How to Improve Your Company’s Safety Training

Safety trainings, particularly the mandatory ones, can be quite boring. They are designed to help employees understand the necessary safety standards; only a very few of them involve team-building and other more fun subjects. It is difficult to deny the fact that boring safety trainings are less effective, simply because participants are not paying enough attention. In this article, we are going to discuss how safety trainings can be made more interesting – and effective – through the implementation of several simple tips.

Training Company with Experience

Working with the best safety training company is the first step towards making the training more effective. Experienced trainers such as iSafety available at http://isafety.ca knows exactly the challenges that they will be facing and how to overcome them.

The years of experience in conducting safety training courses give experienced training companies the edge they need to make your next safety training course that much more effective.

You will see topics being broken down to smaller chunks in order to make delivering them much easier to do. You will also be able to work with trainers with on-site experience. These seemingly simple factors do make a huge difference in determining whether the course is effective.

Practice and Simulations

You can only learn so much from lectures and reading the safety manuals. As part of the training course, participants must be involved in simulations in order for the training to be effective.

In a fire safety training course, for instance, doing thorough fire simulations will help participants develop not only the skills needed to deal with the situation, but also the instinctive ability to react should a similar situation occur in the future.
Simulations can also help keep participants interested. This is why most of the best training companies now design their programs to be filled with simulations and practices.

High Stakes Environment

This next tip may seem brutal at first, but it is a technique used effectively by many successful companies all around the world. This technique, named High Stakes Environment, takes simulations even further and put participants in a virtually high stakes environment.

I say virtually, because participants are actually in a very safe situation. What the trainers do is add cues that suggest they will be in real danger. For example, a trainer may ask participants to tape a “last message” video for their family before a simulation is conducted.

What the High Stakes Environment does is add two crucial factors that greatly increase the effectiveness of safety trainings: motivation and reassurance. The seemingly high stakes make people more motivated to complete the simulation safely and successfully. Once the simulation is completed, participants will feel reassured that they skills they’ve learned will safe them in the future.

The combination of these factors greatly enhances the impact of a safety training session. Participants who have been training under the High Stakes Environment circumstance are more likely to react correctly and rely on their skills when they face similar life-threatening or high stake situations in real life.

Employee safety from occupational hazards is one of the major responsibilities of employers. Owing to this, organizations and workplaces worldwide have been trying continuously to improve workplace safety by providing safer work environment.

However, just like protection of employees from office-related health hazards is vital, crime prevention and ensuring their physical safety against outside violence are also significant and this can only be achieved by incorporating advanced and high security lock systems.

Workplace’s Vulnerability

Just like our homes are susceptible to crimes, offices aren’t any exception and the only way to prevent any delinquency or incident is to enhance security by replacing inferior and conventional locks with contemporary and advanced locks.

The crimes that could take place at workplace include theft of employee’s personal possessions and confidential office documents, and harm to employees by a mob or stranger and that’s easier when workplaces have insufficient lock and security system.

The Robust Lock Systems

Increase in criminal activities has created the necessity of having high-quality lock systems in offices. The lock systems that ensure employees’ safety in the most convenient manner have become the need of the time. Following are some protective locks that can provide employees a safer environment at work:

Access Control Systems

Installing access control system/s help organizations achieve extended security because of the multitasking nature of this technology. It is actually a comprehensive security solution that protects against theft, and prevents disruption in operations. This system detects one’s illicit access to critical areas and official documents and thus allows the workplace to prevent the embezzlement of official assets. Also, there are less chances of any harms to the employees from outsiders.

Additionally, this system eliminates the need of keys and keeps one away from frustration of misplacing or losing them. Furthermore, it supports card/badge system which makes it easier for the company to identify if person using the card or trying to gain access is the same person to whom the card was issued. In short, it allows visual verification. Moreover, it also keeps track of daily activities and actions of employees and indicates if they try to access unauthorized areas.
The access control systems therefore enable card management, video surveillance and 24/7 monitoring.

Emergency Lockouts

They come handy if you are trying to prohibit the entry of unauthorized personnel or criminals into a building. Thus, if some violence is taking place outside office, the workplace operations and functions remain undisturbed. It also enables monitoring of the main entrance keeping track of the activities taking place around a workplace.

Rekeying

If you are not using access control system, you might be using locks that are operated using keys, but are you sure if access to the lock is in your hand only?

There might be some unauthorized persons who intend to gain access to some confidential information or try to harass employees. There is also a possibility that they may have alternate keys of the lock. In this case, rekeying allows the lock owner to change the lock or alter it so that only new keys work on it. This way, no one else other than lock owner can gain access to the lock.

As much as it is important to have security guards, it is essential to secure the office, its assets and the workforce against outdoor threats and risks. Chariness of employees is also crucial when it comes to workplace safety, but high security lock systems facilitate them to continue working in a safer and stress-free environment.

Author Bio:

Follow Stephen roshy to get all the information regarding Locksmith. He is well known for his creative and informative writing. You can find him on Facebook , Twitter and Google+.

First Aid Sanitation Tips
When you think of first aid you often think of small wounds, often ignoring the minor scrapes and cuts from smaller problems, those that don’t seem to have any lasting consequences in the long run. Regardless of that however, you would do well to have them cleaned and patched just in case. The following tips will give you an idea how to care for these minor wounds, not covering animal bites, burns and cuts that are too deep or severe. These will still require you to have proper medical help as you go:

• Cleaning wounds
This first step consists of disinfection and it happens to be a very crucial step in the process of tending wounds. You will need to focus on removing the dirt and debris that may have entered the wound, lodged within so you can cut the growth of bacteria on the exposed tissue. You can use a normal saline solution, which consists of a 0.9% water and salt solution to clean the wound safely. As a worst case scenario, you can also use clean tap water to clean the wound as well, cleaning the skin around the wound with care using unscented, mild soap. Antiseptics may not always work great with all such wounds, as they may slow down wound healing, depending on the situation. They may also cause pain during the cleanup process as well.
• Treatment phase
In many cases you would do well to apply antibiotics to the wound after you clean it before covering it. There are numerous products sold as ointments or creams that work their magic for this type of situation, preventing bacterial growth that may still be around the wound. These products will also prevent the dressing from adhering to the wound and forming painful dry crusts on top of it. They will also create an environment good for healing the wound itself. Quite a few of the products in question also have a anesthetic as part of the formula to relieve pain as well, which is a welcome addition for most patients.

• Protection phase
One of the best ways to ensure you have proper wound healing is to use a dressing to cover it completely until it is healed. This will not only help with the healing process, but it will easily protect the wound from contamination, which is essentially one of the greatest dangers it will face. There are plenty of dressings on the market, up to the point where you can enjoy ones with aesthetically pleasing prints on them. Easy to use, able to survive immersion in water without removal and available in so many varieties, dressings can come in any form or shape. Gauze, film, bandages, dressings, gauze and more will help protecting the wound. You would do well to remember that the bandages have to be changed on a regular basis if you want to have results in the long run. Never forget that or you may have complications with the wound you simply don’t need.

Read more tips at: http://www.cleaningcarpet.co/battersea-carpet-cleaning/battersea-carpet-cleaners-SW11.html

Emergencies are always unexpected but are a potential threat that can happen at any time. By definition, emergencies are events that can endanger one’s life and include fire, severe weather, floods, chemical spills, robberies, medical emergencies and other physical threats. These are all unforeseen events, which may occur accidentally, despite having proper prevention systems installed. A lot of them cannot be controlled directly, and may not even be caused by humans. Accidents like these are just a small example of what possible threats there are for work environments and preventing them and the bad outcome of one such unfortunate event should be top priority for any work safety system.

In order to provide best emergency response, any company must establish standards and rules that each and every employee should follow. In order to have the best outcome, it comes down to being prepared in order to avoid panic. This means that all personnel, from workers to people with proper office clearance to all areas and activities in a company must be familiar with safety and prevention procedures. Successfully responding to emergency situations requires few things:

– Establish emergency action plan. Accidents and threatening events are best handled by having an action plan. This includes and suggests exactly what all employees and employers should do in order to minimize risk for their lives, property and environment. A lot of businesses are required to have such plan established, but often times it is not a must. It is, however, a good idea to develop it, regardless of your business, to ensure that people know what to do in case a situation occurs.

– Emergency action plans should be developed by experts, but managers should be included as well. Anyone with enough clearance to access certain areas is under potential threat, and everyone in a company should be included. Employees should know what evacuation protocols to follow, what safety procedures to implement in order to avoid life threats.

