Monthly Archives: May 2012

General Safety Issues

NAOSH WEEK – MAY 6 – 12, 2012

NORTH AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WEEK – May 6 – 12, 2012 

NAOSH (North American Occupational Safety and Health )Week occurs every year during the first full week of May to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment and safety, as well as health and engineering professions.  The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) joined with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and partners in Mexico to promote awareness in North America during NAOSH Week. This is one tool the almost 100-year-old ASSE and its 32,000 SH&E members use throughout the year to promote occupational safety, aimed at preventing injuries and illnesses. Several organizations representing thousands of businesses have partnered with ASSE and CSSE to support NAOSH Week, including U.S. federal agencies such as the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

NAOSH Week began in 1997.  Canada originally began observing Occupational Safety and Health Week in 1986.  During the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) talks in 1997, the representative from Canada suggested that Mexico and the United States become involved in a similar endeavor.  Hence, this continent-wide event got its start. 

Each year ASSE urges everyone to get involved in NAOSH Week in order to better educate the public about the positive benefits a safe workplace provides not only for workers, but for their families, friends, businesses, local communities and the global community 

Wednesday, Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Day is observed.  This began in 2007, with the goal of honoring occupational safety, health and environmental professionals who have dedicated their lives to protecting people, property and the environment.  

Occupational Safety and Health Professionals are dedicated to focus, reinforce and strengthen workforces to concentrate on staying safe and healthy on the job.  Among their many requirements are teaching things such as:

  • Team building and commitment.
  • Establishing safety committees.
  • Creating a safety-minded culture.
  • Improving attitudes toward safety.
  • Increase cooperation among workers.
  • Further understanding of the benefits of working safely and remaining healthy.
  • Reduce workplace injuries and illness.
  • Catastrophe awareness and preparedness.
  • Proper ergonomics in the workplace.
  • Fleet safety classes.
  • Preventing roadway crashes.
  • Mining safety.
  • Transportation safety. 

Safety Professionals encourage safety committees to ensure that company employees are properly trained and aware of the hazards presented in their particular job duties.  One very important piece of the safety puzzle is seeing that workers have the correct type of P.P.E. (Personal Protective Equipment).  Whatever P.P.E. is required, i.e., hardhats, ANSI safety glasses, gloves, fall arrest systems, etc., should fit correctly and always used when on the job.  Employees should understand the importance of taking care of their protective equipment and know when it should be replaced.

There are many ways of working safely and not taking chances.  We must endeavor to stay safe at work and on the job.  This is a good time to encourage new safety and health activities during NAOSH week, and thank the professionals that encourage safety. 

 

Source: NAOSH.org; Canadian Society of Safety Engineers

 

General Safety Issues

Shut That Fire Door! Get Your Office Complying with Fire Regulations without Raising Your Voice

No one wants to be the office mother but enforcing health and safety rules, particularly ones that seem a little harder to understand the reasons behind, can take some epic nagging.

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Offices are prone to poor air flow and when summer approaches it’s all the more tempting to prop open the fire door to get a cool breeze flowing through but I’m sure anyone that cheekily wedge it open will have gotten an ear full of it by their HR manager, without really understanding the reason. This is because leaving a fire door wedged open is a direct violation of the health and safety regulations in the UK. Many other countries also have similar fire safety regulations.
Fire doors are installed to prevent a fire from rapidly spreading. By containing the fire gives a better chance for employees to escape unharmed and limit the damage to the commercial building
Not all doors are fire doors, as the must be certified, but they are required when:
·A door leads to a stairwell exit
·A door leads to a hazardous area, such as cleaning supply room holding flammable cleaning products.
·A door opens onto a hallway or from one fully enclosed room to another
Whilst it’s clear that fire doors help to save lives and minimise damage they can be a nuisance. Fire doors can be a particular nuisance when you have lots of employees moving around the building. Or try pulling open three fire doors with a tray of tea and coffees!  This is why many companies turn a blind eye to the practice of wedging a door open on a hot day believing that there is little chance of a fire actually occurring but in the UK figures show that in 2007 31,000 fires were reported in buildings other than dwellings. This also includes private gardens and sheds but they only account for 22% of the reported fires.
If you hate enforcing the rules, particularly when you too like having the door open, there are options available that allow you to keep your cool image and have the fire door legally open. A <a href=”http://www.firecoltd.com/Fire/dorgard.aspx”>fire door guard</a> or fire door retainer allows you to prop open the door safely, without having anything wedging that may be an obstruction. The fire door guard actively listens for the fire alarm and will automatically shut in the event of a fire.
By installing a door guard you can save the nagging for other health and safety risk such as the ones reported in <a href=”http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2008/11/20/the-crazy-world-of-health-and-safety-rules-86908-20909703/”>this article</a>.
The author of this post writes for Fireco, manufactures of intelligent products and systems that listen for the sound of the <a href=”http://www.firecoltd.com/”>Fire Alarms</a> and help service providers comply with their responsibilities and legal obligations under legislation.

