Category Archives: Health Issues

First Aid Safety, Health Issues

Workplace Hazards for Hospitality & Hotel Workers

Written by Zachary O’Dell

Most duties of housekeepers in the hospitality industry are intense and grueling.   Hotels today are competitive and offer more amenities to their guest and as a result, in an increase of workload and unseen hazards that can lead to an increase of serious workplace injury. Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2017 shows that hotel and motel workers had a nonfatal injury and illness incidence rate of 4.3 while total recordable cases of all industries including private, state, and local government are 3.1.   Safety agencies are reporting a significant increase in occupational injuries and diseases among hospitality employees, safety advocated are proposing proper training and safety procedures that can teach housekeeping staff how to prevent muscle drain to the body, and provide proper preventative measures and procedures to prevent violence in the workplace.

COMMON HAZARDS AND INJURIES FOR HOSPITALITY WORKERS  

Hotel housekeeping staff is a very physically demanding job that includes many, varied tasks including, vacuuming, dusting, changing linens, and making beds.  Housekeeping staff is subject to turning over mattresses that can sometimes weigh more than 100 pounds.  While daily cleaning and scrubbing of bathrooms can expose health risks with chemicals used in cleaning products.  As a result, housekeeping hotel employment could lead to any of the following injuries and hazards:

  • Slips and falls: Scrubbing floors of bathtubs, showers in bathroom floors create ideal conditions for slip-and-fall accidents.
  • Respiratory: Exposure to chemical cleaning agents that can cause respiratory long-term problems
  • Infectious diseases: Waste disposal can expose hotel housekeeping staff to pathogens, needs, broken glass, and other body waste.
  • Stress: excessive workload and exposure to other hazards can cause occupational stress
  • Muscle Injuries: Repetitive movements of vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting, etc. of hotel rooms requires housekeeping staff to move their body in ways that can strain and even tear muscles and tendons
  • Harassment and violence: An increasing amount of workplace harassments and violence has been reported in hotels across Canada and the United States.  Violence and harassment can be defined as any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment.

SUGGESTED PRECAUTIONS FOR HOSPITALITY WORKERS  

  • Safety authorities suggest hotel cleaners take the following precautions for their workers:
  • Muscle Injuries –to prevent unnecessary muscle tension, workers are encouraged to ask for help from co-workers if they need to lift heavy mattress to avoid and injuries while changing linens and making beds or moving heavy furniture.  Staff is encouraged to switch arms to avoid overexertion of muscles and tendons of one arm
  • Take Regular Breaks – Hotel shifts can be long and exhausting; employees are encouraged to stretch and take regular breaks.
  • Preventative technology:Hotel housekeeping workers are considered lone workers, and employers are responsible for the health and safety of workers, including procedures or a system in place to ensure workers are safe when working alone while cleaning rooms.

SAFETY CHECK-INS AND THE PANIC BUTTON MANDATE 

In some states the United States, safety bills have been proposed to help protect hotel housekeeping and room service workers against assaults and harassment.   The state of New Jersey was the first in the country that requires hotel employees to provide a panic button device to all hotel employees who are assigned to work in a guest room without co-workers present according to Senate, No. 2986.  When the panic button device is activated, a staff member, manager, or security officer must response immediately to the workers’ location.  This law is scheduled to go into effect in January 2020, and the law applies to all hotels in the state of New Jersey with more that has more than 100 guest rooms.

Recently in Victoria, BC, a hotel worker was assaulted, tied up, and robbed in the early hours of the morning.  This disturbing event is an example of the risks of working alone during the late and early hours of the morning.  In British Columbia, Canada employers are required to develop a working alone policy and procedure, including a working alone monitoring device to check the well-being of workers at predetermined intervals. An extra feature such a panic button device can trigger an alarm and expedite help when it is needed.

SafetyLine

Back Safety, Health Issues

Revolutionary Exercises For Aching Backs

Unfortunately, the daily grind for many of us means sitting in an office chair… maybe getting up for lunch… then sitting in an office chair again. For a really long time. There are many downsides to this, such as the rapidly rising numbers in the obesity crisis due to office workers eating too many calories and not exercising proportionately – or, often times, at all – but there is one unspoken menace that people often don’t consider when they think about this problem. That menace is back pain. Back pain can hinder you in your work life, home life and even while you’re trying to sleep. It can haunt your mornings as you try and get out of bed, and every time you need to straighten your spine. It’s horrible, and an awfully common problem. But there are some things you can do to reduce it; these exercises have been proven to reduce back pain, making life much more bearable day-to-day for sufferers.

