How Do You Know If Your Fire Protection System Is Properly Functioning?
You may not know what you don’t know, but that doesn’t make you any less responsible. Many building owners and facility operators will hire the least expensive fire system inspectors they can find, under the assumption that…
If Your Fire Protection System Malfunctions, Do You Know What To Do?
Accidents happen. Murphy’s Law clearly states that, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Engineers, like Fire Protection Engineers, focus on all of the potential ways something can go wrong and work to minimize the…
Combustible Dust Explosion Rocks Grain Elevator in Minnesota
No one was hurt last week when a combustible dust explosion damaged part of a grain elevator at Greenway Co-Op in Kasson, Minnesota. Greenway Co-Op has been providing agricultural products and services since 1930, including…
Does Construction Affect Your Fire Protection Systems?
Building owners don’t always realize how temporary lapses in fire protection system coverage can put their buildings at risk. An article from Fire Protection Engineering Magazine in 2008 about the effectiveness of sprinkler…
Five Injured in Dust Explosions at Two Separate CHS, Inc. Facilities
Last week, two combustible dust explosions injured five people at two separate CHS, Inc. facilities in Minnesota. CHS, Inc.is a Fortune 100 agricultural company that supplies energy, crop nutrients, grain marketing services,…
What Can A Fire Protection Engineer Do To Help During a Fire Loss Investigation?
Fire protection engineers are a vital asset in fire loss investigations. With a broad range of expertise related to fire dynamics, building construction, codes and standards, and fire protection systems, few are better suited…
Recognizing The Challenges Of Open-Book Management
Open-book management can be fun, but the flip-side to any game is that sometimes, you will lose. Many employees will take the ball and run with it. But some people don’t want the responsibility of managing a business’ bottom…
Games For Business Results
Open-book management requires consensus and planning, but implementation isn’t just grit; it can be a fun game. To encourage participation and make the financial statements meaningful, Harrington Group employees played games.…
Open-Book Management in Motion
When employees have access to all relevant financial information and critical data, they have a better understanding of how the company is doing as a whole and are more likely to make better decisions and perform their jobs…
Open-Book Management In Harrington Group
In early 1998, I was browsing through the bookstore, looking at the shelves in the business section. Something always jumps off the shelf when I do this and, mysteriously, the subject matter always seems to be just what I need…
New Research to Develop Best Practices for Photovoltaic Panel Installation
The Fire Protection Research Foundation is conducting research to develop best practices for the installation and an all-hazard assessment of photovoltaic panels installed on roofs. Photovoltaic panels, also referred to as…
One Fire Department’s Top Lessons Learned After a Combustible Dust Explosion Injures Three
While the cause of a recent fire and combustible dust explosion at North America, that injured three firefighters, is still undetermined and under investigation, a closer look into the events that occurred that day resulted in…
Introduction To Open-Book Management
What if there was a business process that could motivate your best employees to do better and help to weed out the employees that are causing problems? Open-book management is a process that doesn’t involve firing or aggressive…
Dust Explosion Injures Three Firefighters
Three firefighters were hospitalized recently after a dust explosion occurred while fighting a fire at Deceuninck North America, a company located in Monroe, OH that manufactures window sills, doors, decking, and railing. Their…