Category Archives: Eye Protection

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Safety

SKIP AND CONTAINER SAFETY WHEN MANAGING WASTE (GUEST POST)

Waste management is an essential part of completing a job for a professional tradesperson or DIY enthusiast. The safe use of skips and containers can be a tricky path to tread for those unfamiliar with health and safety regulations and guidelines. Unbeknown to many, skip and container related accidents are a common occurrence, in fact, these are the leading cause of serious to fatal incidents in waste management and recycling plants.  Here we take a closer look at utilizing skips and containers safely to help you reduce the risk of serious injury.

Skip (dumpster) compatibility

Whether you are looking to buy or hire a skip for your upcoming project, ensuring that your skip is compatible with the skip loader is a vital step to safe usage. Mini skips, with a capacity of 1.5m3 to 2m3, are the most popular choice, especially for household or small commercial / industrial upgrades. However, many of these mini skips are not manufactured to suit the design of a standard skip loader. Larger skips however are designed to be compatible with standard skip loaders, and their 3m3 to 20m3 capacity ensures a sizable solution to waste management on larger projects. Recommended safety checks There are a series of safety checks that must be carried out to ensure the safe use of skips and containers.

Training is recommended for workers who use and unload skips and containers on a regular basis, these training programs ensure workers can identify faults or damage to the skip that would otherwise make it unsafe to use. Regular checks must also be carried out to check the condition of important skip and container components, such as the lifting and locking points, tipping bars, doors, restraints, covers and wider condition. Workers must also be aware of the importance of using the right type of skip for the task at hand, and the skip or container’s strength, stability and distribution of load weight must all be taken into account.

Identifying hazardous skip use

There are a number of scenarios that would make the skip or container hazardous to move or unload, including:

  • Overloading
  • Insufficient headroom when retrieving
  • Insufficient space around the skip or container
  • Placement on sloping ground
  • Placement on soft ground

If any of these relate to your skip or container then it is recommended that you seek specialist advice to improve safety and reduce risk before removal or unloading. Overly damaged skips and containers should also be removed from service completely.

This post was written by Brittany Thorley. She works for Cheshire Demolition (http://www.cheshiredemolition.co.uk/) and regularly advises on maintaining best practice for safety on both small and large scale improvement projects.

Note: Of course, workers in this field should take all precautions and wear the correct personal protective gear, such as gloves, safety glasses, hardhats, and possibly respirators  pb

 

P.S. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!  PB

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

WORK RELATED SAFETY – A KEY CONCERN FOR COMPANIES (GUEST POST)

You’re running a company, earning heavy profits. Apart from aiming on the profits, how much concerned your company is for those who are the unsung heroes of your company’s success. It’s the time you, as a company, did something for their safety as their lives have no substitute. 

Read on to know the safety guidelines your company can adhere to raise the productivity of both, the employees and the company as whole.

1). Working Environment

It’s extremely vital for a company to get its employees an environment they feel good working in. These seemingly trivial, but important things are:

  • Floors need to be spick and span
  • Machineries should be rust and dust free.
  • A hygienic canteen is crucial since unhealthy food makes employees prone to the various diseases.
  • Friendly relations among the employees, HR manager and the boss. 

2) Protection at work area

Operating machinery, make sure, if your employee is familiar with the basics of the machine operation. Ignoring this thing can pose a threat, both to the employee and machinery.

Maintain decorum, making it mandatory for every employee to be fully equipped while working. Be it, gloves, goggles, vest, hard hats or any other safety gears required to be put on, the workers be told to comply with that regulation.

Imposing fines on the violators will certainly keep a check on the indiscipline. Tell the employees about the consequences of drinking alcohol at work that impairs the safe operation of the machineries and makes the employees susceptible to injuries.

Safety at work also needs clarifying about the kind of tasks an employee is supposed to do. He should be detailed about the manuals of the machines and all the possible dos and don’ts. Most accidental cases have also revealed; the employees are often made to work on a machine without thorough detailing that makes a way for such accidents to happen.