Knee-To-Chest Stretch

“Getting into a stretching routine every morning can be difficult, but starting it off with an easy stretch can make all the difference, and keep you motivated to stay in your routine every morning,” Iris Moose, a health writer at Last minute writing and Writinity, says, “and there’s no better example than the knee-to-chest stretch. Simply lie on your back and pull each knee up to your chest, then both. Repeat it two to three times, and you’ve got yourself a warm-up stretch that won’t leave you dreading every morning’s routine – you’ll be pumped up and ready to keep those muscles warm and loose with this stretch!”

Modified Pull Ups

Pull ups are among the more infamous exercises, but you might not have heard of their more easy-going cousin, the modified pull up. While pull ups can be amazing for your back muscles, not everyone has the pre-existing strength and muscle definition to complete them successfully, and certainly not several in a row. So, if you don’t want to break your routine’s flow but still want to include pull ups, modified pull ups are the way to go. You need a sturdy bar, like with a regular pull up, but you’ll want to make a diagonal line with your body going under the bar, before tensing your back and tightening your shoulder blades, and pulling your body up until your chest is only a little way from the bar, think one or two inches. Then, carefully move back to the ground, still in your diagonal line, and repeat – it’s that simple!

Resistance Band

“Resistance bands are great pieces of kit in the gym, and they can do wonders for the start of a workout, when you’re still trying to hit your groove,” states James Beck, a lifestyle blogger at Draft beyond and Research papers UK, “but make sure that you choose the right resistance band for you. Practice with a couple to make sure that you’re challenging yourself without exhausting yourself, and then get started with your workout! Stretch it out horizontally, equally with both arms, pulling it back and forth so that your shoulder muscles have to compress and extend when necessary. It’s great for starting off your workouts and keeping your back in check.”

Quadruped Dumbbell Row

This is a good one for rectifying your posture issues, and any to do with form. Before you attempt any sort of rowing exercises, you should definitely do this first, because it’ll warm up the right muscles and stop you injuring yourself unnecessarily. With a dumbbell in both hands, go on all-fours and pull one dumbbell at a time up towards your stomach. Alternate between the arms that you use, and make sure that you keep all parts of your body straight and in-line – you should be able to do twelve reps on each side for around three cycles, or work yourself up to that level.

Lat Pull-Down

This exercise can be done on one of the widely popular exercise machines with a pull-down option, or with a resistance band of your choice – but, like with the above resistance band exercise, take heed to the type of resistance band you are using and make sure that it’s right for you. Once you’ve got your equipment sorted, pull down the weights towards your chest, but don’t let yourself fall backwards and give in to the demands of your torso – stay strong, and keep that torso straight! Engaging your back, from the upper to the middle, throughout this exercise will make sure that you get the most out of it, and, most importantly, work those back muscles.

Conclusion

On their own, none of these exercises are overnight ‘miracle cures’. They need to be added into existing routines or crafted alongside other exercises into new routines, and they need to be worked on. The exact same exercises don’t work for everyone, so you might need to change things up, and equipment availability will factor into some people’s experiences. That being said, they are all guaranteed to soothe back pain in the long run and improve your back muscles, making future pain and injuries unlikely, so there’s absolutely no harm in slotting them into your workout routine!

Angela J. Bryant writes and edits successfully at Lucky Assignments, as well as Gum Essays, and is a social media and job seeking specialist. She understands the woes of the common worker, and finds pleasure in life when she helps everyday people with their problems.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Workplace Health and Safety Representative

Written by Peter Scully

Employers have a duty of care towards their employees and that duty extends not just to talking (i.e. providing employees with relevant information and training) but also to listening, i.e. providing a channel through which employees can communicate any concerns they have about health and safety in the workplace.

One of the options for doing this is by means of a workplace health and safety representative. The team at ​Watson & Watson Health and Safety Consultants​ discuss the importance of appointing a health and safety representative in the workplace.

Companies may choose to forgo workplace health-and-safety representatives if they wish

It’s important to note that, at current time, it is optional for companies to have specific workplace health-and-safety representatives. If employees are happy to talk directly to business leaders then it is perfectly acceptable for them to do so and in smaller organizations this may be the most practical way of managing health-and-safety issues.

In larger organizations, however, the idea of having a direct line between employees and management may sound appealing in theory but in practice it could well turn out to be a recipe for confusion, which is bad news in any situation and, in particular, where health and safety is concerned.

Electing a workplace health-and-safety representative

Another key point to note is that workplace health-and-safety representatives are elected by workers, either directly or via their Trade Union, rather than being appointed by managers.

There are many reasons for this, not least the need for the workforce to have trust in them.  It is unusual for workplace health and safety representatives to be dedicated purely to health and safety duties, instead they are more likely to be workers who take on the role as an extra responsibility.

This can both promote trust and provide them with greater insight into how their colleagues feel about health-and safety issues.  At the same time, however, if the role is to have meaning, then the representative has to be given sufficient time (and resources) to perform it effectively.

The responsibilities of a workplace health-and-safety representative

According to the letter of the law, health and safety representatives appointed via a Trade Union are automatically granted stronger powers than health-and-safety representatives appointed directly by the workforce.

Specifically, they can inspect the workplace and also conduct investigations into accidents, hazards, near misses and any other health and safety related issues. Employers can, if they wish, grant these powers
to health-and-safety representatives appointed directly by the workforce and it may benefit them to do so in order to inspire a greater degree of confidence in them on the part of their staff, otherwise, the role of a directly-appointed health-and-safety representative is essentially one of a communicator and a facilitator.

Directly-appointed health-and-safety representatives will be expected to attend all relevant training, so that they are well-informed on health-and-safety matters (and so that their knowledge is kept up to date) and will act as a central point of contact for employees to raise health-and-safety concerns which they wish to be passed on to senior management.

Likewise they may be tasked with updating their colleagues with relevant information such as action taken by management on the issues raised. They may also be required to liaise with the HSE and any other relevant authorities.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

5 BATHROOM SAFETY TIPS IN THE WORKPLACE

5 Bathroom Safety Tips in the Workplace

One of the most frequently visited public bathrooms will doubtless be the one in your workplace (unless bladder control is your superpower!). Unlike most public bathrooms, the one at your workplace will likely have fewer people using it over one particular day. However, that by no means guarantees that it will be healthier or safer to use. Think of all the people who used it, spilled water on the floor, touched the door knobs and flushes on the toilets with their germ-filled hands…ugh! Now that is something a germ phobic,  careful employee like yourself would absolutely not want to see or touch! Not to worry! By following these 5 tips you can easily deal with the nastiness of the workplace bathroom.

Carry tissues and sanitizers

Surely you knew this was going to be first? The first safety issue anybody faces with using a public bathroom is the possibility of getting a viral disease. The source of this disease could be anything- doorknobs, toilet seats, the air around the place, you name it! Now, while going into the washroom with a mask on is weird, being extra careful regarding what you come in contact with certainly is not. USE TISSUE. Use it to open the doors, use it when touching the walls, turning on the faucets, and anything else that might need physical contact. After washing your hands, use another piece of tissue or paper towel to dry, and dispose of appropriately.

After doing the deed and washing after yourself, it also helps to apply sanitizer to your hands. If adequately equipped, you might as well use tissue paper to wipe toilet seats before using them. Not only is it going to give you peace of mind (trust us, it will!), it doesn’t hurt going the extra distance for keeping healthy.

These tips, alongside certain common sense actions like flushing with the lid down, should help you get through the trouble of workplace bathroom disease mania.

Avoid stepping on wet floor

Sometimes you might be in a rush to use the bathroom. You run to the bathroom door and open it, only to see that the floor is wet. What do you do? Hint: Do not go in! The reasons should be obvious. First of all, wet floors are a safety hazard. Anyone wearing shoes can experience a good old slip. Anyone desperate enough might try taking their shoes off and strut around wearing socks, or even barefoot. That is also a no-no. Wet floors contain germs that can make you ill.

The best thing to do would be to call the staff responsible for bathroom maintenance to wipe it off, wait for them to get done, and then enter. You don’t need superpowers to hold it in for a few minutes!

Also, if you have old bathroom faucets, a good idea might be to just replace them from time to time.

If you ever see a portion of the bathroom floor wet even while you are inside, be sure to call up someone to have it wiped off after you are done.

Take your time

Hey man, why don’t you just slow down? We get it, your bladder might explode, or you have to get back to your meeting quickly. But you have to take it slow. Running to and inside the bathroom can cause a nasty fall. Rushing to get done with answering nature’s calls can be unhealthy (yes, that is true) and also lead you to injure yourself if you make one move too fast.

Walk to the bathroom, use the toilet while taking your time, but not too much, and then calmly get back to your business. Plus, rushing things will make you look bad among your coworkers. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if Harold from Accounting told you to “take it easy in there”.

Do not spill water on the floor

For reasons not to do so, refer to the section where we explicitly state not stepping on the wet floor. Now let’s look at how to make sure you don’t spill water.

