News + Blog

Baby Steps

May 10, 2011   |   Indigo Blog

What is your company doing to help the Environment? It seems so over-whelming when you consider the "greening" of a large office or manufacturing facility. However, the successful "green" companies don't achieve their goals overnight. Start small and build slowly.

Old habits die hard in office cultures. Printing is one of the most wasteful areas in an office.
- Why must you print that 100 page sales report?
- What about that inventory report?

Take a few minutes with your office personnel and ask why you have some of the wasteful habits in the office. You might find that "it is just how it was always done," leaving room for "this is how we do it now." Move on to other habits and take some baby steps to a "greener" office.

Wally

Posted by Wally Steidley on 05/10 at 09:14 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Bringing Logistics In-House

April 29, 2011   |   Indigo Blog

For the past couple of years Indigo Process Management has used contractors to assist with all the required logistics of our Beneficial Reuse Program. Our decision to bring the transportation in-house is to provide superior service to our client companies that were having challenges with our third party carrier. That is no longer an issue.

IPM has purchased the logistics equipment and will begin service the first week of May. This is a new stage in our growth and we are excited for the additional opportunities this new capacity brings to the company. We will soon be expanding our Beneficial Reuse network to wood products, food, and other organics. However, we will remain strong in Industrial Ecology and look for every opportunity to redirect industrial by-products to new markets.

Thank you to all of you that helped us get to this point. We look forward to serving you for many more years.

Wally

Posted by Wally Steidley on 04/29 at 06:36 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Is OSHA still concentrated on SAFETY?

February 16, 2010   |   Indigo Blog

The proposed budget for OSHA was submitted on February 1, 2010, for FY 2011 and it is striking when you read through the comments from Secretary Solis. No matter your political leanings, this should alarm you just a little. The news release states that "The FY 2011 budget will help to make the vision of good jobs for everyone a reality for America's workers. This budget invests in innovation and reform that will play a critically important role in building long-term economic security for workers,"

Funny, when I inquire as to the mission statement of OSHA is reads "Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA's role is to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health." (http://www.osha.gov/oshinfo/mission.html) I am curious what has changed in the mission of an organization that was built to protect the American worker. It appears safety in the workplace is now 5th on the list. The Secretary lists the budget's goals as follows:

Secretary Solis defines "good jobs" as those that:

- Can support a family by increasing incomes.
- Offer fair compensation.
- Narrow the wage gap.
- Allow for work-life flexibility.
- Promote safe and healthy workplaces.
- Give workers a voice.
- Foster fair working conditions in the global marketplace.
- Are sustainable and innovative, such as green jobs, providing opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge for the jobs of the future.
- Help restore the middle class.

As a business owner or person responsible for the safety at your facility, take this seriously. Fines are going up and the newest discretionary request only allocates 12% for improvement programs and the rest to hire more investigators and enforcement staff. NOW is the time to get control of your safety processes either internally or with some outside help. Either way, safety always pays!!!

Read the whole news release - http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=17139

Posted by Wally Steidley on 02/16 at 10:27 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Why Recycle Your Old Electronics?

October 07, 2009   |   Indigo Blog

The improper disposal of obsolete electronics in our landfills releases deadly toxins, such as lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury and copper, into our soil, water and atmosphere causing both environmental and health problems. In fact, cathode ray tubes found in most computer monitors and television sets contain more than four pounds of lead each! As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 passed the CRT Rule, which prevents the land disposal of cathode ray tubes and streamlines management standards and encourages recycling and reuse. Safely recycling cathode ray tubes saves energy and conserves resources, allows the recycled glass cullet to be reused to manufacture new CRT glass, and reduces the amount of lead in landfills.

Let us know if we can help your company manage these resourses as they reach of the end of their useful life.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or fill out the form.

Wally

Posted by Wally Steidley on 10/07 at 11:49 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Beneficial Reuse Initiative

May 28, 2009   |   Indigo Blog

Indigo Process Management is developing a Beneficial Reuse Initiative to upcycle several form of waste and direct them into the marketplace. The most common area for upcycling is the use of foundry sand. EPA, TCEQ and several other state's environmental agencies have been promoting this environmentally conscious practice to lesson the impact of industrial waste on landfills and reap the benefits of providing a more cost conscious product.

