All posts by pat brownlee

General Safety Issues

CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING PROS SHARE CRUCIAL SAFETY TIPS (GUEST POST)

This post was written by Tony Spezza, president of AAA Heating & Cooling, which has been providing central air conditioning and heating services in the Portland, Oregon area since 1961.

A central air conditioning unit does more than make your home feel comfortable during the warm summer months. It also helps keep the air dust- and allergen-free. To keep your cooling unit running safely and avoid a costly A/C repair bill, you should perform routine maintenance on it. The following simple tips will help you prevent issues like leaking and overheating – and help ensure the longevity and efficiency of your cooling system. 

Central air conditioning safety tips include: 

Don’t neglect the air filter. An A/C system’s air filter is one of the simplest things to forget about, but is crucial to the indoor air quality and efficiency of a system. When an air filter gets congested with pollen and dust, it doesn’t circulate air through the home very well, which can compromise indoor air quality. Depending on your air conditioner, you should wash or replace the air filter monthly or every two to three months. Take a look at the manufacturer’s instructions, and mark your calendar accordingly. 

Clean the condensate drain. As an A/C unit cools the air, condensation forms and water drips into the drain. At the end of spring or beginning of summer, clean this water drain and inspect it for obstructions and leaks. In addition, make sure all the hoses fit properly. Immediately fix a blocked or damaged drain to avoid an expensive A/C repair bill, prevent water damage and reduce the risk of a safety hazard.  

Clean and inspect the ducts. Keeping your ducts clean will help maintain indoor air quality by clearing out excess dust, pollen, mold spores, mites and microorganisms. Duct cleaning isn’t a DIY task; call in professionals who use special vacuum cleaners and tools. When you schedule the cleaning, have the ducts inspected for leaks. When ducts aren’t sealed well, they leak cool air into areas of the home that don’t need it. Consequently, your central air conditioning unit has to work harder and use more energy to keep your home comfortable.  

Keep the air distribution registers unobstructed. The air distribution registers are the duct openings you find in your ceiling, walls or floors; it’s where cool air enters the rooms. Identify the registers in your home and make sure they aren’t blocked by carpets, furniture, curtains or other items.   

Clear the area around the condenser unit. The A/C’s condenser unit is the box on the side of your home. Its job is to move the warm air out of your home with the help of a fan. A set of coils within the unit help with the exchange of heat. Regularly remove weeds and trim back plants that grow around the condenser so they don’t block the flow of air. To clean the condenser, use a soft brush (not a hose) to remove dust and dirt. An A/C repair expert can show you how to do this for your specific model.  

A central air conditioner is an investment in your home. With regular maintenance, the cooling system will cost less to use, be more efficient, last longer and require fewer repairs. To learn more safety and maintenance tips, contact a local heating and cooling professional.

General Safety Issues

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY – HAS IT IMPROVED? (GUEST POST)

The construction industry has been under close speculation over the past 10 years, more so than any other industry, due to the high number of workplace fatalities and serious injuries. But has this close watch and the ever tightening reigns on regulations had any effect on the construction fatalities?

The latest figures released by the HSE for 2011/2012 show 49 people were killed within this period, the statistics falling only by 1 from 2010/2011, although this is a vast improvement on the figures ten years previous, with 105 workplace deaths within the construction industry in 2000/2001.

There are vast signs of improvement for the number of workplace deaths, however the construction industry still holds the highest number of deaths above all other sectors; with 33 deaths in agricultural and only 5 in the waste industry (2012).

It is the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) who govern the legislation to prevent work place injuries and fatalities, and they have worked hard over the past 10 years to bring down the numbers within construction.

One piece of legislation that has had a massive impact on the way health and safety is carried out on construction projects is the revision to the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2007. The original CDM regulations were introduced in 1994, however were revised in 2007 to ‘make it easier for those involved with construction projects to comply with their health and safety duties.’ – cdm-regulations-uk

The HSE stresses that the regulations were brought in; not to create more paperwork but to place emphasis on management and planning to help reduce the number of fatalities and serious workplace injuries within construction.

