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Document Management System, Business Paper Storage Solutions

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Document Management System, Business Paper Storage Solutions

Document management is a vital component of any successful business. If you run a business you’ll need to know how your storage of physical and paper documents can affect the growth of your company. There are plenty of reasons why you might need to think about taking your physical business documents out of the office, and store them in a secure business document storage facility at a location close to your business, through a company that you can trust.

Searching for a company that provides a secure document storage and business document management service will go some way to providing you with peace of mind that your important business documents are being stored in a safe and secure way, ready to be collected and used as and when you need them next. By doing so you are adhering to data protection legislation, helping to provide your staff with a clearer outlook in the workplace and new smoother processes to work with, and also freeing space in the office that can now be used in ways to make the business money, rather than just space that houses the growing piles of documents that all businesses accumulate as they grow.

By storing your old business documents away in a secure location you can think about digitising those parts of files and folders that are still required by your employees for daily use and processes within the systems you have implemented. A secure long-term storage solution close to your work premises allows you to digitise the important aspects of your old documents and have them ready for your staff to use. Even if this is not the idea at first, by storing elsewhere you are leaving yourself with the chance to maximise efficiency and output in your current business location, utilising previously dead space.

Another aspect that is often overlooked when it comes to business data and documents is that by keeping them on-site, they aren’t just gathering dust, the documents are in fact in danger. There could be vital information, or personal information relating to your employees, suppliers and customers. What happens if these documents are stolen from your premises? Or if there is a fire or flood and documents are damaged or completely destroyed? There is little you can do to protect from these instances, whereas by storing in a secure document storage facility close by you’ll have peace of mind that these things are much less likely to take place there, than at your business premises.

 For many businesses there will be a requirement to retrieve documents for future use once they have been stored away. Look to work alongside a document storage facility that has a proper track and trace procedure in place. That way your items will be easily located, retrieved and sent to you as and when you require them. If you have digitised those documents as well, you can also request that the digital copy is sent as well as the authentic original and physical.

All of these things can help a business to run a lot more smoothly and grow efficiently. Document storage solutions are a vital component of any successful business.

When Should You Consider Water Filtration?

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When Should You Consider Water Filtration

The number of fairly high-profile water contamination cases that have occurred across the country in recent years means that water quality is really something we all should pay more attention to. Your local water treatment plant is obviously supposed to properly filter and treat the water supply to ensure that it is safe to drink. However, the truth is that, despite the best efforts of local governments, drinking water still often contains contaminants. For this reason, it is important that every homeowner understands the signs of contamination as this will make it easier to determine whether or not your home could benefit from a water filtration system.

Does My Home Need a Water Filtration System?

The most obvious and most effective way to determine whether or not your home needs a water filtration system is to have your water tested. In addition to determining whether or not your water is contaminated, a water quality test will also tell you exactly what types of contaminants are present. This is important as some types of filtration systems only filter out certain types of contaminants, such as bacteria, which means that you might need to choose a system capable of filtering out chemical contaminants if this is an issue.

Signs That You Might Need Water Filtration

Although having your water quality tested is always a good option, there are actually a number of other ways that you can easily tell if your water might be contaminated. Therefore, it is important that you also pay attention for any of the following issues.

Bad Smells. Water isn’t supposed to have a smell, which means that if your water suddenly does smell off it could be a sign that it’s contaminated.

Funny Taste. Although the tap water in many locations doesn’t exactly taste great, you’ll still want to be aware for any changes in the taste. In this case, you’ll want to pay special attention that your water doesn’t suddenly taste bitter or metallic as these could be signs of potentially harmful elemental or chemical contamination. If you do notice a taste, stop drinking the water immediately until you can either have it tested or install a filtration system.

Discoloration. Water that is any color except clear indicates that it contains some other contaminants. If your water sometimes turns brown or red, it usually indicates that you have rusty plumbing. However, if you notice any other colors, you’ll need to make sure to immediately seek professional assistance and have your water tested as colorful water is a sure sign of chemical contamination.

Unusually Brittle Hair or Dry Skin. Water treatment facilities use a number of chemicals to treat water and eliminate bacterial and biological contaminants. Unfortunately, these chemicals are not always filtered out properly, in which case they may cause your skin to dry out or your hair to become overly dry and brittle. Therefore, if you suddenly notice either of these issues, it’s a good idea to have your water tested or consider installing a filtration system.