What is Beneficial Reuse?
Diverting a recycled material from the solid waste stream for purposes of upcycling or reuse in the manufacture of products which may otherwise be produced from raw or virgin materials.

IPM has developed a system that can save you money if you are currently land-filling this product. We can also save you money if you are currently buying raw aggregate for your products or services.

The following article appears on the EPA website

Beneficial Reuse of Foundry Sand
"A current barrier to Foundry environmental performance is the lack of foundry sand reuse. Approximately 10 million tons of sand is generated each year from foundries. The sand, used in the mold-making process, is generally reused directly in the mold-making process, but eventually the sand is no longer structurally suitable for foundry use. The overwhelming majority of this sand is non-hazardous and can be effectively reused in a variety of ways, including roadbeds, construction fill, and cement manufacture. However, only 1 million tons of sand are currently reused due to inefficient state policies and regulations and undeveloped markets."

We are very excited about this new opportunity in the market!!!!

Wally

Posted by Wally Steidley on 05/28 at 10:30 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Be Prepared For The Holidays

November 26, 2008   |   Indigo Blog

Safety and Quality is a 24/7 way of life. The Holiday season is upon us and many key people in organizations are taking time off.

Before leaving for that much deserved vacation make sure all the bases are covered and things do not fall through the cracks. Leave written instructions for your replacement(s). Sweat the details and expect what you inspect.

When you return you are less likely to encounter new problems.

Posted by Layne Reeves on 11/26 at 11:28 PM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Your Company’s Check Up

October 14, 2008   |   Indigo Blog

One of the most common questions regarding what Indigo does revolves around
why a company would want to change what they are doing. Your company is
doing ok and it seems that only hurting companies would want to make
changes. "Why fix it, if it isn't broken?"

Good question! The answer lies more in your desire to excel as a business
or to just maintain where you are with hopes that your competition isn't
getting better. (Guess what - your competition is getting better and more
sophisticated)

Think of your car. If you never took it in and had the oil changed, tires
replaced, brake pads checked, or done something with that "service engine
soon" light, would you be confident in its ability to keep running? I
don't think so either. A checkup from someone on the outside might be just
what the doctor ordered.

It is a good investment to have a check-up from someone outside the
business. Unless you are an auto mechanic, you probably won't be rebuilding
your fuel-injector system. The same applies to safety programs, quality
assurance, and process and procedural documentation.


Posted by Layne Reeves on 10/14 at 10:21 PM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Back Injury Prevention

October 08, 2008   |   Indigo Blog

While healthcare gets a lot of attention in politics these days, one area that no one is discussing is what is happening regarding the amount of injuries in the nursing workforce. NIOSH reports:
Direct and indirect costs associated with back injuries in the healthcare industry are estimated to be $20 billion annually. Additionally, nursing aides and orderlies suffer the highest prevalence (18.8%) and report the most annual cases (269,000) of work-related back pain among female workers in the United States. In 2000, 10,983 registered nurses (RNs) suffered lost-time work injuries due to lifting patients. Twelve percent of nurses report that they left the nursing profession because of back pain.

The agency has developed better identification of hazards and better methods for the handling of patients. Using equipment to help move patients appears to reduce worker injuries and lost time, and improved education and training will also be important.

There is some arguement that all employees would be better off if employers would take the time to observe the potential lifting hazards in their workplace and take aggressive action to minimize those hazards. More equipment, improved ergonomic set-up, and more training are all potential improvements in which every business can participate. The benefits in making these changes will dwarf the costs associated with making the workplace safer for the employee.

Posted by Wally Steidley on 10/08 at 09:06 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |


Welcome!

September 29, 2008   |   Indigo Blog

image Welcome to Indigo Process Management's News + Blog.

Here you'll find the latest on our doings, helpful industry information and tidbits of free knowledge from co-founders of Indigo Process Management, Wally Steidley and Layne Reeves. If you've got a knack for process management, may have a use for Indigo's services in the future or just want to learn more we encourage you to stay informed. You can use our RSS / Atom feature to track the entries and updates in our News + Blog section.

Thanks for stopping by.

Posted by Admin on 09/29 at 09:18 AM

Category: Indigo Blog |