Category Archives: General Safety Issues

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

LOVE YOUR HEART

As we are halfway through National Heart Month, February, we hope you have considered what you can do to become Heart-Healthy, if you haven’t already started to do so.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States.  Regardless of your age or gender, now is the time to think about the “rest of your life”.   The America Heart Association recommends that you know your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers as well as you know your shoe size or 401(k) balance.  It’s wise to watch your calorie intake, and try to stay with the six food groups recommended by the USDA and American Heart Association.

The best Valentine gift that I’ve ever received was having my husband still here with me.  One day last May, he began having chest pains and shortness of breath.  A trip to the emergency room revealed that his cardiac enzyme levels were extremely high.  An ambulance journey to a larger hospital and cardiac cath lab indicated that he had 95%, 90%, 60% and 40% blockage in arteries to his heart.  He had successful open-heart surgery with four bypasses.  After weeks of cardiac rehab therapy, he is back on the golf course, and ready to start a new garden this spring!  It was very lucky that he had this warning, which averted a possible heart attack and/or heart damage.

Cardiovascular disease of the heart and blood vessels develops over time (beginning in childhood), and occurs when arteries develop atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque inside them.  This buildup reduces blood flow in arteries.  When plaque becomes fragile and ruptures, blood clots can form.  If arteries to the heart or brain are blocked, heart attack or stroke can be the result.

Controlling cholesterol and triglyceride levels can save lives.  By choosing healthier diets and developing a regular exercise routine, you can be on the road to better heart health.  Know your family history, reduce stress in your work/home, if you smoke-STOP, don’t consume too much alcohol, and have your blood pressure checked regularly.  If you are overweight, try to find a healthy way to lose weight.  Regular checkups are the key to maintaining good health.

If you or someone you are with complains of chest discomfort, squeezing or tightness in the chest, aching in the back, neck, jaw, stomach, call 911.  Other signs of heart problems are being sweaty, clammy, or chalky.  Many people have been brought into emergency rooms thinking they had a case of indigestion, later to discover they are having a heart attack.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

There are many resources that can help you with planning proper nutrition, exercise, and all the necessary information to help your heart health.  Now is the time to take action by making lifestyle changes if necessary.  It will be worth it in the long run.  Remember to “Love your heart!”

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

ASBESTOS PART II

According to OSHA, there are an estimated 1.3 million employees in the construction and general industry that face significant asbestos exposure on the job.  Other workers involved are those in the manufacture of products that contain asbestos: textiles, friction products, insulation and other building materials, and persons that do automotive brake and clutch repair work.
Structures that were built before 1980 likely contain asbestos, and those constructed thereafter still may have ACM’s (asbestos containing materials.)  Plaster, insulation, tiles on floors and ceilings ductwork, roof shingles, adhesives are among the parts of buildings that have ACM’s.

Although asbestos is still legal, under federal rules, it is classified as a toxic substance. Your home, school, or office more than likely has asbestos.  It is not a threat as long as it is undisturbed and in good condition.  If you plan to continue living/working in this building, here are ways to ensure safety:

  • If the floor, ceiling, etc. are in good shape, leave them alone and undisturbed.  Be sure to check them often to see that they are in good condition.
  • Enclose with airtight barriers.  For example, floor tiles could be covered with another type of flooring.
  • Encapsulate with materials that surrounds or embeds the fibers with materials such as foams.

If your only option is to renovate or destroy the building, here is some valuable information:  individual owners may do it themselves, but they still must follow federal, state and local guidelines regarding waste transport and disposal.  Removal is a very expensive and complex option, and is better handled by contractors with special training, who understand the importance of personal safety equipment, isolation of dust, and monitor waste containment.  Contractors must follow OSHA guidelines and regulations.

If non-friable ACM can be removed whole and undamaged, the precautions listed below may be overkill, but for common situations such as removing ACM’s where free-floating asbestos fibers are an invisible hazard, these are instructions must be followed to ensure the workers’ safety:  they should

  • Be covered, head to toe, with disposable protective clothing
  • Wear special respirators with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters
  • Use rubber boots and gloves

OSHA prevention measures include requiring companies to provide engineering controls such as evaluating exposure time, furnishing showers, and ensuring that proper respiratory protection and clothing are furnished.

