All posts by pat brownlee

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!

 

General Safety Issues

IS THERE CONFLICT IN YOUR WORKPLACE?

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Do you or have you ever worked where there wasn’t some sort of conflict?  First, I looked up the word “conflict” and it has several definitions: dispute, disagreement, clash, difference, argument, quarrel, or discord.  Do any of these fit your workplace?  Face it, we are all human beings, and it just seems to be in our nature to look out for ourselves, many times forgetting to think about the others who come to work every day. 

Workplace conflicts cannot be ignored.  Companies have trained leaders that use their expertise to resolve differences before they grow into something destructive and harmful for their employees.  When there is discord among workers, companies will start seeing more absenteeism, turnover, stress, accidents, lower productivity, and a decrease in employee morale.  Leaders must meet with those in conflict together, not separately.  This gives those involved the opportunity to give their side of the story, as well as listen to the other party.  If it is done separately, stories sometimes have a way of getting stretched a little.  Mediating a conflict is a serious responsibility.  A leader must consider that if conflicts are not resolved, the safety of the employees may be compromised. 

Bullying in the workplace should never be accepted.  Some of the safety factors that are seen where there are conflicts are aggressive behaviors by certain workers, exclusion of  workers, physically abusing or threatening them, yelling at or criticizing an employee, or tampering with equipment.  Supervisors must treat complaints seriously, and not ignoring potential problems. 

Some of the causes of conflict may be the fact that one person’s success in achieving his/her goals for the day depend on another person’s input/output of data that the first person needs. Certain workers are very task-oriented, while others sail right through a project.  We are all different- that’s what makes the world unique.  Some of this “uniqueness” may be at the root of conflict, whether it is intentional or unintentional, such as: differences in gender/background, educational backgrounds, experience, ethnic heritage, or political preferences.  (It seems as though there’s always something to “agree to disagree” on!)  Statistics show that 85% of dismissals in the U.S. are due to personality conflicts. 

Do you have a story?  How do you justify your poor behavior, if that’s the case?  Have you let someone down more than one time, but you reason that it’s because you are overworked?  If a co-worker brings a birthday card to the boss, do you think it’s because he’s buttering up the boss for a promotion; however, if you bring a card to the boss, it’s because you are a warm and caring person.  Re-thinking your story about your differences at work is important because it keeps you from over-reacting to a situation; it opens up an opportunity for healthy discussion, and rather than ambushing other persons with your emotions, you begin to sift “fact”  from “story”.  

Just The Facts: 

Make a list about the conflict you are experiencing with someone.  On the left side of the page, describe incidents that you have been telling or thinking about that person.  Things that have kept going through your mind.  On the right side of the page, list just the facts.  Specific actions and information you have taken and the objective of your desires to resolve the quarrel.  This could open up a healthy conversation with less accusations and improve cooperation with each other.  If you and a co-worker can work out any misunderstandings, you will both get more out of your job, and your company will get more out of you.  Supervisors want to help, so go to them if you can’t take care of it yourself. 

Communication is the key to success in every walk of life – in our work and with our families.  If you are happy at work, you won’t be taking those complaints and worries home with you.  Be assertive, but always respect others.  Share tips with your workers that can help them in their jobs.  Life is too short to carry heavy loads such as resentment, frustration, confusion and anger with us.

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

YOUNG WORKER SURVIVES 55′ FALL INTO SHAFT

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Imagine falling into a hole 55’ deep and only 33” wide.  That’s exactly what happened to Zach Rogan, in Carrollton, Texas, last week.  A student on summer break from the Weatherford Fire Academy, Zach had taken a job with Texas Shafts for the summer.  As he was cleaning around the hole, finishing his work for the day, things suddenly went wrong.  He took a step forward and his left leg went into the hole and he started falling.  Quick thinking helped make this terrible accident better than it could have been.  Zach kicked his legs out and pushed the sides of the hole with his arms to slow the fall.  He made it to the bottom of the shaft alive! 

Firefighters from Carrollton and Coppell worked quickly to lower a rescue worker to the bottom of the shaft.  That task took 30 minutes.  A tripod with a pulley was set up over the shaft, as the team of paramedics got ready.  A firefighter quickly put a strapped vest on Rogan, and a cable slowly lifted the men up out of the hole to safety.  This was a tough assignment, since a 33’ hole is only slightly larger than the width of a man’s shoulders.  