No one wants to be the office mother but enforcing health and safety rules, particularly ones that seem a little harder to understand the reasons behind, can take some epic nagging.

Offices are prone to poor air flow and when summer approaches it’s all the more tempting to prop open the fire door to get a cool breeze flowing through but I’m sure anyone that cheekily wedge it open will have gotten an ear full of it by their HR manager, without really understanding the reason. This is because leaving a fire door wedged open is a direct violation of the health and safety regulations in the UK.  Many other countries also have similar fire safety regulations.

Fire doors are installed to prevent a fire from rapidly spreading. By containing the fire gives a better chance for employees to escape unharmed and limit the damage to the commercial building.

Not all doors are fire doors, as the must be certified, but they are required when:

·A door leads to a stairwell exit

·A door leads to a hazardous area, such as cleaning supply room holding flammable cleaning products.

·A door opens onto a hallway or from one fully enclosed room to another.

Whilst it’s clear that fire doors help to save lives and minimise damage they can be a nuisance. Fire doors can be a particular nuisance when you have lots of employees moving around the building. Or try pulling open three fire doors with a tray of tea and coffees!  This is why many companies turn a blind eye to the practice of wedging a door open on a hot day believing that there is little chance of a fire actually occurring but in the UK figures show that in 2007 31,000 fires were reported in buildings other than dwellings. This also includes private gardens and sheds but they only account for 22% of the reported fires.

If you hate enforcing the rules, particularly when you too like having the door open, there are options available that allow you to keep your cool image and have the fire door legally open. A fire door guard or fire door retainer allows you to prop open the door safely, without having anything wedging that may be an obstruction. The fire door guard actively listens for the fire alarm and will automatically shut in the event of a fire.

By installing a door guard you can save the nagging for other health and safety risks such as the ones reported in this article.

The author of this post writes for Fireco,  manufacturers of intelligent products and systems that listen for the sound of the Fire Alarms and help service providers to comply with their responsibilities and legal obligations under legislation.  Blog4Safety and Texas America Safety Company appreciate Kate sending this important information.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Head Protection, Protective Clothing

HOW TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE (GUEST POST)

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Free PPE Guide from Graphic Products Lists 12 Major Workplace Hazard Categories and Required PPE for Each Category

By Jack Rubinger, jarubinger@graphicproducts.com, 503-469-3024

Safety in the workplace is easy to neglect but the price of doing so can be high. Think increased Worker’s Comp and debilitating injuries. Certain procedures have been proven to increase workplace safety. So if you’re serious about safety, conduct an Industrial Facility Safety Audit at your workplace.  One reason? In the U.S. in 2005, OSHA conducted more than 38,700 inspections and over 85,000 violations were issued – almost half were un-programmed or surprise inspections.

Getting Started

Have you stopped and thought about facility-wide safety? If so, what activities were checked and implemented?  The following criteria should determine the task prioritization:

  • ·Accident frequency and severity
  • ·Potential for severe injuries and illness
  • ·New jobs
  • ·Infrequently performed jobs

Encourage co-workers to get on board with safety. Take a closer look at your facility and equipment. Then, re-read all the applicable documentation and chat with coworkers who work in these areas.