– Assure that your building has proper means of detecting emergencies. This includes having the right fire detection system, security camera monitoring and other tools that will allow one to spot a potential emergency before it develops to a big threat.

– Buildings should have emergency exits. In addition to having safe routes and escape plans, any building should have sufficient equipment to help in dealing with emergencies.

– After an emergency, all workers and staff should be familiarized with follow-up procedures, such as reporting and identifying causes for the emergency, aiding the authorities and ensuring that proper waste removal and cleaning of the workplace is done, before entering the building again. Often times, professional waste removal service will be required.

– Often time emergencies will require medical assistance. Make sure that there is a trained person, who can offer assistance when it is needed. Additionally, make sure that you call the medical authorities as soon as possible. Make sure there is easy access to all areas of your building, as time is of the essence.

Developing such procedures is often times crucial for any business operation. Reducing the risk for employees and the factors that contribute to emergency situations should be a top priority for management.

The use of surveillance cameras is on the rise. There could be many reasons why an employer chooses to install cameras in the workplace such as to monitor employee misconduct, protect company property and most importantly to ensure employee and workplace safety. The presence of CCTV and other surveillance systems are known to deter violence, theft, and other types of criminal activities. In a workplace with so many employees and activities taking place, keeping an eye on everything can be time consuming and near impossible. But since workplace safety is an integral part of every business, surveillance systems can do the work of making sure that the company and everyone working there is safe.
Surveillance Benefits in the Workplace
Crime Prevention
Among the best reasons for installing a CCTV system is to deter crime. In fact, studies show that the presence of cameras alone can deter crimes from happening. These cameras are highly noted for being effective especially in car parks. The area is a common target for different crimes that range from graffiti to vehicle theft. Most businesses can not afford the luxury of hiring security guards to keep watch on all areas. The use of a surveillance system is a practical solution. Having a deterrent to potential crimes can put employee’s minds at ease, knowing that they are being looked after.
Crime Resolution
Internal theft in the workplace is very difficult to identify and handle. But a surveillance system can monitor the staff and customers and can effectively prevent internal theft in the workplace. The resolution of workplace issues like sexual harassment, employee productivity and bullying can be abetted with the help of monitoring systems. However, it’s important to point out that while surveillance systems are useful in monitoring employees, for privacy issues – the devices should only be placed in public spaces and no audio should be recorded.
Workplace Safety
Providing employees with a safe and healthy working environment is among the main duties of an employer. Given this, a CCTV system could be a great support. A staff member who has to work overtime at night or has to walk to his car at night would feel safer knowing that any potential accidents will be captured. A company can also coordinate with a CCTV system and alarm monitoring companies for better surveillance and additional safety.
Summary
Even for small and medium sized businesses buying and installing a surveillance system should be a consideration. Security systems can be set up in all entrance and exit points of the workplace, staircases, the end of long corridors, lifts, front of washrooms, and canteen. This gives a better surveillance and with a control room in place with experienced staff to control the angel and aperture of the cameras, the entire workplace will be protected and safe. With the help of a surveillance system, employees can be more productive at work knowing that they are in a safe working environment.

Fire protection takes many forms and includes a wide range of educational, preventive, mitigation and investigation aspects, all of which are meant to reduce the risk and potential threat of fires. Depending on the type of work and number of people that operate within a facility, the threat can vary greatly. Regardless of that however, one thing is for certain – the damage of destructive fires can be great. A fire can grow, engulf an entire property in seconds and destroy valuable habitats, not to mention endanger multiple lives. This is why prevention and safety should be of big importance for everyone.

Fire protection has few elements, all of which form an important system that can help prevent fires and eliminate threats which can potentially cause a fire.

Proper education and awareness is one of these elements. Residents and workers should be familiar with building and fire codes. This means that they must know of the threat of fires and must not increase the chance of fire in their activity. Basic knowledge of what to do in case of a fire accident should be taught at young age. Proper codes must be developed for facilities that have increased risk, such as those operating with chemicals, gas or other flammable materials, as they are prone to more threats. Ensuring a professional cleaning and special handling of such materials is often times required.
Passive fire protection includes the usage of proper building materials, such as fire-resistant walls, doors, floors and practically any part of a building and facility. There is a wide range of standards that must be followed, to ensure this element is in place. To accomplish the containment of a fire in its place of origin, many types of materials are used. Any cleaning company must be cautious to take these materials and their special requirements in mind.