In researching a situation like this, I found that shafts 30” or greater in diameter and 6’ or more in depth require some form of fall protection at the surface of the shaft.  Fall protection, including a rescue plan, must be in place prior to drilling any shaft.  Guardrails must be around the shaft.  At the end of the day, there should be a sturdy cover placed over the shaft. 

Companies should have fall protection guidelines for workers, so they understand what is required for their safety.  They should participate in fall prevention training, and use fall protection equipment  if required for the job.  Workers also need to be taught how to inspect the devices they may use, to ensure they are in good condition.  

We are thankful that Zach survived this fall and hopeful that more care will be taken when working around shafts.  It only takes a few seconds for accidents to happen.  Rogan, 20, is a very lucky young man.  He is recovering from surgery to stabilize his crushed vertebrae, as well as suffering some nerve damage.  He still plans to become a firefighter, and hopes to be on the other side of an accident like this….as a rescuer and not a victim.

Source: WFAA.com

General Safety Issues

SAFETY THOUGHTS ABOUT POOLS AND TRAMPOLINES

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There is a debate among some parents about which is safer, a pool or trampoline?  They are both fun for children, but they also both pose dangers.  The key to safety with either is supervision by parents.  When children are taught safety and are given rules to follow that are enforced, they can have fun and be safe at the same time. 

Most parents don’t understand that trampolines require the same amount of supervision as pools.  When children are unsupervised, most injuries occur.  Serious accidents can occur when children of different weights are double  jumping, and the smaller child becomes a missile and is thrown from the trampoline.  Serious neck injuries may occur.  Letting children jump alone is as dangerous as swimming alone.  Falling from a trampoline improperly can cause sprains or broken bones.  Sometimes children land on the trampoline edge.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends trampolines should be used as training devices, not toys.  Injuries that can occur are spinal injuries, falling the wrong way, head lacerations, or colliding with other jumpers.  Children under 17 should be supervised at all times.  Between 2000 and 2005, there were an estimated 88,563 emergency room visits by injured trampoline participants.

Persons who own swimming pools must supervise their children at all times.  Between 2000 and 2009, more than 675 preschoolers drowned each year.  Another 2,000 preschoolers almost drowned, the majority of them in their own pool.  Parents can be out of sight for less than five minutes, and their little one may drown.  

Pools should have a 4’ high fence on all four sides, with a self-closing gate and latch out of the reach of children.  Alarms can alert parents if someone enters the pool area.  Parents or caregivers should take every thing they might need while their toddler is swimming: towels, snacks, sunscreen, phone, so they will never have to leave the pool.  The phone is also handy in case of an emergency. 

Drowning continues to be the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-19.  Drowning is silent!  Think about the cunningness of a toddler.  They watch us and learn how to open a door, or take a stool out to reach something.  They are more than capable of figuring out how to reach a door handle even with a lock, and head straight for the pool.  There’s no screaming or yelling with drowning.  The child quietly goes beneath the water and sinks.  The consequences of drowning are devastating.   Even those children that have had swimming lessons and are capable of swimming should have some sort of flotation device with them. 

Please take time to think about making your back yard as safe for your children as possible.  Whether it’s a trampoline or swimming pool, you can’t be too careful.  Teach them how important it is to not get on a trampoline or into the water unless mom or dad or a caregiver is present.  Having a swimming pool or trampoline ensures that your home will be the “fun” place for your family and your kids’ friends to gather.  Just remember: the biggest issue surrounding children playing in pools and jumping on trampolines is parental supervision!  It only takes seconds for an accident to happen.

 

 

Source: KidsDr.com, WFAA.com

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized, Weather Protection

SUNSHINE AND CERTAIN MEDICATIONS DON’T MIX!

We have mentioned UVA and UVB rays in several articles and the damage that they can do to your skin and eyes.  Another consideration to factor in is what can happen if you are taking certain medications and are exposed to the sun.  We all worry about skin cancer, but there are other sun illnesses that can occur.  Because of some of the ingredients in certain medications, and depending on the sensitivity of a person, even a very brief exposure to the sun or using a tanning booth or sunlamp can cause a person to experience a burn. 