When evaluating the facility, assess the following:

  • ·Are workers wearing appropriate PPE – hard hats, boots, reflective vests?
  • ·Warehouse signage. Hazardous carbon monoxide fumes may be present around loading docks and forklifts. Clear all aisles for better traffic flow.
  • · Go through chemical storage areas. Look for spills, exposure to flammable materials, proper air flow and leaks.
  • ·Maintenance shops must be examined for chemicals hazards such as gas, solvents and cleaning supplies and possible electrical (arc flash) and mechanical hazards that need to be identified.
  • ·Ensure large format RTK and arc flash labels (6” x 9” and larger) are used in locations where greater visibility is needed.
  • · Turn off and lock out energy sources when machines are serviced to prevent accidents. Energy sources that can’t be locked out must be tagged out.
  • ·Buildings must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Life Safety Code 101. Check exits and restrooms for proper and required signage.
  • ·Conduct a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA).

Consultant James Pryor has conducted and been on the receiving end of many industrial facility safety audits. “The JHA, if conducted properly, is the single most important tool in preventing accidents,” explained Pryor.

JHA steps include:

  • ·Selecting job to be analyzed
  • ·Breaking job into sequences
  • ·Identifying hazards
  • ·Determining preventive measures to overcome hazards

It doesn’t help to develop a to-do list that winds up on a manager’s shelf. Safety action plans should be a work in progress. After the audit has been conducted and changes and corrections have been made, document the following in a safety log book and make it available:

  • ·Have injuries decreased?
  • ·Has exposure to potential hazards decreased?
  • ·Have attitudes changed? This is hard to gauge unless surveys and open discussions are conducted and recorded.
  • ·Have changes been made to increase safety?

While an industrial facility safety audit should result in a mutually-agreeable number of restorative phases to apply, consider this: Do you feel safe at work? If the answer “no,” then you’ve got your work cut out for you.

# # #

Texas America Safety Company and Blog4Safety wish to thank Jack for these instructions on how to keep your workers safe and compliant.  We appreciate the information and hope you will think about following his instructions for a safe workplace. 

General Safety Issues

PROTECT YOUR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WITH ASSET TAGS – GUEST BLOG

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Whether you’ve a swanky new Notebook or an old (but much-loved) PC, it’s essential to protect your belongings. Security labels from asset tags providers like Seton can really help, so why not stock up on these handy products? They’re pretty useful – here’s why.

Asset tags deter thieves.

Asset tags are small, adhesives that can be applied to all kinds of office and personal equipment. They can help protect your laptop, printer, mobile phone – or anything else that might prove valuable to an opportunistic thief – as they show each item’s accounted for. These burglars are less likely to pinch anything that can be retraced, so it makes sense to label your products.

What’s more, asset tags made from tamper-evident materials leave a nasty stain when removed – helping police track stolen goods. Experts highly recommend them for keeping your equipment safe, so it’s definitely worth seeing what’s available online. Browse the web, make an order and safeguard your gadgets and gizmos (which can be expensive to replace).

Security labels can help with inventory management.

If you run a small business or own lots of technical equipment, asset tags can help you keep track of everything. The idea is, you buy them in bulk, label up your valuables and scan the serial number or barcode into an inventory management system. This will make stock taking a lot easier and will give you more time to do other tasks. If equipment’s goes missing, you’ll know what items need replacing and will be able to report the specific product to the police.

Barcoded and non-barcoded asset tags can be bought from reputable suppliers at a great price, so you can choose a product to suit your needs. They can be attached to a whole range of surfaces and are highly durable – meaning they’ll last for years. Portable scanners and label printers can also be bought online, so why not find out more today?

Asset tags aid identification

Believe it or not, security labels can now be custom made to suit your business requirements. They can contain a personal message or logo and help identify all products if they go lost or missing. Asset tags of this kind also look highly professional and stand out among Windows 7 logos, Intel Core stickers and other branded adhesives.

