Yearly Archives: 2008

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

How Stressed Are You?

We all have to deal with a little stress, some of us, more than others.  Sometimes stress can be a good thing- it can enhance your productivity.  However, too much stress can create or worsen physical and emotional problems.  Try to manage your stress levels through a healthy lifestyle and simple tension-reducing activities.

See if this will help in your every day life:

  • Exercise regularly; aim for 30 minutes every day.
  • Eat right.  Protein-containing foods and those that contain Vitamins A, B, and C protect us from stress.
  • Develop a positive attitude.
  • Manage time efficiently.
  • Talk things out; don’t hold feelings in.
  • Understand that every crisis gives you an occasion to grow and learn.
  • Get sufficient sleep.
  • Have a support network of people you can count on for help.
  • Stretch away tension; there are stretching exercises that can be done at your desk.
General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

Watch Out For Snakes!

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This one gives us the shivers just thinking about it!  But there are many folks who work in snake territory, and probably already know what to do.  Here are just a few reminders to ensure your safety and facts you might not know:

Rattlesnake

  • A snake’s striking distance is about one-half the total length of the snake.
  • If bitten, note the color and shape of the snake’s head to assist with treatment.
  • Wear boots at least 10” high.
  • Snakes enjoy sunning on fallen trees, limbs or other debris.
  • Be careful where you place your hands and feet when removing debris.  Wear heavy gloves.
  • If you see a snake, step back and let it go on by.
  • Bite victims should be kept still and calm to slow the spread of venom.
  • Apply first aid: lay the person down so the bite is below the level of the heart, and cover bite with a clean, dry dressing.  Never cut the wound or attempt to suck out the venom.

In the state of Texas, there are four venomous snakes: copperhead, cottonmouth (water moccasin), coral, and rattlesnake.  It is wise to be familiar with the types of snakes that inhabit your part of the world, in order to be prepared.

Many folks feel “the only good snake is a dead one”, but remember, snakes play an important part in the balance of nature.

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

Are You Prepared For Accidental Injuries?

First Aid Kit

People can get hurt at home, on the job, in the car, at the park, or anywhere.

Do you have the proper materials to stop a serious bleed?

Do you have the right thing to give a person who has been stung by a bee or wasp?

What do you do if someone gets a foreign object in their eye?

If you don’t have the answer to these questions then you probably need to get a good first aid kit. First aid kits today contain a variety of different items for all types of injuries. Many of the larger kits will contain CPR masks, eye wash, instant cold packs, as well as large gauze pads for deep cuts in addition to the basic creams and bandages.

There are even smaller bag-type first aid kits that can easily be kept on the handles of a bicycle for the average tumble.

In a car accident, one of the most common causes of death is anoxia, which is the lack of oxygen supply. If you have a proper first aid kit with an instruction booklet on how to use the CPR equipment, you can save lives.

Whether you are in an area prone to earthquakes or tornados, first aid kits are essential for every walk of life and for every location in the world.

General Safety Issues, Weather Protection

To tan, or Not to tan?

Most Americans believe they can start their summer tan a little faster by going to tanning beds.  Most don’t realize that without the proper protection, those tanning beds can cause serious burns not only to the skin, but to the eyes.

Research shows that UV radiation levels of a tanning bed are 100 times that of the natural sun.  The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requires tanning facilities to furnish clean, UV-blocking goggles to all consumers.  Without these protective eye goggles, the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians warns that using a tanning bed without protective goggles is the “equivalent to staring at the sun.”

A few tips:

  • Request goggles when using tanning beds;
  • Use proper skin care.
  • And, when outdoors, wear ultra-violet absorbing eyewear, which provides the greatest measure of UV protection.

Source: Prevent Blindness America

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

How Do You Communicate Safety Issues To Your Employees?

Posters play a vital role in serving as safety and health reminders in the workplace.  There is a  huge variety of posters, and it’s easy to find the ones that fit your special type of operation.  Some posters are mandated, such as Federal and State OSHA health and safety posters.  Information on employer obligations and employee rights pertaining to health and safety should also be displayed.

PPE Poster

Tips for successful posters:

  • Choose safety posters that employees will notice.  Often employees will overlook standard safety posters.
  • Keep information updated regularly with current data and ideas on how to keep the workplace safe.
  • Switch posters around in different locations in order for more employees to view them.
  • Health information is important.  For those who do strenuous types of work, choose posters that help avoid physical discomfort.  For those who work in offices with little physical activity, posters with information on healthy eating, posture, and exercise can be helpful.
  • Select posters that are specific to your particular type of industry.
  • Consider purchasing frames to make the posters look more professional and last longer.
General Safety Issues, Hearing Protection

WORK RELATED HEARING LOSS

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), work-related hearing loss continues to be a serious workplace issue for safety and health.  Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable, but once it happens, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.  Employers and workers must take precautions to protect workers’ hearing.
One of the most common occupational diseases is hearing loss.  High numbers of exposed workers in the following industries include:

  • Military
  • Mining
  • Agriculture
  • Transportation
  • Construction
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing

The most effective way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss is through controls, such as building an acoustic barrier or muffler in the workplace.  Earplugs and earmuffs should be used when a safe level of noise cannot be attained otherwise.
This is not a new danger; it has always been a threat.  Repeated exposures to loud noise can cause permanent, incurable hearing loss or tinnitus, (buzzing, ringing, or other sounds in ear caused by defect or damage to the auditory nerve).  Employers need to provide hearing protectors in situations where dangerous exposures are not eliminated.
Worker education, along with employers’ assessments of noise situations, need to be consistently enforced.