There are “many do-it-yourselfers” that may not understand the underlying respiratory problems that can be caused by little critters hiding in their houses.  We hope this article aids in their becoming conscious of the importance of using proper protection when undertaking projects that require extra safety measures.
OSHA
Asbestos.net
Asbestos-Abatement.com

General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

ASBESTOS PART I

Asbestos is a natural mineral that is found on just about every continent.  It is still mined in some countries, including Canada and Russia, but others have outlawed mining of asbestos.  It is a highly fibrous mineral with long, thin, separable fibers that can be spun together to create valuable heat-resistant properties to be used in insulation and other products.  Studies estimate that there are more than 3,000 different types of commercial products that include asbestos.  The mineral itself is not harmful, as long as it is intact.  But when it is damaged and fibers become airborne, it can have harmful health effects.

Since the 1980’s asbestos use has dropped.  But the 4.5 million people who worked in U.S shipyards during World War II have been the greatest group of individuals at risk.  Well known as an excellent fire retardant and heat insulator, asbestos was used for insulating boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes in ships.  Shipyard workers were exposed to what is known as “friable asbestos”.  When it can be crumbled and released into the air, breathing asbestos fibers will stay in the body and cannot be expelled.

Our family lost a member to mesothelioma this past year.  She had worked in the shipyards back in the ‘40’s, running electrical wiring in the interiors of warships, during WW II.  About seven years before her death, she developed some respiratory symptoms.  Her doctors attributed it to heart failure, which she was prone to have due to a heart attack many years earlier. About six months before she died, she was experiencing particularly acute respiratory distress. This time, her chest x-ray showed something very suspicious.  Her doctor thought it might be some sort of cancer.  She specifically referred to it as “sheet like” infiltration.   She was diagnosed with mesothelioma.   Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, which eventually results in the form of cancerous tumors, particularly on the mesothelium (lining of the lungs).  Mesothelioma usually takes decades to surface.  In her case, it took several decades; however, her pain and suffering was not diminished.

In our next segment, we will talk about removal/abatement of asbestos: whether it is hiding in your home or school, how to contact the proper authorities, and use of proper tools, personal protective equipment, including breathing protection.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

FACTS ABOUT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE

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In an earlier installment on our website, we talked about ways to recognize and do something about coworkers that have problems with alcohol and drugs.  Here are some of the staggering facts:
In the United States:

  • One out of every 10 people has an alcohol problem;
  • There are more than 50 million binge drinkers;
  • There are 17 million illegal drug users;
  • Almost 15 million people  who abuse prescription drugs are out there;
  • Approximately 68% of illegal drug users are employed either full-time or part-time. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
  • Between 10% and 20% of our nation’s workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs. (OSHA)

Do you know or work with someone who would be included in the above figures?  Persons who have a problem with drugs or alcohol are costly to employers, because of being less productive.  They are likely to hurt themselves or someone else.  They normally miss more work days, file more worker’s compensation claims, or damage equipment by making errors in judgment.

If you know someone who might have a problem with drugs or alcohol, you will hurt them more by ignoring their problem, doing their job, lending them money, or covering up for them.  Don’t enable them.  Most companies have Employee Assistance Programs, ensuring that their employees can get treatment without penalty.  If they have a serious addiction problem, they should be encouraged to get help.  After successful therapy, everyone wins in this situation: the employee, the company, and the coworkers!

There also should be policies against drug use in the workplace, with firm consequences for violations.  If appropriate, drug testing should be utilized.  If your company doesn’t have a program of this type, work with your security office or employee association to set up an anonymous hotline for reporting drug trafficking on the job.

OSHA works with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Partners for An Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace program to help employers ensure their health and safety plans are enhanced through workplace drug prevention.

www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

LOCKOUT TAGOUT FACTS

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Around three million workers in this country have jobs to repair or service equipment or machinery. According to OSHA, the number of lockout/tagout fatalities each year range between 150 and 200. The number of lockout/tagout accidents per year average 60,000.  The best way to avoid an accident is to shut off power, lock out energy, release stored energy and double-check.

Lockout is the preferred method of isolating machines or equipment from the release of energy sources. These sources can be mechanical motion, motion due to pressure, gravity, springs that are under tension or compression, electrical, or thermal (high or low temperatures).

All equipment must be locked or tagged out to protect against accidental or inadvertent operation when such operation could cause injury to personnel. Persons must not attempt to operate any switch, valve, or other energy-isolating device when it is locked or tagged out.  OSHA standards require that a designated person turns off and disconnects machinery/ equipment from its energy source before the service/maintenance is performed.  To prevent unauthorized persons from reactivating the flow of energy, the point of control must be secured by locks, tags, and/or posting a qualified person, or a combination of all three.

