputation. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars right away as you can slowly add panels piecemeal until your organization becomes a power-plant of its own putting far more into the grid than you are using.

This is a guest post by Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com. She is a freelance writer and blogger from Houston.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Hearing Protection

WORKING IN LOUD ENVIRONMENTS: TREATMENT AND PREVENTION (GUEST POST)

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When we first learn to sing in tune, we learn the connection between intonation, sound and our ears, nose and throat. Live or loud music therefore impacts not only these bodily functions, but our jaw and teeth too.

Causes of jaw and teeth pain from loud music and treatments

The following are potential causes for the experience of pain in the jaw and teeth while listening to live or loud music:

Existing ENT condition

Some individuals may suffer from an existing Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) condition that may be the underlying cause of discomfort when experiencing live music. The ENT region may become more sensitized to sound. 

Treatment: A referral from a General Practitioner (GP) to an ENT specialist may help identify if this is the cause and the best available treatment to reduce sensitivity.

Clicking Jaw or TMJ disorder

A temporo-mandibular joint disorder or clicking jaw is when the upper and lower jaw do not function as they should, causing dysfunctional bite and pain in the jawbone, teeth and face. The sound vibrations may aggravate symptoms of TMJ.

Treatment: An Orthodontist may assess if TMJ is the cause and recommend treatments such as orthodontic braces and pain relief.

Loose teeth or Periodontal disease

People who suffer from gum disease, such as Periodontitis, may have loose teeth that are particularly affected by the vibrations from loud or live music. Periodontitis or gum disease occurs when decay damages the periodontal ligament that keeps the teeth secured to the jaw bone through the gum tissue. Once the ligament becomes destroyed, teeth become sore, infected and loose. These loose teeth may literally rattle to the music, causing further pain that radiates through the jawbone and face.

Treatment: Periodontists and Endodontists are dentists who specialise in treatments for gum disease. Root canal treatment may be used to remove infected gum tissue so that the tooth may be replaced by a dental restoration anchored to a dental implant. Missing teeth may be replaced by dentures, dental bridges and crowns.

Noise Anxiety and Bruxism

We all experience thresholds to sound differently and some of us may be more sensitive to sound volume than others. When anxiety due to noise or loud sound is experienced, some people may clench their teeth and grind their teeth. The teeth and jaw may ache from the teeth grinding.

Treatments: Dental mouth guards or shields may be custom-made for individuals who grind their teeth, whether due to noise anxiety, other fears or at night during sleep. Mouth guards prevent grinding teeth-on-teeth contact that may damage the tooth enamel causing teeth sensitivity. Some people may need to speak to their GP about anti-anxiety medication to prevent future TMJ disorders from developing.

Our thanks to James at netvectors.co.uk, for showing us another risk that is taken by people who listen to extremely loud music or work in loud environments.  For the best in hearing protection, which might help solve the dental problems, see our large variety of noise protection. pb