All posts by Doug

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

IT’S IN THE MAIL

Your ticket, that is, for running that red light and getting caught by a red light camera!
Another controversial subject, there are pros and cons of having this type of camera situated on poles at busy intersections.  According to the US Department of Transportation, running red lights is a major cause of crashes, deaths, and injuries at traffic crossroads.  These cameras take a picture of the perpetrator running through the red light, and then record the time, speed, and license number. Soon, the driver receives his/her citation in the mail.

Positive features of red light cameras are:

  • Improving overall safety of busy intersections
  • Furnishing an economic impact through reducing cost of crashes
  • Financial gain for municipality, if they are found to be accurate, reliable, and applied fairly
  • Cost effective tool to reduce violations

Causes of red light crashes may be:

  • Driver behavior: talking to passengers, using cell phone, other distractions
  • Poor intersection design and operation
  • Vehicles with heavy loads failure to slow down and stop in time
  • Poor visibility due to weather, or surroundings that impair vision
  • Misjudging signal change by driver

Negative features of red light cameras are:

  • Studies done by University of Southern Florida College of Public Health determined that cameras actually increase the severity and number of crashes, as drivers slam on their brakes to avoid going through the yellow light.
  • Increase in rear-end collisions
  • Design flaws in camera systems furnish incomplete data

Six cities in the U.S. that have been guilty of adjusting the traffic lights with shorter yellow settings, in findings by Motorists.org are:  Universal City, California, Dallas and Lubbock, Texas, Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Springfield, Missouri.  These citations bring in revenue to cities, but they need to play fair when it comes to controlling traffic.

If the yellow light is set for a shorter time, drivers from different areas, as well as locals, are caught unaware, therefore misjudging the timing of the light.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that 22% of all traffic accidents in the U.S. occur because someone ran a red light.  Statistics from these wrecks indicate that more than 800 people have been killed, costing an estimated $7 billion in property damage, medical bills, lost production, and insurance hikes.

Whether or not there is a camera looking down on us, we must focus on our safe driving habits and obey the law.  It is up to each driver to handle this responsibility with all seriousness, and not become a statistic.

General Safety Issues, Weather Protection

Summer Safety

Because we are all trying to help make our world a safer place, it’s great when we hear from friends in other parts of the world that share the same goal.  The following article was sent to us from the United Kingdom.  We know you will enjoy these helpful reminders, and we appreciate their wanting to participate in our project: bringing safety to the forefront.

As the summer gets closer and closer, we need to be aware that the sun and the subsequent increased time spent outdoors could mean more risk of an accident happening.
At the end of last summer, British company, National Accident Helpline conducted research that suggest those outdoors took extra care not to put themselves in danger during sunny pursuits.

National Accident Helpline, the UK’s leading personal injury claim firm, surveyed more than 100 of its customers to gauge their attitudes to activities which in the past have prompted people to take unnecessary risks.

The results were happily reassuring – for example few people resorted to using lighter fluid or petrol to try and give their barbecue an added boost.

Of those surveyed, 89 per cent said that they would never do so.

Beach lovers were also mindful of safety lessons. Almost everyone surveyed – 99 per cent – said they would not set foot in the sea for a swim if they had consumed any alcohol at all.

And drivers knew that they should also be careful when the sun comes out – 96 per cent of those surveyed maintained that they would change out of their summer flip-flops and into sensible shoes before they got behind the wheel of a car.

National Accident Helpline Legal Director John Campbell said: “Most people, as our research shows, are careful and sensible with what they do – and they deserve their employers, government and private firms to take the same care.”

This concern for safety is surely not just a British thing. As long as everyone, regardless of where they are in the world, stays mindful of being safe then accidents have a much reduced chance of happening. Just by following a few simple safety tips, such as the above; driving in sensible shoes, not putting lighter fluid onto a lit barbeque etc, will put you in a safer environment with less chance of a personal injury.

