Yearly Archives: 2011

General Safety Issues

MANEUVERING THROUGH HIGHWAY WORK ZONES

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Drivers often get frustrated when they approach a highway work zone, especially with the warning that “fines are doubled in a work zone.”  The leading cause of highway construction worker injuries and fatalities is contact with construction vehicles, objects, and equipment.  Through a number of good practices, these injuries and deaths can be preventable. 

More roadwork is being done as our highway infrastructure ages, and many transportation agencies are focusing on rebuilding and improving existing roadways.  Therefore, more roadwork is performed on roads that are open to traffic.  Traffic continues to grow and create more congestion, especially in urban areas.  Some urban areas are doing more night work in order to avoid major lines of traffic during peak travel periods.  With more work done alongside increasingly heavier traffic and greater use of night work, increased safety considerations should be given to highway workers.  They are doing their job in order to make your highways safer and better.  Two regulations and resources on good practices that can help workers perform their jobs safely are: 

  • MUTCD Part 6, Section 6D.03:  Requires the use of high-visibility safety apparel by workers who are working within the rights-of-way of Federal-aid highways.
  • High Visibility Standard: Provides a guide for the design, performance specifications, and use of high-visibility and reflective apparel including vests, jackets, bib-jumpsuit coveralls, trousers, and harnesses. 

Roadway maintenance activities occur close to traffic, which creates a potentially dangerous environment for workers, drivers, and incident responders.  In many cases, a Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) Zone will be needed to protect both workers and incident responders, as well as to allow for the safe movement of road users through or around these zones. 

All workers who are involved with planning, installation, maintenance, and removal of a TTC Zone should have the appropriate safety and TTC Training.  Drivers should be given adequate advance warning about the upcoming work zone to all road users by using the appropriate traffic control devices, such as cones or signs.  Highway workers do not want to interfere with traffic; however, it is up to drivers to slow down, relax, and pay attention.  The “double your traffic fine in work zones” should get your attention. 

Mobile work moves intermittently or continuously.  The same devices and vehicles apply to mobile work can be used for short duration operations.  Examples of mobile work include:  pavement marking installation; pavement sweeping; mowing in the highway right-of-way; and snow removal.  Law enforcement officers and first responders may be involved in assisting persons involved in accidents; drivers should stop if necessary or get out of their way if possible.  All persons working on or around work zones should be given the courtesy of working safely.  Drivers should watch for temporary signs, lights, or other warning devices and begin to slow down in plenty of time. 

Let’s keep our highways safe, for ourselves, and for the men and women who work to keep them safe for everyone.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEMONS

You know the old saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”  There may be more truth to that than we realize.  Recently, I was sent some information on the health benefits of lemons.  Those beautiful yellow fruits may be little “cure-alls.”  At least, I may give it a try.  

Of course, we know that lemons are a great source of Vitamin C, which helps fight infection and heal wounds.  They also bolster the immune system with their absorbic acid.  Mix some lemon juice with water and taken regularly in the morning, it serves as a tonic to the liver by stimulating the production of bile in order to digest the day’s food.  Some theories about lemons are that they help dissolve gallstones, relieve symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis, sore throat and act as a diuretic to help clear up urinary tract infections.  Eating lemons are healthier than oranges.  Lemons will clean all your intestines, which oranges don’t. 

It’s always pleasing to drink a glass of fresh lemonade; however, you can eat them raw, and add a little sugar to cut the tartness.  Lemons will damage tooth enamel, so remember whether you drink the juice or eat one, brush teeth afterward to remove juice from your teeth.  From the Institute of Health Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland: Lemon (citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells.  It is stronger than chemotherapy.  Lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease.  It has a pleasant taste.  You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc.  It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors.  Some physicians say it is very useful in all variants of cancer.  Other health claims about lemons are that they are effective against internal parasites, regulate high blood pressure and even serve as an antidepressant, combating stress and nervous disorders.  The source of this information comes, ironically,  from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world. 