Interactive sessions and meeting should be held before you call it a day. As a company’s leader, you’re expected to interact with the rest of the team, acquiring the knowledge about how the things are going on. A few minutes of get-together will undeniably help the employees raise safety issues they’ve been facing for long periods of time.

3) Safety programs:

What kind of safety program your company follows and what the guidelines are that have been included in it, are the critical issues. Arrange a meeting after a few months or so with the employees and HR manager, keeping all of them updated about the safety guidelines. Conducting a safety drill in the company will certainly clear out the things as, then, the employees will get to know what exactly they need to do in urgency. Asking the employees about the guidelines mentioned in the safety program will show how much they know what to do on the practical grounds. It includes:

In case of emergency, how to get an ambulance at the earliest and which hospital in the locale they would rush.

Specify about the load’s maximum limit the employee can carry since the most accidents occur while carrying overloads at the back.

Detailing them when to use a wheelbarrow, conveyor belt, forklifts and other machines will certainly curtail the risk getting your employees injured.

The company needs to bring some positive alterations, revising the safety programs, especially according to the suggestions made by those employees, who often come face-to-face with the hazardous situations.

In a nutshell, a company strikes pay dirt and remains in the pink of health, only if its employees feel healthy and safe. 

 

For construction related safety products, feel free to visit:

http://cleanwrap.net/

 

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection

LIGHT STEEL FABRICATION: THE BACKBONE OF SECURITY GRILL DOORS IN MELBORNE (GUEST POST)

Have you observed the tall buildings that are raised all over the city?   Taking a close look to these structures will show that these buildings are actually made of metal structure. Yes! Metal fabrication is the process that has made it possible. This article discusses as to how this metal structure has played the role of backbone for these skyline.

In modern times, almost each and every object that exists around us is made of metal. History says that metal has literally helped in shaping up the world that we see now. Though plants have always been necessary and favoured fabric in most of our lives, but for homes, workplace and buildings, construction is impossible without the existence of metal. At present, metal fabrication has raised its head as one of the popular choices and key components to raise strong buildings and constructional structures all around the world. 

Going back to the history of ‘fabrication’:

As we have mentioned the term, ‘fabrication’, do you know what it actually means? ‘Fabrication’ is a process under which metal structures are built in different ways. These manufacturing processes include cutting, milling, bending, and shaping of the metal using machines and computer numerical control (CNC) that is used for welding, laser cutting process, press breaks and so on. As mentioned earlier, metal fabrication stands as the backbone of architectural structure, but that’s not the only material used to exist earlier. Taking back to the primitive days, the fabrication processes begins with crude materials like mud, rock, thatch, clay that was primarily used as substantial materials for construction. Slowly and steadily with the civilisation, people started to look for strong structural material and thus, metal was discovered. With this, metal fabrication was also born. 

Use of the fabricated metal:

This fabricated metal became the de-facto material for large buildings so that the buildings got strong foundation. On the other hand, the increasing demand of strong metal also led to the necessity of advanced metal fabrication method. This advanced fabricated metal is used not only for constructional purpose. It is also used for related services like covering a building from both outside as well as inside. In order to serve this purpose, steel has turned up as the standard metal. That’s why; steel fabrication technique is simultaneously popular in the market at present.

Now, when you look at highrise buildings in the city, a close view into it will show the existence of steel structure in these buildings. Similarly in the architectural field, need for steel—especially light fabricated steel—becomes prominent. 

Getting fabricated steel from the proper location:

As the demand for lightweight fabricated steel increases, similarly the customers also begin to look for the place where they can get this metal of best quality. When the question arises about best quality, you can vouch on laser cut stainless steel panels. These panels are around 63 cm in width and 143 cm in length. Now, if you are the customer and are looking for such précised laser cut stainless steel, you will obviously look for those places where you can get such high quality metal. Above that, if your project demands a strict deadline, it will become necessary to receive these parts within the next few days. In such instance, it becomes pertinent that you choose a dealer who should not only be capable of giving high standard metal but that too within the promised date as well. 