It probably isn’t surprising that a lot of injuries and accidents occur due to silly mistakes, so ensure you stay safe this summer.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

NO FOOLIN

We may just be getting over April Fools’ Day, but when it comes to our workplace, there’s no room for foolin’ around!  Everyone likes to have a little fun during the workday, but it just is not the place for practical jokes.

There’s always one person who loves to devise schemes to get laughs, but usually it is at the expense of someone else.  Jokesters can be a safety hazard at work.  Things can easily get out of control, with someone getting injured, maybe even seriously.  Some practical jokers pull stunts on others that are very dangerous.  Workers can’t concentrate on their job because they are always bracing for the next trick that is going to be played.

Companies should have policies that address hazing, harassment, and horseplay.  They need to instruct employees that these behaviors are unacceptable.  Posters and materials can be used to communicate such policies.  Every work place should have the T.E.A.M. mantra:  Together Everyone Accomplishes More.

Young or new employees should never have tricks played on them; they already have enough pressure just trying to become used to their job duties.  Also, employees shouldn’t be startled or distracted while they are working.  With job loss as high as it is at this time, we all should be working as hard as possible to keep our occupations intact.

According to Texas Workers Compensation Defense Law:
An employee is not covered if injured while intoxicated at the workplace, if injured by another person for personal reasons not related to the job, or if his or her injuries are self-inflicted. An employee also will not be covered if injured during “horseplay” with another employee.

If you are aware that someone is behaving in ways that are unsafe:

  • Take the person aside and explain that you are not comfortable with their conduct.
  • Remind the person that their victims are humiliated, embarrassed, and distrustful of others, and how would he/she feel if they were in their place.
  • Report unsafe or unprofessional behavior to your supervisor.

Remember, you can enjoy work without hurting others, either physically and/or emotionally.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

APRIL FOOL?

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On April 1st, do you plan to be the trickster or the tricked?  At one time or another, we’ve probably all been the victims of mostly innocent pranks, at school, or our place of work.

It’s all in fun, and can’t be too bad for only one day.  So make the most of your first day of the month of April.

There are also many serious days in April: the 5th, which is Palm Sunday; 9th, observance of Passover; 10th – Good Friday, and April 12th is Easter Sunday.

A day most U.S. Citizens dread, (that’s no joke), is April 15th – the deadline for income tax filing!  April 22 is Earth Day and also Administrative Professionals Day.

Focusing on health, the month of April is Cancer Control Month, time set aside to renew our commitment to fight cancer by knowing more about prevention and early detection.  April is also Alcohol Awareness Month, to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues by raising public awareness and educating people about the devastating effects alcohol can have on our youth, individuals, and families.  April is also Foot Health Awareness Month.  We will talk about these important issues in future installments.

Whatever you do, or don’t do, just be glad that April is the beginning of warm weather and there are lots of fun things to do, as well as the start of more comfortable working conditions for those who work outdoors.  Enjoy your days, play safe, and stay safe!

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

NEW SAFETY ACCESSORY FOR CARS

Each April, the automotive industry reminds consumers of the importance of car care and driver safety. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of all near-crashes involved the driver looking away from the forward roadway, such as retrieving a cell phone from the gap between the driver seat and console, just prior to (within three seconds) the onset of the event.

This statistic is a grave reminder that consumers still have much more to learn and is the reason Drop Stop, LLC developed and is launching Drop Stop®, a new car interior safety and convenience accessory designed to guard the gap between the seat and console and help keep drivers eyes on the road.  Drop Stop® provides a safer, more convenient driving experience. It eliminates the distraction and potential danger that exists when personal articles slip through a vehicle’s seat/console gap, causing the common knee-jerk reaction of taking one’s eyes off the road.  This handy item simply slips between the console and drivers seat and prevents hard to retrieve items from falling beneath the seat, especially when driving down the road.

Drivers need to exercise extreme caution when using their cell phones while driving.  How many of us have had our cell phones, billfolds, etc. fall between the seat and console?  It is so easy to become distracted during a call, and texting should be an absolute “no-no”.  Anything that helps to ensure our safety and the safety of those we meet on the road is a treasure.
For more details, go to www.BuyDropStop.com.

