Aerial Lift Safety Tips-Advice from Terex

GET, LLC is a very proud partner of Terex and Genie.   

We continue to appreciate their advocacy to help lift owners like us and others prevent workplace accidents and encourage our customers and end users further safety advice when working at height.  

On the eve of National Fall Prevention Stand Down Week, GET, LLC and Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) offer up the following:

"1) Make sure that you have received proper training (both general training and hands-on practical training) as well as familiarization on the AWP you will be using. Thoroughly read the operator’s manual and safety signs on the machine, and understand the function and location of all safety devices and controls before beginning operation.

2) Always read, understand and obey employer’s safety rules and worksite regulations, as well as all applicable local, governmental or provincial regulations that apply to AWP operation before operating the machine.

3) Always perform a pre-operation inspection and function tests on the AWP before each shift. A level sensor, alarm or any other safety device cannot do its job if it has been disabled or has malfunctioned. If the machine fails any of these tests, make sure it is immediately tagged and removed from service until it can be repaired by a qualified service technician.

4) Always perform a workplace risk assessment prior to moving the AWP to the jobsite. Look for drop-offs and holes, slopes, slippery or unstable surfaces, overhead obstacles, power lines and any other hazards that may exist. Then consciously think about and avoid those hazards through all phases of machine operation. A full list of hazards you need to be aware of can be found in the operator’s manual for the machine you are operating.

5) Always wear the proper fall protection when operating either a telescopic or articulating boom. A properly fitted full body harness and appropriate lanyard or self-retracting lifeline is an absolute requirement. Most operators do not understand the potential for being catapulted from the platform of a boom. The slightest jar at the base of the machine can equate into a sudden and powerful whiplash at the platform that may have the potential to toss the operator into the air. If this were to happen, wearing the proper fall protection may reduce the chances of serious injury or even death.

6) Never sit, stand or climb on the platform guardrails for any reason. The guardrails on an AWP provide fall protection only if the operator maintains a firm footing on the platform floor at all times. If an operator is required to reach an overhead work area that is too small for the platform guardrails to allow access to, the use of a manufacturer-approved device that has been specifically designed to provide additional access to confined spaces is recommended.

7) Never exit an elevated boom or scissor lift platform unless you have been properly trained to do so, maintain 100 percent tie-off at all times, and are in possession of an approval letter from the manufacturer that provides the proper guidance.

8) Never climb down from the platform when it is raised. Whenever possible, keep a cell phone or two-way radio with you while you are in the platform. Always have a rescue plan in place in the event that the MEWP is not equipped with an auxiliary lowering system or if that system malfunctions. Rescue plans should at a minimum include steps to ensure that other personnel are aware that you are operating the MEWP and that they have been trained and familiarized to operate the machine from the ground controls.

9) Always keep the platform floor clear of debris. Scrap materials, buckets, large tool boxes and other items can cause a serious tripping hazard. You should remove any item from the platform that is not absolutely necessary to do your work. Utilize special manufacturer-approved attachments such as fluorescent tube caddies or panel cradles (where applicable) to lift large or bulky items.

10) Always lower the platform entry mid-rail or close the entry gate before operating the AWP. The entry mid-rail or gate is an integral part of the platform guardrail. Never tape or prop the entry open and never use a AWP if the gate does not properly latch."

Be safe everyone.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Guam-A Different Perspective

Talk locally has moved towards whether or not there will be a Guam Military Buildup.  After three public hearings on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) there seems to be more talk that could compromise the effort to move components of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force to Guam. 

In Washington D.C. this past week, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee Carl Levin remarked with the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015 that his committee terminated "troubled or unnecessary programs and activities, identifies efficiencies, and reduces defense expenditures in light of the Nation's budget deficit problems." Among the casualties-$80.6 million to the Office of Economic Adjustment for projects related to the transfer of Marines to Guam.  The Michigan Democrat used this opportunity to talk about "the many cases" where the House Armed Services Commitee went over the budget caps set by the Budget Control Act saying, "were not going to use unreal money."

The only response from the rudderless Democratic majority in the Guam Legislature-was anything else cut? Funny how our local elected leaders react when taken for a ride by members of their own party.  The Speaker of the Guam Legislature should have got on the phone with the Guam Delegate and ask for an explanation.  After their recent dress down of the senior stateswoman at Hessler Street, they would have received a polite, "we'll get back to you" and then silence.

Local Democrats are so out of touch with matters in the Nation's Capital that it is no wonder that they either seem far apart on national party matters or are absolutely uninformed.  This Blogger and others in the community are concerned with the direction of Guam Democrats who will through studder steps take the Guam Buildup off the table completely.  A little fact, talk about the Guam Buildup began in 1994 during the term of Former Guam Governor and Democrat leader Carl Gutierrez.  

Don't think local Republicans are not without their collective share of rational behavior related to the recent SEIS hearings and comment period.  The Republicans have stated they are in support of the process related to the buildup with a local GOP Senator saying, "There was an acknowledgement that it's a complete effort, the governor met with the families, the families met with the congresswoman and we're open to meet with them anytime, solutions are being put on the table to solve all angles of difficulties moving forward so I think what we're showing is everyone is continuing to dialogue and this process is fully in place." What does that mean?  Spin?

The only ones taking a leadership role in this effort is Guam's business community. Our friends at the Guam Contractors Association said it best recently, "There are a few in the community that completely oppose any kind of military buildup in Guam and we respect their opinion, but in a democratic society, the majority prevails. So WE the majority need to state our case publicly and WE need to be heard!"

This blogger stands with the GCA and others who  wholeheartedly support this buildup effort as it will buildup more jobs and opportunities for all Guamanians, buildup our economy, buildup a better sense of security from opposing forces, buildup pride in our heritage and buildup our relationship with the greatest nation in the world, the United States of America.

Styling Your Furniture Strategy on Campus

Attracting students while walking the budget tightrope is a true balancing act. As a University Adjunct Professor and vendor to the same University, I know that very well.  Providing storage, a workspace, seating, and most importantly somewhere to sleep, doesn't have to be an exercise in compromise for university or college facilities managers and buying teams.

Furniture replacement is an opportunity to fully develop your strategy for attracting and retaining students. The most successful plans are, at some point, evaluated from the viewpoint of the student. Here are some simple, cost effective ways to get your residence halls to stand out.

1.  Gadgets-Your students have tons of them. Give them somewhere to plug-in.

2.  Cushion-A soft seat goes a long way. If their room isn't comfortable, they'll look for one that is.

3.  Denim-Consider providing at least one or two deep drawers. Jeans can take up a lot of precious storage space.

4.  Color-Express your campus's personality with color. Fabrics and wood finishes can ooze personality and good vibes.

Things that make their life easier, more comfortable, and let's not forget fun, don't have to be complicated or expensive.

For more on how GET, LLC through our friends at Savoy Contract Furniture and teaming partner American Hotel Register can assist you with your specific furniture needs- please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-483-0789 to discuss the best solution for your facility.  All the solutions are Made in America!!!

Your Choice of Lighting for Safety and Efficiency Outdoors-Light-Emitting Diodes

Our friends at Deco Lighting spend much of their time educating partners like GET, LLC about how we should advise our customers and potential customers about the use of specific lighting products for their respective facilities.  For us, outdoor lighting has been one area we get plenty of inquiries on and finding the right product that is safe and above all efficient-a growing trend were finding with property owners and facilities managers alike.  This week, Deco Lighting shared the following on this specific issue:

"Outdoor lighting is key in guaranteeing the safety of your facility. Not only does a well-lit outdoor area ensure that employees and guests are able to come and go during the night hours without concern, it also acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves and criminals. It’s hard to sneak into a building if that building offers no shadows in which to vanish — dark areas are perfect places for break-ins and other criminal activities.