Under the revised Regulations the responsibilities are now placed on all those who are involved with the planning and implementation of the construction project. Mainly; duties are placed on the client, the designers and contractors, with more authority given to the CDM coordinator. It is hoped by placing more responsibility and liability on each of these roles that each will conform to the safety standard, to avoid the serious penalties, and thus reducing the number of work place deaths.

The HSE hopes to continue to bring the number of fatalities down within the construction industry over the next few years, by policing projects in accordance with the CDM Regulations, penalizing those who are not complying and rewarding those who are.

This has meant a complete overhaul in the way many companies carry out their projects and site work. CDM management is becoming an industry norm, rather than considered additional paperwork.

Companies are now adding CDM management in to the running of their day-to-day business, ‘our machinery installation and plant and equipment removal services vary from a single plant installation or 1 day lifting programme through to a complete CDM managed industrial site relocation.’ – ainscoughvanguard.co.uk  

It’s fair to say, safety within the construction industry has improved drastically over the past ten years; however the number of deaths within the industry is still not acceptable, especially in comparison with alternative sectors. In the future the HSE, clients, designers, contractors and CDM coordinators are going to have to work together to help reduce these numbers to zero.

About the Author:

Michael Carr can be found at https://plus.google.com/111142938178449829465/posts?hl=en-GB&partnerid=gplp0

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WORKOUT EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR WEIGHT LOSS (GUEST POST)

When you reach adulthood, you would notice that you are already on the stage where your weight problem is one of the main issues that you need to face. If you want to make sure that you will still have that perfect body condition when you reach your old age, you have to make sure that you are doing the right thing in order for you to achieve the normal weight for your body.With the goal to lose excessive weight, you have to make sure that you are performing the right exercise and fat burning workouts. There are those that are proven effective and safe for everyone. You just have to stick with that and you will surely get a positive result when you do it regularly. Here are some of the safe and effective workout exercise programs that can help you lose weight: 

·         Brisk walking and dumbbell exercise. If you are looking for the most effective way to lose weight, you can try brisk walking. This activity is one of those that are highly recommended because it can burn calories in just few minutes. After brisk walking for few minutes, you can do the dumbbell exercise where you can just hold a pair of dumbbells and lift your two hands in synchronized manner. This is going to be very helpful in toning the muscles in the upper part of your body in order to make sure that it is getting equal toning with the lower part as you did your brisk walking. This is a very safe and effective exercise. 

·         Bicycling and a little stretching. Aside from walking, you can go for an afternoon biking or you can just have that indoor bicycle that can be used by people who do not want to exercise under the sun. Before having your regular dose of biking, you can do a little warm up stretching in order to make sure that the muscles are prepared. Just like walking, you will be losing significant amount of unwanted fats when you go biking and you make it a regular habit. You can do this during afternoons after work. 

·         The Jump Rope Exercise. According to studies, slow cardio exercises are effective in losing weight. If you find jogging and walking too mainstream for you, the jump rope exercise can be perfect for you. All you need to do in order to make sure that you will become successful in this type of workout program is to do it regularly. There are a lot of people who have been doing this very simple exercise coupled with a little jog. The result of jump rope exercise is one thing that can help you get that lean body. 

·         Jogging and three sets of dumbbell rise. Here is a thing; dumbbell is a very important tool that can be perfect for people who are looking for the simplest and the safest exercise. When you are still starting, you have to make sure that you are conditioning your body to a more focused exercise workout program. You have this jogging and dumbbell raise workout program when you wake up in the morning. All you need to do is to start with the jogging and a little stretching and do the three sets of dumbbell raise. This is not really hard to do and it can also be very helpful in giving you the energy that you need for the day. 

When you are doing the given workout programs above, you have to make sure that you are also eating the right food in order for you to get a positive result. 

Author Bio: 

Marshal Gatlin is a health & fitness enthusiast. He writes on topics such as the fat burning workouts and cardio workout. Through the All Workout Routines site he strives to help everyone achieve their fitness and weight loss goals and provide access to the information and education they need to do to so.