First of all, you don’t have to blast the faucet at full speed every time you need to wash. Not only are you being an environmentally-irresponsible person (shame on you!), you run the risk of spilling water on the floor. You are putting yourself and others at risk just to make your hands feel like they have been cleaned well.

The same applies when rinsing your hands. Do so slowly, making sure none of the water escapes the basin. If your toilets have hand-showers or the likes, make sure not to put full pressure on the shower handle. Just a light press should be enough for you to clean your rear end!

This infographic about common bathroom problems and how to fix them can be a very interesting one to follow.

Do not keep belongings on the bathroom floor

No, we do not care if you were just on your way out. Never keep your bag, belt, shoes, or anything lying on the bathroom floor. People unaware may step on them and fall. Even if people are aware, they would have to go the extra step to avoid trampling them.
To make matters worse, the bathroom floors aren’t the cleanest of places. They have germs that can then attach themselves to your belongings. Once you pick your bag up or wear your belt again, you effectively pick up the germs. Then you take it with you to your cubicle, then to your coworkers, and maybe to your boss too. There is the odd chance Harold from Accounting might catch it, but is it really worth it?

Staying healthy is no longer a luxury. It keeps you safe, it keeps people around you safe, and it helps you to be at your best. At the same time, bathrooms are an unsuspecting danger that seemingly lurks in the shadow, waiting for you to put one wrong foot on the wet floor. Taking precautions to protect yourself from disease and hugging the floor will keep you safe. You may not be a tough cookie when you spread that sanitizer all over your hand, but you can be a smart one. Take that Harold from Accounting!

Back Safety, General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

Stay Active & Increase Your Productivity At Work

Stay Active & Increase Your Productivity At Work

Many of us have jobs that require us to sit at desks for several hours together. In this case, we hardly find time to keep ourselves healthy and fit. When it comes to going to the gym, we conveniently find excuses for not going due to hectic work schedules. Moreover, when you are engrossed in your workload, you don’t remember to even stand up from your place and stretch.

Excessive sitting can cause a lot of health troubles like slowing down your metabolism, developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart attack, cancer, and more. According to WHO (World Health Organization), “new data published in The Lancet Global Health on 5 September 2018 show that more than one in four adults globally (28% or 1.4 billion people) are physically inactive. It has also listed inactivity as the fourth biggest risk factor for global mortality.”

The key to increasing your productivity in the workplace is to stay active all day. Yes, you read that right. It doesn’t mean you only have to go the gym for becoming fit and active. Not that it is wrong to do so but putting some simple, yet effective efforts while at work can also help you a lot.

There are plenty of ways to remain active at work and improve your health and fitness, along with increasing the productivity. Let us dive in to know how you can do this more effectively.

Walk Or Ride To Workplace

Instead of taking a cab or train, you can practice walking to your work. It will give you a much greater amount of exercise. Moreover, it is an easy and convenient way of incorporating physical activity into your routine. Of course, not everyone stays this close to their work to take a walk. But, you can make at least a part of your trip by including any of these physical activities. It will make you more energetic and active during your work.

Conduct Standing Or Walking Meetings

Unlike sitting in the conference hall, you can keep walking or standing meetings with your colleagues or employees. Standing is a great form of exercise, as it engages your leg muscles and makes them stronger.

The meetings that stretch for 1 hour can be accomplished in 15 minutes if you plan your meeting in this manner. Getting active during working hours can be highly beneficial.

Seek Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is one of the best ways to improve your fitness and increase the flexibility of the body. Physical therapists offer excellent fitness and wellness programs to help you achieve your fitness goals. Moreover, you can also do some stretching exercises to help relax your muscles and relieve the pain thereof.

According to Advantage Osteopractic Physical Therapy, “Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. Stretching should be a part of your daily routine, whether you exercise or not. It does not have to involve a huge amount of time, but stretching can end up giving you huge results!”

Wear Comfortable Shoes And Clothes

Studies show that when you wear comfortable clothing and footwear, you are more likely to be active. Moreover, when you have heels in your feet, climbing stairs is rarely or not at all appealing. Even when you have a dress code for your office, try to make it more comfortable by incorporating flexible and suitable fabric that allows you to stretch.

Track Your Steps

Usually, we get lethargic to walk and try to skip whenever possible even a small physical activity. Incorporating a tracking app in your watch can help you monitor your steps during the day. Also, when you plan to lose weight, it will help you in doing so. Tracking can be an excellent way to motivate yourself and remind yourself of your goals. So, make a habit of walking distances even if they are small.