Another health idea: lemon balm: used to reduce fevers, coughs, colds, hay fever, dizziness, headaches, high blood pressure.  It also seems to calm anxieties and supposedly helps memory storage and recall. Here is the recipe for lemon balm from ehow.com:

Things You’ll Need

  • 8 oz. lemon balm infused oil
  • 1 oz. grated beeswax
  • Double boiler
  • 8-10 drops tincture of benzoin
  • 8 oz. low tub or jar with lid
  • Labels
  • Combine the lemon balm infused oil with the grated beeswax in the top portion of a double boiler. Fill the bottom of the double boiler about halfway with warm water. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the beeswax is melted.
  • Insert a metal spoon into the mixture and quickly pull it out. Allow the salve to harden on the spoon and then test the consistency. If using the salve on an open wound, a softer consistency is recommended. 
  • Add 1/4 oz. more beeswax if the salve is too soft, or 1/4 oz. more oil if it is too hard. Heat the mixture again and re-test. Continue this process until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and add eight to 10 drops of tincture of benzoin. This substance acts as a preservative and keeps the lemon balm salve fresh for a longer period of time. Stir well to combine. 
  • Pour the salve into a tub or jar. Allow it to stand uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, at which time it should be completely set. Label the jar with the contents and store in a cool, dry place for up to one year. 

We are not making any health claims, only passing on this information, so you can make the decision to try it or not.  I know I could throw away lots of pills if it worked for me.  It certainly seems that it would be worth trying.   So, sit down, relax, and sip on that glass of lemonade.

 

 

 

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

SCISSOR LIFTS SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH CARE!

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OSHA describes scissory lifts as machines that are “movable scaffolds.”  They can lift large, heavy loads that are well balanced, as well as employees, and are capable of moving them safely to and from high elevations.  There are several different safety requirements that apply to the maintenance and use of scissor lifts, because they are classified as heavy equipment. 

OSHA issued a hazard alert about the dangers of using scissor lifts to film events and functions.  These machines are commonly used to film events and functions of colleges and high schools, such as athletic and band activities.  High winds or bad weather; overloading the equipment with heavy objects; removing the guardrails during operations; and driving the lift on eneven or unstable gound can cause devestating accidents.  The alert recommends precautions to reduce the risk of these hazards. 

A 20-year old University of Notre Dame student employee was killed during a football practice while filming the football team from a scissor lift that was blown over by high winds.  The worker raised the lift more than 39 feet into the air on a day in which winds exceeded 50 miles per hour.  After investigating the incident, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the university $77,500, and cited it with the most serious safety violation allowable under Indiana law.  It was reported that the student employee was not trained well enough to properly operate the equipment.  Hazards can be further reduced by training workers on how to operate scissor lifts properly, making sure that the scissor lift has a guardrail system for fall protection, and operating and maintaining the lift according to the recommendations of the manufacturer.

Employers can minimize scissor lift hazards by establishing safe work practices, including inspecting them before use; safely moving, positioning, and stabilizing the lift; selecting safe work locations; and identifying weather conditions that might delay use.  Other key safety practices include putting the scissor lift on a firm level surface, setting brakes and stabilizing the lift before raising it, and maintaining a 10′ clearance from electrical power sources and overhead hazards such as tree branches. 

Although scissor lifts are not enclosed, they are required to obey the same safety standards as scaffolding to ensure that employees do not fall from the lift while in use.  Guard rails should be placed around the perimeter of the lift, slip guards, and a lock must be engaged on the entrance to the lift platform while the lift is in use.  It should also be designed with an emergency stop button, both on the lift platform and with controls at the bottom of the lift.  This will allow either the worker on the platform or the lift operator to stop the lift in case of an emergency.  There should also be emergency brakes on the wheels.

There is more guidance on the hazards and requirements for using scissor lifts on OSHA ‘s Scaffolding eTool and Safety and Health Topics page on Scaffolding.

Source: OSHA; eHow.com

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

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE

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OSHA recently issued the Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry.  This is a directive that provides enforcement personnel with instructions for determining whether employers have complied with OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE) standards.  The directive was effective February 10, 2011.  Replacing Inspection Guidelines for 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, the revised PPE Standards for General Industry which were issued in June, 1995, the updated standards include clarifying what type of PPE employers must provide at no cost to workers, and when employers are required to pay for PPE.  It also provides guidance that lets employers use PPE that meets current consensus standards and updates PPE enforcement policies based on court and review commission standards. 

