Coachella Trading Company - recent posts from Hardworking Folk community

Drink while you're on your feet to Beat the Heat(TM)

2009-06-26T15:08:02-07:00

Way too early this morning, we met with Phil Fischella of Atwood-Prior who introduced us to the Drink!Hydration line of Hydration Packs. For years Camelbak has been the big name when it comes to back pack Hydration systems but now we’re seeing a whole new crop of products that will be setting the standards for years to come. Lightweight, comfortable to wear and holding 100oz (3liters) the Drink! Hydration line offer good looks, freedom to do your job while keeping you hydrated. For years we have all just taken a break ever so often from what we are doing to go get a drink. Hydration packs let you constantly have a drink available keeping you thirst free longer. Weighing 6.5-7 lbs. when full they come in Hi-Viz Orange, Hi-Viz Yellow, Navy Blue, Grey, and Black. Check them out and pick one that fits your needs and personality. This line is very affordable and in stock and ready to go.

Why Drink? It’s a simple as 1,2,3…

1% loss of fluid will start to affect your performance.
2% loss can decrease your strength and performance by 15%
3% loss occurs before you begin to feel thirsty-by then it may be too late.

Jury finds Whitey Harrell not guilty for not filing taxes

2009-02-26T15:55:00-08:00

Yeah. Apparently no one can produce a law that says wage earners pay income tax. There’s a law for capital gains income, but no wage law. It just doesn’t exist apparently. Can anyone find it?

How to: Tips for organizing your tool box

2009-02-08T15:32:50-08:00

This how-to video comes from eHow.

This video discusses not just how to organize a toolbox by size and function but also some of the tools in this particular tool box and why you might consider having them (like why you might have a crochet needle in your ‘high performance’ tool box).

From the more info at YouTube:

Organizing a toolbox is best done by separating the tools by type and function, keeping similar tools together in each of the drawers to better keep track of everything. Keep a toolbox organized for more efficient use with advice from a classic car enthusiast and mechanic in this free video on home organization.

Do you have any tips or advice on how to organize your toolbox? Share your organizational tips here with the community

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Big Box Mart...used to shop there...now I'm an employee...

2009-02-08T14:15:08-08:00

This is a funny video that might get you thinking about all that cheap stuff you’ve been buying at the mega-mart. A humorous, but scary cartoon exploring the impact of big box stores and the buy-more-cheaper mentality.

Are these mega-stores with their amazingly low prices hurting us more than we benefit? I personally have not stopped shopping big box stores entirely, but in light of the recent difficulties in the economy I am trying at least to shop local small business whenever possible. Perhaps our excess has gotten the best of us. I know it may seem counter-intuitive to pay a little more in difficult financial times, but Bob down at your local hardware store is going to give you better service and you know the money you spend there is staying in your town (much less your country).

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pelican work light

2009-01-03T13:50:13-08:00

The pelican work light 9430 is the best. I had an underground cable fault in a small hand hole and let me tell you this light worked. It lit the area up like daylight. Thanks for the info on this. As always youkept me out of the dark. KAG

The 9430 on the job

2008-12-07T20:10:51-08:00

My brother-in-law works for a power company in New Jersey and has a 9430 RALS on the job. “The light that it gives out is incredible” according to Kyle. Before he tried the RALS remote lighting unit he either had to run a long extension cord to the job or fasten flashlights to something that would shine the light on what he was working on. In addition to having the 9430 he is carrying the 7060 LED flashlight and testing the 2670 Heads Up Lite with the rear safety beacon.

Keep up the good work and send us more pictures in the days ahead.

Safety with legos: Don't touch that power transformer

2008-10-11T12:42:41-07:00

We have a variety of resources about ARC flashes around CoTradeCo, and while I can’t tell if this Lego Man experienced an ARC flash or literally grabbed onto the power supply, I thought you might enjoy this little clip as a more light reminder of ARC flash protection.

Don’t touch it! is by Dreambricks Productions, aka LegoDude8000 at YouTube, that is, Bryan, a typical guy in Jr. High who just so happens to still pursue his 10 year old hobby.

He says about this video:

A Lego man touches something he shouldn’t touch.