Just wish I’d thought of it!
Source:  Renee Cooper, Account Executive
Christie Communications

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

WALK 50 MILES PER MONTH

Make this your goal:  to walk 50 miles per month.  This great information from the AARP Bulletin gives these excellent reasons to promise yourself that you will walk 50 miles per month:

1.    Get fit:  Aerobic capacity: 19% increase; physical function: 25% increase, and risk of disability: 41% decrease.

2.    Save on annual medical bills.  Normal-weight retiree: $3,300, Overweight retiree: $2,500 and entire country: $1.4 trillion.

3.    Improve cardiovascular health.  Heart disease: 32% lower risk; Stroke: 33% lower risk, Type 2 Diabetes: 71% lower risk.

4.    Fight cancer. Breast: 18% lower risk; Colon: 31% lower risk; All forms: 33% higher survival rate.

5.    Lose weight.  Each walk: 150 calories; Monthly: 1.3 pounds; Annually: 15.6 pounds.

6.    Accelerate recovery.  Depression: 47% reduction of symptoms, Skin wounds: shorten healing by 10 days.

7.    Battle degenerative disease.  Alzheimer’s: 40% lower risk; Arthritis: 46% lower risk, Osteoporosis: 0% loss of bone density.

Listed are seven things you will have accomplished once you make this a routine part of your day.  Just half an hour of walking each day at a brisk pace of 3.5 mph will help you achieve these benefits, regardless of your age. Bone density is improved by any weight bearing exercise, and what could be better than walking?

Who can’t spare 30 minutes per day?  You could even do it on your lunch hour, before work, or after work.  If you aren’t already doing so, try it!  Walking is also a great way to relieve stress.  If you want to get really serious, get a pedometer.  An average of 10,000 steps per day will help you lose weight.  (Just don’t get into the candy after your walk!)

General Safety Issues

ANOTHER HEALTH REMINDER FOR MARCH

Before the month of March slips away, we want to remind you that it is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  This type of cancer is the third most common cancer, with more than 655,000 deaths worldwide each year.  If it is discovered in its early stages, it can often be cured.  It is recommended that persons after the age of 50 have regular screening tests.  A new study from Columbia University suggests that having a colonoscopy a decade earlier than the usual average age of 50 may be worthwhile.

Here is some useful information that might help decrease the risk of colon cancer:

  • Regular exercise may cut the risk of colon cancer by as much as 40%.
  • If you smoke, quit.  The risk of developing colon cancer is increased by 82% in smokers.
  • Take Vitamin D.  High levels of Vitamin D can decrease the chance of developing colon polyps by 30%.  Colon polyps may be precursors to cancer.

A less invasive test that has been developed and tested by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is the National CT Colonography.  It is also known as a virtual colonoscopy.  Comparable to the standard colonoscopy, which uses a long, flexible tube with a camera to view the lining of the colon, this CT colonography employs virtual reality technology to produce a three-dimensional visualization that permits a thorough and minimally invasive evaluation of the entire colon.  The ACRIN trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, and part of the National Institutes of Health, enrolled more than 2,600 patients at 15 sites nationwide.  It is the largest multi-center institute to compare the accuracy of the state-of-the-art CT to conventional colonoscopies.  The accuracy results are published in the September 18, 2008, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  It is hoped that more people will take advantage of this new type of screening.

We hope that employers will encourage their workers (age appropriate) to get all types of preventative screenings, such as this one.

Source:  National Cancer Institute

General Safety Issues

IMMINENT DANGER

Do you know your rights, if you feel that your employer has put you at risk?  A workplace hazard that puts you at immediate serious risk of death or physical harm is an imminent danger.  Such instances could be an exposed electric wire, unstable trenches, toxic substances, dangerous fumes or gases that could be harmful.

You should notify your supervisor immediately and ask for corrective action.  Ask for protection for yourself and coworkers until the hazard is controlled or eliminated.

