Everyone has heard of “WD-40”, right? Of course. But–how many of you actually know what it means? That’s what I thought!
So for the many who do not know the story of how WD-40 came into existence and was so named, the story starts out in 1953 at an upstart company with three employees, called Rocket Chemical Company. The staff wanted to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry.
It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. The 40 tries were written down starting from the beginning, and for the next 39 attempts everything added or substituted to perfect their receipt made a difference in the formula until WA-LA, on the 40th attempt they produced what they were hoping for.
WD-40 stands for Water Displacement and “40” obviously is the in-house code for the 40th attempt to make it the ever infamous WD-40, for which, by the way, the original secret formula for WD-40® is still in use today.
WHO USED IT COMMERCIALLY FIRST?
Convair, an aerospace contractor, first used WD-40 to protect the outer skin of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. A few years following WD-40’s first industrial use, Rocket Chemical Company founder, Norm Larsen, experimented with putting WD-40 into aerosol cans, reasoning that consumers might find a use for the product at home as some of the employees had. The product made its first appearance on store shelves in San Diego in 1958.
By 1960 the company had doubled in size, growing to seven people, who sold an average of 45 cases per day from the trunks of their cars to hardware and sporting goods stores in the San Diego area.
In 1961 the first full truckload order for WD-40 was filled when all Rocket Chemical Company employees came in on a Saturday to produce additional concentrate to meet the needs of the latest hurricane victims after Hurricane Carla ravaged the Gulf Coast. WD-40 was used to recondition flood- and rain-damaged vehicles and equipment.
In 1969 the Rocket Chemical Company was renamed after its only product: WD-40 Company, Inc.
DISPELLING MYTHS
Even today, WD-40’s formula is top secret, and while there are plenty of guesses and myths regarding what its “secret” ingredient is, one thing for certain it is not: FISH OIL.
As for the number of uses for WD-40 for both commercial and home use, well, take a look for yourself. The only thing typically known to rival the “every-person-can-find-a-use-for” product might be… yep, you guessed it! DUCT TAPE!
REPORTED USES FOR WD-40
Protects silver from tarnishing; cleans and lubricates guitar strings; restores and cleans chalkboards; loosens stubborn zippers and helps to untangle snarled jewelry chains.
WD-40 removes road tar and grime from cars; removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor for those nasty tar and scuff marks. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off (just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks) and will give floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making them slippery.
It can also camouflage scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
It removes lipstick stains and stains from stainless steel sinks, or dirt and grime from the barbecue grill and tomato stains from clothing or splattered grease on the kitchen stove.
It’s great for removing crayon from walls, just spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
WD-40 can restore and clean padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers or roof racks on vehicles.
It keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing, or rust from forming on saws, saw blades and other tools.
It keeps glass shower doors free of water spots, and keeps scissors working smoothly.
WD-40 can give a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super- fast slide, or rid a kid’s rocking chair or swing set of squeaky noises, or lubricate noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes; it will lubricate tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open, and lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles, gear shifters and lawn mowing deck levers for easy handling.
This column is dedicated to Mac McCarthy for all the many entertaining, enlightening and always informative “bites” of information he sends. Keep ‘em coming, Mac!
WHAT EVERY BUILDING CONTRACTOR, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR OR EMPLOYEE SHOULD KNOW
As a member of the Moorhead Business Association, I receive weekly notices and other pieces of valuable information from our fearless and always encouraging Director, Chuck Chadwick. This week he sent out a listing of OSHA regulations that I certainly didn’t know much about, but hope will be as informative to many of you as it was for me.
Types of OSHA Citations and How Much They Cost
by Chris Kilbourne
OSHA issues different types of citations, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. Penalties are proposed based on the type of violation.
If you’re cited for OSHA violations following an inspection, penalties may vary depending on the type of citation. Note, however, that in settling a penalty, OSHA says it has a policy of reducing penalties for small employers and those acting in good faith.
Willful. A willful violation exists under the OSH Act where an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the Act or a plain indifference to employee safety and health. Penalties range from $5,000 to $70,000 per willful violation. If an employer is convicted of a willful violation of a standard that has resulted in the death of an employee, the offense is punishable by a court-imposed fine or by imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both. A fine of up to $250,000 for an individual, or $500,000 for a corporation, may be imposed for a criminal conviction.
