ICE Card Making 101 - It just Got Easier.......

Okay quick lesson in card cutting - two options....one is to use prefitted templates if making small numbers of cards yourself....this can get pricey but it works....next you can use a good color copier laser printable paper (about 100 weight) with a high gloss side ...print your cards.

There is a device called a Cardmate Business Card Cutter that reduces the amount of time needed to cut perfect business sized cards...about $100 but it is slick and you can check one out at http://www.spiralbinding.com/ or at better paper suppliers..... this thing would pay for itself if you were printing your own business cards as well.....

Just learned...Avery released yet another free business software program called the Avery Wizard 3.1 and it can be downloaded from www.avery.com This version works using macros in MS Word and has some added functionality when creating multiple cards for multiple people - you can do them all at once or a whole page at a time and save them in Word....nice. Teamed up with the above cutter.....you're there!

Even more good news..this same company offers card lamination pouches that accept the ICE Cards...if you have access to a laminator and want to do a bunch of these, they are about $4 for a box of 100.

Construction Workers and ICE

What could possible go wrong......you got up, went to work...climbed onto your rig as always and hey, no problemo.....except maybe the subcontractor has a few "new" guys on the job today that somehow didn't go through the normal orientation process.......you (and the new guys) could find yourself in a nasty world of hurt......

"Hope" is not an operative word in the safety field, so hoping it won't happen is not going to make it go away or not happen.....you need to actively identify and remove hazards whenever possible...and constantly be vigilant.

It is not just the safety managers job! The best contractors out there have safety as their highest priority.

Construction job sites are by nature in a constant state of change and therefore everyone involved has to be knowledgeable about those changes and prepared to take action to prevent accidents. Being prepared to deal with an accident that does in fact happen is essential as well.

Affixing an ICE symbol to your required on-site posted Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is one simple way to use ICE. Any visitors and subcontractor employees having ICE Cards wouldn't hurt....making safety high profile and easy to identify is smart!
More as we go along.......

Low Cost ICE Containers

No need to spend tons of cash on your emergency kit or ICE Kit...in this case a 5 or 6 gallon plastic pail outfitted with a Gamma Seal Lid ($7-9). Sturdier pails are stamped with .090 on the bottom.....this lid can be found online or in some paint stores....black is not food grade....so choose one of the other bright colors...this lid allows ease of opening or closing with one hand...just in case one is broken.....women will like these as you don't have to use a lid tool ($1 at Lowe's) to pop a well seated standard lid. You can set aside a real basic collection of emergency equipment like food/clothing /water purification /communications/cash/batteries/lighting/multi tools/heat tabs/fire starters and boat matches/handkerchief/plastic bags that you can store near your exit to dump in your car or keep in your car/truck. Packs are nice....not very waterproof but pails are inexpensive and widely available for free. Oh, and this floats...some of the kits and lists of contents out there are pure crappola.....don't rely on junk...if you can afford quality equipment - get it....we'll put some online.....

NYC Explosion - A Reminder

This week 7-18-07 had seen a major pipeline explosion in NYC hurtling debris and sending people scurrying for cover......it looks like barefoot as well....a busload of children were so very close to the gaping hole in the street.....this would be a good time for low tech devices and practice/training on what to do in an emergency....

Opening Files from ICE4SAFETY.COM

Just a quick note for those folks wanting to use the free tools located on the ICE website....the only "unusual" documents located there are the ICE Cards and Stickers created using the free Avery DesignPro 5 software that is available from Avery at www.avery.com .

In general, you wouldn't normally be able to open those files unless you first download the program that was used to create the document. You can later import those documents into a variety of other programs and convert them to PDF, JPG etc.

Programs used to create ICE documents are PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Publisher. Hope this helps.

Save $$ Using ICE Tools from ICE4SAFETY.COM

Simple Tip from Gus at Office Max in Cicero, New York....
.....buy a ream of 90# or 100# paper and print out your cards using Avery Templates on a laser printer (both sides) and use a paper cutter (guarded or course) to cut up your cards and pass them out. Thanks Gus.....

