Posts in category: Americas – Projects

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors have introduced the fifth video interview of their six-part campaign series, Faces of Fire/Electrical, which features personal stories of people impacted by electrical incidents, demonstrating the need for continued education and awareness about electrical hazards at home and in the workplace. 

Pam Elliott is the latest interview in the video campaign. In the spring of 1959, then five-year old Elliott suffered third degree burns over 50 percent of her body from a fire ignited by a damaged lighting fixture that destroyed her family home.

She spent months during her elementary and high school years undergoing reconstructive surgery to help restore the function of her hands, arms, and legs, and the appearance of her injuries.

Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was the leading cause of home fire property damage, according to the latest NFPA research. An average of 33,900 such fires caused 470 deaths, 1,100 injuries and $1.4 billion in direct property damage annually from 2014 – 2018.

Electrical failures or malfunctions were a factor in nearly nine out of 10 home fires involving wire and related equipment each year between 2012 – 2016.

“Equipment and devices powered by electricity as well as faulty structural wiring are potential sources for electrical fires,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy.

“Electricity makes our lives much easier but today homeowners expect more out of their electrical systems than ever before, especially with more family members working from home amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Faces of Fire/Electrical campaign reminds us about potential home electrical hazards, how to recognize the warning signs, and the action steps homeowners need to take to reduce associated risks.” 

While new home construction equipped with the latest electrical systems is built to meet the demand of today’s busy households, Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) states there are still more than 47.5 million homes in the U.S. that are at least 50 years old and built before many modern day electronics and appliances were invented.

The need for energy to power these devices, coupled with the increase of computers, phones, and new technologies that use electricity and the number of aging electrical systems and components in older homes, significantly contribute to a greater risk of electrical home fires.

Through more awareness and education, homeowners and renters, with the help of a qualified, licensed electrician, can find and correct fire safety hazards in the home before a serious incident occurs. 

Overall, Faces of Fire/Electrical features six personal stories of electrical burn survivors whose lives have been forever altered and how more understanding, training, and a change in work culture could have significantly impacted these outcomes. 

Woven into these stories of resilience is an additional interview with a physician dedicated to the complete physical and emotional healing of patients suffering from a burn injury. 

Through these video interviews, written profiles, and related information, Faces of Fire/Electrical is a resource for electrical and non-electrical workers, and the general public to learn more about the importance of electrical safety. 

While many electrical injuries prove fatal, those that are not can be particularly debilitating, oftentimes involving complicated recoveries and lasting emotional and physical impact. 

The Faces of Fire/Electrical campaign ultimately works to help build a safer world by teaching others and supporting the burn survivor community in advancing lifelong healing, optimal recovery, and burn and injury prevention.

Today, Elliott shares her personal burn story to advocate for home fire sprinklers and home fire safety and speaks for the most vulnerable people in house fires including infants, children, the elderly, and the disabled.

Visit www.nfpa.org/facesoffire each month to watch the videos. Free resources are now available to download and share, and additional information about the Faces of Fire/Electrical campaign can be found on NFPA’s website. 

This month marks the 35th anniversary of the founding of Telgian, a worldwide provider of fire protection, life safety and security solutions. Since 1985, Telgian has grown from a modest firm providing code development and consulting, fire testing and fire investigation, to an international company with locations around the globe, more than 350 employees and a comprehensive roster of fire protection, engineering and design, life safety and security services. Today, the firm counts many of the world’s most recognisable corporations as its clients.

“It is especially gratifying to celebrate this milestone in 2020. This year, more than ever before, we applaud the efforts of our dedicated associates as we continue to navigate the current, unprecedented global crisis,” says Telgian Executive Chairman Russell Leavitt. “As we look forward to the future, we know that our success will continue based on their outstanding character.”

Telgian founded by former firefighter

The company traces its roots back more than three decades to Tomes and Associates, founded by former firefighter and San Diego Fire Marshal Bill Tomes.  The early success of the company was a result, not only of Tomes’ vast experience, but also his lifelong passion for the fire protection industry.

The company was founded on integrity, honesty and respect, along with attributes such as innovation, creativity and pride in one’s work as well as an unwavering dedication to customer service.  This quickly attracted industry-leading experts from around the world, resulting in rapid growth and expansion.

