CO2 Monitors Can Increase Productivity

Carbon Dioxide is a gas produced naturally by humans when they exhale. Despite making up much of the Earth’s atmosphere, too much of this gas can have adverse effects on the body. For example, in humans, increased levels of CO2 can cause discomfort, stiffness, and drowsiness. While these effects may be minimal, they can decrease one’s work ethic and productivity, particularly in a workplace environment with poor ventilation.

CO2 is measured in parts per million, or ppm, and is considered a normal level indoors at 450-600 ppm. Once levels reach 600-1000 ppm, there may be complaints of air stuffiness and general muscle discomfort. After 1000 ppm, drowsiness is likely to occur, with effects strengthening as the level increases. Carbon Dioxide levels don’t become too dangerous until 50,000 ppm, with nausea, headaches and impairment. Death can occur at 100,000 ppm, which is very unlikely in a normal environment.

In order to properly analyze CO2 levels, an indoor air quality monitor can be used to ensure a healthy working environment for optimal productivity.

Sources: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/co2/

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/co2-comfort-level-d_1024.html

Driving Safety Tips for Wintery Conditions

Cold weather is upon us, and daily driving routines can become very dangerous if the proper precautions and safety measures are not followed. Be prepared by keeping your car maintenance up to date, especially in the colder months, to keep it running as best as it can. During winter, it is best to keep the gas tank at least half full at all times to avoid gas line freeze up. Make sure you also have a fully stocked emergency kit in the vehicle, equipped with items such as first aid supplies, thermal blankets, flashlight, and jumper cables, which can be crucial in the event of a car breakdown. IIS offers a variety of these types of kits already stocked with necessary equipment.

When the time comes for driving in the snow, be sure to accelerate and decelerate slowly, while keeping overall speed low. If you can, don’t come to a complete stop, such as at traffic lights. It’s easier for a car in snow to keep moving from a slow roll than to start moving again from a dead stop. In terms of driving on hills, try to keep a steady speed all the way going up, and don’t stop in the middle or risk sliding back down or getting stuck. When going down a hill, ride the brakes to move as slowly as possible.

Above all else, if you don’t need to leave the house and drive during a snowstorm, don’t. Staying off snowy roads is always safer than trying to maneuver them.

Source: http://exchange.aaa.com/safety/roadway-safety/winter-driving-tips/

The Health Risks of Prolonged Sitting

Just when you thought life couldn’t get any more dangerous, studies are released showing a variety of health issues caused by a simple action most people performing throughout most of the day: sitting. Yes, excessive sitting has been found to cause serious diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It may seem like these problems just stem from a lack of physical activity and exercise, however that is not the case.

Even if one were to go for a strenuous work out at the gym, it doesn’t do enough to counteract a long day of sitting at work. The best bet is to break up long sitting periods whenever possible with standing or walking, such as going to talk to a colleague across the office in person rather than just sending an email.

Other studies show that sitting for too long is correlated with reduced ability of the bloodstream to regulate glucose levels, a condition that dramatically increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

It’s not always easy to keep your body moving when your job requires you to be at a computer for most of the day, but a way to ensure you get a good balance of standing and sitting during your work day is to invest in a standing desk, such as the ones manufactured by Luxor featured on the Industrial Instruments and Supplies’ website. However, standing all day is not great either for your knees and back, so be sure to maintain a healthy mix of both sitting and standing whenever possible.

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-health-benefits-standing-desks-180950259/?no-ist

Psychrometers Made by Yours Truly

Industrial Instruments & Supplies has been supplying our own psychrometers, manufactured at our Pennsylvania location, for the past 25 years. The IIS psychrometer includes both wet and dry bulb thermometers, which can determine an atmosphere’s relative humidity when the difference between the temperatures measured on each is calculated. There is also a battery operated fan to provide more accurate readings. In order to get the most accurate reading, it is imperative to place the psychrometer in an area that is not too hot or too cold, and not directly in contact with any persons.

For added convenience, each psychrometer also displays a psychrometric chart, enabling easier calculation of humidity. Simply find the intersection on the chart of the wet and dry bulb temperature readings and that is what the relative humidity is. All parts of the psychrometer are easily replaced, if necessary, as they are all available separately on our website. The battery operated psychrometer, manufactured by your friends at Industrial Instruments and Supplies, is the perfect solution for all your humidity measuring needs.