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, in a recent article in AARP Magazine, there are three types of sun illnesses: phototoxicity, photoallergy and sun-induced eczema.  Also,  Brian Adams, M.D., a University of Cincinnati dermatologist, reports that some of the most common causes of a phototoxic reaction (sunburn) related to medication ingestion are the tetracyclines, (antibiotics).  This is frequently experienced, minutes to hours after UV exposure, causing pain and exacerbated sunburn.  Photoallergy and sun-induced eczema are more rare, and occur either gradually, over time, or one to two days after UV exposure, and can occur to either sun-exposed skin or anywhere on skin.  Their main symptoms are itching and redness, rash, and possibly blistering. 

According to Dr. Oz, dermatologists think long-term, intense sun exposure may alter our skin in such a way that our immune system no longer recognizes it as our own.  Sun-induced eczema occurs when your entire immune system goes haywire, causing itchy, red skin, or in some cases, blisters.  This is more common in older men who have a history of working outdoors, or women who love to sunbathe.  

This is a list of the types of medications that can irritate your skin if you are taking or using:

  • NSAIDS;
  • Antibiotics;
  • Statins;
  • Hypoglycemics;
  • Diuretics;
  • Sunscreens – containing para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), cinnamates, benzophenones, salicylates.
  • Fragrances, such as musk ambrette, 6-methylcoumarin, sandalwood. 

Fragrances, you wonder?  A sun allergy, called a photoallergy, comes on more slowly but can be dangerous.  This type of sensitivity usually happens when UV rays convert a chemical, such as a fragrance on your skin, into a substance that your immune system decides to attack, which results in an itchy, red rash that takes several days to go away. 

Experts at the University of Cincinnati report that sunscreen is designed for use under normal circumstances, and certain medications can cause abnormal conditions.  Because we have no preliminary test for knowing what type of reaction a person will have, experience can be hazardous.  The experts say the best defense is to avoid the sun altogether when taking medications recognized as producing an adverse reaction.  If you absolutely have to be out in the sun, take precautions with additional sunscreen and sunblock, paying attention to the face by using zinc oxide on sensitive areas such as the mouth, nose and ears.  Wearing a hat and sun protective clothing is always recommended. 

The American Skin Cancer’s website has a list of medications that can cause adverse reactions to sunlight.  One other thing to remember, (for next winter): some of the worst cases occur in the winter, when skiers, who are on these medications, do not apply any sunscreen to exposed parts of their face because, in part, they think it is too cold to sunburn. 

Source: AARP Magazine

             University of Cincinnati

 

 

 

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General Safety Issues

USE CARE WHEN OPERATING MACHINERY

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How often have you read that on a medicine bottle or box – do not operate machinery while taking this medication?  The only type of machinery I think I would not want to operate if under the influence of a strong medicine would be my car.  Of course, if you think about it, there’s lots of small machinery in my kitchen, mixer, blender, food processor, stove, etc.  But that’s really not the kind of machinery we’re talking about today.

OSHA has standards that address every kind of possible scenario where an employee could be injured.  Moving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness.  Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries.  Any machine part, function, or process that could cause injury must be safeguarded, by lock-out tagout procedures, and the correct kind of safety PPE equipment.  When the operation of a machine or accidental contact injures the operator or others in the area, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled.

Workplace amputations can be prevented by reviewing workplace operations and identifying hazards associated with the use and care of machines.  A hazard analysis is a technique that focuses on the relationship between the employee, the task, tools, and the environment.  The entire machine operation production process, machine modes of operation, individual activities associated with the operation, servicing, and maintenance, as well as the potential for injury to employees, must be considered.  This analysis may then be used as a basis to design machine safeguarding and an overall energy control (lockout/tagout) program.

Machine guarding is required whenever an employee is exposed to or has access to a hazard created by a pinch point.  Guards must be designed and installed so that they do not present a hazard in itself.  All guarding systems are required to be installed in a manner that prevents access to the hazardous area by reaching over, under, around, or through the guarding.  Guards should be secured to a machine with fasteners that require the use of tools for their removal.  Always pay attention to danger and caution signs regarding machine lockout.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Secretary of Labor has designated certain nonfarm jobs as particularly hazardous for employees younger than 18.  Generally, these employees are prohibited from operating:

  • Band saws;
  • Circular saws;
  • Guillotine shears;
  • Punching and shearing machines;
  • Meatpacking or meat-processing machines;
  • Paper products machines;
  • Woodworking machines,
  • Metal forming machines; and
  • Meat slicers.

Any type of moving machinery must be respected and workers should have the proper training before operating them.  Servicing and maintenance activities are important issues that require all safety precautions be followed.