The problem with outdoor lighting, of course, is that it represents and enormous energy cost. Running outdoor lights all night, every night can quickly raise your electric bill into the stratosphere. And performing maintenance on lights every few months certainly comes with costs of its own. That’s why outdoor light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has become such an in-demand alternative for organizations that still want beautiful outdoor lights but also want more efficiency and lower energy costs.

LED lighting solutions have been shown to provide higher quality light with a dramatic reduction in energy burned. While traditional lights burn into heat a great deal of the energy they pull, LEDs use almost all of the energy they pull for light generation. LEDs also have a longer lifespan than traditional lights and can be installed in much more interesting ways due to not being so reliant on decades-old fixture shapes and designs.

Replacing your existing outdoor lights with outdoor LED lighting will result in a dramatic reduction in energy used, lower maintenance costs (LEDs last longer than traditional lighting solutions), and more control over how you light the area. The light created is also purer and cleaner; say goodbye to harsh yellow tones fired off by aging lighting systems. You’ll find outdoor LED lighting solutions to fit all purposes, from lighting a small garden to keeping a loading dock secure.

There are two big benefits to LED lighting in general: It’s more efficient and flexible. Outdoor LED lighting solutions are no different in this regard from their indoor counterparts."

Thanks Deco Lighting.  

For more information on bringing an LED lighting solution to your facility, please contact us at GET, LLC at 671-483-0789 or see our website at www.get-guam.com for details of the technologies that can be of significant value to all building owners-All Made in America!!!

USB On the Go-What is it?

GET, LLC is always on the hunt to share news about new and emerging technologies.  We found a neat one-USB OTG.  

USB OTG is short for an "On-the-Go" cable or adapter. A USB OTG cable or adapter can make a USB host out of your phone or tablet's regular USB device port while you are out and about. They are usually Micro USB male on one end to standard USB "A" female on the other. 

USB OTG cables and adapters have the ability to turn your phone or tablet into a USB host, just like the ports on a desktop computer. With a USB OTG adapter you can connect full-sized keyboards or mice to your smart phone or tablet. This can make it easier to type up documents directly to your cell phone or tablet instead of dealing with a digital keyboard. You can also use them to connect flash drives, card readers or an external hard drive, making it simple to drag and drop files as well as backing up all your information. 

This cable also works for directly connecting your digital camera to download images. 

These cables and adapters will allow all these devices to communicate with each other, no matter where you are. 

The Google Play app store offers a USB OTG checker app that allows you to make sure your Android operating system allows the USB OTG function. You can also find OTG adapters for Apple iOS devices on the web.

GET, LLC can bring USB OTG cables and adapters for most Android based smart phones and tablets right to you. For more on the benefits that our partnerships can bring to you and your respective business, including Panduit and Cisco, contact us at 671-483-0789 or at www.get-guam.com.

Independence LED-"More Efficient" say DOE

When the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) talks about energy efficiency, America listens.  Our friends at Independence LED Lighting have won accolades recently from DOE and continue to outclass the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Tube Lighting marketplace.

According to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report data, Independence LED tubes are 15% more efficient in lumens per watt than the average from the field of over 30 LED manufacturers, including tubes from major competitors Philips, Cree, and Osram Sylvania.

In the report, the DOE found that LEDs are more efficient than ever. The CALiPER Summary Report 21: Linear (T8) LED Lamps concludes: “Compared to previous CALiPER testing of the same product type, there have been notable performance gains. With the efficacy (lumens/watt) of many lamps now equivalent to or exceeding that of fluorescent lamps.” 

Independence LED has stayed well ahead of the curve. As the below chart indicates, the U.S.-made Independence LED tube is 15 lumens per watt more efficient than the average of the tested field (15.95%) and over 10% more efficient than global lighting companies like Philips, Osram Sylvania, and Cree.