Rent Specialty Instruments from IIS

Purchasing instrumentation products and tools can be pricey, especially if you only need an item for one job or for a short period of time. Luckily, Industrial Instruments and Supplies is now offering products through a rental service. We have added product listings on our site of items available for rental, priced out with weekly and monthly fees. We’ll send the product to you for as long as you need it and then you send it right back to us when you’re finished. You still get the best products with incredible savings.

We have a lot of different rental products to offer such as pressure calibrators, hydraulic wrenches, insulation testers, thermal imagers, and many more. Plus, new products are being added to our rental section every day so keep checking back for more, or simply contact us if you are interested in a rental that we do not have listed. 

Stay Safe and Educated Throughout the Ebola Outbreak

The current outbreak of Ebola virus disease has caused much worry and panic throughout the world. It is primarily being spread around African nations, many of them being poverty-stricken, which limits their ability to treat and control the disease. To date, there have been over 8,000 cases of Ebola reported in the world, which is the largest outbreak in the history of the disease, since it was first identified in 1976. Only one case has been documented in the United States.

Ebola can be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an affected person. It cannot be passed solely through the air or other objects such as door knobs, toilet seats, etc. So, if you are nowhere in the vicinity of someone that is infected, your chances of becoming infected are very low.

However, in order to be doubly sure you are protected, Industrial Instruments and Supplies carries all the protective equipment you could possibly need. Whether it’s hazmat suits, respiratory masks, or hand sanitizer that will give you peace of mind, you can be sure you can get it from us.

Sources:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_epidemic_in_West_Africa

Tool Sales for Breast Cancer Research

October means breast cancer awareness month which means pink everything! To do our part, IIS offers a variety of pink products from Apollo, including tool sets and work equipment. For every item purchased, 10% of the sale will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, whose mission is “to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health.” You can check out all our special pink products on our eBay store, or contact us to order, and wear pink all month long to show your support!

How to Properly Lift a Heavy Object

1. Prepare: The best heavy box lifters are ones that are in shape and maintain good health practices. If this description does not fit you as a person, consider finding a helper for heavy lifting. If not, proceed to step two.
2. Analyze: Before attempting to lift something potentially heavy, first observe the object. Are there good places to grip? Will the weight shift when moved around? Try moving the object with your foot to gauge how heavy it actually is and how much strength will be required to lift it.
3. Stand: Please feet shoulder width apart and squat down at the knees like a frog, don’t bend over with your back.
4. Grip: Place hands flat against object on appropriate handling location and hug the load to our body as if embracing an old friend.
5. LIFT: Finally, the time has come to lift the object, assuming all other steps were executed successfully, of course. Lift straight up with your knees while maintaining a straight back into a fully erect position and move slowly in the desired direction. To put the object down, apply the same steps but in reverse.

Fire Safety Tips for the Everyday Citizen

• Have a functional smoke alarm- Smoke alarms are often the easiest way to stay safe in case of a fire. All you need to do is set it and forget it and it will do its job as long as you have one handy at all times and juiced up with fresh batteries. Best case scenario, you’ll only use it when you overcook the cookies you forgot about in the oven.
• Don’t overload electrical sockets- Don’t abuse the right to use multi-plug adapters by plugging in too many devices at a time. It could cause the outlet to short out or worse, start an electrical fire which, by the way, can NOT be extinguished with water. Instead, stop being lazy and move your phone charger to another outlet, even if that means it’s out of arms’ reach.
• Have an escape plan- They’re not just for Indiana Jones! In the event of a fire emergency, it is pertinent to have a practiced exit strategy in place to ensure everyone can get out of the building safely. Identify the quickest and safest path to leave the building and learn it well before you need to use it, just in case.
• Use appliances wisely-Read all instruction manuals carefully and only use electronics for their intended use. For example, don’t stick a metal fork in a toaster in the hopes of fishing out a piece of bread that slipped down too far.
• Keep an eye on children- For some reason, a lot of children are fascinated by fire and tend to err on the side of pyromania by setting things aflame just to see what happens. With this in mind, it is important to keep matches, lighters, and other flaming objects out of reach or accompanied by serious adult supervision.
• When necessary, use fire responsibly-When having a bonfire or other controlled source of flame, make sure you keep an eye on it and don’t get too crazy with the lighter fluid in order to show off to your friends. Also make sure it is extinguished completely and properly when you are done. 

