Keep the New Engine, I’ll Take the Railroad

Keep the New Engine, I’ll Take the Railroad

On February 6^th, 2014 Vice President Joe Biden, while giving a speech in Philadelphia PA, compared New York’s LaGuardia airport to a Third World country. His exact quote was “If I blindfolded someone and took them at 2 o’clock in the morning into the airport in Hong Kong and said “where do you think you are? They’d say, this must be America. It’s a modern airport. If I took them blindfolded and took him into LaGuardia Airport in New York, you must think I must be in some Third World country. I’m not joking” Biden said. 

The Vice President was commenting about America’s infrastructure, and how far it has been allowed to deteriorate. He is correct, our infrastructure keeps slipping. Where once we led the world in energy, highways, rails, dams, ports and aviation, we are now being surpassed by other countries. Think about the countries that have high speed rail service to transport commuters, what do we have?  Amtrak.  Really? Is this the best we can do, as the most powerful nation in the world? The other day the Vice President was in Philadelphia for a big press conference touting the new more powerful locomotives. Yes, Amtrak states that they will use less energy and the new “regenerative braking system” will feed energy back into the power grid, which is all wonderful and definitely a positive, don’t get me wrong. But both the Vice President and Amtrak should have stated the cold hard facts like “we are proud of our new locomotives, but we are so far behind other Industrialized Nations. We need to have high speed rail service across the country”. They should have been apologizing for having their heads in the sand for so long that now we need to not only build the infrastructure for the high speed rail, but in order to outpace our competitors we need to develop the next generation equipment and infrastructure that will once again make us a leader in the world”. These are the truths they should have been telling the public.

Which brings me to my next point. I am all for aesthetics, but was the Vice President really talking about improving the components of the infrastructure or the gift wrapping. We have all heard the phrase “you can put lip stick on a pig but it is still a pig”. Well isn’t that what Amtrak did? Let’s put a new shiny train engine on the line and people will think we are improving. Well let me say, not me! Politicians think that by packaging something in a pretty package it will make everything hunky dory. How is that working for our education system? For years we have been spending millions of dollars on new schools. I know, I have performed work on these projects. Education is not about building a better looking and more modern architectural building then your neighbor. I mean, does an entry way, mosaic floor to a school provide more knowledge to our children? Does a football field with artificial turf and a nice school logo give the students the information to develop technology to create a new cure for a disease killing tens of thousands of people a year? Do mahogany stained book shelves teach the average high school graduate to balance a checking account, or learn how to invest in a retirement plan to prepare them financially for the future.  Aesthetics are nice, but they do not solve any real problems. When our so called leaders begin to realize that a nice brick building built at a reasonable price can provide the same ability to learn as a multi-million dollar building then we will begin to head down the path to progression. Remember we are all Americans, we should not be competing to see who has the nicer building. We should be working as a team to compete against the world.

It made me sad that Vice President Biden was so concerned about the perception of an airport. Things that some paint, cleaning and remodeling could solve. Why wasn’t he talking about how we will implement new technology to modernize America’s aviation tracking system. While providing great Wi-Fi and technology based medians in airports and public buildings is important these items, are not something that are going to make these places prettier, per say, but they will help us improve our technology availability to the masses, as long as the systems provide reliable service.

Shouldn’t he have been talking about ways to reduce the cost of building new highways, while planning construction projects so that the improvements are not out dated by the time they have been completed? He should have been asking how we can replace and update our electrical grid system, so it is the most reliable in the world. He should have been asking how we can save and repair our dams, and how we can provide access to our ports so that our goods can be transported in a timelier manner around the world.  He should have stated that all of Washington is failing us, and leaving us further behind our major competitors. And that as each day, month and year that passes without cooperation on a long term plan the greater the chances are that we will not catch the other industrialized countries.

We live in a time where we have great business visionaries who are talking about colonies in space and mining of asteroids and planets for minerals which can lead us to new products and discoveries. We elect leaders to maintain the way of life that America has built. Think about President Eisenhower’s vision of an interstate road system where we could move products and services faster and more efficiently. But as the great leader he was, he even knew that this system would need updating and overhauled in the future, probably from the time he signed the interstate highway bill. No nation can rest on its laurels, just as no business can rest on its past accomplishments. Businesses are constantly innovating, improving and designing the next great product or service. If you are complacent in business, you will eventually fail or become obsolete.