If you decide to tag your equipment, place all labels on the front of gadgets so they can be easily seen. Well-positioned tags will offer maximum protection and will safeguard anything expensive.

You can most definitely increase security at work and home by using asset tags. Click here to have a look at Seton’s range and see if they’re right for you.

This good advice comes to us from our friend Matt Hornsby, who lives in Liverpool.  We appreciate your sharing this with our readers, Matt.  I’ve also heard that taking pictures of your valuables can be helpful when replacing them in the event of a fire, storm, or burglary.  More of Matt’s articles can be seen at www.whatishealthandsafety.co.uk.

 

 

General Safety Issues

A SPECIAL SAFETY MESSAGE FOR MAY 1ST, 2012

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May 1st marks the sixth annual “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 – A Call to Action” campaign.  Speeding and running stop signs in residential neighborhoods represent the single greatest complaints to police departments and city council representatives throughout the United States.  Most of these speeders live in your neighborhood.  Some have been clocked at 40 or 50 mph in 25 mph zones.  This type of driving is a special threat to our children.  Running stop signs causes 200 pedestrian deaths and 17,000 injuries per year. 

The mission of Keep Kids Alive Drive 25  is to change the way we drive on neighborhood streets and beyond.  Their goal is to put an end to deaths and injuries caused by speeding and distracted driving on our nation’s roads.  No one wants to be behind the wheel and hit someone.  Observing the speed limit is a great way to significantly reduce crashes, injuries and deaths.  Citizens should be engaged in a common commitment to create safer streets for the benefit of all, starting in our own neighborhood.  

Here are some Fast Facts from KKAD that may inspire us to slow down:

  • 500 children under 14 years were killed while walking in what should be their safe haven – their neighborhood. (NHTSA)
  • The death rate on residential streets is over twice that of highways – measured per miles driven. (NHTSA)
  • A pedestrian hit in a 30 mph speed zone is three times more likely to die than one hit in a 25 mph zone. (General Estimates Database of Police Reported Accidents – NHTSA)
  • If you hit a pedestrian: At 20 mph, 5% will die.  At 30 mph, 45% will die.  At 40 mph, 85% will die.
  • The distance necessary to stop a vehicle is extended by speeding:  At 20 mph, the total stopping distance needed is 69’.  At 30 mph, the distance needed is 123’.  At 40 mph, the distance needed is 189’, which may not be enough distance and time for you to avoid hitting an object or person on the road. (USDOT, NHSTA)
  • Speeding triples the odds of crashing. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) 

Here are five reasons you shouldn’t speed –  from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association:  

  • Save lives – Slowing down increases the likelihood of surviving a crash.  Over 12,000 persons died in speed-related crashes in 2008.  Don’t become a statistic.
  • Save money – Speeding reduces fuel efficiency, causing you to buy gas more often.  With today’s high fuel prices, slowing down will pay dividends in savings, as well as safety.
  • Save the environment – Ford Motor Company research shows that driving a vehicle at 65 mph consumes about 15% more fuel than driving the same vehicle at 55 mph.  More fuel consumed means more CO2 released into the atmosphere.
  • Save yourself a ticket – Highway safety agencies and law enforcement are cracking down on speeders.  Obey the sign or pay the fine!
  • Save your license – A speeding ticket could lead to points on your driving record.  Too many points and you could lose your license and your insurance premiums could go up. 

Also, this from Keep Kids Alive Drive 25: Seat belts are FASTENATING!, an initiative to educate drivers and passsengers about the benefits of wearing seat belts.  Focus on all the good that comes from using seat belts, especially when it comes to relationships with family and friends.  Also, please don’t text and drive. You may be driving slower in neighborhoods, but a child could run out into the street for a ball, or on a bicycle, and that split second could cost their lives.  The driver and family alike would never rebound from those kind of circumstances.  Watch out for our kids!

With only a few more weeks of school remaining, we need to think about keeping our kids safe as they play near the streets in their neighborhoods.  Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a friendly reminder to slow down in our fast-paced world and take personal responsibility for our driving behavior.