Note: You might consider wearing a high visibility vest while walking or riding, in order for vehicles to easily spot you. pb

General Safety Issues

CREATING A SAFE WORK PLACE ENVIRONMENT (GUEST POST)

“Nicholas Haywood is a home improvement specialist and DIY enthusiast who has experienced his own share of preventable accidents. He writes on behalf of Vista Window Film, a provider of window tint.”

Safety in the workplace—whether a construction site or a factory—is
paramount. It should be held above the need for a profit or the
“efficiency” that the workers demonstrate. Injuries in the workplace are
often too extreme to let safety lapse. One wrong move can lead to a crushed appendage or a chopped off hand. What follows are law suits, months of recovery, pain, and possibly the inability to ever continue to work in your chosen profession. Here are some tips to increase work place safety.

*Set Work Place Rules and Boundaries*

If your workplace does not already have them, you should set some rules
that will increase safety. If you are the boss this is fairly easy.
Employees that feel that their safety is threatened by the lack of rules
can petition the boss for additional safety rules. If the boss is unwilling
you should point out that increased safety will also benefit the boss.

* Obey Work Place Rules and Boundaries*

Rules can only protect you from permanent injury if they are obeyed.
Employers should assure that rules are followed by all employees. Safety
procedures often involve multiple people to adhere to. My wife suffered a
permanent knee injury when none of her co-workers would help her lift a
patient. The safety procedures demanded that two people are required for
that particular job. An environment that promotes breaking safety rules
will result in multiple injuries that will leave you short staffed.
Employees that work in an unsafe environment due to the status quo should bring the problem to the boss. In the meantime employees should ensure that they follow the rules to the best of their capability. By helping each other you are helping everyone stay healthy.

*Become in the Habit of Keeping Things Orderly *

An orderly work place will lead to increased safety. Work areas with
objects strewn everywhere are hazards. Here are a few suggestions to
increase safety with an orderly work place:

·         Employers should have set areas where large objects can be
placed. Large objects placed in the middle of paths are walking hazards to
workers that are carrying large objects that hinder their site.

·         Electrical equipment should be plugged into nearby objects or
attached to outlets with extension cords. Wires that are pulled taught can
be dangerous to the person using the equipment and the people walking
nearby.

·         Store dangerous equipment in predetermined areas. This will
create an area where employees know that they need to be careful instead of increasing the risk of injury across the whole site.

*Decrease Distractions*

As an employer or an employee you should endeavor to decrease distractions in the work place. Distractions often lead to employees making preventable mistakes that lead to serious personal injury. Here are a few areas of distractions that can be eliminated in the workplace:

Many places play *music.* Music can be harmless. Many establishments play music in the background to provide a better ambience for the people within the area. Music does not always fit well in the workplace. Some employees are unable to concentrate while music is playing. These employees could Bob and Jimmie themselves into cut off fingers while using the handsaw. Before turning on music make sure that all employees will be able to function safely while it is on.

*Fighting and bickering* like music is a distraction for the surrounding
employees that have issues concentrating. Fighting and bickering can also
lead to an unstable atmosphere. The individuals involved in the altercation
could experience lingering rage or tension from the fight. Rage is well
known for making individuals less likely to think and behave logically and
safely. This could lead to an increased likelihood of a major accident.

*Improper Lighting *could be catastrophic to employees. Too much or too
little light can decrease the ability of employees to work safely. Sudden
glares from windows around sun rise or sun set can make it impossible for
employees to use tools safely. It is important to ensure that your
workplace is properly lighted.

·         If your work area experiences too much light you can fix the
problem by decreasing the amount of light let into the room through windows with window film, curtains, or blinds. Alternately too much light can be combated with sunglasses.

·         If not enough light is available, you can plug install more
lights or buy portable construction lights.

There are, of course, a myriad of other safety suggestions to increase safety in the workplace; the ones I have suggested are only a few. As an employer or an employee it is your responsibility to contribute as much as possible to the overall safety of the work place. By working together, we can decrease the likelihood of workplace accidents.

Eye Protection, Fall Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection, Protective Clothing

MANAGING THE STRESSORS OF PERSONAL INJURY (GUEST POST)

 

After drunken night at Chris' II_MMVI

 

Dealing with a personal injury can be a life-altering experience. In addition to the physical pain and discomfort, you may also have to contend with an assortment of mental, financial and personal issues related to your claims process. The following are tips to help manage the stress and hardships associated with a personal injury experience.

