General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

THOSE PESKY SUMMER BUGS, PLANTS!

We all know that one of life’s unpleasant experiences we all have to contend with in the summertime, whether we go on vacation or stay home, are those pesky insects and poisonous plants!

Poison Ivy:  Did you know it grows almost everywhere in the US except Hawaii, Alaska, and some parts of Nevada?  They differ in looks according to the places they live.  Poison Sumac is basically the same plant.
One needs to research the plant and how it looks according to their location.  Urushiol is released from the plants, and sticks to just about anything it comes in contact with.  The best way to deal with these plants is to stay away from them!

Bee Stings:  Most of the time, bees are as afraid of you as you are of them!  Bees are attracted to bright, floral patterns of clothing, fragrances, and food.  Bees will land on soda cans, or spilled food, so beware!  Plan to wear proper clothing (long sleeves, hats, leather work gloves, etc.) if you are going to be outside and know you are in “Bee Territory”!

Spider Bites:  Summer is the prime season for mating and laying eggs for Brown Recluse spiders.  This spider has a very toxic venom.  These non-aggressive spiders only bite when they are caught in a situation, such as being in shoes, bedding, or clothes.  One of their hiding places is cardboard boxes, under the flaps.  So use extreme caution when cleaning; shake out shoes and clothes before donning them.  They also like woodpiles, so check your gloves for spiders before you pick up the wood.

Hand Protection, Respiratory Safety

Handling Birds?

If you have to handle birds that may have been infected with the bird flu, it is important for you to protect yourself. Wearing gloves is the best way to prevent any contamination through the skin. Nitrile gloves are very sturdy and are good for various uses. Neoprene gloves are also protective against chemicals and animal fats. Both gloves are cut resistant and puncture resistant and approved by the USDA for food handling. Remember that it is only in the handling of birds that the flu is dangerous, cooked chicken and other fowl is safe to handle and eat.

There is also evidence that the flu can be passed by germs getting into the eye area. You can prevent this by wearing chemical goggles or other well covering safety glasses to protect your eyes.

Fall Safety

Prevent Falling Accidents

In the United States Construction industry, falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. An average of between 150-200 workers each year are killed and more than 100,000 injuries are the result of falls at construction sites. Accidental falls are complex events resulting from either equipment-related or human issues. Therefore, the standards for falling protection deal with preventing fall hazards, and providing proper safety equipment.

Fall protection systems should be carefully designed for appropriate work situations. Proper installation of safety systems, safe work procedures, training and supervision are necessary to ensure workers’ security. Lastly, use some common sense when working off the ground. It’s always better to have too much protection than not enough.

Listed below is a short glossary of fall prevention equipment that can be furnished for safe endeavors:

¨ Anchorage – Secure point of attachment for lanyards, lifelines or deceleration devices.

¨ Body Harness – Straps secured about the person that distribute fall-arrest forces over thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders, which is attached to other parts of fall-arrest system.

¨ Deceleration Device – Any mechanism: rope, grab, forms of lanyards, auto retracting lanyards that dissipate a substantial amount of energy during fall arrest.

¨ Lanyard – Flexible line of rope or strap that has connectors to a deceleration device, lifeline, or anchorage.

High Visibility Safety

The Colors of Safety Awareness

When you are driving down the highway, and you see construction workers, rescue workers, or persons picking up litter along the roads, have you noticed the bright colors they wear? Those safety vests, hard hats, clothing, reflective stripes, etc. are there for their protection and to assure that they are conspicuous to oncoming traffic.

When you watch emergency personnel doing their job, notice those bright colors on their clothing, and remember color is just one of the many ways to help ensure a person’s safety.

Primary Safety Colors are:

Safety Orange – Used for vests, traffic cones, hunting vests, barrels and other construction marking devices.

Fire Engine Red – Named mainly for fire engines and other emergency vehicles.

Chartreuse Yellow – Greater visibility at night; many cities now use this color for fire engines and emergency equipment.

Neon Yellow – Most visible color to the human eye, present on most vests.

High Visibility Yellow – Used for coveralls, rainwear, slush boots.

High Visibility Safety Products are a neccessity when working near traffic. Remember to be safe and plan ahead.

Back Safety, Ergonomics, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

Proper Lifting Techniques

We use our back every day, whether we realize it or not.  We twist, bend, push, pull, and lift all day long.  Most of us don’t pay much attention to the movements and back muscles involved in these everyday actions. That is, until we pull a muscle in our back and have trouble doing simple things like sitting, walking, or even getting in and out of bed.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, there have been an average of nearly 270,000 reported back or spine injuries each year from 2003 to 2006.  Fortunately, these numbers are steadily decreasing(303,750 in 2003, down to 250,670 in 2006), so progress is being made.

Most injuries probably could have been avoided by paying a little more attention to what we are doing and how we are doing it.  Proper lifting techniques and using team lifting for heavier or awkward items help reduce the strain on your back muscles.

  • Keep objects close to your body: Carrying objects close to your body helps keep the “load center” in balance.  The farther from the body the item is, the more muscle strength needed to lift the item.  This forces the muscles to move in ways they are not designed to move, which can cause a strain or pull.
  • Bend your knees and keep your back straight: Focusing on keeping your back straight reduces the chances of twisting or bending in such a way that puts stress or strain on the muscles
  • Lift with your legs: Your leg muscles are designed to lift.  Using your leg muscles makes it easier to lift the item, as well as take the strain off your back.

Some jobs or hobbies require constant lifting and carrying.  In these situations, it may be helpful to utilize a back support. They come in many different styles and are fairly inexpensive($17-$36). When compared to the national average of around $9,000 per incident for non-surgery medical expenses ($30,000+ for injuries requiring surgery), $36 and a bit of prevention is well worth the time and cost.

Eye Protection, Hand Protection, Hearing Protection, Home Safety Products, Respiratory Safety

Mowing Safety

This summer, everyone will be outside working in their yards. Young people mow lawns to earn a little spending money while out of school. But did you know that in 1990, of the 87,000 people injured by lawnmowers, 20,000 were under 25 and 10,000 of those were younger than 15 years old.

Many injuries can be avoided by taking the proper precautions:

    >These products are readily available to you for your safety. Be prepared and be safe this summer.
Eye Protection

Why Should I Wear Safety Glasses?

glasses

Why should you have to wear safety glasses while working? If you are working with hazardous chemicals or anything that might break and send small particles into the air, you need safety glasses or safety goggles to avoid getting something in your eyes. You might not realize that hazardous particles floating around can damage your vision; however, irritation, scratching, or even blindness can also occur when the eye is left unprotected.

Even if something doesn’t go directly into the eye, you may still have damage if you accidentally wipe your eye and the substance gets swept into it. If you are working with glass or mechanical parts that could break, you can prevent most eye injuries by wearing your safety glasses or face shields. It’s also important that you don’t rely solely on sunglasses or prescription glasses to protect your eyes because they are not designed for impact or splashes.

There are some very stylish safety glasses out there for those who want to look good on the job. In addition, there are glasses with magnification bifocals for those with vision problems. If you need more than reading glasses, you can also buy a pair of safety glasses with an insert for prescription lenses. There are even safety glasses you can put over your regular prescription glasses!

So there is really no excuse for neglecting your eyes when such a wide variety of safety glasses exist. A few dollars can help to prevent blindness or other damage to your eyes. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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