New Year Means New Rules and Time to Review and Revise
Each New Year brings with it new laws, rules and regulations based on the trends of business and human resources management. Here are just a few things that are happening in 2015 that employers need to be aware of and apply to their business if it makes sense.
Oil Eater All-In-One Professional Grade Spill Kits
Oil Eater has introduced all-in-one professional grade spill kits designed to contain and clean up hazardous spills as required by OSHA and the EPA. A bonus 5-gallon bucket of Oil Eater Original cleaner is included in each kit.
September 2014 Shop Solutions
One of the most important factors in engine bearing design is a proper fit between the bearing and housing. Except for thrust washers, nearly all bearings are an interference fit. This means the bearing is slightly larger than the hole it fits into. In bushings, we refer to this as “Press Fit.”
Workplace Safety Protects Employees and Your Business
It was a misty, cold and dreary fall afternoon in 1980 in Western New York; pretty typical for that time of year just ahead of the snow for which the region is known. It was early on in my automotive career and I was working at a 4×4 and Jeep salvage yard, rebuilding the manual
Green Strategies: Recycled Engine Parts Save Profits
The list of reclaimed bare engine blocks on the Kenmonth Engine Company website (www.danamotorssac.com) is enough to warm the heart of any vintage vehicle collector. There’s an AMC 401-cid big-block for $800, five 1959 thru 1966 Buick “Nailheads” for $450 each, a 390 for a tail-finned ‘59 Caddy for $450, a 216-cid Chevy “Stovebolt 6”
Green Strategies: Efficient Shop Operations
If you really think about it, the engine building/remanufacturing industry is the true essence of going green. After all, you’re recycling: 1. A used product for further performance; 2. The solvents for other use; and 3. Your shop’s revenue as you have to make more profit from fewer rebuilds. “Most motors don’t run
Green Strategies: Cleaning Techniques & Equipment
It may seem that there’s nothing natural about cleaning an engine. Even after the couple of hours of cleaning time, the engine might be cleaner than the tech working on it – but the engine still needs cleaned (and so does the cleaning crew from time to time). We are long from the days of
Valve Seats & Guides
Most engine builders worth their salt know that with the components and technology available today, it’s not that difficult of a task to make horsepower. With the availability of so many performance parts – whether it’s from the OEM or the aftermarket – engine builders can pull from vast resources to achieve a balance between
Shop Employees May Be Exposed to Heavy Metals Through Shop Towels
Gradient (http://www.gradientcorp.com), a nationally recognized environmental and risk science consultingfirm, recently announced the publication of a study that finds elevated levelsof heavy metals in tested laundered shop towels. The study, “Evaluation of Potential Exposure to Metals in LaunderedShop Towels,” builds upon an earlier analysis published in 2003 andconcludes that, even after commercial laundering, the towels
What Are The Biggest Safety Risks For Automotive Businesses?
Zurich has compiled the top three areas for concern for three general automotive business department types and suggested loss prevention strategies to address them. Some of these topics were pulled directly from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) list of most frequently cited standards for automotive repair shops (October 2008 – September 2009), while
APRA to Host MEGA Clinic
The Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) will be bringing four divisions together during the upcoming “MEGA Clinic” on June 3-5, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Springfield, MS. The program will contain seminars for remanufacturers and suppliers involved in HD Transmissions, Volume Transmissions, HD Brakes and Electrical. Along with cutting edge seminars, the group will
Diesel and Gasoline Exhaust: How to Help Protect Your Business and Your Employees
“Boss, I’m feeling kind of light headed.” Diesel and gasoline exhaust can be hazardous to employees working in automotive service businesses. And not just those working in the shop are at risk; office employees can also be exposed through poor ventilation systems. So what can you do to protect your business and employees from dangerous
Top 10 Tips for On the Job Safety
Are you working safely? While no one starts the day off thinking “Today I’ll ignore basic safety procedures and put myself – and my employer – at risk,” letting your guard down around equipment and heavy metallic objects (such as those in any engine building or machining facility) can result in an accident. Timberland PRO,
Valve Seat Selection and Machining
When rebuilding a cylinder head for a stock automotive application, a performance engine, or a heavy-duty diesel, what kind of replacement seats should you use if the original valve seats need to be replaced? Should you install new seats that are the same as the original seats, or should you use a different type of
Customer Engagement Today and Tomorrow
Consumers are spending less and expecting more. In the third quarter of2008, U.S. consumer spending fell by 3.1 percent, the steepest declinesince 1980. Concurrently, customer satisfaction is suffering. For thepast 18 months, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) hasalso decreased. The companies that will survive are the ones that engage theircustomers. Recently, PeopleMetrics issued its
Lincoln Electric Launches Welding Fume Awareness Campaign
The Lincoln Electric Company has launched its “Are You Ready?”awareness campaign, designed to educate employers, as well as thegeneral welding community, about effective fume control practices. Thecampaign is also designed to help fabricators understand both recentand upcoming Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA)regulations, including the hexavalent chromium standards going intoeffect on May 31, 2010. Thecampaign
JASPER Receives
The Indiana Department of Labor has announced the “Merit” Certification of Jasper Engines and Transmissions in Indiana’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP, Indiana’s Voluntary Protection Program, was established to recognize and promote safety and health management programs throughout the state. All companies, regardless of size or business, can participate in VPP – where management
Valve Seat Technology For Stock and Performance Applications
Valve seats are a critical engine component because they are the foundation of the valvetrain. The seats provide a surface for the valves to seal against when they close so there’s no loss of compression or pressure from the combustion chamber. The seats also help cool the valves by conducting heat away from valves into
Machine Maintenance
Is your shop a safe place to work? Good question, isn’t it? What do I mean when I say is your shop safe? Let’s put everything into perspective. One injury could potentially cost you everything. Lest you think I’m being overly dramatic, consider this … while working on an important job your top machinist gets
Washington Way
OSHA MSD Rules Make Workplace Safety Rules Even More Confusing Small shops aren