Source: NIOSH
Gateway Safety

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Weather Protection

UV (LIGHT) RADIATION

Whether at work or play, as summer heats up, it’s important to know this information regarding the damage that Ultraviolet waves can do to our vision. 

According to sources listed below,
Ultraviolet (UV) is the invisible band of radiation with a wavelength shorter than visible light and longer than x-rays.  Between 400 nanometers (nm) and x-rays at 4 nm and below.  Listed are their three regions:

  • UV-A: (400-315 nm), Near UV
  • UV-B: (315-280 nm), Mid UV
  • UV-C:  (280-100 nm), Far UV

Long- term exposure to ultraviolet radiation can damage eyes, and can lead to such disorders as cataracts and macular degeneration.   UV-blocking eye protection should be worn when people are exposed to the sun reflecting on water, sand, asphalt, and snow.  Many individuals are not aware of the dangers that contact with UV rays pose.  Everyone should wear eyewear blocking 99% of UVA and UVB rays, and a brimmed hat.   According to Prevent Blindness America, children are also at risk for eye damage from exposure to UV radiation.   They should wear the same UV-blocking eyewear for outdoor play, especially between 10 am and 3 pm, when UV rays are the most intense.

Be sure when you are shopping for sunglasses that the lenses absorb at least 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays.  Avoid labels that state “Provides UV Protection”, but do not distinguish the proportion of UV rays it blocks.  Carefully select the type of eye protection that best fits your needs such as polarized safety eyewear, wraparounds, vented sunglasses, etc.

Source: Gatewaysafety.com
SafetyNets, Un.California, Davis
Prevent Blindness America

Head Protection, Uncategorized

CHAINSAW SAFETY

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For workers involved in tree removal, logging, or trimming trees at home, the chainsaw can be one of the most effective and productive tools used; however, it can also be one of the most dangerous.
Employers must train their workers to safely perform hazardous tasks through work practices on controlling such hazards.  They need to know how to safely operate, use and maintain tools and machines that they utilize daily.

Personal Protective Equipment is also needed to ensure safety while using chainsaws:

  • Helmet/ Hardhat
  • Faceguard/ Safety Glasses, Goggles
  • Earplugs, Earmuffs
  • Leg protection
  • Safety Boots
Home Safety Products, Uncategorized, Weather Protection

SUMMERTIME AND THE SUN

Maybe because it’s so hot, we just can’t seem to say enough to warn everyone about the harmful effects of the sun!  Too many Americans don’t protect themselves from the sun’s damaging rays, according to the Center for Disease Control, (1998), even though they are aware that the burns from the sun increase their risk of skin cancer.

Many people who have been diagnosed with basal cell cancer, squamos cell cancer or melanoma, have been told by their dermatologists that sunburn during their childhood is likely a major factor that may have caused their problem as adults.  Children must be protected from sunburn, beginning at an early age.

The American Academy of Dermatology has established the Shadow Rule: No Shadow – SEEK SHADE.  If your shade is shorter than you are, the sun is at its highest intensity.

For those who must work or play outdoors, wear wide brim hats, hard hats w/sunshields, sunglasses, long sleeves, and use sunscreen that has a minimum of 15 SPF.  Reflective surfaces such as water and sand can add to the burning effects of the sun.  So play it safe, stay out of the sun as much as possible.  (And hope for an early Fall!)

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Safety, Uncategorized

Working with Power Tools?

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When using power tools, the proper personal protective equipment should always be worn.

These tools are classified by their source of power: electric, pneumatic, liquid fuel, hydraulic and powder-actuated.
Safety tips when using the types of tools listed are:

  • Electric – Electric shock is the most hazardous threat, and proper grounding is extremely important. Wear gloves and safety footwear when using electric tools.
  • Pneumatic – Powered by compressed air, i.e., drills, hammers, sanders, require that eye, head and face protection be used.   When operating jackhammers, safety glasses, shoes, face shields and hearing protection from noise are necessary.
  • Liquid Fuel – Usually powered by gasoline, which sometimes creates vapors that can explode or burn.  If using this type of equipment in inside areas, respirators should be worn.
  • Powder-Actuated – These tools operate like a loaded gun, and should be operated only by specially trained persons.  Face, ear and eye protection need to be worn.
  • Hydraulic – Fire-resistant fluids must be used to run this equipment, with the exception of insulated sections of derrick trucks, aerial lifts and tools used on or around energized lines.  Jacks, lever and ratchet jacks, screw jacks and hydraulic jacks should be properly inspected before use and immediately after.  Appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn.