All posts by Doug

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

SPRING CLEANING

With warm weather almost here, duty calls most of us to get in the mood to do a little spring cleaning around the house.  We may be inspired to even do a little spring cleaning around the office or workplace, as well.

There are some things to remember to do outside the house.  Windows and doors need to be checked to ensure that they close properly, and downspouts and gutters should be washed out.  If there’s a build up of mildew and fungus on the deck, use a pressure washer on your water hose to spray it away.  New filters for the air conditioner should be in place for that first burst of warm air.

Getting organized is the best way to undertake any project.  De-clutter your home or office.  Now is a good time to get rid of things you haven’t used in a while, or don’t intend to use again.  A good rule of thumb is: if you haven’t used it or worn it in 2 years, get rid of it!

While we are on the subject of cleaning, however, we need to caution you to be aware of using cleaning products that stir up allergies or asthma.  Also, sometimes a new piece of furniture, carpet, or other new household items contain chemicals that can aggravate allergies.

Formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (voc’s) are chemicals that evaporate at room temperature.  Furniture cleaning solvents, paints, even particle board or pressed wood may contain voc’s.  Keep your home ventilated well and their fumes will dissipate in a few days.  When buying paints, choose the one with the lowest voc number.

You will be better off when you are cleaning to use fragrance-free products.  Don’t close yourself off in a bathroom while using bleach or ammonia for cleaning, it can be very noxious.  Non-toxic cleaners such as borax or baking soda clean and deodorize, and can be bought at most grocery stores.

Washing soda can be used to remove stains and cut grease.  Washing soda—sodium carbonate—is in the same family as baking soda, but has been processed differently. It is much more caustic/alkaline, with a pH of 11, and while it doesn’t give off harmful fumes, you do need to wear rubber gloves. It is found in the laundry section of most supermarkets. Arm & Hammer is one brand of washing soda.

Sodium carbonate and sodium perborate ( an alternative to bleach) can also be purchased at chemical supply houses.  White vinegar cuts grease.  Hydrogen peroxide is another bleach alternative.  One other tip: never mix bleach with any household chemicals, especially ammonia.

Here are some ingredients for homemade cleaners that will ensure your success:

  • Drains:  ½ c. baking soda with ½ c. salt – pour down drain, follow with 2 c. boiling water, and let sit overnight.
  • Bathtubs: ½ c. baking soda with white vinegar, make a paste.
  • Ovens: ½ c. baking soda with ¼ c. salt, add enough water to make a paste.

Another cleaning challenge – mold!  If there is a place larger than 3’ x 3’, turn to an expert.  If you don’t know what you are doing, you can release mold into the air.  The EPA recommends using rubber gloves, (discard them after use), goggles without air holes, and N95 or higher filter masks.  Again, if you have doubts, let professionals handle it.

You’ll breathe easier and save money by using simple cleaning combinations. Clean safely!

Source:HGTV

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

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For the 10th consecutive year, the National Museum of Health and Medicine will host a Brain Awareness Week program for middle school students. BAW will occur the week of March 16 (Monday) through March 22 (Sunday), 2009. The program consists of presentations and hands-on activities. Schools may choose one of the two 2-hour sessions offered each day. Each session will start with a 20-30 minute session that will feature a lecturer who will provide introductory information on the brain and its functions. Following the session, students are divided into small groups and sent to visit each station as a group. Students will spend 15 to 20 minutes at each station. The presentations are the same for each session since a new set of students show up at each session. NMHM and the partners try to make the lectures and stations educational, as well as a lot of fun for both the students and the presenters. BAW is usually very exciting and lots of fun for everyone.

This is an international effort to advance public awareness about the benefits of brain research.  Scientists step out of their labs to participate in introducing youngsters to the world of neuroscience.  This endeavor was organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and is joined by government agencies, professional groups, National Institutes of Health, service groups, hospitals and Universities.