Two Types of Injuries

Medical malpractice and getting hurt on the job are two well-known areas associated with a personal injury. When you’re feeling sick or injured, you put your trust into your physician or hospital facility. With many of them on patient overload, they occasionally make mistakes and offer inadequate treatment. This form of neglect could even result in a permanent injury or fatality. Close to 100,000 deaths are related to medical malpractice cases every year, often leaving victims floating in a sea of debt. An on-the-job injury is just as serious, and typically happens due to neglect or safety code violations. Thousands of people are hurt in a work related injury every year, and their emotional and financial processes are often lengthy and stressful.

Dealing with the Stress Related to a Personal Injury

It can be difficult to deal with the pain, stress and aggravation that is typically associated with a personal injury. Depending on its extent, you may have to contend with an endless pile of bills, limited to no money coming in, and physical and mental anguish. This can have a crippling effect on your work, personal and family life. A knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney can determine if you have a case or not. In doing so, they can aggressively pursue the appropriate avenues to determine if neglect was at the center of these issues. If so, they can seek the proper monetary compensation for the client, and possibly prevent this from happening to anyone else.

Note that most reputable personal injury firms follow the contingency model; they do not take a fee unless you get financial recovery. If a permanent injury or death was the end result, you or your family members may need the help of a physical therapist or counselor/therapist to get through this traumatic ordeal.

Preventing Accidents and Injuries

There are a number of steps you can take on your own to prevent medical malpractice or work related injury situations. You can research and find a physician and hospital facility that are on the ball and have their patients concern at the forefront. You also need to follow the doctor’s recommended care and treatment plan for your ailment. If something looks to be out of the ordinary, you need to speak up and ask questions. Also, don’t discount the value of getting second opinions, and pay attention to your own intuition. 

Injuries at work can be avoided by making yourself aware of any on the job hazards. An employer should also follow the OSHA safety guidelines to protect the employees and customers within the facility. To ensure your work environment is safe, you need to follow your workplace dress code. This could include making sure your hair is tied back, and wearing proper safety goggles and footwear, and the correct personal protective equipment that meets the risks of the job involved. Essentially, your role is to follow the established codes of conduct, read any safety manuals provided by your place of employment, and if necessary, ask other employees about past injury situations so you can learn from past mistakes.

A personal injury caused by medical malpractice or work related injury can have long-lasting repercussions. Taking the appropriate steps to prevent them before they occur, and knowing how to deal with the stresses once they happen, can help relieve some of the emotional burden.

Akilah Richards is a former legal assistant who has seen how vital an attorney can be for a person who suffered pain or injury due to someone elses negligence. Price Benowitz, LLP,  offers information and resources for individuals in need of legal representation for any Maryland work accident or malpractice occurrence.

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

PROTECTING YOURSELF WHILE WORKING (GUEST POST)

There are many kinds of jobs today that require safety. These kinds of jobs are usually the ones that are involved in commercial as well as industrial and construction sites. If you are working on a construction site then there are some certain things you should do in order to protect yourself from getting harmed or injured. Through this short article, you will read some safety tips that will help you through. 

Tip #1: Wear protective clothing and gear

It is very imperative that you wear the right kind of protective gear and clothing in order to protect yourself from those injuries. This is very important especially if you are going to work on a construction site. There are many falling debris and such that would actually cause you harm as well as injuries. There are different kinds of protective clothing and gear which you should wear like hardhats, thick gloves, and boots as well as clothing. These should be provided by the company you are working for. Make sure that your company will provide you such kind of protection. 

Tip #2: Insurance

It is very essential that your company will provide you full insurance coverage in case of accidents.  You never know just when an accident might occur. There are various kinds of insurance which your company must provide such as life insurance, accident coverage, as well as medical protection. With these, you are sure that you will get the protection as well as services you need in case something happened to you. Your family will also be safe and protected. 

Tip #3: Hazardous documents and license

If you are going to work on a power plant company or construction site, it is important that the company has all the important documents and papers showing that they have all the rights and authorization to hire such people to work for them. This is very important to ensure that you will be protected in case an accident occurs.

