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www.ushalonbank.com   1.800.433.1751                                   October 2017 - Vol 3, Issue 9
                            
News
FAA Proposes Worldwide Laptop Ban in Checked Baggage -- Cites Fire Hazard
Airbus-Bombardier Pact Gets Boeing's Attention
Johnson Controls Sheds Scott Safety
Marine Insurers Say Fire Protection for Large Containerships Inadequate
Container Ship Catches Fire (New Zealand)
Inert Gas System Discharge Causes Outage (Part I)
Inert Gas System Discharge Causes Outage (Part II)
Fire Suppression Company Scam
UTC Rockwell Collins: How the Deal Went Down
Most Popular Stories from September 2017
The Ozone Layer: Are We Saving It?
Companies in the News
Reports and Studies
Video of the Month
FAA Proposes Worldwide Laptop Ban in Checked Baggage -- Cites Fire Hazard
Kuwaiti social media activist Thamer al-Dakheel Bourashed puts his laptop inside his checked luggage before boarding a flight to the U.S. in March, when America banned laptops from the passenger cabins of inbound flights from the Arab World. It later rescinded the measure and is now seeking to ban laptops from checked luggage instead. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images)
10/21/17

By Martin Rivers, Contributor
Forbes

Seven months after America banned laptops from the passenger cabins of flights from the Arab World - forcing travelers to check them into cargo holds - the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants global airlines to ban the very practice its government had previously imposed on them.

The FAA's advice is based on new safety tests showing that the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries found in laptops could bring down an aircraft if they overheat when packed next to flammable items in checked luggage.

Its findings are published in a paper submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN agency that issues non-binding air safety guidance to the international community. The proposed ban has already won the backing of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, establishing a consensus that ICAO is unlikely to overrule. Even after it weighs in, though, individual governments will retain the final say on ratifying any measures.

Check out the whole story here.

Click here to read the report from ICAO (International Civil Aeronautics Organization) that calls for the banning of laptops from checked luggage.
 
Airbus-Bombardier Pact Gets Boeing's Attention
Airbus' surprise move to swallow Bombardier's CSeries airplane program gives it a new small-jet family on the cheap. (P.PIGEYRE/MASTERFILMS)
10/17/17

By Dominic Gates
Seattle Times Aerospace Reporter

Airbus's surprise move to swallow Bombardier's CSeries airplane program gives it a new small-jet family without spending the billions of dollars it would take to develop one itself.

Besides the likely impact of the deal on the Boeing-instigated U.S. trade case against Bombardier, that leg up for Airbus could trigger a serious strategy shift for Boeing.

Click here to read more about this.
 
scottJohnson Controls Sheds Scott Safety - 3M Acquires for $2Billion
Johnson Controls maintains substantial operations in Glendale, as well as in downtown Milwaukee. (Michael J Van Valkenburgh)
10/4/17

By Todd Bragstad - Managing Editor, Print Editor
Milwaukee Business Journal

Johnson Controls said Wednesday that it completed the sale of its Scott Safety business to 3M for about $2 billion.

Net cash proceeds from the deal, initially announced in March, were $1.9 billion and will be used to repay part of Tyco International Holding's $4.0 billion in merger-related debt, the company said in a news release.

Click here to read the rest of this article.
 
Marine Insurers Say Fire Protection for Large Containerships Inadequate
The 13,798 TEU containership MSC Daniela on fire off Colombo, Sri Lanka, in April 2017. Photo courtesy Sri Lankan MoD
9/19/17

By Reuters
gCaptain

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) -- The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has warned that Solas firefighting regulations for container vessels are "inadequate" - particularly as ships have grown in recent years.

IUMI said the regulations were developed for general cargo vessels, where freight is stored openly in holds, and are "not suitable for a modern containership".

It added: "With the growing size of container vessels and a recent spate of fires on board these ships, IUMI is concerned that current firefighting provisions are insufficient."

Click here to read the full article.
 
Container Ship Catches Fire (New Zealand) 
The Port of Tauranga, above, was the site of a vessel fire early on the morning of Sept. 24. Photo: Aerometrex/Shutterstock
9/25/17

By Mark Edward Nero
American Shipper

An inquiry has been launched into a fire that broke out early on the morning of Sept. 24 on a containership carrying several tons of wood that was docked at New Zealand's largest, busiest seaport, the Port of Tauranga.

According to local media sources, after smoke was seen coming from the hold of the Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship Kokopo Chief just before 1 a.m. local time, crew members alerted authorities and more than 70 firefighters eventually responded to the blaze. However, according to Fire Northern Communications shift manager Colin Underdown, the vessel's C02 fire suppression system is believed to have extinguished most of the flames after it was set off by rising temperatures.

Click here to finish reading this article.
 