Programs to be presented during this week are:

  • “Night of the Living Brain”, by the NINDS. Students learn the need for sleep, and are later tested on their knowledge of sleep disorders.
  • “Complexity of the Brain”, by the National Institute on Aging, which provides students with ways to maintain healthy brains throughout life.
  • “Simulated Party”, where students attend a “simulated party” to learn about the physical and societal harms of alcohol and drug abuse.  After discussing the risks, “party-goers” try to navigate an obstacle course or hit balloons while wearing Fatal Vision prism goggles that simulate impaired visual and motor performance, resulting from excessive drug or alcohol abuse. This session is presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
  • “The Drunken Brain”, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s multi-sensory exhibit, which displays bright-colored lights and pulsating, eerie sounds.  A neuroscientist explains why movement, sensory perception, and balance are compromised, and which brain circuits are involved in alcohol dependence and alcoholism.
  • The National Institute of Mental Health presents “Wonders of the Brain”.  Young scientists from the NIMH Intramural Research Division explain how the mind plays tricks with images it sees.

There are many summer programs such as the Georgia State University’s “Brain Camp”, where middle school students and their Institute on Neuroscience (ION) for high school students get to work in a lab, and The University of Minnesota’s Department of Neuroscience, which hosts a summer workshop for middle school teachers and disperses fact sheets at the State Fair, and visits K-12 classes.

Students who are fortunate to live in cities where this program is given would be very lucky to get to participate.  There will always be a demand for scientists to research and discover ways to prevent brain disorders that cause heartbreak for families of those who suffer them.
Think about it: one of our little “brainiacs” may just be the genius that figures out how to prevent us from certain diseases.  Take advantage of the opportunities that are out there for our future scientists.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

Now that we are more than mid-way through National Nutrition Month, it’s important that we mention the significance of good nutrition for the country’s work force.  Basic common sense tells us that we need to eat healthy to stay healthy, but with the temptation of fast food and convenience of take-out and pre-packaged meals, it’s pretty easy to take the wrong path.

Younger employees think they are immune to problems caused by improper nutrition, but when they reach their 40s and 50s, they will understand what good nourishment is all about.

Good nutrition provides these benefits:

  • Energy for work and play
  • Healthy weight maintenance
  • Healthy aging
  • Preventing disease

We all need to realize that for good nutrition, we should have a meal plan that provides 45% to 65% of calories from carbohydrates; 10% to 35% of daily calories from protein; less than 10% of daily calories from saturated fat, (most should come from unsaturated fat), and 10 grams of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed daily.  Nutritionists also advise the correct intake of calories for women/men depending on age, and job demands.

Encourage your employees to have these healthy eating habits:

  • Get most of calories from low-fat, low-sugar foods
  • Avoid fads or crash diets
  • Eat three meals per day – don’t skip meals
  • Eat reasonable portions – (don’t be guilty of “supersizing”)
  • Watch what they are eating when dining out – some restaurants are caloric minefields!
  • Refuel every four to five hours
  • Consume healthy carbs (high fiber nutrition bars, low fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt)
  • When snacking, or eating a full meal, it’s a good idea to stop when one is 80% full.  Chances are, in 20 to 30 minutes, they will feel satisfied.

To have a healthy workforce, companies could regularly incorporate nutrition programs into their safety programs.  It is to everyone’s benefit to eat healthy and exercise daily.  The results of consuming too many unhealthy foods over a period of time can result in obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases that can shorten one’s life span.

Uncategorized

PROS AND CONS OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

For those who are affected by the time change March 8th, we hope you are used to it by now.  There are pro’s and con’s of the merits of this rule that certain states follow, but one can’t help but wonder if it is really worth all the trouble.

Maybe it’s a Catch-22, because research has shown that traffic fatalities are reduced when there is more afternoon light; however, the early morning darkness brings more danger for workers commuting to work, and children walking to catch the school bus in the dark.  Then, when the time changes again in November, statistics show an increase in evening traffic accidents immediately following the change.

A study done by the National Sleep Foundation showed that immediately following the time change in the spring:

  • 40% of adults were sleepy enough that it interfered with their daily activities,
  • 62% drove while drowsy,
  • 27% dozed off (if only for a few seconds) while driving,
  • 18% experienced sleepiness at least a few days per week, and
  • 32% know someone who had an accident by falling asleep at the wheel.

Time change also brings disruptions to meetings, travel, billing systems, records management, which can be very costly.  Some computer systems automatically change over; however, there are many that don’t.

Those favoring Daylight Savings Time enjoy sporting activities after working hours, and retail businesses love it because it gives them the opportunity to remain open in order for folks to shop after work.  Farmers who rise before dawn and depend on working by sunlight may not be as happy with Daylight Savings Time.  During harvesting of grain, for example, they must wait until the dew evaporates, leaving less time for their helpers to do their job.

Other businesses that are affected negatively are evening entertainment providers, such as theaters, drive-in theaters, and primetime broadcast networks.

It was predicted that there would be a reduction in power usage with days having more sunlight, but it has been shown that power usage increased in the early morning hours, as people must get up in the dark and prepare for their day.

Some of us take the change in stride, and never worry about the difference an hour makes. (After all, we get it back in the fall.)  The main thing is that we adapt and be thankful we are able to carry on, and have the freedom to complain about things we don’t like.  Stay safe, and make the most of that extra hour of daylight!

Ergonomics, General Safety Issues

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

The definition of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a “painful, progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.  The median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist.  In some cases, there is no direct cause that can be identified as CTS, rather it is that the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some persons than others.  However, the risk of developing this ailment is especially common in those performing such tasks as assembly line work.”

Others who may be considered at risk of developing CTS are:

  • Painters
  • Carpenters
  • Check-out Clerks
  • Drivers of trucks, taxis, and buses
  • Musicians
  • Accountants
  • Computer Operators
  • Typists
  • Those with hobbies such as needlepoint, knitting, gardening

Suggestions to those who think they have CTS are:

  • See a physician when symptoms first develop
  • Rest the wrists as much as possible, use ice to reduce swelling
  • Use proper ergonomics (science used to fit job to person’s anatomy and physiology)
  • Use stretching techniques
  • Change position often, get up and move around
  • Exercise your hands
  • Keep wrists straight while sleeping
  • Stay in good shape.  Eat right, sleep right, and try to maintain a healthy weight.
  • Take over the counter pain medication

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome is a very controversial topic.  Scientific data provided by NIOSH states that while symptoms of CTS are associated with incidents of wrist postures or highly repetitive manual acts, causation has not been established.  Also, the American Society of Surgeons of Hand has current literature that does not support a causal relationship between specific work activities and development of the disorder.  The strongest risk factor for CTS is structural and biological (genetic predisposition), rather than environmental and activity related.

Following a history and physical examination by a physician, the patient will probably be referred to be tested electrodiagnostically.  The most specific and reliable test is Combined Sensory Index, or Robinson index in order to determine if the diagnosis is Carpel Tunnel Syndrome or some other disorder.

Sources:
Wikipedia
NIOSH
National Institute of Neurological Disorders

There are arguments about CTS being caused by repetitive movement of the hand, as this disorder happens when inflamed tissues press against a major nerve in the wrist.  Pain, numbness, even in the arm, and weakness are symptoms.  According to many physicians, these symptoms are not CTS, and can be relieved by rest, change of position, splints, and over-the-counter painkillers.

General Safety Issues

PROTECT YOUR PETS

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Every family needs a disaster plan; if that family has pets, their safety must be ensured as well.  Here are some constructive things to consider when designing your emergency plan:

  • If you must evacuate your home, the most important thing you can do is evacuate them, too.  Do not leave them behind!
  • Check out motels/hotels in the surrounding areas that accept pets.
  • Contact relatives or friends outside of your area to give shelter to your pets.
  • Contact boarding facilities/veterinarians that shelter animals in emergencies; keep their 24-hour phone numbers on hand.
  • Local animal shelters should be your last resort, as they are usually overburdened.

Have a “Pet Disaster Kit” ready:  leashes, carriers, their picture (in case they get lost), food, bottled water, bowls.

Planning ahead will help with a fast evacuation, but remember, animals react differently under stress than humans.

  • Keep dogs leashed; cats in carriers.
  • Don’t leave them unattended.  They may bite or scratch, when normally they would not react aggressively.
  • Upon returning home, give them time to settle back into their routine.

We hope these pointers will help all of us be aware that our “best friends” are part of our families, and their safety should be considered, too.