Many businesses and homes have these items in use already so you can get going almost as soon as you access the ICE website. Laser printing (or commercial printer) is best as the image does not run because it is fused into the paper.

Still saving money for a small job for your family? Use laminating sheets or pouches designed for the purpose....cut the sheets up at a Kinko's/Fedex.

Now using a laser printer that can print both sides automatically is a dream...HP has a few..some manual double feeders are now only $225 on sale. Sweet!

ICE Cards Galore at www.ice4safety.com

Do it Yourself just got easier....visit the website and download some newly designed customizable ICE Cards at http://www.ice4safety.com/ that you can recreate yourself...if you are a business, family or an individual wanting to make a sharp looking card then here you go...it doesn't get much easier!

These cards use the Avery Card templates found in any office supply store....or you can design them here and have a commercial printer print up large quantities if need be. You can go to http://www.avery.com/ to download the free limited edition DesignPro 5 program (51Mb) which is more than adequate to design these cards and the new ICE Sticker page now being hosted at the site. Program guide is on the website...you probably won't need it.....we will place a simple guide sheet online shortly.

The card designs are "anchored" so you can tool around the card and not screw it up...but can release the anchor with a mouse click......

ICE in the News

Boating newsletters, local edition newspapers and plenty of police and public service agency websites, not to mention the media outlets pictured here are all extolling the various benefits of incorporating ICE into your daily routine.....of course the one thing missing is HOW to do it......that's where ice4safety.com and this blog come in...and how to do it for as little cost as possible.....or free!

Let's not forget this month's (July '07) Consumer Reports article on surviving the Emergency Room and using ICE to help.....

ICE USB - Store Your Info - In Case of Emergency

There may not be time to gather up all your emergency info when you are forced to "bug out" during a severe weather event or other disaster situation. As part of your preparations for such an event, consider having a USB or "Thumb Drive" containing your important medical information, photos of your home and valuables as well as critical information needed to rebuild your life in the event you have to relocate.

ice4safety.com will post a spreadsheet document that will make this process easier (that's why we're here) so don't recreate the wheel.....now you could buy a 2 Gigabyte USB Drive for under $20 and some places actually are giving away 256Mb drives....Invest in a well known brand.

Should you use the security features on these drives? Good question...if you lose it can someone steal your identity....sure enough...so don't keep it laying around on your dashboard or you kitchen counter..seal it in a vacuum sealer bag or zip lock freezer bag to protect it. Let your family know how it works and where you will secure it for when you have to take off......

ICE Calendars

Another no brainer.......you can promote both your organization and using ICE to be prepared by supplying monthly or yearly calendars to employees or customers to keep the spirit of preparedness alive.

Plenty of formats in MS Publisher that allow for inserting relevant monthly safety messages for employees such as how to recognize dangerous weather patterns or how to program their cell phones.....the list goes on.....contractors need Emergency Action Plans on job sites.....nothing is prohibiting anyone from using the ICE icon on your EAP to make it stand out on the job board......hey, OSHA has their field inspectors use ICE in their phones......

We will post some online at http://www.ice4safety.com/ for examples.....

New ICE 3-Fold Brochure Template

On the website now you will find a MS Word Version of the ICE Tri-Fold Brochure Template. This can be used by any group or business to help educate and promote ICE among members, students, community members with the ability for businesses to locate their business logo and name on the outside back cover (traditional location).

This is easy and the template can be used with pre-folded Avery products from your local office supply store, plain paper or even a professional printer.....

(Avery Reference #5884/8324/8384)

Some ideas would be for you to have a page describing what ICE is all about and another describing how to program your cell phone.....where to carry the cards....you get the picture....

Printers are all different, so may have to experiment with plain paper in your printer to determine how to reload the second side (inside) ......just remember how to orient the page and go at it.....