Active fire protection includes the usage of systems and items that can be used to prevent and extinguish a fire. These include a wide range of detection and suppression systems, which are either manual or automatic. Manual systems incorporate fire extinguishers located in key places, as well as standpipe systems, which a person can use in case of fire. Automatic systems usually feature a sprinkler component, installed at ceiling level, which uses a reliable source to release water when extreme heat and smoke is detected. Some innovative models feature other forms of fire suppression that do not include water. Detection components, such as smoke and heat detectors, are used to locate a fire source, sound an alarm for evacuation and remove a threat before it develops. Such systems must be regularly maintained and cleaned to ensure they don’t fail or malfunction.
Fire protection is an important aspect of the safety codes of every business and building. There are strict regulations and standards that must be met in order to guarantee the safety of the property and all people inside.

Safety Products can make a great Christmas gift. If you are looking for a gift idea for the construction worker, factory worker, farmer, rancher, or even the home do it yourselfer, why not give the gift of safety? In the past, safety products were considered a nuisance and uncomfortable to wear; however, over the last few years there have been dramatic improvements. Why still wear something bland and uncomfortable? For a limited time, mention the coupon code CyberMonday and get 15% off everything in the store.

Sticker Bomb Hard Hat (pictured) located on this page of the site. Many other designs available..
http://www.tasco-safety.com/hydro-dipped-hard-hats/hdhh-754.html#hdhh-754

The Blog4Safety parent company is Texas America Safety Company which offers a variety of designer hard hats, comfortable Mechanix gloves, stylish safety glasses and much more. Take a look at our page of assorted Christmas Gift Idea’s at http://www.tasco-safety.com/christmas/ or check out the full site at www.tasco-safety.com.

Might as well spice things up a bit and keep your friend or loved one safe, sound, and happy. Have a safe and happy holiday…

The Fall Guy

Did you know that falling is the most common cause of injury or death in the construction industry? Construction workers account for only 6% of the U.S. workforce, but they represent 20% of all job related deaths – (more than 1,200) in the private sector – more deaths than any other industry.

Ladders are the leading cause of falls. Scaffolding is a close second, and roof falls come in third on the list of most common construction worksite injuries.

Anyone working 6-feet or more above the ground needs to take special precautions. We’ve all heard this a thousand times before, but safety starts with you.

How to Implement a Fall Prevention Strategy

First of all, pay attention. Look around your job site and your own equipment. Planning ahead and being proactive about replacing worn equipment saves you time and money down the road.

Wherever possible, ladders should be secured to structures. Metal ladders should not be used in stormy or windy weather. Scaffolding should be safe stable and up-to-code. This is the single most violated code. Spread salt or ice melt on icy walkways and keep steps dry and free of debris. You can also install temporary tread strips to deter slipping and falling.

Roof falls can be avoided by installing guardrails and precursor equipment for harnesses. Safety nets at roof edges, beneath unprotected skylights, over pits and shafts, beneath ledges, and unprotected girders. It may take some prep work, but will save you and your business in the long run.

And take the time to be the one on your team that enforces the hard hat rule and makes sure that everyone’s tool belts are fastened securely.

Why a Fall Prevention Strategy Makes Sense

The average cost of a fatal fall is $1 Million while the average cost of a fall injury is $110,000. This is certainly enough to put smaller construction sites out of business. Cutting corners on harnesses and gear may seem cost effective – until someone gets hurt. After an accident, implementing a fall prevention program seems pretty budget worthy.

There is no reason to let anyone take the fall. Be the one that prevents the fall in the first place!

The safety of workers should be a top priority for any employer and his workers. Productivity and safety regulations are often times interconnected. One follows the other. The well-being of workers is perhaps the most checked and regulated area in workplaces. And it should come as no surprise either. In case of injury and threat to a person’s life, it is the rules and hazards of the workplace that are thoroughly reviewed and any flaws in them will mean that someone overlooked an issue and should be held responsible.
So what should be considered when it comes to work safety?