Top 6 Tips to Keep You Safe at Work

1. Be Aware of Your Surroundings- Be present at work and pay attention to not only the work in front of you, but also others working around you for potentially dangerous situations. For example, if a large machine is moving around in your vicinity, maybe don’t stand in front of it.

2. Keep Correct Posture to Protect Your Back- Don’t try to look like a big shot in front of all your work friends by lifting things heavier than you can handle in an improper way. Once you’re sure you can safely lift an item, bend at the knees and lift with your legs. Don’t bend at the waist and use your back to lift, which may get the job done for now but has painful repercussions in the long run.

3. Take Regular Breaks- Use that government mandated time to the fullest! Keep up your best work effort and avoid exhaustion by resting when you need to.

4. Use Tools and Machines Properly- Make sure to read all instruction manuals for tools and only operate machinery that you are qualified to do so for only the task for which they are meant. Failure to comply with this tip could lead to serious injury or death.

5. Wear the Correct Safety Equipment- Some think protective eyewear may look uncool while on the job, but an eye patch looks even more uncool in every situation. Luckily, Industrial Instruments and Supplies offers plenty of safety goggles and many other items to perform the specific use of keeping you and all your body parts intact.

6. Use Mechanical Aids Whenever Possible- Why do all the work yourself when there’s equipment available to help? Save your energy by employing the use of forklifts, cranes, conveyor belts, and/or wheelbarrows when necessary and you won’t need to worry about hurting your back, either.

Sources:

http://arbill1.web11.hubspot.com/arbill-safety-blog/bid/182469/Top-10-Workplace-Safety-Tips-Every-Employee-Should-Know

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/ten_tips_for_work_safety

Testing pH in Urine and Saliva

At Industrial Instruments and Supplies, one of our big sellers in pH testing is our Microessentials Urine and Saliva Test Paper. However, one may not know exactly why it is useful to test the pH level in urine or saliva. To further explain the benefit of this, we have found an interesting article on findingmyphbalance.com:

When we test pH levels we are interpreting the language of our body communicating with us.  Urine tells us our history (metabolic) and saliva our most recent choices (reactive) – both are important.  The foods we have just eaten will soon become our history. 

Testing pH levels tells us how body systems have been dealing with acids long term and how well our digestive system is able to handle what we have eaten the night before.  These numbers will not be consistent or match as long as we are eating acidic foods and are living an acidic lifestyle; too much acid-forming foods, stress, smoking, drinking acidic beverages, little or no exercise.  With pH testing you can start creating a healthy history today. (Continue reading)

Special Offer on Hygrothermographs

Hygrothermographs are necessary in some industries for measuring and recording both humidity and temperature. They are commonly used in laboratories and even museums in order to control and maintain the internal weather environment. Labs need to have a controlled climate to ensure that their calculations on other tests are accurate and not manipulated by the humidity or temperature of the room. Museums may also need these instruments to help preserve the older art pieces they display that may degrade when exposed to fluctuating weather conditions.

Most of the time, these units can be pricey, but Industrial Instruments & Supplies is now offering a great deal on Oakton Hygrothermographs while supplies last. Compared to the $829 both Cole-Parmer and Amazon sell them for, our price of $499.99 is a steal that can’t be found anywhere else. Check out our store on eBay or call today at 215-396-0822 to place an order.

Company Newsletter August 2014

Slow Your Roll with Speed Bumps

The MLSB2.5 Speed Bump is not only the only free-standing speed bump, but also the only permanent rubber speed bump available on the market targeted for traffic speeds below 10 mph. The unique design of these speed bumps means they will stay in place without the use of stakes, bolts, or adhesives so you can deploy and recover them whenever necessary. But, they are great for permanent applications as well. The size of the speed bumps is fully customizable since you can link as many together as you need and comes embedded with high-visibility AASHTO reflectors for use during low-light or night conditions. The MLSB2.5 Speed Bumps are built to last, made of 2.5 inches of solid, 100% recycled rubber manufactured to withstand extreme temperatures, constant UV light, extreme weather conditions, and of course high traffic volume. It has been repeatedly field tested to take the abuse and compression of extremely high weight vehicles and high volumes of continuous traffic. This makes it ideal for temporary traffic stops, parking lots, parking complexes, guarded gate entrances or exits, construction sites, school drop off areas, or anywhere an effective traffic control device is temporarily or permanently needed.

If you are in need of controlled traffic speeds near your home or business, contact us at 215-396-0822 for more information and ordering. These speed bumps are already a best seller on our Facebook page!