 

Come on Mr. Biden, go back to Washington and sit down with everyone there, put your heads together and figure out how to get us back on track. But don’t send us a nice new shiny locomotive and tells us everything is fine and we will be ok. Send us a blueprint for a new railroad, one that will be faster, safer, more powerful than any other country can muster. That will impress me, then I will be able to say Washington is working for me. But just remember if you and all of our elected officials in Washington can’t figure it out, then just get out of the way and allow private industry to take the reins and rebuild the infrastructure system.  We may not have all of the answers, but I can assure you that this is America and if we don’t have it we will develop the answer to keep moving forward. 

David E. Gemmill

D. E. Gemmill, Inc.

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Work Stress, Family Stress, Heat Stress…………..AND now Cold Stress!! - originally written Fall 2013 for upcoming cold months

Work Stress, Family Stress, Heat Stress…………..AND now Cold Stress!!

By Colleen Gemmill, D.E. Gemmill, Inc – November 2013

     Fall is upon us and with it comes a sigh of relief for some who can see their schedules become lighter, along with thoughts of colder temperatures and (dare I say it) snow. Many of your jobs and recreational activities will take you out into the adverse weather and could pose a threat to your health in the form of cold stress.

      There are many forms of cold stress including Hypothermia, Frostbite, Trench Foot, and Chilblains. All can be dangerous, but all are preventable. It is important to learn what to do to prevent cold stress as well as knowing the warning signs and treatment.

     Hypothermia occurs when the body uses up its stored energy and can no longer produce heat. It usually transpires after prolonged exposure to the cold. Early symptoms include shivering, fatigue, loss of coordination, confusion and disorientation. Late stage symptoms include lack of shivering, bluish skin, dilated pupils, slowed pulse/breathing, and a possible loss of consciousness.  A few action steps to take are call for medical help, move victim to warm shelter, remove wet clothing, warm center of body with blankets or clothing (don’t rub skin), if conscious give a warm beverage.

     Frostbite is an injury to the body caused by freezing. It usually affects the nose, ears, fingers and toes. Symptoms are reduced blood flow to hands and feet, numbness, tingling/stinging, and bluish or pale skin. Action steps to take include getting into a warm room, immerse affected area in warm water or warm area using body heat. Do not use heating pad or fire place and do not rub.

   

     Trench Foot is an injury to the feet resulting from extended exposure to wet cold conditions. Symptoms are reddening of skin, numbness, leg cramps, swelling, tingling pain, blisters and bleeding under skin. Treatment includes removing shoes and wet socks, dry feet, avoid walking (this may cause tissue damage).

   

     Chilblains are ulcers formed by damaged small blood vessels. This is caused by repeated exposure of skin to temperatures just above freezing to as high as 60 degrees. Symptoms include redness, itching, blistering, inflammation and possible ulceration. Action steps include avoid scratching, warm skin slowly, corticosteroid cream to relieve itching and swelling, keep blisters and ulcers clean and covered.

   

     What can you do to avoid cold stress? Wear layers of loose clothing, go to warm areas during breaks, carry extra socks, gloves, hats and blankets. Also add chemical hot packs to your first aid kit and avoid touching cold metal with bare skin.

   

     So whether you are working or playing in the cold winter months keep yourself and others safe. Always be prepared for what Mother Nature sends your way. 

From snow removal, work and play,  D. E. Gemmill has the gear to keep you safe during snow season! Check it out here - please scroll down to bottom of sales page.

Temporary Traffic Control Visibility

Working with traffic signs and temporary traffic control devices on a daily basis, tends to make one look around as one travels. As I drive down the road and around the country I have to tell you about one of my pet peeves. Poorly maintained traffic control and work zone products, drive me insane. I mean really how can inspectors, municipalities and contractors accept such poorly maintained devises?

The word “safety” is one of the most tossed around words in the construction vocabulary. Safety is defined as the freedom from danger, protection from, or not being exposed to, the risk of harm or injury. Where can this be more important than in areas where road construction is occurring? These areas are called “Work Zones” and they are established for many types of situations including roadway maintenance, roadway construction, utility work, emergency scenes and incidents and anything that will redirect traffic from its normal path or flow.

Now we know vehicles are traveling at faster speeds all the time, which means less time for drivers to react to changing conditions. Motorists are more distracted with cell phones, GPS and all these other gadgets that we all have in our cars. So when there is something to provide advance warning of work zones, possible changes to their travel path and devices which provide continual efficient traffic flow, shouldn’t they be visible? I mean have you seen some of these items. Signs that can’t even be read, because they are so scratched, or worn, and forget if it is dark. Construction drums and cones that are so dirty or the reflect stripes so worn (if stripes are even present) that they are difficult to see during daylight, let alone in the nighttime. 