Walk Instead Of Calling Or Emailing

If you have to email or call your colleague, it is better to walk across to their desks and talk out the matter instead of emailing or calling. Use every opportunity to engage in physical activity. It will add to your energy levels and make you more active during your working hours. Additionally, it gives an extra benefit of socializing with them.

Make The Most Of The Lunch Time

During your lunch break, instead of ordering food at your desk, you can go to pick your lunch parcel. Alternatively, you can also go on a brisk walk after your lunch. Moving is vital to keep your body energetic and active. You can also involve your co-workers in this routine and it can become fun. Incorporating small physical activities into your routine can be greatly helpful in staying active.

Habituate To Taking Stairs

For one or the other reason, we try to avoid taking stairs and take the elevators instead. However, you should make a habit of climbing stairs, which can add to improving your fitness and health. If you find it hard, you can aim at doing it at least once a day. Eventually, you will get habituated to doing so.

Take Breaks To Move

Avoid prolonged sitting, and make sure you stand up from your place and move at regular intervals or every 1 hour. If you don’t remember to do so, then keep an alarm at your desk and make it a point to stand up and move. You don’t have to take a long walk. Just a break of 5-10 minutes is sufficient enough to give your body some movement.

Staying active at work can help you increase your productivity to a great extent. So, indulge your body in some physical activity, even if it is a small one, and make it energetic.

Back Safety, General Safety Issues, Health Issues

Here’s How To Minimize The Pain That Stems From Workplace Injuries

Here’s How To Minimize The Pain That Stems From Workplace Injuries

Written by Rozy Andrews

If your job demands you to involve in intense physical activities, then receiving workplace injuries is quite natural. The injuries that you get at your workplace not only lead to enormous pain and discomfort, but they also reduce your productivity. And if you fail to subside the pain, you won’t be able to get back to your work immediately; therefore, seeking quality treatment is utterly crucial.

Whether you injure your lower body parts such as hip, knee, and ankle or your upper body parts like lower back, shoulder, neck, and elbow, etc., seeking physical therapy can prove to be highly significant for you.

Since physical therapy involves the use of drug-free treatments techniques like dry needling, Kinesio taping, and cold laser therapy, etc., you will never complain of having side effects.

However, if you use drugs and surgical treatments to improve your condition, you might experience side -effects.

Here’s How A Physical Therapist Treats Workplace Injuries:

  • They Examine The Severity of Your Injury

Before offering any treatment to you, your physical therapist will examine the severity of your injury. Whether you have injured your muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, bones or joints, the physical therapist will offer the treatment after they arrive at a reliable diagnosis.

To figure out how serious is the injury, they will ask you to perform physical activities. For example, if you are suffering from a knee injury or a back injury, they might ask you to walk or bend down to pick up something from the floor, to check the severity of your pain. Besides, they also focus on identifying the location of the injury, so that they can treat it effectively.

  • They Use Treatment Techniques That Suit Your Needs

After identifying how severe is your injury, your therapist will create a personalized care plan to meet your needs. They will include only those treatment techniques that can show quick results.

For example, if you want to treat your back pain, then they might use techniques like dry needling for ensuring a quick recovery. It’s a painless treatment technique, and while administering it, your physical therapist will use fine sterile needles. Your therapist will insert these needles into the specific points in your back to enhance blood flow, reduce pain, and to improve the natural healing process of the body.

Apart from that, your physical therapist might also include therapeutic exercise in the treatment plan. Based on your injury, they will pick specific moves that can strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints, so that you can get back to your work quickly.

The might use both strength building exercises and quality stretches, to ensure a quick recovery.

According to James River Physical Therapy, “Therapeutic exercise refers to a wide range of physical activities that focus on restoring and maintaining strength, endurance, flexibility, stability, and balance. The goal of therapeutic exercises is to return an injured patient to a fully functioning, pain-free state.”

  • Physical Therapy Relieves Pain Quite Fast

Whether you talk about dry needling, therapeutic exercises, Kinesio Taping, and cold laser therapy, each of these techniques help in minimizing pain quickly. Since they help in enhancing the blood flow to injured tissues, you can see a quick improvement in your health. In short, increased circulation helps in providing nutrients to the damaged area of your body, which eventually accelerates the natural healing process and relieves pain.

  • It Restores Your Normal Range of Motion

When your therapist starts offering treatment to you, they monitor your condition frequently. They keep examining your range of motion during the physical therapy sessions. And if the treatment they are offering to you is not showing expected results, then they will use some other techniques.

The best part is that they work one-on-one with you, for example, when they ask you to perform stretching exercises, they will teach you every move in the beginning. And once you learn them, you can do them on your own.