You might also be interested in:

We are also seeking expert guest bloggers to contribute a handful of articles about fire and electrical safety, especially regarding flame and arc resistant clothing/PPE. If you are interested please visit our Guest Blogger page and Contact Us

Safety with legos: Don't talk while using power tools

2008-10-11T12:10:49-07:00

In the words of the shop teacher from South Park, “Stop screwing around. You screw around too much.”

Power tool safety is by Dreambricks Productions, aka LegoDude8000 at YouTube, that is, Bryan, a typical guy in Jr. High who just so happens to still pursue his 10 year old hobby.

He says about this video:

This was for extra credit in my Woodshop class.

Custom Kitting for Industry Specific Items

2008-09-30T07:29:48-07:00

Kitting has been used in many industries:

The military has used kitting as a form of protection. Foreign Object Damage (FOD) comes in many forms, and is a primary contributor to misplaced and unaccounted for tools. With FOD resulting in loss of life and millions of dollars of damage and downtime yearly, an effective Tool Control Program is a necessity for Military and Civilian Aerospace and flight line operations. Accounting for every tool is not a luxury, it is vital to running a safe and cost efficient flight line operation.

Medical companies have followed this trend of kitting. Companies like PHS (Professional Hospital Supplies) started kitting standard stock items into specific kits for medical procedures. This process allows you receive a custom designed delivery program which minimizes returns, streamlines product flow, reduces inventory and reduces nurse set-up time.

Airline industry uses kits in the manufactuing process. Workers report to the tool cribs to receive work orders and receive a kit that has all the tools needed to complete that given task. This process eliminates countless trips for tools, makes the workers more efficient with time and helps prevent tools loss as they can only check in complete kits.

There are many different types and kinds of kits: first aide, survival, earthquake kits…..

If you have any ideas for kits or kitting please let us know.

Hardworking folk

2008-09-13T11:30:22-07:00

Deepest sympathy to those victims of the train wreck.

Lot's of arc flash and arc flash protective clothing information

2008-09-12T12:40:55-07:00

Of course we have our slowly growing library of flame resistant resources including:

ATPV & HRC layering calculator
Arc flash video page
and articles like Hazard / Risk Category 2 (HRC 2) MISCONCEPTIONS

But we are always on the lookout for more and I found this great Arc Flash Clothing and Videos page at Squidoo with some overview information and lot’s of links to more indepth flame and arc resistant protection and clothing that I thought you might find useful. Eventually I will get these resources added to the library permanently but I thought I would post it in the community blog for the time being.

The Squidoo page links to more Arc Flash videos and a useful blog from HighVoltageInfo among other tidbits of information.

Visit the Squidoo Arc Flash Clothing and Videos page and be informed.

Do you have some flame resistant and arc flash protection clothing resources you would like to share? Post links in the responses below or start your post in the community blog here at CoTradeCo.

clean hands

2008-08-04T14:04:58-07:00

A fiend of mine asked me how to get beach tar off of Her feet. I said use your cold cream. It takes off the tar but will not dry your skin. For you guys working with fiberglass. When you sand fiberglass, the dust gets small fiberglass splinters into your skin. Put cold cream on the exposed skin wait a couple of minutes and wipe it off with a clean rag. The cold cream softens the skin and opens the pores allowing the rag to wipe off the fibglass splinters.

This is how you pick up a sheet of plywood (sexy version)

2008-05-31T02:14:20-07:00

Well actually it’s the commercial for the Gorilla Gripper . Pretty funny stuff.

If you want to see a more “serious” demo of the Gorilla Gripper check out my previous post . See how easy it can be to carry a sheet of wood.

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This is how you pick up a sheet of plywood

2008-05-31T02:09:46-07:00

I stumbled this video recently and happened across it again at YouTube and knew I had to share it with you all.

Sick of lugging around sheets of wood? Let this amazing new invention help you out. It’s the Gorilla Gripper and it makes it easy and safe to carry a sheet of plywood around, even up a ladder? Check it out.

Maybe we should sell these Trader Dan?