These standards require employers to provide – at no cost to workers – protective equipment, such as goggles and face shields that fit properly without restricting vision; earplugs and earmuffs when they will reduce noise to acceptable levels, and are less costly than administrative and engineering controls; and respirators to protect workers from exposure to air contaminants.  The directive lists PPE and other items exempted from the employer payment requirements and includes questions and answers useful in clarifying PPE payments concerns.  The guidance can be downloaded as a pdf by visiting OSHA’s Safety and Health Topics page on PPE.  

Workers are not always compliant.

Many companies have a problem with workers wearing the PPE that is furnished to them.  In a 2010 survey of safety professionals attending the American Society of Safety Engineers annual conference, an exceedingly high 98 per cent of respondents said they had observed workers not wearing safety equipment when they should have been.  Even worse, 30 per cent of these respondents said this had happened on several occasions.  All survey respondents reported that workers’ compliance with PPE protocols was cited as the top workplace safety issue.  These findings reflect the fact that safety decisions relating to PPE use are not just made at the management level.  Individual workers make decisions on a daily basis to whether to follow PPE wearing protocols or not.  

Most of the reasons for PPE noncompliance were different; however, the biggest complaint was that is was uncomfortable, selected by 40 per cent of respondents, in addition to:

  • Not available near the work task;
  • Poor fit;
  • Too hot;
  • Unattractive looking. 

No matter the reason for not complying with the safety policies of wearing PPE, there must be things leaders can do to encourage compliance.  Some of the ideas are: purchasing more comfortable PPE; increased monitoring of employees; incorporating compliance to individual performance evaluations; buying more stylish PPE; and developing incentive programs to encourage greater PPE compliance. 

One of the complaints was that PPE was  not always available near the work task.  There are many products that make it very convenient for the employee – hardhats that have slots to accommodate hearing protection, winter liners, neck protection, and even a pencil holder.  Glove Guards are easily hooked onto the belt loop to keep gloves ready for use.  So this is simply a matter of looking into the detailed features of some ppe products, and seeing exactly what they provide.

Personal protective equipment products have come a long way to ensure comfort and looks.  Polarized safety glasses are as stylish as those one would pay several times more in an optical store.  Gloves are made in all styles for men, and also designed to fit the smaller hands of women –  and are available in pink!  Team and patriotic hardhats ensure compliance for those workers who enjoy showing team support.  Those who make the choices on what’s right for their employees should shop around and see just what all is available for workers to help them feel good about their PPE, as well as knowing it will help keep them safe (when worn). 

Source: Kimberly Clark Professional

General Safety Issues

HELPFUL PROJECTS TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME

This may cause you to smile, because there are many folks who feel that they don’t have any spare time.  But some of the things we are going to mention will save you time in the long run.  The weekend might be a good time to start, so let’s get going! 

How many times do you get a bill from a clinic, doctor, or hospital and you just lay it aside for a while?  Do you think, “I don’t remember seeing Dr. X on that particular day”, or “I didn’t have that test”?  Don’t pay that bill until you have received your Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company.  If you are on Medicare, you will get an EOB from them, and then one from your supplemental insurance.  I started a folder for each of us, my husband and me, and keep them separate, with the date of our doctor visit and the reason we went.  Then, when the bill arrives, I can compare it to their charges.  Once I receive the EOB’s from the supplemental insurance company,  I know for sure what I really owe. 

Experts estimate $100 billion is lost to health care fraud in the United States each year.  Patients and consumers feel these losses in the form of higher health care costs.  If you are billed for services or equipment you didn’t get, and you need that item or service later, your claim could be denied on the basis you’ve already received it.  This is a very important reason you should scrutinize your bill.  If a provider files a suspicious claim on your policy, it can mean a number of things, including a billing error, a fraudulently filed claim, or possible identity theft. 

Keep your medical folder or diary current, as it’s easy to forget when we went to the doctor, especially if we aren’t feeling well that day.  This has worked for me, and is like putting a puzzle together once all the explanations of benefits have come in.  Don’t pay the bill up front, as many times that is duplicating payment – you go ahead and pay it, then your insurance pays it, and it will be much harder for you to get a refund for overpayment. 