Since exercise helps in enhancing your flexibility, it proves to be utterly helpful in restoring your natural range of motion.

Your therapist will use different types of exercises to achieve different goals. For example, they will teach you specific moves, when it comes to promoting relaxation. Similarly, for improving the range of motion, they will ask you to perform exercises that increase your muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.

If you sit in front of your desk for long hours, and you are having back pain, then it might be because of poor posture. So, in this case, your therapist will teach you postural exercises to strengthen your spine. It is crucial for you to learn the right sitting techniques to avoid problems like back and neck pain. Besides, they may also ask you to take short breaks in every 2 hours to reduce the stress on your back.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Protective Clothing, Uncategorized, Weather Protection

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Aerial Lift Workers

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Aerial Lift Workers

 

With the warmer weather of spring and summer quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about working outdoors in the heat. Heat stress and heat stroke are some of the most common types of illness-related accidents for construction, forestry and utility workers during the summer. Like most workplace accidents, heat stroke and heat stress can be prevented with the proper training and equipment. Here are some tips to make working during the heat of summer, just a little cooler.

Modify Your Work Schedule

For supervisors, this may seem challenging, but on those extremely hot days, it’s safer for you and all of your workers, especially those spending time in aerial lifts, to consider a lighter work schedule. What does this mean?

  • Plan heavy work during the coolest part of the day.
  • Limit the time workers spend exposed to direct sunlight, especially utility workers that are maintaining lines from aerial lifts.
  • If possible, work at night when it’s cooler and when the exposure to the sun is limited.
  • For forestry workers, do tree trimming work in the morning, to protect both you and the trees you’re working on from the heat.

Take Frequent Breaks

This is really important for protecting workers from heat illness. During the heat of summer, make sure that employees are taking plenty of time to rest and find shade or a place to cool down. For aerial lift workers who don’t have access to shade, it’s important that you frequently come down from your lift and take shelter under a canopy or in the air conditioned cab of your vehicle. Keeping your body cool and near a normal temperature is the first step to avoiding heat illness.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water and keeping the internal temperature of your body regulated is very important to working safely during the summer. If your aerial lift basket has space, bring your water with you. Otherwise, come down from your lift frequently for water breaks. Don’t guzzle your water, take small drinks frequently, or about 1 cup of water every 20 minutes. You may want to supplement your water with diluted energy drinks like PowerAde or Gatorade to replenish electrolytes. Whatever you do, definitely avoid alcohol, soda and caffeinated beverages, since these can dehydrate you very quickly.

Wear the Right PPE

Construction and utility workers need to have the correct clothing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for summer work. This includes:

  • Long-sleeve shirts
  • Long pants
  • Brimmed hats
  • Sunglasses
  • Light-colored clothing
  • Sunscreen

Work in Teams

It’s very important that when you’re outdoors working in the summer that you don’t work alone. For aerial lift workers, this is a great way to limit the time exposed to heat. You and your partner can take turns working in the lift and cooling down. It can also be difficult to tell on your own if you are suffering from heat illness, and it’s often easier for a coworker to tell if you are starting to be impacted by the heat.

Get Trained

Construction, forestry and utility workers, especially those that spend time in aerial lifts should be well trained in how to work safely in the summer. This training should include the tips provided here, as well as training in recognizing the signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, accelerated heartbeat, confusion) and basic first aid for treating heat illness.

For those working in industries mentioned above, working outside in the summer is a necessary part of the job. However, with the right training, work schedule and plenty of smarts, working outside can be cool and comfortable for everyone.

About the Author

CertifyMeOnline.net is the number one online resource for OSHA-compliant training for employees that operate aerial lifts and scissor lifts. The safety and equipment experts behind CertifyMeOnline.net know how important good, OSHA-compliant training is for business owners, and how challenging it is to schedule onsite training. CertifyMeOnline.net is the easy way to certify and train all of your employees without any downtime.

Sources:

https://www.unitedrentals.com/project-uptime/productivity/warmer-weather

https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/working_outdoors.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/prevention.html

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Uncategorized, Weather Protection

Rising Temperatures Bring Increased Risk to Lone Workers

Rising Temperatures Bring Increased Risk to Lone Workers

With temperatures on the rise, the risks of heat-stress related illness are going to increase in the workplace.  This is very concerning and extremely dangerous for workers that are unaware of the symptoms and conditions that can apply when working in a high-risk environment. In this article, we will look at what heat stress is, what the symptoms are, and how to properly monitor and treat potential illness and injuries.

