Safety in Action: EHS Release Drill Recap at Colart Americas

At Colart Americas, safety isn’t just a priority—it’s a core part of our culture. On August 20, 2025, our team conducted a comprehensive EHS Release Drill at our Piscataway, NJ facility. The goal: to test our emergency response procedures in the event of a hazardous material release.

🧪 The Scenario

The simulated emergency involved multiple ruptured pallets of spray paint stored in our hazmat cage, releasing toxic fumes and vapors. Employees were instructed to evacuate the building, avoiding the affected area. (See picture of me below dressed as the ruptured Liquitex spay paint cans. There is a video as well, if you’d like me to send it your way!) 

⏱️ Drill Performance

• Start Time: 10:30 AM
• Total Evacuation Time: 7 minutes 30 seconds
  • Office cleared in 4m 15s
  • Distribution Center cleared in 5m 20s
• Participants: 77 employees (33 office, 44 DC)
• Visitors: 0 (Fire Marshall and Hazmat Unit were authorized participants)

This marks a 1 minute 30 second improvement over last year’s drill time of 9 minutes—proof that our safety protocols are becoming more efficient!

✅ What Went Well

• Evacuation maps, signage, and exits were all in excellent condition.
• The alarm system was clearly heard throughout the facility.
• Employees evacuated calmly and efficiently, assembling at designated muster points.
• All areas, including restrooms, were checked and cleared.
• The Fire Marshall and Middlesex Hazmat Unit praised our drill execution and the cleanliness of our hazmat cage.

🧠 Observations & Opportunities

While the drill was a success, we’re always looking to improve. Here are a few areas we’ll continue to focus on:

• Simulating containment measures in future drills to better prepare for aerosol spread scenarios.
• Visitor accountability protocols during drills, even when no external guests are present.
• Utility shutdown simulations to enhance realism and readiness.

📣 Building a Culture of Safety

Our commitment to safety starts with onboarding and continues through ongoing training, signage updates, and regular communication. These efforts ensure that every team member understands their role in an emergency and can respond confidently.

👏 Final Thoughts

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make this drill a success. Your dedication to safety helps protect our people, our facility, and our community. Let’s keep up the momentum and continue striving for excellence in everything we do.

Stay safe, stay prepared.

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At the end of July, the UK Mass team had the pleasure of visiting the Snazaroo site in Minehead for a day of learning, exploration, and connection. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by Marie, whose enthusiasm and dedication was evident from the offset and really set the tone for the day.

After being kitted out in a hi-vis and a hairnet (and a special beard net for Lewis), we were given a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how each of our Snazaroo products are created…from seeing the vats of raw components to watching the face paint sticks satisfyingly pop out of the machines and then watching products being efficiently packed up…it was a real insight into the meticulous production processes that ensure the high quality Snazaroo is known for. It was also lovely to catch up with Lucy. Her expertise and wealth of knowledge, combined with her genuine passion, made the day even more enriching for all of us.

The visit left us with plenty of food for thought. It sparked valuable conversations about how we can continue to strengthen our collaboration, working side by side to build the Snazaroo brand in the mass retail space. We discussed not only the exciting opportunities ahead but also the practical steps we need to take to get there. By the time we said our goodbyes, there was a shared sense of energy and purpose. We left Minehead feeling more connected to the team and the products, with renewed motivation to continue bringing the joy of Snazaroo to a broader mass retail audience.

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https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/power-of-making.html. sharing this report from Hobbycraft one of our customers. They partnered with the mental health charity mind to understand the power of crafting in relation to wellbeing.…

Busy ECRM show these past few days In Chicago. Paul and I were able to meet with various Mass Channel retailers of all sizes like Meijer SuperMarket to Lewis Drug Stores to Longs CVS Drug Store.  Gathered  some great insights on Mass! 

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Over the weekend, I listened to a fascinating podcast about Nike’s entry into the fitness technology market. Their goal was simple: to inspire more people to get into fitness. Once they had achieved massive consumer engagement, Nike made the bold decision to exit the \”hardware\” market and realign their focus on their strength—sportswear.

Why am I sharing this story? Because this morning, I was thrilled to see W&N’s initiative on our website: inspiring every artist!

Well I\’ve signed up and, looking at the employee engagement survey results for how many of us are engaged with art, I encourage many of you to to do so too!  But if that challenge is a little to far for you, then please share the initiative amongst your own networks.

Let\’s all connect to the creative spirit at the heart of what we do! 

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