Another kind of record-keeping that might make your life easier is one that helps you keep track of a certain goal you are trying to reach – whether it is quitting smoking, exercising more, or managing a health condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure.  I remember as a kid, I loved to write in a diary every day.  If you are trying to lose weight, keeping a food diary is helpful.  A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found people who kept a daily food diary for six months lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records.  There are even electronic tools that come preloaded with information, such as foods’ fat and calorie content; these may become more accurate.  But a paper and pencil diary is inexpensive and easy to set up.  The main thing is to check in with your diary often.  Write down the food you eat right after the meal, so you don’t forget.  A study in the journal Contemporary Clinical Trials reported people who recorded what they ate within 15 minutes of their meal lost the most weight. 

There are probably several goals you have set for yourself rather than losing weight, or keeping up with health costs.  It may be handling stress at work.  When our inner thoughts stay hidden in our minds, frustration builds up, and we don’t know how to overcome this.  Document things that you feel are causing this stress.  Seeing it in writing will reveal how you are dealing with it.  Just taking the time to write your feelings down may be as successful as talking it out with another person.  Try the diary approach and see if it will help. 

Keeping records at home are as important as any records you are responsible for in your line of work.  See if keeping a diary will help you be successful in reaching your goals.  Have a great week-end, and a safe one!

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

LET’S KEEP OUR HEARTS HEALTHY!

We all need little reminders that our hearts must be healthy in order to keep us going.  Every day stress, at work or home, can add to health problems.  If we keep in mind the numbers everyone should know, such as goals for heart health, hopefully, we can continue working and being productive.  After retirement, we also want to be healthy enough to enjoy other activities, or part-time work. 

It is important that you know your numbers, and these are important ones:

  •          120/80 or under is normal blood pressure for adults.
  •          Less than 200 mg/dl is a desirable cholesterol level.
  •         Less than 100 mg/dl is an optimal level of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.
  •         More than 40 mg/dl is a desirable level of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol for men; women’s should be at least 50.
  •         Less than 150 mg/dl is a desirable level of triglycerides.  This blood fat, like LDL, can make your arteries harden or narrow.
  •         Between 18.5 and 24.9 is a normal body mass index (BMI).  A higher BMI can increase your risk for heart disease.
  •         Less than 35 inches for women, and less than 40 inches for men, is the best waist size.  Too much fat around the waist increases heart disease risk.      To  measure your waist, put a tape measure around your midsection, just above your hips, and breathe out.
  •          Zero is your ideal exposure to tobacco, including secondhand smoke.
  •          At least 30 minutes most days is how much to exercise.  Regular exercise can lower your resting heart rate.  According to a recent study in American Heart Journal, a resting heart rate higher than 90 doubled the risk for heart disease.

If you don’t know how much your body mass index is, here are some explanations on how to figure it.  First, you can use a free body mass calculator online, or if you prefer, we have some instructions on how to do it yourself.

Established by the federal government as a standard to determine obesity, Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. A Body Mass Index between 18.5 and 25 is ideal. People with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are overweight and a BMI greater than 30 indicates obesity. Being overweight increases the chances of serious health risks like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. But Body Mass Index is not a foolproof measurement. Though muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, BMI calculation doesn’t recognize the difference between muscle and fat; an aggravating footnote for people who spend a lot of time at the gym. For those who lead more sedentary lives however, BMI can be a useful first indicator of general fitness.

Use Discovery Health’s free BMI calculator to find out what your body mass index is. Simply put in your height and weight, and let Discovery Health’s free BMI calculator work for you.

Here are instructions in case you prefer to figure your BMI yourself:

         First you will need to know what your height is in inches. This is quite simple, just take your height and multiply it by 12 and add the inches. For example if your 6’2”, take 6 feet times 12, which is 72. Then add the 2 extra inches, which is 74 inches. Simple enough. Write this number down.

         Next in figuring your BMI, you will need to know your weight in pounds. This can be done on any scale measured in pounds. Write this number down.