Source: OSHA

General Safety Issues

GREAT IDEA FOR COPS/BAD IDEA FOR CRIMINALS!

I saw this on t.v. the other night; then read about it today, so I am eager to see if you agree with me – I think  that body cameras for cops are a great idea!  (Of course, if I’m the “perp”, I may not think so.)  It seems that hundreds of police departments across the country are using tiny body cameras for their officers to wear to be able to record a traffic stop, hot vehicle pursuit,or an unfolding violent crime.

There are red-light cameras, dash-cams, and nanny-cams, so why not more assistance for our law enforcement officers?  This tiny camera can record, download and be replayed instantly, either for evidence or to help confirm police reports.  They act as a safety net to improve police accuracy.  At this time, they are not mandatory, and cost about $100 to $125 each.  Many officers are paying for them out-of-pocket.

Oakland, California and hundreds of other police departments across the U.S. are equipping officers with small body cameras to record incidents between themselves and citizens.  It serves as protection for officers, citizens and with investigations.  Instead of getting just one or two versions, it levels the playing field, acccording to Steve Tidwell, executive director of the FBI National academy Associates in Quantico, Virginia.  As he states, “it’s all there, in living color.”

The officers must turn on their cameras for traffic stops and possible searches.  They must download their video within a day, and they are not allowed to edit or manipulate it.  These videos can be stored up to five years.

Michael Risher, an attorney with the ACLU of Northern California says law enforcement agencies using body cameras need to have clear and consistent objectives.  It can’t be where they turn them off and on when they want to.  These cameras should greatly improve relations between the police and community, if done right.

We watch a lot of reality shows, many involving law enforcement.  With the types of crime that police are exposed to on a daily basis, any kind of technology that can help them should be at their disposal.  Many crimes are committed by people that have access to high-powered guns, and just might use one when an officer asks them to open their car door. Hopefully, this tiny personal law enforcement camera will prove to be a big help for our law enforcement officers to be able to catch the bad guys, and prove who the “bad guys” really are – not our lawmen.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A CAR!

Every summer, it is necessary to remind busy parents to never leave their child in a vehicle that is unattended, even for one minute to run into a store.  In addition to child predators lurking, the temperature of cars increases very quickly.  Childrens’ respiratory and circulatory systems do not adapt the same as an adult.  Approximately 38 children die each year from heat stroke after being left in hot cars.  The average number of child vehicular heat stroke deaths per year since 1998 are 37 – that’s one every 10 days!

Parents think that they or their child’s caregiver would never forget about that little one in the back seat, but it happens.  Because of this hectic world, we sometimes have our minds on things that don’t amount to anything, rather than that little precious doll riding in the child carseat.  It’s been suggested by experts to place a stuffed animal in the child seat when the child isn’t in the car, then move it to the front seat to remind you of your passenger in the car seat.  Other suggestions are to place a briefcase or purse beside the child, to remind you when you reach for your purse or briefcase, you won’t forget the most important thing in the backseat- your child!

Because July tends to be the most deadly month for children to die in hot cars, it is our duty to tell you the symptoms of heatstroke.  Warning signs vary, but may include: red, hot, and moist or dry skin, no sweating, a strong, rapid pulse, or a slow, weak pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or acting strangely.  If you see a child alone in a car, call the police.  If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible.  Cool the child rapidly.  Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.  Sometimes children become trapped in a parked vehicle in their own garage or driveway.  Always lock the doors of your vehicle when you get home.  It’s a lot easier for them to figure out how to get inside the car, than to get out of it.  Inside temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees in a hot car within ten minutes.

Toddlers and children are also injured or killed by being backed over or run over from the front.  At least 50 of these types of accidents occur in the United States annually.  The predominant age of these victims is between 12 and 23 months.  Sixty per cent are run over by a truck, SUV, or van.  These are larger, longer, and higher vehicles, making it harder to see something so close to the ground.  Of course, vehicles that have rear cameras offer some assistance in seeing a child.  The sad fact is that the driver of these vehicles is usually a parent, relative, or close friend in seventy per cent of these tragedies.

Please do the same thing for your pets – don’t put a cat or dog in a car that you plan to leave, even for a few minutes.  They love you unconditionally and deserve your consideration.

This chart from Kids and Cars.org depicts the causes of fatalities of children in cars.  The oganization asks others to share this information with you in the hopes it will save lives.

fatalities-pie-chart

Sources: KidsandCars.org

Keeping Kids Safe: Inside and Out