Summers winding down, kids have gone back to school and as engineers we need to begin thinking about winter and if you havent already, 2009 budgets. As the engineer you should begin looking at your inventory of ice melt, the condition of your snow removal equipment, reviewing your snow removal contracts and making sure you have good snow tires on your vehicle. Lets have a safe and industrious winter.
I would like to encourage everyone to take a moment to read Gene Newmans first article on water treatment under Industry News. This is his first of many articles to come. We hope you find them educational and informative. If anyone else would like to participate in the newsletter or have some topics you would like us to address feel free to contact us, we would value any feedback or contributions you may have.
The annual PMA Social was held on August 21, 2008 at the Smokey Glen Farm in Gaithersburg. It was a wonderful, fun filled evening with karaoke, lobster and a live band, check out the pictures here. Be sure to check out the up and coming events under Events. Mark and I would love to see more of you at some of these fun industry events.
Sincerely,
Education
At BMSI, we encourage all of
our employees to take trade-related courses to sharpen their
service skills. In fact, to keep up with changes in technology
that affect our engineering trade, continuing education is a
must.
If you are looking for time to further enhance your
education, now is the time! The ultimate goal for educational
advancement is to obtain a Masters HVACR license for Maryland,
Virginia, and/or the District of Columbia. At a minimum, Chief
Engineers in Maryland should have a MD 1st class
license. In the District of Columbia, the DC 3rd
class license.
For those of you who are interested, we have included some
useful information to get you started:
NAPE- Educational
Development Interested in signing up for
classes? Go to where the opportunities for education is endless!
Listed below are additional links that can lead you in the
right direction for educational progress:
Industry News
In the operation and maintenance of office buildings, one of the most overlooked aspects of an Engineers job is water treatment (WT).
Most office buildings utilize an outside WT contractor, and because of this, some Engineers assume the contractor is doing their job and follow up is not necessary. But, proper WT is one of the easiest ways of providing short-term and long-term value to an operation. It is also one of the easiest ways to show documented proof that the Engineering department is helping reduce the overall costs of an operation.
A WT programs major objective is controlling scale, corrosion and microbiologic deposits. This segment of Industry News will briefly address scale in cooling tower systems.
Scale is the result of the precipitation (dropping out) of dissolved solids from the re-circulated water. When evaporation occurs in a cooling tower, only pure water evaporates, leaving behind the dissolved solids. As a result, the dissolved solids content of the remaining water increases. If a tower were allowed to operate without makeup, the entire system would eventually dry out; but, a makeup valve opens and the water in the open loop system now holds the original dissolved solids plus all those brought in by the makeup water. After a few more hours of operation, the concentration will increase even further. If this were allowed to continue, the dissolved solids concentration would increase to a point at which the water could not hold any more solids in the solution. This condition is called saturation. When saturation is reached, the dissolved salts and minerals drop out of solution, or precipitate, and deposit as scale on tower fill, louvers, heat exchangers, tubes, and piping.
To prevent scale precipitation and deposits, we limit the number of cycles by bringing in additional fresh water so that dissolved solids saturation is never reached. In addition, blow down of the hottest concentrated water also reduces the amount of dissolved solids in the system. Dissolved solids are measured as total dissolved solids or TDS. Make it a point to look over the next water treatment report from your WT contractor. Become familiar with the terms used on the report. This will familiarize you with the types of readings that are being taken, and the allowable limits for those readings.
Health & Safety
Routine Doctors Appointments:
How to make the most of them?
Very few people actually go regularly for routine medical tests, including blood pressure checks and blood tests. Even though that may not be a fun way to spend an afternoon, getting a routine physical is vital for maintaining your health. A routine physical can detect problems early on, while treatment is still an option, or while a diagnosis can be easily made. Putting off a physical can lead to serious complications. Many illnesses and diseases have no physical symptoms early on. This is why its so important to stay on top of your health, and make sure that youre having regular check-ups. It can help to treat a problem if caught early enough, and can even prevent the problems from escalating into something more serious. Regular appointments give you the opportunity to talk about your ongoing health concerns with your doctor and nurse.
When To See Your Doctor
Whether you're going in for a routine test or you're feeling ill, there are a variety of reasons throughout the year that should urge you to see a doctor.
These include:
Regular check-ups with your primary physician 2-4 times a year.
Annual check-ups with your eye doctor and dentist.
Any time you have the flu, a cold or a respiratory infection.
When you experience any significant change in how you feel.
If you have any reaction to a new medication.
Visits to specialists, as recommended by other members of your healthcare team.
To read this article in its entirety or would like to get more information please go to:
Did you know?
Understanding Sick Building Syndrome and VOC Paint
Living in a world where everyone is going green, the most common household products have been found to be environmentally incorrect. It has now been proven that paints and varnishes are considered significant sources of pollution and irritation. They are among the leading indoor hazards to human health.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the air in our homes and offices is two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air. The EPA has ranked indoor air pollution as a high priority public health risk. If you're like most people, you spend up to 90% of your time indoors. If you can find a way to reduce airborne pollutants and allergens that you breathe, you may be able to increase your vitality and health and reduce allergies and asthma attacks.
Air pollution can be reduced in three different ways: (1) controlling the source of pollution, (2) increasing ventilation, and (3) by cleaning the air.
In order to control a source of pollution, it is highly beneficial to consider using non-toxic paints (also known as non-VOC paint). Read on so that you may fully understand the advantages of non-toxic paints.
Health. Reduced toxins benefit everyone, including those with allergies and chemical sensitivities.
Environment. Reduces landfill, groundwater and ozone depleting contaminants.
Effective. Low- VOC products perform well in terms of coverage, scrub ability and hide ability (covering flaws on previous coats.)
Water-Based. Easy cleanup with soap and warm water.
Little or No Hazardous Fumes. Low odor during application; no odor once cured. No off-gassing. Painted areas can be occupied sooner, with no odor complaints.
Not deemed Hazardous Waste. Cleanup and disposal greatly simplified.
Editor Mistake
We would like to apologize to all of our BMSI employees who had a birthday or anniversary that occurred in July, but did not receive recognition in our June/July Newsletter. An oversight on our part mistakenly did not update this section of the newsletter. In hopes for forgiveness, we will include the anniversaries and birthdays of July in this current issue of the Newsletter.
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Welcome
Mike Zamani 7/16
Shareef Bilal 9/2
Jeffrey Cook 9/4
Sudhakaran Panicker 7/7/03
Samuel K. Holt 9/24/07
BMSI would like to welcome
the newest additions to the company:
Andrew Glynn
Events
Monthly Inspiration
The annual PMA Social was held on August 21, 2008 at the Smokey Glen Farm in Gaithersburg.
It was a great turnout. Over 600 professionals enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere for endless possibilities to meet and greet. It was nice to network with new associates and catch up with old friends. The event consisted of old-fashioned rock and roll, karaoke and a summer feast of New England lobster. View the pictures from the event here.