Listed below are types of businesses that are not covered under these standards, but are covered under other standards:

  • Construction, agriculture and maritime equipment
  • Electric utilities
  • Oil and gas well drilling and servicing
  • Work on cord and plug connected equipment that is unplugged and under control of         employee, and
  • Gas steam, water or petroleum hot tap operations under certain circumstances.

Almost 95 percent of all lockout/tagout citations involve not having a formal Energy Control Program in place. Lockout/tagout remains near the top of the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration’s (OSHA) list of most frequently violated standards. Injuries and citations could be reduced by properly training all employees on lockout/tagout procedures.
OSHA, NIOSH

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES

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OSHA defines confined spaces as those with configurations which hinder activities of employees who must enter, work in and exit places that have limited and restricted means for entry or exit, and are not designed for continuous employee occupancy.  These can include:

  • storage bins
  • manholes
  • pits
  • silos
  • process vessels
  • pipelines
  • underground vaults
  • sewers
  • wells
  • tanks

One or more of the potential hazards of working in Permit-Required Confined Spaces can be a hazardous atmosphere to engulf the entrant, walls that converge inward, or floors sloping downward and tapering into smaller area which could possibly trap or asphyxiate the person, unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

To prevent accidents, companies should:

  • Train employees thoroughly;
  • Post proper signs on location;
  • Always assume that hazards are present;
  • Follow proper lockout/tagout procedures;
  • Ensure adequate ventilation for employees;
  • Furnish non-sparking tools;
  • Provide and ensure required PPE is used at all times;
  • Monitor continuously while work is being performed;
  • Have rescuers on site and trained for any emergency.

It is estimated that over one and one-half million workers enter confined spaces annually.
Most accidents can be prevented by properly educating the persons who do this work and ensuring that they are adequately supervised at all times.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

More About Protecting Your Eyes

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In researching eye injuries at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, their logo is “Use Them or Lose Them”, picturing a person with safety glasses on.  Thousands are blinded each year from work-related injuries that could have been prevented with proper use of eye and face protection.  More than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compensation are due to eye injuries alone.  Each day, over 2,000 U.S. workers have job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment. Safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and welding hoods, and full-face respirators must meet ANSI Z87.1 standards.  The frame of safety glasses must have Z87 or Z87+ on the frame. Anytime workers face hazards of flying particles or objects, they are required to have side protection or side shields on glasses.  Those who work in health care, janitorial, construction, laboratory staffs, construction, and welding, risk permanent damage to their eyes if they do not wear the proper PPE for face and eyes.  Employers must determine the types of hazards that are present before assigning PPE to workers. Side shields come in a variety of styles that will fit just about any shape of safety glass, and are used widely among many professions.  They are a great safety convenience, as they slip on and off safety glasses, but give the added security of side protection.  Wrap around glasses also furnish protection from wind, flying particles, dust, and much more.  Eye injuries occur because of inadequate side protection, proper fit, or particles that fell from above, such as drilling or hammering overhead. What have you observed at your work site?  How many workers are wearing any type of eye protection?  And do they keep it on all day?  A very common response after the fact of an eye injury is “I didn’t think I needed it.”  With all the wonderful features that safety glasses boast, there’s just no excuse for not wearing eye protection!  There are safety glasses available for  all kinds of work that are stylish and have features, such as fitting over regular prescription glasses, numerous tints, even ones with bifocal lenses. The next time you need a pair of sunglasses, check out the cool new styles of safety glasses.  They look great, cost less, and furnish much more protection.  You’ll be stylin’ with your new safety glasses on the job, working around the house, or at play. Sources: OSHA NIOSH

Eye Protection, First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products, Respiratory Safety, Weather Protection

MT REDOUBT – WILL IT, OR WON’T IT

Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory have been closely watching Mt. Redoubt, an active volcano in the largely volcanic Aleutian Range, since the end of January, when geologists recorded a sharp rise in earthquake activity.  Volcanoes can shoot ash 30,000 to 50,000’ high, and depending on wind and velocity, be carried more than 100 miles away.   The threat level (Aviation Hazard Color Codes) has been raised from yellow to orange, which means there is heightened unrest with an increased likelihood of eruption, or volcanic eruption under way with no ash or minor ash emission.  Anchorage is the nearest large city to Mt Redoubt.  Falling ash and ash flows carry toxins into rivers and lakes.  Glass particles in ash can also cause damage to vehicles.

