OSHA requirement 1910.38 lays out a business’s obligations regarding emergency action plans. These plans must be in place to protect employees, including preparing for severe weather.

Every plan needs to be customized to suit an individual business's specific needs and circumstances. However, here is a general overview of what you may need to consider when developing a plan for your business.

One of the first things every business should do is form an emergency response team to be responsible for developing and implementing the company’s emergency action plan (EAP).

Once established, this team should assess the risk of different severe weather events that are likely to apply to your business’s location. Specifically, an evaluation of the level of vulnerability to various types of weather hazards, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and blizzards.

On April 30, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a ban on most uses of methylene chloride. The chemical has been found to cause various forms of cancer, including cancers of the liver, lungs, brain, and blood.

Blind rivets have several advantages over other permanently installed fasteners, such as solid or semi-tubular rivets, clinch fasteners, and traditional nuts and bolts. Because they can be installed from one side of the application, their use is paramount when the back side of an application is limited or non-existent. This also makes them more cost-efficient and versatile than other types of fasteners.

The Basic Elements of Blind Rivets

There are four basic elements to a blind rivet:

1. 1.  Material
2. 2. Diameter
3. 3. Grip Range
4. 4. Head Style
5.  

Blind rivets are available in a wide range of materials, diameters, grip ranges, and head styles, allowing them to be used in a wide array of applications. We will explore these elements further and discuss their significance in maximizing joint integrity.

MATERIAL

While most common blind rivets are available in aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, they are also available in copper, brass, and plastic. These softer rivets have become more common with the increased use of composite materials.

A good rule of thumb when selecting a blind rivet is to use the same material rivet as the substrate into which it is being installed. If you are riveting sheets of steel together, use a steel rivet. The same goes for aluminum and stainless steel. This is important because, depending on the environment, using dissimilar metals may result in galvanic corrosion. In cases where this rule cannot be followed, consider using Eck Complete Corrosion Control, which you can learn more about HERE.

Adhesives and sealants are indispensable in sign and display manufacturing for their bonding, sealing, and finishing capabilities, which contribute to the final products' structural integrity, aesthetic appeal, and durability.

Here are 6 reasons why Sign/Display manufacturers should use sealants and adhesives.

1. 1. Efficiency - When used to mount signs onto surfaces such as walls, windows, or vehicles, adhesives provide a reliable and permanent attachment method without the need for drilling or mechanical fasteners, which can damage the substrate or require additional finishing work.

2. 2. Prolonged Life - Often exposed to outdoor elements such as sunlight, rain, and temperature fluctuations, sign and display manufacturers benefit from the weather-resistant properties of sealants and adhesives. They help maintain the sign’s structural integrity, prevent deterioration, and prolong its lifespan. Another important benefit is sealing edges and gaps to protect against moisture, dirt, and other environmental contaminants. This also improves longevity while enhancing the finished product’s appearance.

3. 3. Design Flexibility - Adhesives allow for greater design flexibility by bonding dissimilar materials, including metals, plastics, glass, and composites, as well as complex shapes. This flexibility creates opportunities for innovative and unique designs that conventional fastening methods may not facilitate.

Rotary ventilators are widely used in large fleets of commercial vans. They’re generally specified for three reasons:

The first is to extract fumes or stale air from vans for driver and passenger comfort, health, and safety. This applies especially to vans carrying gas cylinders, inflammable liquids, chemicals, or other potentially harmful volatile substances.

Another is to minimize condensation within vehicles. Cooled air inside a vehicle mixed with warmer, humid external air or vice versa can result in severe condensation, poor visibility, mold growth, and musty smells. Vehicles are especially prone to condensation:

Adequate ventilation significantly reduces the damage to equipment and goods inside the vehicle and the deterioration of the vehicle’s interior through water build-up and mold growth.

IT departments play a critical role in protecting their organizations against cyberattacks. A failure to be proactive can compromise your company's web security, leading to data breaches, financial losses, damage to the company's reputation, and legal consequences. Keeping up with the latest security threats and best practices is crucial in maintaining a solid information security posture.

Happy New Year! We hope you and your family had a joyous and rejuvenating holiday season.  

The new year is a time when many commit to resolutions. We’re no exception at Austin Hardware®. So here are our five resolutions for 2024. 

#1 More New Solutions for You 

Our engineers will continue to work with customers to understand their needs and goals and design or reinvent products to help meet them. Our Austin Guaranteed Engineered Solutions™ portfolio stands as a testament to that commitment. With several new products in the pipeline, we’re excited about what the new year will bring. 

#2 Redesigned Website 

We’re revamping our website to make doing business with us online faster and easier than ever. The project is in an early stage, but we expect to launch later in the year, so stay tuned. 

#3 Getting the Basics Right 

While many companies get caught up in their revenue goals, they lose sight of doing the basics right. To borrow a sports metaphor, the “blocking and tackling” of their business. At Austin, we strive to get those basics right. Things like having the right stock on the shelves. Packing and shipping your orders with care and on time. Fair pricing for challenging economic times. We’ve never lost sight of that and resolve that we never will.  

While 2023 is winding down, at Austin Hardware, we’re working on some exciting new solutions for our customers that we will be presenting at trade shows in early 2024. Here’s a look at where we’ll be after the new year and the innovative products we look forward to sharing with you.