You might also be interested in:

Lock Out Tag Out safety presentation

2008-05-25T23:25:07-07:00

Yet another fantastic presentation hosted at SlideShare.

This covers the ins and outs of OSHA regulated Lock Out Tag Out procedures.

NOTE: This presentation was uploaded to SlideShare 1 year ago and you should always consult current regulations and safety procedures.

Fire safety slide show

2008-05-25T20:02:11-07:00

While this overview of fire safety was clearly made for a specific organization, the information it discusses related to personal safety and how and when to fight a fire seemed rock solid so I thought I would share it here with you.

How do you load a Bobcat onto a flatbed?

2008-05-21T16:02:31-07:00

I have only ever operated a Bobcat type of equipment once and based on the craziness with which I managed to lurch it about, and the haphazard manner I managed to move the dirt and sculpt the ground I was working, I would have never conceived that you could even do this with a Bobcat.

It was unclear to me if this is a common practice or a rare moment of inspired genius.

Have you self loaded a Bobcat before?

Infamous Redneck Mansion…not really

2008-04-26T17:33:15-07:00

In case you are somehow not on someone’s comedy email list I just had to share this with you all.

The general caption and rumor circulating with this image was Redneck Mansion, which has led to a variety of humorous discussions around the internet (such as here, here, or “here”: ).

kyshutterbug on Flickr wondered

I wonder if it’s photoshopped. How on earth would someone stack a bunch of trailers like this. I can only hope this isn’t located somewhere in Kentucky if it’s real.

RavenHull on the snopes forum conjectured:

My best guess? We are looking at some kind of roadside attraction.

And pissedoffsoutherwoman at stonerguy.com was none to happy about the title and resulting discussion:

The “South�? is not the only place in America where people live in mobile homes you morons. And the term “redneck�? is not universal to the Southern states. Get a life Idiots! Now that’s a universal term.

And the folks at Reddit had a whole lot to say about the photo.

But of the redneck mansion…

This photo is not the vision of a rich trailer park fan. Nor is it some kind of apartment complex.

As we learn from the snopes.com Redneck Mansion entry and sonnyradio it is in fact a theatrical set for a 2005 production of Chekhov’s Ivanov in Amsterdam at the Theatre het Amsterdam Bos.

And there you have it. But I still think this is a pretty neat structure and found myself almost disappointed that it wasn’t “real”.

Some other unique habitats

In case you hadn’t got enough check out the Habitat 67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (learn more about it at the Wiki and see another photo here from alamedainfo.com ).

And you might also enjoy some of these experimental housing concepts using shipping containers at zigloo

The images shown here are mostly available all over the internet and it seems impossible to pin down a photographer. However the photos shown are specifically borrowed from:

Modern day high rise workers video

2008-03-31T12:44:44-07:00

While stumbling videos the other day I came across this great presentation from the Discovery Channel. It explores the world and life of the high-rise construction workers.

One worker says it is a great job, paying something like $32 per hour. But after seeing how they are just walking around unsecured on exposed beams 40+ stories off the ground, I’m not sure that is enough. I am somewhat afraid of heights, but love to be at height. In my other life as a stagehand, I take any chance I get to go up in a lift to focus lights or hang things, It gives me such a crazy thrill, but I’m not sure I could do job these guys are doing.

Thought you might enjoy. Just don’t fall out of your seat while you watch!

Watch Modern day high rise workers at YouTube

Introduction

2008-03-24T09:19:12-07:00

Looking forward to sharing interest and meeting new people.

I came from a coal mining back ground of hard working people.

Man moves pyramid sized building blocks...by himself!

2008-03-04T12:41:29-08:00

We’ve been told over and over that we have no way of knowing exactly how ancient peoples created such monolithic structures like the pyramids or Stonehenge from such oversized building blocks. Lacking the types of mega building machines that we have now, we have only been left with guessing and wondering.

Some of these theories ranged from implausible to outright ridiculous. But one man has demonstrated that it was possible using only the most basic of tools and a rudimentary knowledge of leverage.

Namely, a small stone and some blocks of wood.

See his video at YouTube and prepare yourself to be amazed!