Clean drinking water is one of our most basic needs. Unfortunately, recent events show that you can’t always rely on the government to actually ensure that your water supply is clean and safe to drink. Therefore, it is essential that you pay attention for any of the signs of contamination, and if you do notice any of them, immediately consider having a water filtration system installed.

10 Safety Tips For Working At Heights

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10 Safety Tips For Working At Heights

Whether your project has you at heights for the majority of the day or only once in a while, your focus on safety during these occurrences is of the upmost importance. It only takes one mistake to have a routine job result in major injury, or even a fatality. Therefore, you must be prepared at all times to protect those who work for you every time they are exposed to heights. Here are some things to consider as you and your employees tackle work at elevated levels.

1. Rails

Whenever you can, utilize rails. Passive protection is the best way to ensure that your workers are safe. This also achieves compliance, since there is nothing they need to do to keep themselves safe besides staying within the railing provided. Rails can be constructed by carpenters on the jobsite; however, be sure that they meet the requirements set forth by OSHA. The rails can also be pre-fabricated from a manufacturer and installed for you. Pre-fabricated railings can be permanently installed, or they can be designed as portable systems to suit your needs. Regardless of which type you decide to utilize, once the rails are in place you will find they are the easiest fall protection system to use.

2. Select the Proper PPE

If you’re going to use Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS), you need to check that you are choosing the proper equipment for the job.  All full-body harnesses that meet ANSI standards will perform the same, despite their cost. However, the price difference can translate into differences in function.  Many times the price variations are due to brand names, but in other circumstances, it is functionality that you may be gaining or sacrificing.

These variations can include extra D-rings, fireproof material, or arc-safe designs. In some cases the more expensive harness will be higher in cost simply because it was designed to be more comfortable. Make sure to do extensive research while decide what it is you need. If you have workers who need to weld at heights, a standard nylon harness is probably not going to match your needs (Kevlar may be the more effective option).

At all times, keep your workforce in mind. While comfort may not be your main concern, it’s not the only thing you need to consider. It is also important to remember that harnesses are not one-size-fits-all. Make sure your workers can properly adjust their harnesses so that they fit correctly.

Lanyards are another item that needs to be properly selected. Each situation is different; you need to evaluate your working conditions, along with the task to be performed, in order to give your employees something that will adequately protect them.

3. PPE Inspections

If not inspected on a regular basis, equipment could fail at any time. When it comes to harnesses and lanyards, they need to be periodically inspected by a competent person, someone who has substantial knowledge of the device, and who can recognize the hazards. This person should also have the authority to correct it. Besides this, however, they should also be inspected by the user prior to every use. In order for this to happen, your employees need to understand what it is they are looking for, what is acceptable, and what to do if and when they find an issue. The inspection should be thorough, however this does not mean it needs to take a substantial amount of time. Even so, this brief, pre-work check could save the life of your employee.

 4.Make sure Everyone Understands Fall Distance and Anchor Points

All fall protection gear is rendered useless if it does not engage before you or your employee hits the lower level. The actual fall distance needs to not only include the length of your lanyard when it is deployed, but it should also factor your body length below the D-ring, along with any sag in your harness and anchor system.  You should count on a good 18.5’ minimum before you’re able to use a 6’ lanyard with a deceleration device. Also, an anchor point must support not only the weight of the person attached to it, but also 5000 lbs. per person. Many fixtures are not going to withstand those forces, so it is imperative that you get the approval of an engineer before establishing anchor points.

5. Ensure the Best Means for Working at Elevated Levels

Just as one harness cannot serve as a one-size-fits-all safety mechanism, neither are fall protection solutions.  In some situations, a scaffold may be the best solution to working at elevated levels. It is recommended that you equip them with rails, making your fall protection much easier. Other times, scaffolds are not a feasible option; in cases such as this, you may find yourself on a lift.

Depending on the lift type, your workers may or may not need to wear a harness and a lanyard. On other occasions, you will need to utilize a ladder, at which point the requirements for fall protection become harder to figure out. In any case, analyze all risks, and try to compensate for them with effective safety precautions.

6. Train

This last point cannot be stressed enough. If you want your employees to work safely at heights, they must be properly trained. Not only is training required by law, but not having training can lead to a lot of confusion, which increases the risk of falls significantly. Falls are the leading killer on construction jobs. Make sure that your employees are armed with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe.

Welcome to Clearys Claims Managers, firmly grounded as a market leader in insurance claim administration, settlement and services.