American Time Blog

Daylight saving time changes were formally established in most of the U.S. in 1966, but they continue to be a hassle for maintenance teams, facility managers, IT staff and anyone else in charge of keeping a building running smoothly.

Here are some tips for preparing your clocks for DST and troubleshooting when things don’t go as planned.

In rare cases, you may have issues with clocks that are supposed to display precise time and synchronize with each other. If they start to drift or not keep the correct time, here are a few quick and easy ways to troubleshoot and keep them ticking on the right time.

How much time do you spend making coffee in the morning, making the bed, brushing your teeth – heck, how about putting on your socks? Wait, don't answer that question; it's best not to think about how many hours of your life are consumed with mundane tasks.

The reality is that while we pursue meaningful lives, so much of our days are used up by chores that we would automate if we could, freeing up more time for the things we actually care about. This translates to work, too.

For facility managers, there are few aspects of routine maintenance that can be put on autopilot, but adjusting the clocks is one of those. Here, we'll calculate just how much time you have to spend making sure your clocks are on pace, time that you could get back with a synchronized clock system.

Often in life, your decisions come down to two options. White or wheat toast. Grilled or fried chicken. Take the blue pill or the red pill — any Matrix fans out there?

You have a similar choice when choosing the display format for your facility’s synchronized time system — digital or analog.

While analog clocks have their place, there are times when digital is clearly the better choice. Here, we'll explore the advantages you'll enjoy with digital clocks and what you'll need to consider.

Clocks and protective guards go hand in hand. It's like buying a screen protector for your cellphone. Installing a synchronized time system is an investment that most organizations will expect to see a return on. The best way to ensure this is to buy guards to protect your clocks. This will make sure your organization always stays on time. 

There are two primary types of guards: metal and polycarbonate. Metal is the traditional wire guard with steel rods. Polycarbonate is a clear and hard material that can either cover the entire clock, or be open on the sides. Which ever one you choose, there are many situations where a protective guard is necessary. 

A student is called to the office but the PA system disrupts the entire school to make the announcement. A student has a medical emergency in a hallway but there’s no way to communicate with nearby classrooms. Instructions for fire, lockdown and tornado drills aren’t clear or specific to each area of a building.

No single emergency notification system can cover every scenario and communicate in every way possible, as explained in a recent survey and report by Campus Safety: “… several mass notification systems should be deployed so that the weaknesses of one solution can be compensated for by other so­lutions.” In fact, most K-12 and higher ed survey respondents use multiple systems to ensure that emergency communication is clear, redundant and reliable.

There's a reason you don't swat a fly with a sledge hammer. That kind of power would lay waste to more than just the fly.

The same mindset applies to electrical systems. Applying high voltage to a device that can't handle it, results in fried circuits and a potential fire hazard. That's why it's important to consider clock voltage when making a purchase for your facility, whether you're buying a few replacements or installing an entirely new synchronized time system.

Years ago, wired clocks were the standard, reliable method to keep synchronized time in schools and businesses. Today, those clocks are still manufactured, but there are also wireless options, utilizing 21st Century technology to transform timekeeping. So, which solution is best for your school or facilities?

In a recent informative report by Campus Safety, the importance of installing multiple emergency notification systems is loud and clear: Different systems fill in the inevitable gaps of any single technology; they ensure redundancy and clearer communications during a crisis; and multiple systems are needed to alert different audiences in an emergency, such as students, law enforcement, parents, neighbors, etc.

When every second matters, each person in your clinic or hospital needs to be on the same time. Whether tracking surgery time, coordinating patient care, keeping appointments on time or recording tasks, precise time throughout a building or campus is essential.