Thinking BIG! Blog

Stair Safety Requirements: IBC versus OSHA

cbanks@banksindustrial.com (Chris Banks) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:55:00 GMT

Building owners and facility managers frequently ask questions when adding or replacing stairs in their facilities about compliance to code. Before you decide on which code to comply with, it’s important to understand their differences.

Silent Sentries; Common Uses of Safety Bollards in Industry and Beyond

cbanks@banksindustrial.com (Chris Banks) — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 14:12:00 GMT

What began centuries ago as a simple post to moor a boat is today one of the most common safety features you’ll find almost any time you walk into an industrial space. Bollards act as common sentries on just about every loading dock and high traffic area inside a manufacturing plant, warehouse, or industrial facility.

The High Cost of Ignoring Cracked Warehouse Concrete Floors

cbanks@banksindustrial.com (Chris Banks) — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:19:00 GMT

How concrete damage and poor expansion joints drive up the cost of warehouse operations

Ignoring routine preventative maintenance runs up the tab on operating costs well beyond the repairs needed to a facility’s physical infrastructure.

Indoor Air Quality and Workplace Health

cbanks@banksindustrial.com (Chris Banks) — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:05:00 GMT

IAQ or Indoor Air Quality means exactly what it says; it’s the quality assessment of the air you breathe in and around buildings or other structures at your commercial, industrial, or manufacturing work site. It relates directly to the health of human occupants of those work spaces. There are a myriad of factors that impact IAQ and several health consequences, both immediate and long-term, that can occur as a result of substandard IAQ. From hospital managers focused on better controlling infections to plant supervisors seeking the highest purity standards in food processing or pharmaceutical manufacturing, optimal air quality is among the top of all healthy workplace considerations.

Spilling the Facts on Secondary Spill Containment

cbanks@banksindustrial.com (Chris Banks) — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 14:15:00 GMT

When, why, and how an SSC should be a part of your operational safety protocol

When it comes to regulations, designs, and requirements, the secondary spill containment (SSC) landscape is a bit like the wild, wild West. Governing bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) don’t have specific guidelines on how secondary spill containment should be implemented, only if and when there must be one and what parameters it must meet to prevent the worst case scenario from happening. Without those “two Sheriffs in town,” so to speak, individual facilities are responsible for designing SSC to meet the unique needs and physical attributes of their own location. The EPA and OSHA do dictate the baseline spill volume a certain facility would need based on their output, along with how that spill volume should be properly handled and cleaned up. The EPA focuses on oils and spills into waterways, while OSHA addresses the release of harsh chemicals. Still, the actual design, construction, installation, and operation of the secondary containment system falls to each company. The professional engineer (PE) on your project will typically consult with you on the proper size of your containments to mitigate your risk. Once designed, Banks Industrial Group can assist your company in navigating that space to ensure your SSC meets or exceeds all EPA and OSHA requirements.