         Now we are ready to calculate. Take your height and multiply it by itself. So in the previous example, just multiply 74 x 74, which is 5476. Now multiply that result by 703. This number is fixed. It’s always the same when calculating BMI. Continuing with our example, we take 5476 x 703, which equals 3849628.

         Then, divide your weight by that result. So say the weight in pounds is 180. We take 180 / 3849628, which equals 4.6 lbs. So in this example, the person who is 6’2” and 180 lbs is overweight by 4.6 lbs. This is how you figure Body Mass Index.

Let’s make a pact to take better care of ourselves and keep those hearts ticking!

Source: CDCP; American Heart Association; Strive; eHow.com/health; Discovery Health.

General Safety Issues

A UNIQUE WAY TO KEEP YOUR “WANDERING” CHILDREN SAFE

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If anyone has ever lost his/her child in a mall, amusement park, or even the grocery store, it’s a terrible experience!  They can disappear in the blink of an eye.  When our son was four years old, a group of us had gone to Six Flags over Texas.  He had moved up to watch a “Texas Shootout”, and when the crown dispersed, he just left with the flow of the crowd.  Even though we thought we could see where he was, it’s amazing how fast that happened.  We frantically searched for him, and were directed by a security guard to a building called, “Lost Parents”.  There he was,  his eyes as big as saucers, as he sat there waiting.  We were very lucky.  My main concern was that he would fall into one of the many water areas; had it been now, I would have worried more about child predators.  

Now, parents have several options to help them keep up with and find their children.  Michele Welsh, a mother of three invented a temporary tattoo that does the talking for them – Safety Tat.  She created these tattoos for peace of mind, and to aid in help in locating them when they disappear before your very eyes.  You can write your cell number and any other information on them; or customize them.  They go on and off easily, and last about two weeks.  Another great feature is that there are temporary tats for children with allergies, or other health problems that other adults should know about. 

We want to share some lost child stats and facts from Family Safety Expert, Alyssa Dver, Founder of the Center to Prevent Lost Children:

  • Over 2,000 U.S. kids get lost each day.
  • Less than 10% are reported to any authority.
  • 90% of families will experience losing a child in a public place.  20% have lost a child more than once.
  • Parents rank losing a child 5 times more concerning to them than terrorism and 3 times more concerning than abduction.
  • Kids get lost more often, (45%)  in malls and stores.
  • 27% of families that visit an amusement park lose a child while they are there.  That’s almost 1 in 3!
  • Only 9% of parents put some form of safe ID on their children.
  • 76% of parents want to know what to do to prevent a child from getting lost.
  • 95% of lost children will forever remember the trauma of getting lost. 

Here are five ways Parents Magazine gives you some safety tips when taking your kids to theme parks: 

  1. Have a game plan.  Talk to your family about what to do if someone gets lost: Stay put, or find a park worker or another mom with kids.  Plan this before you go.
  2. Bring a family photo.  Take one with your cell phone the day of the trip.  This makes it easier for security to find your child.  Take digital snaps of each of your kids right before you leave, so everyone knows what they are wearing.
  3. Tattoo your child!
  4. Check the map first.  Start the day off by locating the park’s information centers so you can point them out to your children or get to them quickly in case of an emergency.  Also, look for the first-aid and baby-care centers.
  5. Be stroller-savvy.  Put something that will distinguish yours from all the others, like tying a balloon or a bright ribbon on it.  This is especially important if you rent one at the park, as they are all identical. 

Also, you have probably noticed groups wearing identical T-shirts, usually customized with a particular logo.  This is another helpful way to spot your group.  FYI: these tattoos are regulated by the FDA and comply with FDA guidelines.  Temporary tattoos offer a good solution to identifying your child, should he/she become lost in a large setting.  It seems this would be perfect for airports, parks, field trips, malls, or even the first day of school, especially for those children who have allergies or other health issues. 

Source: SafetyTat, My Precious Kid

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Hearing Protection

WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, WHY NOT JUST GO BY THE RULES?

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Not long ago, we talked about keeping protective guards around machinery to keep employees from amputations or other injuries.  In OSHA’s “Quicktakes” for the month of July, it is amazing the amount of money that companies pay for severe violations.  It seems money spent on safety would be more cost-effective, as well as keeping employees safe. 