Author Mark Aurthur says, “Where should you go then?   Reputed metal working companies offering light steel fabrication for Security Grill Doors in Melbourne that can meet all your metal structure based needs in a short span of time. One such company is Dandenong Wrought Iron.  If you want, you can definitely approach Dandenong Wrought firm to get assured services. Beside this, the internet is also there to help you out with appropriate information to meet your requirements. 

 Note: Because welding is a common fabrication process, workers in this environment must be provided with personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, hearing protection, protective footwear and head protection.  Local exhaust ventilation should be used to remove harmful welding fumes from metals and/or gases.  In the U.S., OSHA requires compliance with their safety regulations regarding the fabrication process.  We know our friends in Australia also comply with the safety regulations established byWHS (Work and Health Safety).

Source: OSHA; docstoc.com

Eye Protection, Fall Safety, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Weather Protection

WORKING FROM HEIGHT, ARE YOU DOING IT RIGHT? (GUEST POST)

Working at height is a common requisite of almost any construction, maintenance or development work and should be conducted with extra care. According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), falls from height remain one of the most common causes of fatality in any workplace, with a large proportion of these being a result of proper checks and basic assessments having not been carried out.

If you are an employer running your own business where working at height is frequent, it is crucial that you are familiar with the Working At Height Regulations 2005 and that you are continuously implementing the right health and safety protocol within your work site. If you are an employee, it’s important to be aware of the necessary safety checks so you can be sure you are not putting yourself in danger whilst at work. 

1.     Assess the work to be done.

Thorough and practical assessment of the work to be carried out will allow the work to be controlled responsibly throughout, minimising the likelihood of setbacks or emergencies.

It is stressed by the HSE that work should be done at height only when absolutely necessary. Ask yourself: can this work be done from the ground, with specialised equipment? Or can it be done using lower-level or interval platforms, reducing the risk of fall or injury?

Also identify the risks themselves, including the height of the work to be done, and how realistically accessible it is, even with the use of elevated platforms and other equipment. Determine how many people are required to complete the work, so as not to compromise the safety of more than what is absolutely necessary. Decide whether the work to be done is of a long or short duration (short duration is work that is measured in minutes rather than hours). 

2.     Take note of environmental conditions.

Work at height should never be undertaken or allowed in extreme weather conditions that could endanger anybody’s health and safety. Also bear in mind the surrounding environment of your work site, such as a noisy environment that could affect communications between those working at height and those co-ordinating on the ground. Nearby unstable matter can also pose an extra risk of injury, distraction or obstruction, so it’s important to maintain the worksite and its surrounding area to as high a standard as possible.

Although environmental conditions very often cannot be controlled, they can be noted and prepared for accordingly. 

3.     Check the relevant equipment.

Use of the right equipment is obviously the backbone of any work being carried out at height; whether this involves ladders, scaffolding, or the use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPS) such as scissor lifts or cherry pickers.

What should not be overlooked, however, is the checking and maintenance of this equipment on a regular basis. Different equipment and machinery will have various maintenance specifications; scaffolding checks for example, ought to be carried every seven days, whilst harnesses require a pre-use check, detailed inspection and interim inspection at various stages of their lifetime.

Equipment checks should ideally be carried out by someone assessed under a registry body (such as the Construction Industry Scaffolders Registration Scheme), or at least with sufficient experience in the use of the height equipment being used. 

4.     Ensure employees have the right training.

In light of the previous point, anybody using specific height equipment should have had the right training in its operation – this is essential. If your business engages in the use of mobile elevated platforms, it is absolutely crucial that all employees have undergone IPAF training and hold a current Powered Access Licence card (PAL) that proves they are capable of operating MEWPs safely.

IPAF training can be carried out by an IPAF approved training provider, and courses can be completed in just one day, with different packages to suit your business’ needs. If you are an employee, speak to your employer about possibly setting up a course to secure a fully qualified workforce (and some excellent team building opportunities). 

