Don't Let the Cold Slow You Down

It’s still winter here in Minnesota, and you know what that means – it’s cold! Although it’s been a relatively mild winter so far by Minnesota standards, we always need to be mindful of the yearly dangers the cold brings. Chief among these is Freeze damage which can wreak havoc on your water lines and equipment if you aren’t careful.

FM Global has created this quick “Myth Destroyers” video and associated checklist, as well as a few additional resources to help you prevent the cold from slowing you down:
 

Myth Destroyers: (Video)

http://www.fmglobal.com/assets/videos/freeze.wmv

Freeze-Up Checklist:

http://www.fmglobal.com/shamrock/P9521.pdf

Other Useful FM Global Freeze related Links:

Freeze: The Destructive Power of Cold

Understanding the Hazard: Freeze

 

 

 

By: LMC Loss Control

Use of Personal Heaters in the Office

During the cooler times we find ourselves in these days the office can feel a bit chillier than normal. With these cooler temps, we tend to see an increase in the use of personal heaters under desks. This in itself can be of some comfort to those trying to cope with the slightly cooler than normal draft, breeze, or wind coming through the cracks and open doors around the office. The issue with the personal heaters is that most are brought from home or purchased at local consumer retail stores. These units are UL listed and marked “For consumer use only” and not intended for commercial use such as in the office.

There are a few hazards associated with consumer use heaters:

1.       These are not commercial grade units and as such can increase the fire hazards in the city buildings.  

2.       The heaters tend to remain plugged in at night and unattended during off hours.

3.       There are typically multiple heaters plugged in a single circuit which can, and often does, over load the circuit, causing the electrical wires to overheat and may lead to a fire.

4.       Some heaters that are brought in are older units of dubious origin and could have damage or wear. This leads to an increased chance for fire due to electrical shorts and overheating.

There are solutions to these issues, short of an all-out ban on their use, which could cause larger problems among the tropical island seekers in the office. There are low voltage commercial panel heaters designed for use in offices and cubicles. There are also commercial grade heaters available for purchase, which would be a more appropriate choice for use in city office properties. Establishing a policy regarding the use and care of heaters, including a policy to unplug heaters while not in use, can reduce the associated hazards tied to the non-commercial grade and consumer grade heaters brought from home which could have damaged heating elements or electrical cords, or have a dust bunny nest – each  could contribute to the fire hazards.

Local office supply distributors can be a good source for commercial grade heaters. With any heater you want to check to make sure it is not “for consumer use only”.

OK now close your eyes and imagine you are sitting on a beach. The warm breeze is blowing off the ocean. As the waves lap at the shore the warm sun is slowly washing away all of those winter chills……

Stay warm and stay safe Minnesota.

By: Paul Gladen

Summer is Coming

So far we have had a mild winter, and that leaves tons of room for building and equipment maintenance when you’re not plowing snow. What kind of quick tricks or simple fixes can you do to make the summer maintenance season simpler and/or easier?

 

Adding trash grabbers to your riding mowers, so employees don’t have to get on/off equipment multiple times. Not only will this help reduce the potential of a fall, it will hopefully increase productivity with shorter stops. The City of Pipestone installed Trash Grabbers with Clamp Mounts so every mower can pick up trash while mowing.

 

 

You could also add a mounting system to the mowers that could hold weed whips. These additions are for mowers that are out all day and may find locations that need some trimming. These could be for the smaller trimming areas like sign posts, trees, or the monument on the edge of town. Maybe not for all areas, but it’s a start!

 

 

 

 

How many of you are using old 55 or 30 gallon barrels for trash cans? Simple, low cost, and usually plenty of them to use. Most of you have cut a hole in the top and  drilled a few holes in the bottom to drain the rain water, but how many of you have added handles? Adding handles could help in lifting these, especially  when you dump them. I’m sure we all have dumped a trash can or two and gotten the Trash Can Slime on our hands -  YUK!  Not only will the handles help in picking up the cans and dumping them into a dumpster or truck, it also keeps the slime off your hands…

By: Troy Walsh

Get the Most out of Your LMC Memos

Here at the League of Minnesota Cities we are continually writing info packets that will help you in your daily duties. These memos include such topics as Public Works Emergency Response, Entering Private Property for Public Works Purposes, and the Sanitary Sewer Toolkit: A Guide for Maintenance Policies and Procedures.

To search all of the memos the league has to offer, go to our website and under the “Governing and Managing” tab, click “Resource Library,” or just click this link.  Type a keyword or phrase then hit enter to search for related memos.

We have a lot of these memos, and each has a wealth of useful information.  So to help you navigate and make the most of them our LMC Research Department developed this handy infographic to help you use all of our memo’s incorporated features.

If you have a question about any memo that you are reviewing, feel free to contact our research staff at research@lmc.org

 

By: Cody Tuttle