OSHA fined a stamping products company $426,100, and cited the company for 27 safety and health violations, including one willful violation for failing to report two amputation injuries that occurred at the company’s metal stamping plant in Cleveland.  While operating mechanical power presses in the plant before OSHA’s January inspection, two employees had fingers severed and crushed.  The company was cited for a total of nine willful safety violations, which included failing to train press operators in safe work methods and failing to ensure the flywheel on the mechanical power presses were adequately guarded.  

A willful health violation is one that is committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.  The above company received one willful health violation for the lack of proper chemical hazard communication and training, in addition to twelve serious safety violations.  Those include failing to perform a required workplace hazard assessment, ensure employees had appropriate eye protection, train employees in the use of portable fire extinguishers, conduct performance evaluations for employees who operate powered industrial trucks (fork lifts), complete annual crane inspections, ensure proper machine guarding on the shear, spot welding machines, and mechanical press, and establish die-setting procedures.  They also had four serious safety violations including exposing employees to excessive noise, having improperly stored compressed gas cylinders and allowing various electrical safety hazards.  They have been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.  This mandates targeted follow-up evaluations to ensure compliance with the law. 

A second company was fined $214,830 by OSHA, and cited the company with four safety violations, after two workers suffered amputation injuries at the company’s metal stamping facility.  The company willfully disregarded the law’s requirements by failing to lock out/tag out hazardous energy sources prior to performing maintenance operations and to have point-of-operation guarding on two press brakes that caused the worker amputations in two separate incidents.  They were also cited with a serious violation for failing to use safety blocks when dies were being adjusted and repaired.  Before this inspection, the company had been cited by OSHA for 47 violations since 1988.  They have also been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. 

Workers have the right to go to work and expect to return home intact.  When companies show a blatant disregard for the safety of their workers, they are shirking their responsibility to those who come to perform a job without being in danger.  Hopefully, by being placed in this enforcement program with regular inspections, they will wake up and start paying attention to safety, rather than fines.

OSHA “Quicktakes”

 

General Safety Issues

THANKS TO “SAFETY” IN MY LIFE!

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Today is my birthday, and no, I won’t say how many years, but I’m ‘way past 39 and holding!  I have been blessed with a wonderful husband, family, and friends.  Healthy grown children with wonderful spouses, and healthy grandchildren,  what more could one hope for? My current job has opened up a new world to me.  In the past, I worked as an office manager in an oilfield construction company for almost twenty years.  There were so many safety elements involved in that company that little did I realize how many things I was learning that have helped me in my job today.

We were fortunate to be able to come back to the little town where we both grew up about 15 years ago, when the oilfield slowed down.  I worked as a clerk in a Special Ed Co-op for five years; there are many life lessons to be learned in that field, and the professionals who serve special needs children are angels, in my book.  Following that, I served as an Administrative Assistant at our local hospital, and later in a new hospital that merged ours and another one in the county, making our county the first in Texas to dissolve their hospital districts and combine into one new hospital district.  You can really learn first-hand about safety when working in a hospital.  A hospital is a unique type of world to work in, and one can only understand if they have done so.  Nursing and physician care, confidentiality, infection control, and compliance are just some of the important parts of daily service to ensure the best care possible for patients. 

A few years ago, my brother-in-law asked me if I would be interested in doing some part-time work for his company, Texas America Safety Company, as a sales representative and public relations person.  Later, a free safety blog was developed, Blog4Safety.com, and I was asked to write blogs about home safety, work safety, and even safety in activities.  It’s said, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, but I learn new things every day.   I know my family gets tired of my safety advice.  A couple of dear friends are kind enough to critique the articles sometimes.  

Today’s article is short and sweet, but I just want you to know that as I celebrate my birthday, I am thankful for my family, thankful for the wonderful people I work with, (our dog, Buddy, of course), as well as good friends.  Also, thanks to you who take the time to read our blog.  Hopefully we can bring out some information that will help keep you safe.  We have received comments from all over the world since this blog started, and it is good to know that everyone is concerned with what they can do to help make the world a safer place.  Let’s work together and share ideas.  Thank you for your time and interest in our safety suggestions.  And please stay safe!