5.     Prepare for the worst.

It sounds simple, but the law requires that there is always a plan in place for emergencies and rescues when working at height. Use all means possible to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur, such as safety nets or bean bags; rest platforms at regular intervals, and the wear of safety clothing.
“Adele Hallsall writes for Kimberly Access, which provide access platform equipment for construction jobs. They have been serving businesses with access equipment for many years now and have a loyal customer base. They also provide training such as IPAF training.“

Eye Protection, Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

TOP TEN SAFETY MEASURES TO CONSIDER WHILE REPAIRING ROOFS (GUEST POST)

 The roof is an integral element of our home and as cautious home owners we all have the responsibility to maintain its good condition. Periodic roof survey is essential to keep a close watch on the roof and if the need be, amendments can be made instantly to avoid further damage. Roof repairs or renovation work if outsourced to expert vendors makes the job more easy and perfect. This also reduces the risk as they are quite acquainted with the safety measures that are pre-requisite in roofing job. 
 
Nevertheless, if you have sound knowledge and the confidence to do it, can also be a better option. This will help in saving the additional labor cost and one can be sure of the superior material quality being used. Safety measures are of utmost importance and should be given priority in order to ensure that there are no accidents or life-threatening events. Roofing repairs are one of the most critical areas of work and should be done carefully with due importance on safety measures. 
Let us peep into some basic yet crucial safety steps that one needs to ensure while doing the roof repairs.
 
1.Clear away all the mess in the work place area. If you have any old and unused belongings on the flat roof or there is debris that has got collected on the roof; clean all these before you can begin the work. 
 
2.Ensure that all electrical wires are intact in their place and there are no live or open wires nearby while working on the roof. Take care in case if you have any overhead wire or cable running over the roof. Call the electrician to fix up the wires for you and insulate them if required.
 
3.Do not forget to wear a helmet, safety glasses and gloves. 
 
4.Use proper shoes which do not slip. Strictly do not wear slippers while working on the roof.
 
5.Do not wet the roof floor or do not climb over wet roof.
 
6.Check the roof shingles before you climb on to the roof. 
 
7.Keep kids and pets away from your work area or barricade the area where you are working and if the need be, maintain signboards that indicate your work in progress.
 
8.Avoid using a metal ladder as there are chances of hazards due to electrical shocks. Check the ladder quality before you climb onto it. Ensure that the ladder is properly rooted on an even surface below and would not budge from its place.
 
9.The quality and strength of the rope matters a lot in case you are using a rope as a safety belt. Try to use the proper secured safety belts available in the market rather than regretting later.
 
10.Keep your toolkit and equipment ready well in advance and move it onto the roof before you start the work.
These basic tips should be thoroughly followed before the onset of roofing repairs to keep you safe and sound. 
 
About the Author:  The author as a writer has an inclination towards the construction industry. His articles primarily focus on renovation and repair matters. His in-depth research in Belgium, makes it possible for him to share such useful tips and information.
Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

RISKS AND REWARDS OF BEING A PLUMBER (GUEST POST)

Work safety has always been a top priority in the plumbing and heating industry. As plumbing is a profession that involves frequent exposure to hazardous situations and chemicals. Plumbing experts needs to be precise with regard to their health and work standards. Plumbing as a craft requires significant technical knowledge and involves much more than simply unclogging a sink or replacing a home shower. 

Typically, a plumber’s work involves working with a wide variety of plumbing tools and equipment in different challenging situations on a daily basis. It is therefore vital that all plumbing engineers are well aware of the risks involved in the occupation and are able to take the appropriate safety measures to minimize them. 

Professional plumbing experts like Plumbers 4U ensure that all their staff are trained and well versed in their own health and safety policies and adhere to safe working practices onsite. These emergency plumbers, working in the North London area and serving Camden, St. Albans, Enfield, Barnet and Brent, work to ensure that all projects are delivered in a professional, responsible and safe manner. 