New Arc Flash explosion video demonstration page

2008-02-25T12:13:40-08:00

A big part of our business is making sure you are safe at work. I was doing some research on arc flash explosions for our Benchmark FR line of flame resistant clothing when I realized something.

Reading about the dangers of arc flashes is not the same as seeing it. And like Richard Navarro mentioned in an earlier post, you don’t want to be near it, and thankfully most of us only see the power of an electrical arc explosion in video.

Let’s hope that remains true for all of you. To help those of you who may have been beaten over the head with the dangers of arc flashes and the importance of safety but still haven’t seen it first hand, we have compiled some videos from around the internet in our ever growing collection of flame resistant, fire safety, and workplace safety resources.

See our new page: Arc Flash video demonstrations and testing

This page of Arc flash videos demonstrates the importance of flame resistant clothing and safety in electrical work.

Some of the videos, in particular the series from Westex, Inc. (a manufacturer of flame resistant fabrics) are particularly shocking as they dispel some of the myths surrounding FR apparel, in particular notions that UNTREATED 100% cotton apparel is in any way an FR related material.

PLEASE take precautions and be safe at work!

Construction work injuries on the rise

2008-02-16T20:46:12-08:00

Construction is dangerous enough even under the best of conditions, but what happens when the conditions are not so great? Serious injury and death increases, turning a dangerous business into a deadly one.

Despite a struggling economy, the building business continue to boom, and with it has come increased rates of accidents and fatalities. Construction related deaths have risen from 1,121 in 2003 to 1,226 in 2006. In contrast, there were 836 deaths in mining incidents and 447 in manufacturing last year. The government reports approximately 6-7 deaths per 1,000 construction workers.

While regulations exist to protect workers, and more are always on the way, a variety of factors come into play. A rise in untrained immigrant workers, lax attention to safety procedures and training, and profit-minded contractors and business owners who are willing to cut corners in labor and materials to increase revenue.

The sad thing is that there are no real consequences for employers who violate regulations. Fines are ridiculously low, averaging only $1,600 per incident, according to Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. A worker death has a maximum punishment of six months in jail.

“Fines for harassing a burro on federal land are greater,” Shufro said. “But they do the best they can with limited resources”

Unions are typically the single best defense for the worker in maintaining workplace safety. An individual worker, especially illegal immigrants, has no chance of confronting a foreman about unsafe work conditions.

Sadly, lawsuits after serious injuries and death seem to be the only real punishment to businesses who do nothing about unsafe work conditions and rush workers for the sake of an extra buck. One worker received an $18 million dollar award after falling from a ladder and suffering a brain injury. In another case involving a 53-year-old man who fell 10 feet on his head and is now suffering from dementia and permanent mood disorder received $11.1 million. In January 2008 three people were injured and one immigrant worker was decapitated when high-rise concrete forms collapsed at the site of Donald Trump’s hotel and condo complex in Lower Manhattan. Who knows what the settlement will be in this case, but receiving a permanent life changing injury or dying is too high a price to pay for retroactive punishment.

To be fair though, many contractors and businesses do care and do their best to ensure they are in compliance with safety regulations, often going above and beyond to ensure worker safety. We commend those businesses.

In the meantime, it is up to you, the worker, to be safe, work at a reasonable place, and as I’ve heard on job sites before (from a Union Steward), “My job is to make sure you go home with all your fingers and toes!”

Take care and be safe.

This post used facts and information from the ABC News article, Construction Worker Deaths Spike by Susan Donaldson James.

Image is courtesy of ttstam at Flickr entitled Acrobatic Construction Workers 001 and is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Workplace Safety: Lack of training can kill

2008-02-15T10:43:04-08:00

WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) of Canada has started a new marketing campaign to promote responsibility by both employees and employers for following safety procedures at work.

Note: These images may be unpleasant to some people but demonstrate the importance of being aware and responsible in the workplace.

This ad is titled, “Lack of training can kill.” While sometimes it may seem rudimentary and boring to sit through that equipment training or certification class, it really is in your best interest.

Click the image to the right to see the full size image.