It also must have proper ways of handling those hazardous waste materials. Without this, then you are only putting yourself on the edge of an accident, health issues or worse, even death.

 It is very essential that you get to know more about the job you will take. The company must provide all the training and protection you need. This way, you will not only be able to stay productive for them but will also get the protection you need for yourself and for your family. 

Lance Rand is a freelance writer who writes various topics for different online clients. He also currently blogs for spicnspanplumbing.com.au –  a company that provides innovative emergency plumbing Sydney solutions.

General Safety Issues

FOUR WAYS YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FROM CRIME (GUEST POST)

The world is a crazy and sometimes scary place. As a Los Angeles criminal attorney, you can bet that I know just how true that is. Criminals out there are becoming more crafty and cunning by the day, looking to prey on honest and hardworking individuals like you and me. As they ramp up their efforts to become more successful in succeeding at crime, the average citizen has to step up his/her game as well to counter these efforts. Here are four simple ways that you can protect yourself from criminals. 

Drive If You Can—If You Can’t, Walk With Friends

If you’re traveling at night, drive whenever possible. Keep your garage door closed until you are safely in your car, and lock your doors before you open it. If you are walking, make sure that you walk in larger groups so as to deter criminals from approaching you. The added plus to walking in a group is that you have extra sets of eyes with you so that you can sight and report any type of suspicious activity that you may encounter. 

Educate Yourself and Your Family

There are plenty of safety-first type programs and courses out there that can help you, your friends, and your family to become more educated on safety-related issues. Local law-enforcement agencies are a great resource for these types of programs as well. The types of issues that you should be looking to become educated on are:

  •                  How to handle emergencies
  •                  How to identify suspicious persons and suspicious activities.
  •                  How to recognize a house that is being burglarized
  •                  What to watch out for when entering your own home, in the case that it is being burglarized.
  •                  How to recognize stolen merchandise.
  •                  How to protect your home and family

The best way to reduce crime is prevention, and knowledge is one of the best modes of said prevention. 

Keep Your Cellphone on Your Person

You know that little device that you use to text and talk on throughout the day? Yes, your cellphone! Not many people think of it as a safety device, but in the event that you see a crime in progress, or are put in a position of danger, what would you do? If you answered “I would call the proper authorities”, you are among the many that have answered that question the same way. Unfortunately, you can’t do that if you don’t have a cell. Keep your phone charged and on you at all times. 

Be Careful with Your Social Media

This isn’t one that a lot of people think about, but be extremely conscious about what you do with your Facebook, Twitter—any of your social media profiles. There is a lot of information on you that can be harvested just by looking at your photos and profile pages. Don’t post pictures of yourself while you are on vacation because that signals that your home is open and available for any burglar that wants it. Another thing to consider would be not posting pictures of your children on your page. They need not be the center of any unnecessary attention, because you never know who is out there watching.

Vincent: Thank you for this advice on personal safety.  This applies to every age.  For students going off to college, or moving out of their parents’ home after graduation, it is especially important that they realize the world can be an unfriendly place; they need to stay with their friends and become familiar with their new surroundings. pb

 

General Safety Issues

GILLECE DETAILS HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR THE STORM SEASON (GUEST POST)

Storms can hit throughout the year in the United States, wreaking havoc on your home and threatening to cause damage to your property and personal belongings. In parts of the Northeast, thunderstorms are most common and frequently occur in the summer. When a storm hits, no matter where you live, you can be prepared and protect your home from potential damage.

Prevent Sewer Backup

With heavy rain may come backed-up drains. Sometimes storm drains can’t handle a large amount of precipitation in a short period of time, and storm water can overload the main lines of a sanitary sewer system. When this happens, backups may occur in both the street and your basement. The chances of a backup occurring are greater if your drains and sewer are already clogged.

While you may not be able to control Mother Nature’s showers, you can practice drain and sewer maintenance to help prevent backups:

  •         Keep certain things out of your drains like fats, oils, and grease, and clean them regularly with natural items like baking soda to relieve buildup and clogs.
  •          A plumber can snake your drain once or twice a year to remove more intense buildup that can cause clogging.
  •           Have your main sewer line inspected to detect for obstructions such as tree roots.