 There are many well-known risks involved when working as plumber – but taking the correct precautions and safety measures will ensure safety and success in the field. 

  • Plumbers often need to work in close proximity to flammable or combustible substances, and risk exposure to toxic substances like lead, asbestos, adhesives, solvents, solder and sulphur dioxide
    Take proper precautions to avoid inhaling harmful vapours by using properly fitted respirators and ventilation systems, and use eye protection while working with chemicals and in areas where foreign materials may enter your eyes. 
  • There is an increased risk of injury while working with different tools
    Keep your equipment and tools organized and work in a clutter-free area. Inspect the different equipment for safety hazards before each use. All bench and hand grinders should be checked prior to use and should have the proper safety guards in place. 
  • Working in different awkward positions, and lifting heavy or awkward objects could cause back injury
    Work in a clutter-free area and work with your back hunched as little as possible. If lifting heavy objects, bend at the knee and keep a straight back, and do not try to lift something that’s too heavy. 
  • Exposure to extreme temperatures might lead to burns from steam or hot water
    Secure cut off valves prior to working with steam lines or hot water lines. 
  • Plumbers risk electrocution by working with electrical equipment in close proximity to water
    Do not work with electrical equipment while in water or if the equipment is wet, and inspect all electrical cords and plugs for exposed wires or cracks in the insulation before each use. 
  • There is a risk of slipping, tripping or falling on wet surfaces especially while working at heights
    Ensure that you use fall protection and that you take extra care while working at heights.  

Although challenging, there are a lot of benefits to a career in plumbing. You’ll be able to start your own business and set your own work timings, and can therefore set different appointments to fit your work schedule. You’ll never be short of work – plumbing is not an industry that can ever go out of fashion, nor can the need for plumbers ever dwindle. The profession also ensures a fairly good income, as you’ll be able to charge for your skills on an hourly basis. 

Sent to us by Ram Seth, writing for Plumbing specialists Plumbers 4 U ensure that all of their engineers adhere to the industry’s safety standards to avoid or mitigate some of the above risks, and as long as an accident-free plumbing workplace is maintained, which requires a commitment from everyone within a company, the profession of plumbing is a lucrative one.

We appreciate these safety tips, and all understand that plumbers do many jobs that none of us want to do. They know what they are doing, and are worth the charge. pb

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

IT’S SPRING! (I THINK!)

Spring has made a late arrival here in North Central Texas, but Old Man Winter still thrives in other parts of the United States. With the arrival of warmer weather, all the weeds and other plants loaded with allergens start spreading their cheer around us!   Folks who have allergies are not looking forward to the misery associated with them. 

It’s also the time to plant gardens, mow the yard, and clean up and fix up what the cold weather left behind. As you prepare to start your seasonal yard work, stock up on face masks, goggles, gloves, sunscreen, and plenty of allergy medicine! Be sure your power equipment is in good shape, as it usually needs an annual checkup to be sure everything is running as it should. 

There is so much to look forward to during spring and summer: baseball, swimming, outings, summer camps, and hopefully, being with family more. Kids are anxiously awaiting summer break from school, so this means we need to be careful when driving down neighborhood streets. 

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are also a part of spring that we would rather not have to deal with. So far, there have been fewer tornadoes for this time of the year than usual. But, as it warms up, conditions will make the atmosphere right for twisters. 

Be sure that you have a plan, just in case you must leave your home in the event of a severe thunderstorm, or worse, tornado. Every member of the family should know where to meet. A care kit should be packed with enough water for at least three days, non-perishable food, medicines, pet food, flashlight, blankets, and other supplies. Keep your cell phone charged at all times, just in case. 

Information from The Weather Channel shows that even as we push deeper into the heart of spring tornado season, 2014 has so far completely spared Americans the agony and grief of tornado-related deaths. The year’s long early safe streak has put 2014 in rare territory, historically. The modern era of tornado records began in 1950 with the advent of the storm database maintained by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. This year has now gone on longer than any other calendar year in that era without a tornado fatality. 