Most roadway construction projects have inspectors. They should be inspecting the traffic control products and stopping work until defective equipment is replaced or repaired. I know. Who cares? A drum is a drum, a cone a cone. Really? There are minimum standards for reflectivity which have been established for traffic control devices, and traffic control signs, yet as I drive around I don’t see them being enforced. Companies which rely on these devices to establish their work zones should be proactive and make sure their devices are meeting the criteria. If they are renting them, they should request certifications that the products have been tested and maintained to remain in operation. Why care? Well let’s go back to that word “safety”. Protection of our employees and team members should be our number one priority. We are placing our people next to vehicles traveling 40, 50 60 or more miles per hour as they pass through our work zones. Sometimes those reflective drums and cones are the only things that delineate the travel path from the work area.  Shouldn’t they be as bright and as visible as possible?

How about the advanced warning signs as you approach a work zone? Can they be read easily, are they dirty, do they have tar or oil on them, and are they reflective? They should be in great condition as they are the only thing that warns motorist as they approach our workers. Think about it. You just changed the normal path of travel people may have been using to for years. The only thing to bring attention to the changing conditions are these signs. If they don’t stand out from the other surroundings along the travel path they will not know about your work zone and your personnel. Here is a little known fact. Did you know that most rollup and rigid traffic control sign sheeting only has a 3 year life expectancy? I bet most companies don’t! Another point of contention with me is short term signage should be taken down at the end of each day! We all want to get mad at drivers when they come flying into our work zones, but if you leave the signs up for days on end, even overnight, when you are not working, then how do expect the traveling public to know if you are working or not? Remember the advanced signage is designed to get the driver’s attention.  It does not look different if you leave it up for weeks on end, even when there is no work happening.    

 If you have a safety director, job supervisor or you simply own this equipment you should be making sure that it is tested or replaced on a regular basis. You should also be training your personnel on the proper procedures for setup of a work zone. Your insurance company should be requiring that you have maintenance records or regular testing records of this equipment. Why? Well let’s face it, it is cheaper for the equipment to be maintained and replaced, so it can protect the workers or the insured company than to payout worker compensation or death benefit claims because drivers could not see, follow or have advanced warning of your work zone. Honestly don’t you want your employees to go home to their families after each shift?

Isn’t it time for the state department of transportation to put allowances for traffic control devices or new traffic control devices into contracts as specific line items? There are states that are progressive and require new or like new traffic control devices to assist in adequate traffic flow and protection for workers. But there are also states which allow “junk” to be used on their projects and then wonder why people and workers are dying in their work zones.  If nothing else please train the inspectors and your state highway workers to spot deficient traffic control products, and allow them to shut down work zones if they are not in compliance. There are states that do this, so it can be done.

Insurance companies. We need them to get on board with these standards and have them require testing, maintenance records and replacement plans in order to remain insured. They are the people that will be litigating and paying for our deficiencies, and then we will all help pay by higher premiums, when our work is associated with road work.

     

All I want is to do is see where they want me to go!!!! Is that too much to ask?

David E. Gemmill

D. E. Gemmill, Inc.

http://degemmill.com/traffic-sign-management.html 

http://degemmill.com/traffic_control_product.html 

http://degemmill.com/about_us.html 

http://www.workzonesafety.org/laws/federal_regulations 

MD State Sign Certification

D.E. Gemmill, Inc. , 1 of approximately 12 Sign Shops nationwide, Receives Maryland State Certification

D.E. Gemmill, Inc. became 1 of approximately 12 Sign Shops nationwide, to receive Maryland State Highway Administration Office of Materials Technology Structural Materials and Coatings Division Qualified Producers, Fabricators & Suppliers.

Maryland certification reassures agencies and companies that the retroreflectivity guidelines meet Federal design set forth by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).  In addition, our Sign Shop is capable of designing traffic signs utilitizing the Maryland State Highway Administration Sign Standards Manual for use within the state of Maryland.

D.E. Gemmill’s Sign Shop has been providing quality permanent, temporary and rental traffic signage products and services to multiple states since 1986.  “Our Sign Shop is capable of producing large and small quantities of signage for highways, townships, municipalities, and public and private sectors meeting Federal and State requirements.  Being certified by the state of Maryland helps confirm the quality of work D.E. Gemmill is producing,” said David Gemmill, president of D.E. Gemmill, Inc.

In addition, we do work with agencies such as PennDOT, commercial, retail, property management, private companies, and more.  We look forward to producing signs that meet Federal designs as listed in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), stated Dave Gemmill, president of D.E. Gemmill. 

www.degemmill.com

D. E. Gemmill, Inc.
10174 Chapel Church Road
Red Lion, PA 17356
Toll Free: (866) 755-9794
Fax: (717) 927-8144
E-mail : info@degemmill.com