“We are proud to mark our 35th anniversary this year. This milestone is a testament to the fact that our associates, vendors, and stakeholders renew their commitment to industry excellence and 100% customer satisfaction each and every day,” says Telgian CEO James Tomes.

A wide-ranging roster of services also grew to include fire and life safety consulting for business and government agencies, fire and building code interpretation, risk analysis and hazard evaluation, fire and building plan review, fire sprinkler system design, and industry training.

In 2007, principals formed the Telgian brand to more accurately reflect the diversity of the company’s many and varied fire, life safety, and security services. The word Telgian is, in fact, derived from Old English and means “to branch out and grow.”

Today, Telgian has dramatically increased the range of industries that it serves and includes two business units, each with a unique focus. Telgian Fire Safety, serves approximately 50,000 locations annually for the inspection, testing and repair of fire and life safety systems such as Fire Sprinkler Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Fire Extinguishers, Kitchen Hood Suppression Systems, Backflow Systems, Emergency/Exit Lights, Special Hazards, and Clean Agent Systems, as well as Fire Alarm Monitoring.

Telgian Engineering & Consulting is a full-service engineering and risk mitigation consultancy specialising in complex, multi-discipline projects. Telgian Engineering & Consulting provides services related to the protection of people, property, information, and organisational mission against preventable losses, delivering effective protection solutions that meet today’s challenges.

Telgian’s history, reputation and an outstanding record of accomplishment have been built on the trust and confidence earned from numerous long-term clients. This sterling reputation is the result of a deep commitment to core values such as the Telgian Customer Advocacy Model, which ensures that customers, and their specific needs, are always the top priority. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is calling for nominations for the 2021 James M. Shannon Advocacy Medal, which recognises fire and life safety advocates who have made significant contributions in lessening losses from fire, electrical, and other hazards.

Named for former NFPA President James Shannon, the award honors individuals or groups that champion cost-effective efforts and collaboration, while furthering NFPA’s mission.

As part of his long list of advocacy achievements in fire loss reduction, Shannon led the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, paving the way for legislation on minimum fire safety standards for cigarettes in each state.

“The dedication these recipients exhibit towards creating safer communities is invaluable,” says Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “This award is our way of thanking them for lending their voices and taking actions towards improving life safety.”

NFPA considers nominees who are members of the fire service or any individual or group whose advocacy efforts meet the award’s criteria. The medal recipient will be announced later in 2021. Previous recipients have worked to increase use of sprinklers, advocated for the use of updated codes, and other activities.

The nominee application is available for download and can be sent to publicaffairs@nfpa.org until the submission period closes on January 29, 2021.

Oshkosh Corporation is proud to announce that it has been named one of the World’s Best Employers of 2020 by Forbes. This is the first time Oshkosh has received this global designation.

The 2020 results included 750 multinational and large corporations across 45 countries. Oshkosh is ranked #76 out of 750.

“We are proud to be among this list of leading global employers,” said Kerry Rocole, Oshkosh Corporation Vice President of Talent & Culture. “At Oshkosh, we have a purpose of making a difference in people’s lives – for our team members, customers, investors and in our communities.

In everything we do, we keep this purpose at the forefront. Our purpose, along with our core values, People First culture and innovation focus will enable us to continue to make a difference and remain a great place to work.”

To determine the list, Forbes partnered with Statista, a leading market research firm. Statista surveyed more than 160,000 full and part-time team members from 58 countries working in various businesses across different countries and regions.

The surveys were anonymous, and respondents were asked to rate their willingness to rate their own employers to friends and family. Additionally, they were asked to rate the employers in their respective industry that stood out either positively or negatively.

Lastly, respondents were asked to rate companies on areas including COVID-19 response, image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility, as well as other topics.

In addition to being named one of the Forbes World’s Best Employers of 2020, Oshkosh was recently listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the second consecutive year, has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere™ for five consecutive years, one of America’s “Most Responsible Employers” by Newsweek and one of Barron’s Top 100 Most Sustainable Companies for three consecutive years.  

To learn more about Oshkosh’s impact and culture, please visit our impact.

Traveling for the holidays might not be on the menu due to COVID-19, but comfort food, festive decorations, and cozy nights in are sure to lift everyone’s spirits.