Inert Gas System Discharge Causes Outage (Part I)
10/5/17

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
DatacenterDynamics

A London college was forced to call in a team of technical cleaners after the fire suppression system in its server room unloaded inert gas and debris onto the live IT equipment, and a fire extinguisher was "accidentally deployed."

The college's servers went down for an unspecified amount of time, but ABM Solutions' sales director Mike Meyer assured that downtime was "very low" and that "none of the IT equipment experienced any long-term damage."

Finish reading this story here.
 
Inert Gas System Discharge Causes Outage (Part II)
Fire suppression gas at Pulsant South Gyle
Source: Pulsant
10/5/17

By Sebastian Moss
DatacenterDynamics

Some North European customers affected

An unexpected release of inert fire suppression gas during routine maintenance at one of Microsoft's European data centers set off a series of unfortunate events, causing a seven-hour outage.

On its Azure report page, Microsoft explained that after the gas was released, it caused the Air Handler Units to automatically cease operations, which in turn led to the ambient temperature rising - which then caused some systems to automatically shutdown.

Click here to read the rest of this story.
 
Fire Suppression Company Scam
10/19/17

By Jesse Jones
KIRO 7

It appears that the fire protection company Red Safety is feeling the heat, again, from fire chiefs for its sales practices.

"For me it's disheartening," said Maple Valley Fire Chief Aaron Tyerman.

Tyerman says one of the company's employees misrepresented themselves as being part of the fire department at a community event.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

UTC Rockwell Collins: How the Deal Went Down
Irrigation work is underway at the 35th Street NE Rockwell Collins plant in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
10/28/17

By Matthew Patane
The Gazette

Filings provide details on how the deal came together

United Technologies Corp. floated the idea of a partnership with Rockwell Collins before it proposed to acquire the Cedar Rapids avionics company, recently released filings show.

Connecticut-based UTC announced in September plans to acquire Rockwell for $30 billion, including debt. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission published since then provide details on how that deal came together.

Read the full story here.
 
thirty_yearsOzone Problem Remains Elusive 30 Years Later
Satellite imagery depicting the annual maximum extent of the ozone hole over Antarctica from 1979 to 2013. Credit: NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
8/14/17

By Fred Pearce
Yale Environment 360

Despite a ban on chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons, the ozone hole over Antarctica remains nearly as large as it did when the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987. Scientists now warn of new threats to the ozone layer, including widespread use of ozone-eating chemicals not covered by the treaty.

Did the Montreal Protocol fix the ozone hole? It seemed so. With chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-eating chemicals banned, many scientists said it was only a matter of time before the ozone layer recharged, and the annual hole over Antarctica healed for good.

But 30 years on, some atmospheric chemists are not so sure. The healing is proving painfully slow. And new discoveries about chemicals not covered by the protocol are raising fears that full recovery could be postponed into the 22nd century - or possibly even prevented altogether.

Read the full article here.
 
recoveryAnother 30 Years for Ozone Layer Recovery?
Researchers reported in 2015 that there was clear evidence of healing in the ozone hole
10/12/17

By Matt McGrath, Environment correspondent
BBC

Rising global emissions of some chlorine-containing chemicals could slow the progress made in healing the ozone layer.

A study found the substances, widely used for paint stripping and in the manufacture of PVC, are increasing much faster than previously thought.

Mainly produced in China, these compounds are not currently regulated.

Experts say their continued use could set back the closing of the ozone hole by up to 30 years.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
 
smaller_holeOzone Hole Appeared to be Smaller in September 2017

October 2017

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service

CAMS monitors the Antarctic ozone hole in near real-time with satellite observations and model data. The ozone hole this year started to develop in early September, slightly later than in most years since 2002. At the end of September, the ozone hole area was smaller than in previous years. We attribute its reduced size predominantly to a less stable polar vortex that is associated with higher temperatures.

The ozone hole is currently almost as small as it was during the exceptional year of 2002, when the polar vortex split into two parts. However, there is no strong indication in the ECMWF monthly forecasts that such a vortex split will occur this year as well.

Read the rest of this story here.


jensenJensen Hughes Opens in UK
9/12/17

By Phil Martin - Digital Editor
International Fire Protection

Jensen Hughes, one of the world's largest fire, forensic, security and risk engineering and consulting firms, is launching into the UK, aiming to help advance the UK and Europe's 'science of safety' for both industries and individuals. As part of its global operations expansion, the establishment of a European Headquarters in London, will help address and solve important threats and hazards where people live and work.

Jensen Hughes recognises the growing need in the global market for education and consultative needs for reducing the risk of life and property loss due to fire, security threats and other risks and providing world class engineering investigations in complex failures and events impacting people's lives.