WHAT IS HEAT STRESS? Heat stress is a serious condition that occurs when the body temperature heats up faster than it can cool itself down. Naturally, the body sweats to cool itself, however this isn’t always enough.

The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety states that
“Most people feel comfortable when the air temperature is between 20°C and 27°C and when the relative humidity ranges from 35 to 60%. When air temperature or humidity is higher, people feel uncomfortable. Such situations do not cause harm as long as the body can adjust and cope with the additional heat. Very hot environments can overwhelm the body’s coping mechanisms leading to a variety of serious and possibly fatal conditions.”

When exposed to extreme heat, people become at risk for either heat exhaustion, heat rashes, or heat stroke. The effects of heat stress can vary from mild to life-threatening, which is why noticing symptoms and treating them early can be crucial to saving a life.

FACTS CAUSES OF HEAT STRESS

Some major causes of heat stress include

• Air temperature

•Humidity

• Dehydration

• Poor health

• Physical exertion

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The signs and symptoms of heat stress can vary depending on the severity of the condition.

Here is a list of the different types of heat stress and their symptoms (Arranged by progression of severity)

• Heat Cramps

o Muscle cramps & spasms

• Heat Exhaustion

o Headache

o Fatigue

o Nausea

o Dizziness

o Fainting

o Increased heart rate

• Heat Stroke

o Nausea & vomiting

o No longer sweating

o Confusion

o Irregular pulse

o Cardiac arrest
PREVENT HEAT RELATED ILLNESS – TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR LONE WORKERS

• Drink water every 15-20 minutes

• Take frequent breaks in shade/air conditioned room

• Acclimatize to the environment

• Exposure limits

• Establish safety check-in procedure

According to Berg Insight; International Data Corporation, there are 53 million lone workers in North America and Europe alone – which is approx. 15% of the overall workforce! International Data Corp. also predicts that by 2020, 72% of the workforce will be mobile.

Many of those mobile users will be lone workers that will be working alone continuously, or at sporadic times throughout their workday in the heat nonetheless.
Consider getting a complete safety network on all your devices by investing in lone worker software. Workers check-in using their regular devices, and if they need help, monitors will be alerted. Many lone worker software’s have features that will provide peace of mind to lone workers and help mitigate the risks of heat stress.

Written in part by Zachary O’Dell at SafetyLine Lone Worker

 

First Aid Safety, Health Issues, Protective Clothing, Weather Protection

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Aerial Lift Workers

Hot Weather Safety Tips for Aerial Lift Workers

With the warmer weather of spring and summer quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about working outdoors in the heat. Heat stress and heat stroke are some of the most common types of illness-related accidents for construction, forestry and utility workers during the summer. Like most workplace accidents, heat stroke and heat stress can be prevented with the proper training and equipment. Here are some tips to make working during the heat of summer, just a little cooler.

Utility crew in a boom bucket working on highlines.

 

Modify Your Work Schedule

For supervisors, this may seem challenging, but on those extremely hot days, it’s safer for you and all of your workers, especially those spending time in aerial lifts, to consider a lighter work schedule. What does this mean?

  • Plan heavy work during the coolest part of the day.
  • Limit the time workers spend exposed to direct sunlight, especially utility workers that are maintaining lines from aerial lifts.
  • If possible, work at night when it’s cooler and when the exposure to the sun is limited.
  • For forestry workers, do tree trimming work in the morning, to protect both you and the trees you’re working on from the heat.

 Take Frequent Breaks

This is really important for protecting workers from heat illness. During the heat of summer, make sure that employees are taking plenty of time to rest and find shade or a place to cool down. For aerial lift workers who don’t have access to shade, it’s important that you frequently come down from your lift and take shelter under a canopy or in the air conditioned cab of your vehicle. Keeping your body cool and near a normal temperature is the first step to avoiding heat illness.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water and keeping the internal temperature of your body regulated is very important to working safely during the summer. If your aerial lift basket has space, bring your water with you. Otherwise, come down from your lift frequently for water breaks. Don’t guzzle your water, take small drinks frequently, or about 1 cup of water every 20 minutes. You may want to supplement your water with diluted energy drinks like PowerAde or Gatorade to replenish electrolytes. Whatever you do, definitely avoid alcohol, soda and caffeinated beverages, since these can dehydrate you very quickly.