• Clean environment – regardless of the type of work that is done in a certain place, maintaining a clean and fresh environment ensures that the people who work there will be healthy. Regular cleaning of the floor, dusting and rubbish removal are all things that need to be done on a regular basis. A common option is to hire a professional cleaning company to take care of this task. It should be a well-known name that can take care of the hygiene and sanitation of an industrial area or office space.

• Safety first – when it comes to operating equipment and machines, safety should be number one priority for workers. Any of the aforementioned should be operated by a trained professional only, and should be properly maintained and looked after to ensure smooth and problem-free operation. Sophisticated machinery and vehicles may be an essential part of your work, in which case each and every point of the manufacturer’s manual should be noted and applied in the work process.

• Protective equipment – there is a wide range of equipment and items that can aid the work process, and are in fact a necessity in some cases. Things like safety goggles, hats, gloves and boots to protect one’s body from injury can all be part of the outfit that one must wear at work. If the job is more of a white collar type, then perhaps considering computer glasses can protect one’s eyes from continuous staring at a computer screen. If there is noise involved in the work, earplugs and earmuffs are things to look for.

• Regular breaks – breaks are essential part of any work process. They ensure that one’s mind can stay focused on the job and not tire eventually. Breaks take care of an employee’s both physical and mental health. 10-15 minutes every 2-3 hours is the ideal option for ensuring healthy working process. Of course the need for break can vary from person to person, but long periods of working can in time lead to undesired side effects, such as irritability , distraction, confusion and many others.

• Know your rights – organizations and unions can often offer advice and help on workplace safety requirements and regulations. It is wise to seek it out whenever you have an issue.
Work safety is just as important as the business a company is involved in. What you should do and how you do it should be with regards to your well-being at work and should not be compromised.

Improving office indoor air quality in an eco-friendly way

People have worked in offices for years, however over the past few decades the invention of sealed double glazing windows and doors, along with air conditioning have more or less caused a sealed in environment that traps excess chemicals caused from various products in the office that are used on a daily basis, making the quality of the air inside an office unclean. The use of air conditioning, computers, building materials, cleaning products, deodorants and air fresheners can cause a buildup of chemicals in the atmosphere and result in poor air quality. This can cause many health problems. Many allergies and irritations can arise from this type of environment and literally make employees ill. It is essential you try to create a clean and healthier atmosphere for a healthier work place. Here are some ways of improving the indoor air quality of your work place.

Easy solutions to better quality air inside an office is to introduce indoor plants, which have the capability of removing the harmful toxins and chemicals that buildup in the air over time. Indoor plants can be hired from special plant hire centers and the consultants will advise you on what type of plant will suit your area and supply the necessary care needed to keep them indoors. Plants are not only a good choice to improve the air quality by removing or significantly reducing the bad chemicals in the air, but also look good. They make the office look bright and cheerful as well as making a better atmosphere for all of the workers.

Another preference to make air quality better in the office is an air purifier.   Eco friendly cleaners and air purifiers will filter harmful impurities in the air such as dust, pollen and toxins making the air cleaner to breath indoors. There is a wide selection of air purifiers available some greener than others. If you choose carefully you will find an environmentally friendly air purifier to keep your air quality clean. Some come with biodegradable filters that are made with non toxic materials that are waterproof and will prevent bacteria and viruses without the use of chemicals and let go only carbon dioxide and water as they rot. You can buy lifetime air purifiers which compared to disposable varieties that need replacing will last a lifetime and prevent filling landfills up.

Other improvements to making your indoor environment cleaner are regularly cleaning and maintenance of your furnishings and fittings. Make sure you clean the filters of air conditioning units and have them regularly serviced to prevent any problems. Check all of your appliances and make sure you get filters cleaned and all equipment regularly. You will find that appliances and equipment will last longer and work more effectively if taken care of properly. Get any upholstered furniture and carpets cleaned professionally. Having specialist clean these items will significantly reduce dust and dust mites that can cause serious allergies and health problems to employees. Reduce the chemicals you clean office equipment, desks and chairs with, do your research and find eco friendly cleaning products to do the job. They will help reduce the poisonous and harmful toxins in the air. Open windows when possible having some fresh air will help make the place a little fresher for a while. This can help remove odours and make the place fresher for a while. It will also help make the atmosphere more lively and create an healthier area for a while. Also prevent smoking in the office. Make your office a no smoking area and find alternative outdoor areas for employees who smoke.