To learn more about the importance of workplace safety, with tips for workers and businesses, as well as to see more interactive workplace safety ads visit prevent-it.ca

These images were originally found on scaryideas.com

Workplace Safety: Distractions can kill

2008-02-15T10:40:33-08:00

WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) of Canada has started a new marketing campaign to promote responsibility by both employees and employers for following safety procedures at work.

Note: These images may be unpleasant to some people but demonstrate the importance of being aware and responsible in the workplace.

This ad is titled, “Distractions can kill.” Here we discover that listening to a little bit of music with your iPod could result in unforseen consequences.

Click the image to the right to see the full size image.

To learn more about the importance of workplace safety, with tips for workers and businesses, as well as to see more interactive workplace safety ads visit prevent-it.ca

These images were originally found on scaryideas.com

Workplace Safety: Ignoring safety procedures can kill

2008-02-15T10:38:06-08:00

WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) of Canada has started a new marketing campaign to promote responsibility by both employees and employers for following safety procedures at work.

Note: These images may be unpleasant to some people but demonstrate the importance of being aware and responsible in the workplace.

This ad is titled, “Ignoring workplace procedures can kill.” In this ad not following posted instructions and warnings doesn’t work out too well for this man.

Click the image to the right to see the full size image.

To learn more about the importance of workplace safety, with tips for workers and businesses, as well as to see more interactive workplace safety ads visit prevent-it.ca

These images were originally found on scaryideas.com

Flame Retardant Clothing

2008-01-27T16:21:20-08:00

For those of you out there who dont know how dangerous life can be, try working for an electrical utility. This is no joke, playing with high voltage on a daily basis can be shocking. The most important thing is your PPE (personal protective equipment) including FR clothing. I am glad to have only seen this clothing work in pictures and in short demo films. I have gotten the Benchmark 2nd skin and I love it. I use it along with the other layers of FR clothing I wear on a daily basis to keep me protected if something should ever happen. 2nd skin is a true undergarment which people in my industry can wear unlike Under Armour which is not 100% cotton and not FR. Thanks again Trader DAN

Facility Management information from GreenerBuildings

2007-12-07T10:22:26-08:00

The broad category of facility management addresses a wide range of topics, including:

waste management
water conservation
energy efficiency
use of non-toxic cleaning and maintenance materials (pollution prevention)
resource-efficient groundskeeping

Improved performance in any one of these areas can produce tangible savings for the business-savvy facility manager.

Buildings generate waste during operation; can have poor indoor air quality, affecting worker health; and produce roughly a third of carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions that harm air quality. By improving and streamlining day-to-day building operations, facility managers can create and maintain a better work environment while netting big financial dividends for their organization.

Get a wealth of resources on green facility management and engineering at greenerbuildings.com

Philips beyond electronics: Off the grid-Sustainable Habitat 2020

2007-12-06T10:09:16-08:00

When I think of Philips I think of electronics and appliances. But I don’t think about a building sustainable city design. Yet that is exactly what they are thinking and working towards.

Philips has launched a series of what they call “Design Probes.” These design probes are intended to, “track trends and developments that may ultimately evolve into mainstream issues that have a significant impact on business,” as part of a “far-future” research initiative.

One of the design probes dubbed “Sustainable Habitat 2020” is looking at radical ways to not just use green materials in construction, but to make modern structures that are in complete balance with their environments.

From the Philips Design Probe project page:

“This future habitat shifts from the current state where the building surfaces are benign inert ‘dumb’ materials only used for construction and shielding purposes to sensitive functional skins that are ‘alive’ and act as membranes to harness energy. A membrane creates a strong link between the exterior and interior of the habitat and used as a transporter collecting and channeling the elements of air water and light – from the outside feeding into the inside space. This will supply the habitat with all necessary sources to be able to live off the grid.”

On their site you can watch a video on how the “living” building would function and the benefits it would provide both to the inhabitants and to the surrounding environment.

I was fairly impressed with the whole concept. And even more impressed that it was Philips proposing such radical shift in building and the perceptions of the human impact on the balance of nature. I highly recommend visiting the design probe site and checking out the Sustainable Habitat 2020 project pages .

pickle

2007-12-04T18:04:27-08:00

hello