Protect Against Flooding and Water Damage

Part of preventing sewer backups involves having a plan if water or sewage does enter your home. Heavy rainfall increases the risk of basement flooding, which can damage property including carpeting, furniture, and personal belongings. Moisture in the air can also lead to mold formation, which can be damaging to both your home and health. A snowball effect is often the case when water finds its way into your home.

What you can do:

  •         Clear gutters of leaves and debris so they can adequately collect storm water.
  •         Make sure downspouts drain away from your foundation by at least a few feet.
  •         Install a sump pump as part of an interior drainage system.
  •         Use a sump pump with a battery backup in the case of electrical loss.

Prevent Electricity Loss

When a thunderstorm hits, you might start lighting candles and checking flashlight batteries to prepare for a power outage. To prevent the loss of electricity for any length of time and at any time of year, a backup generator may be the best solution. It provides both convenience and safety by keeping important parts of your home running, especially heating and air conditioning. During a storm, losing power for a long period of time can mean inconvenient and unsafe conditions for you and your loved ones.

Benefits of a backup generator:

  •           Turns on automatically within 10 seconds of a power outage.
  •           Keeps major appliances and other devices running for as long as electricity is lost.
  •           Provides protection at any time of year to keep your home and family safe.

Protect Against Power Surges

Power surges occur when an increase in voltage greatly surpasses the designated level in a flow of electricity. When this happens, depending on the intensity, damage is caused to your electrical devices either immediately or over time. Lightning is a commonly known cause of power surges and the most intense. If it strikes in the right place during a storm, you may be facing an electrical fire or serious, irreversible damage to your electronics.

What you can do:

  •           Invest in an individual or whole-home surge protector that provides protection by detecting for spikes in electrical currents and diverting them to the grounding wire of an outlet.
  •           Unplug computers, televisions, phone chargers, etc. during a storm to prevent electrical damage.
  •           Upgrade your home’s electrical capacity to meet the demands of your electrical needs. The operation of high-power devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators can cause brief power surges that may lead to significant damage over time.

Taking steps to prepare your home before a storm hits can help to keep serious, costly damage and dangerous conditions from happening. Having an emergency supply on hand is also important for the safety of yourself and loved ones. Supplies like water, nonperishable food, a safety first aid kit, and a battery-powered radio can help you to stay safe in the case of a severe storm.

For the latest home safety and maintenance tips you can follow Gillece on Twitter @GilleceServices.

General Safety Issues

KEEPING YOUR HOME SAFE WITH KIDS (GUEST POST)

Having kids in the house makes it critically important to have good home safety measure in place. Besides needing good protection on account of being young and defenseless, kids can also pose a security risk by accidentally providing information about your home, your schedule, or your possessions.

Managing Kid-Related Risks

If you’re a family where both parents work, then not giving keys to your kids is obviously not an option because they’ll need to let themselves in after school. That doesn’t mean that you should give a house key to a child that’s too young to understand what is and isn’t safe to talk about in public, and might be prone to losing the key either on accident or through theft. Another thing to worry about is children accidentally leaving doors and windows unlocked, allowing easy entry to any would be burglars. The best way to deal with this is good old fashioned work. Before you leave for work and before you go to bed each night, go around your entire house and make sure that all points of entry are secure.

Keeping Valuables Safe

No matter what you do there is always the chance that someone will break into your house regardless of your efforts not to draw attention or make an obvious target out of it. Though you can’t very well lock up your TV, computer, or anything that’s supposed to be part of your décor, you can keep smaller valuables, important documents, weapons, and cash locked away in a safe. Unlike in the movies there is no need to hide your safe in a wall somewhere. Usually it’ll be bolted to the floor, and virtually impossible to break open quickly, which is all you need since normal burglars will be in a hurry and will snatch whatever is easy to grab and run with.