Serious. Section 17(k) of the OSH Act provides that “a serious violation shall be deemed to exist in a place of employment if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition which exists, or from one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes which have been adopted or are in use, in such place of employment unless the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the violation.” OSHA may propose a penalty of up to $7,000 for each violation.
Other-Than-Serious. This type of violation is cited in situations where the accident/incident or illness that would be most likely to result from a hazardous condition would probably not cause death or serious physical harm, but would have a direct and immediate relationship to the safety and health of employees. OSHA may impose a penalty of up to $7,000 for each violation.
De Minimis. De Minimis conditions are those where an employer has implemented a measure different from one specified in a standard, that has no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health. These conditions do not result in citations or penalties.
Failure to Abate. A failure to abate violation exists when a previously cited hazardous condition, practice or non-complying equipment has not been brought into compliance since the prior inspection (i.e., the violation remains continuously uncorrected) and is discovered at a later inspection. If, however, the violation was corrected, but later reoccurs, the subsequent occurrence is a repeated violation. OSHA may impose a penalty of up to $7,000 per day for each violation.
Repeated. An employer may be cited for a repeated violation if that employer has been cited previously, within the last five years, for the same or a substantially similar condition or hazard and the citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC). A citation may become a final order by operation of law when an employer does not contest the citation, or pursuant to court decision or settlement. Repeated violations can bring a civil penalty of up to $70,000 for each violation.
Additional violations for which citations and proposed penalties may be issued upon conviction:
• Falsifying records, reports or applications can bring a fine of $10,000 or up to 6 months in jail, or both.
• Violations of posting requirements can bring a civil penalty of up to $7,000.
• Assaulting a compliance officer, or otherwise resisting, opposing, intimidating, or interfering with compliance officers while they are engaged in the performance of their duties is a criminal offense, subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 and imprisonment for not more than 3 years.
WHAT AMERICAN CRYSTAL WORKERS WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND
The following was sent out to all media for immediate release on January 13, 2012 from the (BCTGM) Union Representative, John Riskey:
Crystal Sugar’s SEC Report Shows Lockout is Hurting the Company
Moorhead, Minn. — On Friday, American Crystal Sugar Company issued its quarterly report covering the three months ending November 30, 2011. This was the first full quarterly report issued by the company since the August 1 lockout of its 1,300 permanent union workers.
The report indicates that Crystal Sugar’s replacement workers have failed to maintain the same productivity as its permanent workers represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).
According to today’s filing, consolidated net proceeds, or profits, fell by 39% or $73.6 million, “primarily due to 29.8% fewer tons processed during the three months ended November 30, 2011, as compared to the three months ended November 30, 2010.”[1]
“This news is actually surprising,” said BCTGM Local 167G President John Riskey. “We never expected the replacements to match our productivity, but processing 30% fewer tons over the quarter must be a serious disappointment to the farmers and executives. How long is Dave Berg going to continue with this unnecessary lockout? Is he trying to do the company permanent damage?”
Short-term debt has increased dramatically over the past six months from $248 million to over $361 million, a 45% jump. Over the same period, their accounts payable shot up by 84%.
Crystal Sugar operations are not faring any better. When comparing the quarter ended November 30, 2010, to the quarter ended November 30, 2011, many categories have taken a serious hit. Cost-of-sales have risen by nearly 180%. Gross proceeds are down 48%. Consolidated net proceeds are off by 39%. And payments to growers for sugar beets fell by 40%.
“This report shows that Crystal Sugar executives are hurting both their workers and growers by continuing this lockout,” Riskey added. “I hope the company agrees to return to the table soon before more damage is done.”
Shareholders and the community should be asking Crystal Sugar:
Why did short-term debt increase more than 45% from 6 months ago?
Why did their borrowing increase by more than $113 million?
Why did the value of product inventories fall by $106 million?
Is this lockout worth the damage to Crystal Sugar’s bottom line?
The full report is available at http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/4828/000110465912001924/a11-29841_110q.htm
American Crystal Sugar has processing plants in East Grand Forks, Crookston, and Moorhead, Minn.; Hillsboro and Drayton, N.D.; and packaging and transportation sites in Chaska, Minn. and Mason City, Iowa. Workers at these facilities are represented by BCTGM Locals 167G (Grand Forks, N.D.), 265G (Chaska), 267G (Crookston), 269G (Mason City) and 372G (Hillsboro, N.D.).
Contact: John Riskey, (701) 520-0459
For questions, comments, letters to the editor, or to share information, please email Soo at:
sooasheim@aol.com