Read the full story here.

utcUTC Aerospace Replaces 1211 FX with Halotron in Biz-Jet Market
10/10/17

By PR Newswire
Markets Insider

LAS VEGAS -- At the National Business Aviation Association's annual exhibition, UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., unveiled a pair of innovative new solutions for the business jet market.

UTC Aerospace Systems launched its Kidde Halotron BrX™ handheld cabin fire extinguisher, which uses a non-Halon, environmentally friendly fire suppression agent. The new extinguisher meets the ICAO recommendations and EASA regulations restricting and replacing the use of Halon 1211 on aircraft, and is designed as a drop-in replacement for existing Kidde 1211 extinguishers. Halotron BrX™ has passed UL 711 5B, 2B cold temperature and FAA Minimum Performance Standard (MPS) tests.

Click here to read the entire story.

jetWhat's a Jet Fire and How to Deal with One
10/19/17

By Rogier Bertens
Van Dam

Jet fires are a particular group of hydrocarbon fueled fires expelled from an orifice, e.g. leak in pipe or vessel, under pressures of 2 bar or greater. They are the most severe fire scenario, considering the effect of erosion of steel and also the significantly higher rate of burning due to turbulent fuel/ air mixing. Typical radiation value after 5 minutes is 320 kW/m2.

This article outlines the rules and requirements for jet fire protective solutions within the industry and the specific jet fire solutions for high risk structures.

Unlike the hydrocarbon fire test standard, there are internationally recognized jet fire test standards, like ISO 22899-1 "Determination of the resistance to Jet Fires of passive fire protection materials."

Read the rest of this article here.
 
dowDowDuPont Likely to Return as Much as 30% over the Next Year
10/21/17

By Jack Hough
Barron's

Remember the chief executive with the birthday-party ice sculpture of Michelangelo's David urinating vodka? That was Dennis Kozlowski, who nearly ran Tyco International into the ground.

The story has a happy ending, not so much for Kozlowski-who did eight years in prison for grand larceny, conspiracy, and fraud-but for investors who bet on his successor. Edward Breen stabilized, slimmed down, and split up Tyco during the decade ended 2012, and made a return of over 700% for shareholders in the process. (He also earned, fair and square, an exit package worth more than Kozlowski had looted.)

Breen's past success is newly relevant, because today he heads the world's largest chemical company, DowDuPont (ticker: DWDP), which was formed by an August merger. DowDuPont is no Tyco-it needs restructuring, not resuscitation-so Breen is unlikely to deliver anything close to his past returns. Even so, the shares look likely to return a healthy 15% to 30% over the next year, including dividends.

Finish reading this article here.

missionMission Critical Fire Protection - Case of Mistaken Identity
10/11/17

By Robert O'Neill, P.E.
The Data Center Journal

The fourth part of this series explored the reasons why common fire-protection solutions for mission-critical facilities fall short of what's needed. These reasons are related to the uniqueness of the mission-critical industry, the unique risks it presents and the unique expectations. This industry has enabled productivity gains in business that were previously unimaginable, but it has also created the potential for unprecedented economic, political and social upheaval. Despite the high stakes that it introduces, development of fire-protection strategies for the systems that enable it hasn't necessarily been commensurate. This lag in the advancement of fire-protection design schemes presents a grave risk. It's setting the stage for loss events whose repercussions can shake corporations to their core. Such possibilities may seem remote, but even a cursory review of the major reported fires in mission-critical facilities in the last 10 years bears it out.

Click here to see the full article.

If you liked this, check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series!
 
pelletHow to Stop a Pellet Plant Explosion
A silo smouldering issue was safely put out at Pacific BioEnergy in Prince George, B.C. using nitrogen injection.
10/11/17

By Tamar Atik
Canidian Biomass

One single ounce of oxygen. That's all it would have taken for an explosion to have occurred at Pacific BioEnergy's Prince George, B.C. facility in August 2017.

It was Thursday, Aug. 24 when chairman and chief executive officer Don Steele found out that one of the wood pellet fuel company's silos began smoldering overnight.

Steele was hosting a group of seven guests who had flown from Nagoya, Japan for a tour of the facility.

"I advised them," he explained. "I said we could go up and have a look. We might even go on the property and they wouldn't see much. But, at that point in time we were evacuating," Steele said.

Read the fully story here.
 
serverServer Room Fires (India)
The fire at Jeevan Sudha building on Chowringhee is suspected to have started from the 17th floor server room in SBI' global market office.
10/20/17

By Subhro Maitra
The Times of India

KOLKATA: Server rooms that serve as communication and data storage hub in all modern offices have in recent times gained notoriety for becoming the seat of fire in several infernos in the city.

There are several factors that make server rooms vulnerable to fire, say fire experts. The foremost among them is the air-conditioning system that requires to function 24x7 servers that work round-the-clock to generate a lot of heat.

Read the rest of this article here.
 
Most Popular Stories from September 2017

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