Another recent year’s long quiet streak ended rather violently when this April 20th marked the 10th anniversary of 2004’s first killer tornado, also an F3 in Illinois. Eight people died on April 20, 2004 when a twister smashed into Utica, Ill., causing a tavern to collapse. 

Even including what are likely incomplete historical records from the mid 19th to early 20th centuries, 2014 already ranks among the top 10 years with the longest fatality-free start. It’s possible that some of those older years in the record had undocumented tornado deaths, which would move 2014 even higher in the rankings if we had perfect knowledge of what happened back then. 

With no tornadoes reported Monday, we now have to go back 99 years to find a calendar year when the first documented tornado death came later in the year – that was 1915, when the first recorded death came on May 5.

We are thankful that so far that we have not had any deaths as the result of tornadoes. Let’s hope that 2014 will continue to be a low record for killer storms.  Be prepared by listening for important warnings from your local television stations, NOAA, and the Weather Channel. 

Source: The Weather Channel

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Respiratory Safety

APRIL IS INJURY PREVENTION MONTH, SO PLAY IT SAFE!

 Our parent company, Texas America Safety Company, is dedicated to providing the very best safety products for all types of business, from construction, office, manufacturing, healthcare, oil field, law enforcement, to the military.  Because April is Injury Prevention Month, we want to tell our readers that “Safety” is our middle name, and we are encouraging everyone to be as safe on the job, on the road, or at home or play as they can be. 

Safety is a keystone in every company’s foundation. Without a strong safety program, all other aspects of a company’s performance suffer.  Every company should have the goal of providing the best personal protective equipment and safety training for the entire work fleet.  Employees may become bored with the usual safety meeting presentations, so it is important that they are able to participate and be a part of the company’s plan in order to be in compliance with OSHA standards.  New employees should have the opportunity to understand what they are expected to do on their job – be trained the right way to do things, and have it explained in their home language in case they don’t comprehend English very well. 

There are many statistics on how many persons are injured or killed annually in car accidents, home accidents, sports, and work.  Our main objective is to help protect those who go to work every day with the plan of coming home safely at the end of their shift.  If you observe someone at your workplace who is “an accident waiting to happen,” tell your supervisor before it actually does!  We know there will always be someone who takes chances on the job, knowing they are at risk.  One false move may be their last.  Anyone who gets behind the wheel knows they are at risk of being in an accident.  The best advice is to pay attention to the other driver, and forget about the cell phone and other distractions.  Farmers know the best ways to operate equipment and how to handle animals.  They also know that an accident can happen at any time.  Construction workers are at the top of the list for injuries.  There are  many hazards for most jobs; we just can’t be too cautious about being injured. 

We ask that everyone uses a strategy to avoid becoming injured.  Taking your time and doing the job right, whether it is yard work, housework, playing sports, office work, or physical labor, do it right, and don’t risk having to go to the hospital.  Lost work time costs the employer; it may require hiring another person to replace someone temporarily while the worker recovers. 

Our EMT’s, firefighters, and law enforcement are to be commended, as they are the first responders in times of accidents; they treat the injured and rush them to hospitals for care.  Their jobs are not easy ones, and even they sometimes get injured on the job.  

Whether your job requires eye, head, hand, respiratory protection, or any other equipment, check out www.tasco-safety.com for your special needs.

Let’s all play it smart and stay safe.

 

 

 

 

Ergonomics, Eye Protection

HOW TO ENSURE EYES’ HEALTH WHEN WORKING IN FRONT OF COMPUTER ALL DAY (GUEST POST)

 Most of the jobs nowadays require the use of computers. Some professionals even stay and work in front of the computer for 8-12 hours daily. Working hard does not mean compromising your health. Here are some of the things that you can do to protect your eyes from working at the computer for long hours. 

1. Adjust the Lighting of Computers

Use of proper lighting may help eye strain. When we are working in front of a computer for so many hours daily, we have to make sure to take care of our eyes. Eye strain is caused by excessive bright light, to avoid this, we can change the brightness of our monitor screen. Doing so will help us make our eyes comfortable. 