If the employer does not act, contact OSHA and/or your State Health and Safety Authorities.
These reports receive the highest priority, and OSHA will conduct an inspection.  Upon request, OSHA will not reveal your name.

If it is found that the hazard has not been eliminated, OSHA may post an “Imminent Danger” notice and seek a temporary restraining order requesting the employer to remove employees from exposure to the hazard involved.

OSHA and the National Labor Relations Board work together to protect employees who are punished for refusing to work in imminently dangerous situations.  It is illegal for an employer to punish you for reporting a safety/health hazard.

OSHA

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Once again, domestic violence is in the spotlight.  It seems that when it happens to famous celebrities, the world plays closer attention.  Then, other celebrities tell of their experiences and how they got out of their abusive situations.  If women were wise, they would listen to them and do everything they can to get away from someone who is battering or abusing them.

Here are some horrible statistics from the American Institute of Domestic Violence:

  • Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace
  • 85% to 95% of victims of abuse are women
  • Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know than by a stranger
  • 500,000 women are stalked by an intimate partner
  • 5.3 billion women are abused
  • Of these, 4.1 billion victims require direct medical care and mental health care

According to the FBI, a woman is beaten every 15 seconds.  We live in a very violent world.  From teen dating violence to elder abuse, the scope is widening more and more.

There seems to be a vicious cycle:  boys who witness their fathers abuse their mothers are three times more likely to abuse their wives.  Many victims never report their abuse for fear of repercussions.  Domestic elder abuse is probably the most underreported crime. Almost 90% of elder abuse and negligence is done by family members.  Two/thirds of these “caregivers” are adult children or spouses.

Federal and state laws require that students be safe and protected at school.  Teen dating violence occurs often at school, whether it is pushing, shoving, or slapping a girlfriend/boyfriend.  This can escalate into further aggression; therefore, schools must do everything they can to educate students, teachers, administrators and school boards on the impacts of teen dating violence.  Programs that encourage self-esteem, healthy relationships and explain gender stereotypes can be very productive.
Law enforcement, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers all form partnerships to promote health safety and public awareness.  Communities and media should be educated and make all efforts to expose violent behavior and prevent it.

If you are in danger, get to a safer computer or call 911, your local hotline, U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224. If you know of someone who needs assistance, urge them to get help.

Source:
Los Angeles Committee on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW)
American Institute of Domestic Violence

Weather Protection

TORNADO SEASON!

Tornadoes have already hit many areas of the United States!  The most violent storms of nature, tornadoes are rotating funnel clouds that extend from thunderstorms to the ground with winds that can reach 300 mph.  Their paths can be one mile wide and up to 50 miles long.

In order to keep the public informed, NOAA weather radio, commercial radio, and television stations frequently announce weather situations.  WATCH means that a tornado is possible.  WARNING means that a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar, and to take shelter immediately.

From FEMA: The following are facts about tornadoes:

  • They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
  • The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
  • Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
  • The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
  • They may be almost transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
  • Tornadoes can go with tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
  • Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can happen at any time.
  • Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
  • Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.

Danger signs of tornadoes are: large hail, large dark low-lying cloud, (particularly if rotating), loud roar (like a freight train), and dark, greenish sky.  The area may become very still prior to a tornado.
When a tornado is approaching, get to a cellar, basement, closet or hallway away from windows and doors, and get under a table.  If you are in a mobile home, get out immediately and take shelter.  If you are outside: lie flat in a ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.  You are safer in a low, flat location than under an overpass or bridge.  If you are in a vehicle, never try to outrun a tornado. Leave your vehicle and seek a safer location.  Watch for flying debris from a tornado. Debris causes major injuries and many fatalities.

We certainly hope you never have a tornado strike in your location.  As we always suggest: remember to keep adequate supplies of water and non-perishable foods, first aid kit, flashlight, change of clothes, and other needed equipment ready in case of an emergency.  The best plan for you and your loved ones is to be prepared, just in case.
Source: FEMA