“We could not be more proud of how our American-manufactured LED lights squared up in the 2014 Department of Energy CALiPER Report," said Independence LED Lighting CEO Charlie Szoradi. "Independence LED tubes are substantially more efficient than competitors, yielding extraordinary energy savings, particularly when retrofitting existing light fixtures. Safety is a paramount concern, and Independence LED’s external-driver system ensures that switching the lights won’t be shocking anything but your electric bill. And because we manufacture right here in America, Independence LED tubes and fixtures are supremely reliable, allowing us to offer an industry-leading 10 year warranty.“

Also, the 2014 report indicates that, based on their design, Independence LED tubes are potentially safer than competitor products. Typical fluorescent fixtures bring line voltage into the fixture via Alternating Current (AC), and then convert it through the ballast to lower-voltage Direct Current (DC). Internal driver LED tubes – like most of Independence LED’s competitors -- override the ballast, creating a potential safety issue. 

Additionally, the Report did elaborate on how the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved clamp system for Independence LED provides safety and the ultimate flexibility to either use, or not use, the existing fixture sockets. This flexibility is important for de-lamping to center new tubes in two to one retrofits.

What does this all mean?  

The cost and performance of an individual LED tube is only a subset of the fixture performance, so end users should look at the LED efficacy, warranty, and cost to determine the technology and manufacturer that is most appropriate for their facility.

Keep up the great work Independence LED Lighting!  

To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!

Guam-A Different Perspective

The talk of an increase to Guam's minimum wage continues to separate many a businessman and policy maker on what is becoming a major campaign issue. In my years of observing Guam's election cycles, it is my humble opinion that this is the absolute wrong message at the wrong time.  With four months until the primary election, this particular issue is not creating any real traction that Guam's elected officials think that it is making. Raising the minimum wage is a fight that is already waging by federal lawmakers in Washington D.C. There has not been a federal minimum wage hike since 2007.  When that occurred during the Bush Administration, local lawmakers seized the moment to placate the 15,000 or so people who were making the minimum wage and came off with a fizzle.  The argument then, as it is now, remains simple-raising the minimum wage will stifle job creation. Plain and simple.  The local measure to phase in wage increases over the course of the next three years boosts the wages of 17,514 people. 

Local businesses are saying publicly that if this bill passes, they will cut jobs and employee hours. Many are asking that impact studies of a wage hike be completed and heeded.  While some local groups like the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers are in support of the measure, their influence on this proposed law is chafing many other advocacy groups like the Guam Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Guam Bankers Association and the Employers Council.  Simultaneously, toss in a GOP-led initiative to roll back Guam's Gross Receipts Tax and now we have a recipe for confusion for each of the 46,255 registered voters on Guam to consider this cycle.

The spin on this issue is fast and furious.  

But why?  

There is an issue more pressing with a larger economic impact that stands to drive a further wedge into what was being touted as soon to be our number one industry-the military.  Today the House passed the FY205 Military Construction Budget that earmarked $128 Million for Guam.  The work is considered pretty fast for Congress who has passed the first piece of the federal budget pie quicker than any time over the past decade.  But the budget comes as the final environmental impact statement for the Guam Buildup is released this past week and residents are oblivious to the reduction to the program.  The new plan calls for all the buildup of the III Marine Expeditionary Force inside the fences at Andersen Air Force Base and NCTS Guam. The last remaining hurdle-a firing range.  Now many have diverted their attention from the minimum wage debate to jump on this FEIS and back again.  Our collective inability to support the US mission in this part of the world will see more than just a $500 million budget cut in military spending from last fiscal year. 

It is this blogger's opinion that uninformed policy makers and the incumbent spin doctors will torpedo this once anticipated and long awaited boost to Micronesia's economic prosperity.  I scratch my head wondering what these folks are thinking to push back on the Guam Buildup-now called the Pacific Pivot.  

With bond issuances, major planned capital improvement projects and a willingness to further expand our economic base, these less than desirable positions by policy makers and the loud few will certainly cause more harm than good to our island's economic future and relationship with our partners of this region. 

Voters take heed.