Wear the Right PPE

Construction and utility workers need to have the correct clothing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for summer work. This includes:

  • Long-sleeve shirts
  • Long pants
  • Brimmed hats
  • Sunglasses
  • Light-colored clothing
  • Sunscreen

Work in Teams

It’s very important that when you’re outdoors working in the summer that you don’t work alone. For aerial lift workers, this is a great way to limit the time exposed to heat. You and your partner can take turns working in the lift and cooling down. It can also be difficult to tell on your own if you are suffering from heat illness, and it’s often easier for a coworker to tell if you are starting to be impacted by the heat.

Get Trained

Construction, forestry and utility workers, especially those that spend time in aerial lifts should be well trained in how to work safely in the summer. This training should include the tips provided here, as well as training in recognizing the signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, accelerated heartbeat, confusion) and basic first aid for treating heat illness.

For those working in industries mentioned above, working outside in the summer is a necessary part of the job. However, with the right training, work schedule and plenty of smarts, working outside can be cool and comfortable for everyone.

About the Author

CertifyMeOnline.net is the number one online resource for OSHA-compliant training for employees that operate aerial lifts and scissor lifts. The safety and equipment experts behind CertifyMeOnline.net know how important good, OSHA-compliant training is for business owners, and how challenging it is to schedule onsite training. CertifyMeOnline.net is the easy way to certify and train all of your employees without any downtime.

Sources:

https://www.unitedrentals.com/project-uptime/productivity/warmer-weather

https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/working_outdoors.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/prevention.html

 

Ergonomics, Eye Protection, First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Health Issues

Workplace Plumbing Safety Tips

Following the correct guidelines when performing any plumbing ask is essential to ensuring complete safety for yourself and whomever you are doing the work for. Knowing about your responsibilities as a employee and also if you are an employer, knowing what you have to do is critical to be sure you are abiding by the law with all the work you, and your company does.

 

Main Employer Responsibilities

 

  • the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and without risk to health (this includes the supply of all necessary personal protective equipment)

  • safety in the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances

  • the provision of information, instruction, training and supervision as necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of employees

  • the provision of access to and exit from the workplace that is safe and without risk

  • the provision of adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.

  • provide a health and safety policy statement

  • undertake regular risk assessments

Main Employee Responsibilities

  • take reasonable care at work of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or do not do

  • do not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health and safety

  • co-operate with your employer on health and safety matters. Assist your employer in meeting their statutory obligations

  • bring to your employer’s attention any situation you think presents a serious and imminent danger

  • bring to your employer’s attention any weakness you might spot in their health and safety arrangements.

As a plumber it is necessary you understand what types of actions are to be taken by you or your employee in order to keep the workplace or worksite safe at all times, there are statutory regulations in place in order to keep safety to a maximum and to make sure you do not have any law suits coming your
way.

 Some of the actions taken to keep safety to a high are risk assessments, method statements and permit to work statements. The permit to work statement is a list of checks which you would carry out before taking on any dangerous plumbing jobs
like going up high to fix a broken pipe.

When
on site it is important to lay down a list of requirements for safety. If you are on a plumbing job which may take you a few days, it is essential to make sure your plumbers read these before working on the site. Some regulations to take into consideration can be found below.

 generally ensuring a safe place of work

  • precautions against falls from height or into excavations

  • protection against falling objects

  • protection against structural collapse (while work is taking place), i.e. the building falling down! safeguards when working in excavations

  • prevention of drowning (falling into water)

  • provision of safe traffic routes (on sites)

  • prevention and control of emergencies (site emergency evacuation procedures, etc.)

  • provision of welfare facilities – WCs, washing facilities, canteens/rest areas, shower facilities (if required)

  • provision of site-wide issues – clean and tidy sites, adequate lighting, constant and fresh air supply, etc.

  • training, inspection and reports – proper training of staff, use of properly trained staff to do the work, proper supervision of staff and monitoring the work carried out by staff to ensure it is carried out in a safe manner.

 

Plumbing safety tips

To ensure you always stay safe when working, it is best to follow these simple, yet somewhat obvious instructions.

  • Do not walk under a ladder that has somebody working up it

  • Wear the correct safety equipment (ie boots, hard hats etc.)

  • Always make sure to not work with plumbing issues near electric whilst power is on, turn all power off to prevent anything tragic happening

  • Make sure you have received full training on the job you are about to undergo

  • Do not work if tired as many times we have seen work going wrong due to sleep deprivation

  • Follow the correct health and safety guidelines (mentioned above)

  • Be sure to use the correct tools for the job to ensure you complete it safely

 Author Bio

This article was written by Dan Mawson who is the owner and founder of Multicore emergency plumber wigan.

He is an avid blogger, plumber, electrician and web developer hoping to share his knowledge through the web.