Unfortunately, these activities can often lead to fire, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve as two of the top days each year for home fires caused by cooking and candles.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) encourages everyone to keep safety in mind in order to lessen the chance that a fire will disrupt their holiday celebrations.

“For a lot of people, December tops the list for the most heartwarming time of year, but it’s also a leading month for home fires in the U.S.,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. “Carefully decorating your home and mindfully cooking your meals can help make your holidays safer.”

Following are NFPA statistics highlighting the increased risk of fire during the holidays:

Decorations

• More than half (51 percent) of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles, compared to one-third (32 percent) in January to November.
• From 2014-2018, an estimated average of 770 home structure fires per year began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an average of two civilian deaths, 30 civilian injuries, and $11.1 million in direct property damage per year.
• More than two of every five (44 percent) decoration fires occurred because the decoration was too close to a heat source, such as a candle or hot equipment.
• One-fifth (21 percent) of the home decoration fires occurred in December, while 10 percent happened in January.

Christmas trees

• Fires caused by Christmas trees are uncommon, but they are more likely to be serious when they do occur.
• Between 2014-2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an average 160 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. These fires caused an annual average of two civilian deaths, 14 civilian injuries, and $10.3 million in direct property damage. 
• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 45 percent of home Christmas tree fires.
• In more than one-fifth (22 percent) of the Christmas tree fires, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.

Cooking

• Cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries and the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
• An average of 470 home cooking fires were reported per day in 2018.
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires.

Candles

• Between 2014-2018 U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of 7,610 home structure fires caused by candles. These fires caused an average 81 civilian fire deaths, 677 civilian fire injuries, and $278 million in direct property damage annually.
• On average, 21 home candle fires were reported each day.
• Three of every five (60 percent) candle fires started when something that could burn, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or decorations, was too close to the candle.
• Candle fires peak in December. January ranked second.
• Nearly three times as many fires started by candles were reported on Christmas (an average of 58 Christmas fires) as the daily average.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the addition of the 2021 edition of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, to NFPA LiNK™, the Association’s new information delivery platform that will include all NFPA codes and standards, supplementary content, and visual aids for building, electrical, and life safety professionals and practitioners.

NFPA recently introduced the platform with the four most recent editions of NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®), the most widely used code in the United States and referenced around the globe, and NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®. 

NFPA 101 is the most widely used source for strategies to protect people based on building construction, protection, and occupancy features that minimise the effects of fire and related hazards. Unique in the field, NFPA 101 is the only document that covers life safety in both new and existing structures.

NFPA codes and standards are designed to minimise the risk and effects of fire by establishing criteria for building, processing, design, service, and installation around the world. 

Fire and life safety practitioners have turned to the Association’s codes and standards to perform their work more efficiently and effectively for more than a century.

NFPA LiNK provides instant access to resources

Today, the approach to business has shifted and work now demands employees have the most current, relevant information and resources available at their fingertips to help solve problems quickly and at any given location. 

NFPA LiNK has been designed to provide users instant access to resources pertinent to their work and requirements for safe work practices that reduce a worker’s exposure to fire, electrical, and other hazards.

“Professionals tell us they not only want important code information, but they also need context and insights to help them better understand problems and make decisions in real time,” said Jim Pauley, NFPA president and CEO. “NFPA LiNK is a revolutionary platform that will allow people to collaborate and stay connected easily while in the field. This means more lives are saved and more property protected from fire, electrical, and other hazards.”

To help address these growing needs, NFPA LiNK can be accessed via mobile devices, tablets, laptops, or other preferred device, and will become a “living library” for users that offers:

• The ability to work alongside the codes by adding personal notes, assigning colors, and saving to custom collections for quick and easy reference.
• A broader understanding of code requirements through access to expert commentary, visual aids, and helpful resources.
• Collaboration features to share code sections, work across teams, and ensure everyone knows what is required.
• Navigation tools that enable users to quickly locate the information they need based on the situations they encounter.

NFPA LiNK subscribers will get access to continuous updates, features and functions, and new editions of NFPA codes and standards as they are released. NFPA will expand the collection of codes and standards within the application to include the more than 300 that NFPA offers.

More information about the NFPA LiNK platform, a timeline of additional codes and standards that will be coming to NFPA LiNK, and a product introduction video can be found at nfpa.org/LiNK. A video that highlights key functions and features in more detail is also available. Try NFPA LiNK by visiting the website