Alarms

Home alarm systems are effective not because they do much to catch criminals, but because they scare criminals into leaving your home as quickly as possible to avoid being apprehended. This helps you to protect yourself, your family, and your possessions, and helps to make you aware of forced entry if you were sleeping or not present inside the home at the time. Though they won’t stop someone who’s determined and ready for it, they make excellent deterrents for your average burglar.

Getting a Safe Room

If you’re dealing with someone who isn’t deterred by your home alarm you’ll want to have a place that you can retreat to. Confronting a potentially violent criminal in your home is not ever a good idea, regardless of what the NRA might want you to believe. The best way to deal with a situation like that is to get behind a locked door as quickly as possible and to wait until the authorities arrive. Building a basic safe room isn’t particularly difficult or expensive, simply install a heavy duty door and door frame on a large walk-in closet, or any room that doesn’t have windows and make sure that you have access to your phone.

Ben Thatcher is a DIY home security guy who lives in Idaho on a ranch with his loving wife. He writes security tips and tutorials for Protect America, a security systems provider.

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Safety

FIRE SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE (GUEST POST)

The Law 

According to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, if you’re an employer, owner, landlord or occupier of a business in England and Wales, you are legally responsible for fire safety within that building. This means you have an obligation to protect the building, and everyone within it, from the threat of fire as far as possible and, under the Fire Safety Order, this makes you the ‘responsible person’. 

As the ‘responsible person’ there are a host of tasks you must undertake and steps you must implement to: reduce the likelihood of fire, put an efficient evacuation process in place and ensure all of your employees are aware and informed of fire safety and your building’s procedures. 

Fire Risk Assessments 

Conducting a Fire Risk Assessment is one of the first, and most important, things businesses must do in order to comply with fire safety laws. If your business has five or more employees, your Risk Assessment must be kept as a written record and this should then be regularly reviewed and subsequently updated. 

The aim of a Fire Risk Assessment is to identify the fire hazards within your environment and the people at risk and then implement changes to eradicate or reduce these risks. There are five steps to a Risk Assessment and, due to the meticulous nature of each one, most companies choose to hire a professional fire safety company to conduct theirs. 

Planning for an Emergency 

Once the risks and hazards within your property have been identified, it is vital to plan exactly what would happen in the event of an actual emergency. This means carefully and comprehensively planning evacuation routes and ensuring they are as safe and efficient as possible. 

This should include making sure there are enough clear and unblocked exits for everyone to escape from – experts recommend at least two alternatives from each room in case the fire is blocking one – and that there are designated meeting points. You should also consider anyone who may be more vulnerable during an evacuation, such as children, people with disabilities and the elderly. 

Equipment, such as fire safety signs and emergency lighting, should also be installed where appropriate to make the evacuation routes immediately obvious, easy to understand and safe to navigate through. 

Installing Fire Equipment 

One of the best ways to remove or reduce the fire risks within your environment is to install high quality fire equipment. All business environments must contain a fire detection and warning system which, for most commercial premises, means installing a fire alarm system. Reputable fire alarm suppliers will tailor a system to the requirements of your environment. 

Most businesses also require fire fighting equipment and this includes fire extinguishers, fire blankets and sprinkler systems, conditional to the environment you work in. For example, there are a  variety of fire extinguishers available, depending on the application and type of fire being tackled. Again, fire equipment suppliers can advise you on the types of fire extinguisher required for your business. 

Provide Information, Instruction and Training

All new staff members should be trained on fire safety, including evacuation procedures, fire alarm system instructions and the location and use of fire extinguishers. Fire safety signage is also a great way to conform to regulations regarding information as they offer a permanent, tangible method of instruction. 

Fire drills should also be conducted to make sure everyone is thoroughly aware of evacuation procedures. These should be done regularly – at least once a year – and also provide an ideal opportunity to make sure your evacuation routes are suitable. Any findings from the fire drill should be recorded and any remedial action necessary should be taken. Additionally, any new risks identified within your environment should be communicated to all employees. 

Professional fire safety training programmes are also recommended for larger businesses, as it involves nominating Fire Safety Wardens who then also become responsible for overseeing fire safety and will learn valuable skills, including how to use a fire extinguisher. 

This post was written on behalf of City Fire Protection & Maintenance Services LLP by George Musson.