Humane Society
American Red Cross

Back Safety

MY ACHING BACK

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It’s no wonder that back problems account for twenty percent of all work-related injuries.  According to NIOSH, an estimated 20 – 50 billion dollars is spent per year on work-related back injuries.  Poor posture causes weakness in our backs.  Another source of back pain is overexertion, twisting, and working in awkward positions.  Both NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and OSHA agree that there are many methods to advance the prevention of back injuries in the workplace.
Employers should select workers that are physically fit to handle the lifting tasks at hand.

It is also helpful for a company to know if the person has had any type of back injury in the past.  As part of their training, they should:

  • Undergo strength testing.
  • Be taught proper lifting techniques.
  • Avoid awkward posture.
  • Undergo stretching programs.
  • Learn the use of mechanical aids in lifting.
  • Use PVC-dot grip gloves to reduce grip force needed to lift and carry heavy objects.
  • Bend knees rather than back when lifting, carrying, or holding weighty items.
  • Apply the use of forklifts, carts, or dollies when possible.

Companies should have a maximum weight limit that workers are expected to meet, with male/female limits set accordingly.  The height of the subject to be lifted should be adjusted as well.  Workers should be instructed the proper ways to lift, carry, push, and pull manual materials.

Healthcare providers are especially challenged with the duty of transferring patients from beds to wheelchairs.  There are all types of equipment that accommodate this type of lifting, from electric beds, lift chairs, and other special hoists.  Caregivers should first be trained in the proper methods of lifting, and know when to get someone to help them.  Not only are they taking a chance on harming the patient, but causing injury to themselves, as well.

Eye Protection

MARCH IS WORKPLACE EYE SAFETY AND HEALTH MONTH

March is Workplace Eye Safety and Health Month, so we want to repeat how important it is for employers to make the right choice of eye care products and what to do in case of eye injuries.  From eye drops to eyewash stations, proper first aid is vital in case of an injury:

  • For specks in eye: try to wash out with tears or eyewash.  If this doesn’t help, keep eye closed, bandaged loosely and see physician.
  • For foreign objects in eye: it may be necessary to seek emergency medical assistance if it cannot be flushed with eyewash or removed with a moistened cotton swab.  Cover the eye and seek emergency medical attention.  If it is removed, flush with lukewarm water or saline solution.
  • Liquid chemicals or sprays in eye need to be flooded with clean water immediately, continuously, and gently for 15 minutes.  Keep eye open as wide as possible, and see a physician.  If possible, take label or container to physician.  Use spray cans carefully, as they are an increased source of chemical eye injuries.
  • Blows to the eye: apply cold compress for 15 minutes and each hour thereafter.  Discoloration or blackening could mean internal damage; a doctor needs to examine it.
  • Cuts or punctures of eye or eyelid need to be bandaged; seek medical help immediately.  Do not wash out or try to remove object.

The most effective way to prevent eye injuries is by wearing safety glasses or goggles. It is important that safety glasses fit properly; side shields on safety glasses also assist in keeping particles from entering the eyes.

It is imperative that workers recognize and report any hazardous situations in their workplace that could cause serious eye injuries.  Our website contains other articles reporting statistics of these types of accidents.    Most of them could have been avoided if the proper protection had been used.
Keep your eyes protected at all times, so you’ll never miss a thing!

Source: Gateway
NIOSH

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

WAYS TO HAVE A SAFE WALK

Walking is an inexpensive way to get exercise and fresh air, all at the same time!  My day begins with taking my dog for a walk.  He thinks his day is ruined if he doesn’t get to go for a walk; therefore, I have him to thank for motivating me to get into a healthy routine.
Living in a small town, I don’t face as many obstacles as those who live in cities do.  Walkers in larger towns have walking lanes that provide a safe place to walk, but there are other hazards they face.

Here are some tips that may be helpful:

  • Be sure to walk where there is sufficient lighting.
  • Wear bright colors or reflective clothing in order to be visible to drivers.
  • Carry a flashlight if you walk when daylight begins to dim.
  • Watch for speeding or distracted drivers.
  • Carry a cell phone with you.
  • Walk against traffic.
  • Leave jewelry at home.
  • Stay on the sidewalk if possible.
  • Cross only at marked intersections.
  • See and Be Seen!
  • Have a walking partner; if you have a dog, you will make his/her day!

According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are almost 5,000 pedestrian deaths annually in the United States.  Don’t be a statistic, stay safe!