Citizens of Alaska are not unfamiliar with these occurrences, and usually have advance warning in order to be prepared for the eruption of a volcano.  These volcanoes are different from the types of those in Hawaii, as they produce molten lava.  Ash fall from the Alaska volcanoes are tiny parts of rock and glass, which can cause severe injury to breathing passageways, eyes, nose, and open wounds.

As with any natural occurrence, we encourage persons in the area to be prepared the best way possible, by:

  • Staying inside as much as possible
  • Covering face with wet cloths, if masks unavailable
  • Keeping fresh supplies on hand, i.e., water, food
  • Closing windows and vents to chimneys.

Following most eruptions, the possibility of short-term minor discomforts such as nasal and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, uncomfortable breathing, skin irritations, and painful itchy eyes are typical results, rather than more serious health problems.  However, persons who suffer from respiratory ailments should take extra precautions to be prepared.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

Since September 8, 2008, there has been an outbreak of persons becoming ill from Salmonella.  The last report we found was there had been 7 deaths and almost 500 persons sickened.  A news release January 23 reported that the sole source of the bacteria is from Peanut Corporation of America, in Blakely, Georgia.  PCA distributes peanut butter and paste in bulk to manufacturers for cakes, candies, crackers, cookies, and ice cream.  Employees of the company have been laid off while the Food and Drug Administration conducts a complete investigation.  Three managers of the company have remained to assist the investigators.  It is unknown if all employees will return once the investigation is done.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after eating contaminated food.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, most people recover without treatment.  However, elderly persons, infants, and those with improper immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness.  Salmonella may spread from intestines to bloodstream, then to other body sites, and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof is the Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.  He states that it is not the consumer’s responsibility to ensure the products they purchase are safe; the food industry is the responsible party for ensuring the safety of the products.

It is reported that the ready-to-eat type products are the ones causing concern.  Even some pet foods are affected.  If you are unsure of the contents of your jar of peanut butter, call the toll-free number on the label.  You may check the USFDA website, and many others, for a complete list of products that have been recalled.  Recalled products can be found by searching by brand name, UPC Code, description, or any combination of these.

General Safety Issues

TEEN SAFETY IN THE WORKFORCE

There are millions of teenagers that have after school jobs or full time jobs in the summer months.  Safety concerns need to be addressed regarding this workforce of youngsters, anxious to prove themselves.  Most of them are so eager to please their employers and make a good impression, they don’t realize their well-being is endangered if they don’t work safely.  They may lack the maturity to recognize hazardous situations.
Child labor laws exist that prohibit youngsters under certain ages from operating equipment, motor vehicles, cooking in restaurants, etc.  According to the National Institute of Safety and Health, one of the most dangerous industries for young workers is agriculture.  From 1992-2000, one-half of the young victims of farm fatalities were under 15.  For ages 15-17, the risk is four times greater than other workplaces.   Workers must be age 18 to qualify for certain agriculture-related jobs.
Retail trades came in second in the above statistics.  Working in retail stores during early or late hours is less safe for workers of all ages, and there are laws that restrict teenagers from working certain hours.  Restaurants, such as fast food establishments, employ a huge number of young workers. Again, those under 16 are not allowed to cook or perform certain other tasks that present risks.  The other two industries that involve hazards for teenage workers are transportation and construction.  Child labor laws prohibit those under 18 from operating certain types of machinery or equipment, and in the construction field, workers age 14-15 may work only in the office, away from a construction site.
Suggestions for employers of teens:

  • Furnish proper training.  Video training of hazardous or dangerous situations may get their attention better than regular class-type sessions.
  • Pair a more experienced worker with your new worker.  Let them be a safety mentor for the first week or so.  That way your older employees feel that they have a responsibility to meet as well.
  • Make the teens more visible by providing brightly colored i.d. tags, so everyone on the job knows they may need a little more help.
  • Leaders should set a good example when it comes to safety by making rounds often to let them know they are being observed.
  • Send a letter to the parents, including your safety policies, and solicit their support.
  • Let the new “kids on the block” know that you expect them to ask questions, as that’s the only way they can learn.

Looking out for the safety of our young workers is of the utmost importance.  We are looking out for their future.  That first job will be one they will remember the rest of their lives.  It is up to parents, employers, and coworkers to make it a great experience, but we must be sure that they understand the consequences of carelessness.  Someday, they will be protecting someone else’s child who is new on the job.