Aside from adjusting the light of our computers to make our eyes feel better. We should also have ambient lighting in our offices. Make sure to eliminate exterior lights and avoid working under overhead fluorescent lights. 

2. Upgrade Your Display

Office staff should always protect the health of their employers. If they have an extra budget they should replace the old-tube style monitor with flat-panel LCD. Screens of these monitors usually have an anti-reflective surface and are easier on the eyes of the user. 

Flicker of images is one of the major cause of computer eye strain. Which is not an issue with LCD screens. Selecting the highest resolution possible for the screen is the best solution to this problem. 

3. Modify Work Station

Another cause of eye strain is the improper posture into the computer when we are working. To prevent this, we can adjust our workstation and chair to the correct height. 

If our work requires looking at the printed page and then on the screen, then we should place the written pages on the copy stand. Light the copy stand properly and is adjacent to the monitor. We can also use desk lamp to see this written pages clearly. 

4. Keep Distance from Monitor

Always remember to keep distance at the monitor for it is really dangerous to our eyes. We should have a distance of at least 50-100cm from eyes. Offices should also purchase and use ergonomic furniture to enable their employers to position their computer 20-24 inches from the eyes. The most comfortable and ideal position of our head and neck to the screen should be about 10-15 degrees below our eyes. 

5. Consider Computer Eyewear (Use anti-radiation glasses)

Protect our eyes from too much light of the computer. The use of anti-radiation glasses will help a lot. The company may not afford it but if we have an extra budget, maybe we can buy it for ourselves. There are also normal computer glasses that we can wear. We can consult our eye care professional regarding this matter. These glasses will surely bring greatest comfort to our eyes. 

6. Blink More Often

When we are working in front of the computer, we should blink more often while we stare at the monitor. It is very important because blinking moistens our eyes to prevent dryness and irritation. To help us reduce the risk of dry eyes, we should blink 10 times every 20minutes.  

7. Take Frequent Breaks

Rest our eyes for 10-15 minutes and avoid looking at the monitor for a long time. We can take a rest for our eyes by closing our eyelids for a moment. We can also look at the distant objects for 10 seconds to relax our eyes.

 We should also make a supplementary of five-minute breaks throughout our work day. This will not only prevent the risk of our computer vision syndrome but can also help us avoid neck, back, and shoulder pain. When we are doing these five-minute breaks, we can stand, and do some stretching.  

8. Exercise Your Eyes

We can also use our mini breaks to exercise our eyes. Having an exercise for eyes help us avoid focusing fatigue that leads to eye strain. Looking far away from our computer monitors relaxes our focusing muscles inside the eye. Here are some exercises that we can do for our eyes: 

Exercise #1: Move eyes in circle from left to right. This should be 6-8 times and then repeat the process to the opposite side. 

Exercise #2: Move eyes from top to bottom for 10-12 times carefully. We have to do it slowly to avoid hurting our eye muscle. 

Exercise #3: Move eyes from left to right horizontally for 10-12 times. And do it opposite direction. 

 

About the Author:

Dawn Atkins loves reading, writing and traveling. It is her dream to set foot on Paris. She is currently a junior college student who works as a part-time contributor for bestessay.com. Dawn’s goal in life is to have her own business someday.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hearing Protection

RINGING IN THE FACTS ABOUT CELL PHONE OVERUSE (GUEST INFOGRAPHIC)

Our thanks to Ashley O’Connor for this infographic, which depicts potential health effects of excessive mobile phone usage. Basically, it shows different health problems we may get from over using our mobile phone.  First and foremost, as Ashley says, please do not use your cell phone to text while you are driving!  I will admit that I am among the 67% that checks my cell phone even if it hasn’t rung!  However, I am not addicted to using the phone or tablet. Most folks will tell you that they sometimes find it irritating to visit person to person with someone who is texting on their phone rather than participating in the conversation. Food for thought! pb