General Safety Issues

5 Workplace Safety Issues Too Serious To Be Overlooked

5 Workplace Safety Issues Too Serious To Be Overlooked

One of the tragic mistakes people make is putting productivity first, and safety at the workplace second. Not only is this just a lawsuit waiting to happen, but it’s highly immoral as well. But, you would be surprised how often safety issue springs up not due to malice, but due to negligence. Some people simply forget some very basic safety precautions that are supposed to be practiced in the workplace. That’s why we’ve compiled this list as a reminder, just in case.

Mold

One of the first things people overlook is mold build-up. It can cause a host of issues, from asthma, to allergies. It is absolutely horrible for people’s health, and will destroy productivity. It can even cause skin and eye irritation in more serious cases. Know that if you have an office that is low, on bottom floors or even inside of a basement, that you are at high risk of getting mold. Perform regular check-ups, hire somebody to deal with it if you have to.

Asbestos

Asbestos is an absolute no-go. The health issues caused by asbestos have been documented for a long time. And yet, people still sometimes use it, against any and all regulations. And in some places, it isn’t regulated at all. But no matter where you live, know that this isn’t a joke.

Asbestos can still be found in many old buildings, since it’s an excellent insulator. However, your office building needs to be checked for any trace of asbestos. Its seriously cancerogenic, and you need to get rid of it stat. It should, in fact, be your number one priority.

Rails and Fences

This one really depends on your line of work. Namely, if you work at a place like a construction site, or any other field where there is a chance a person can actually fall and hurt themselves, you need to invest in proper safety precautions. There are always high-quality temporary fence panels for sale somewhere, as well as rails and walkways. Don’t go cheap, try to get the best you can.

You need to keep your people protected, and an unsafe work environment will destroy morale and efficiency. Not to mention how cheap your company will end up looking. If needed, redistribute your budget. Invest in all the safety and warning signs you need as well.

Stress Management

Stress is a mind killer. For decades now, doctors have been warning about just what kind of damage stress causes. That’s why you should do everything you can do regulate it. Depending on your line of work, you need to manage stress accordingly. Did you notice one of your employees has been overworked, putting in overtime every day for a month? Give them a day off, help them relax.

Did your whole team just finish an incredibly stressful and difficult project? Treat them, give them a bonus, or let them leave work early for a couple of days. Furthermore, you can avoid the actual occurrence of stress if you practice due diligence. Have plan A, B, C, and D ready to cover any issue that may show up. Provide adequate stress management training as well. Know that if it snowballs, stress can cause serious burnout and waste of talent.

Emotional issues

Emotional safety at the workplace is all about trust and feeling respect. It can be loosely defined as the employee having enough trust placed in the employer to feel open and vulnerable. An employee should feel that he or she can bring up any issue or problem to the employer and that he or she will be respected and heard.

An employee needs to know that the employer has their best interest at heart. The opposite of this would be any kind of bullying or harassment they may suffer. Being strict but fair is one thing, but a manager venting his frustrations at his workers will absolutely tank productivity and morale.

Remember, the last thing you want is somebody getting hurt due to negligence. And some of these issues, like stress management and employee emotions, may not come to mind at first. But, know that they are just as important as asbestos, mould, and lack of proper railings. You need to keep both your employee’s minds and bodies safe.

Weather Protection

How Businesses Can Become More Environmentally Friendly

How Businesses Can Become More Environmentally Friendly

By February this year, air pollution levels had already exceeded the legal limit in London. This is alarming considering that only recently the toxicity in air pollution was linked to a child’s death in the capital. Not only does pollution have a detrimental effect on people’s health, but it also contributes to global warming – damaging earth as we know it. It’s clear the stakes are higher than ever with people’s lives being directly at risk, so responsible business owners need to be thinking more about what they can do to lessen their impact. Read on for more information on how businesses can become more environmentally friendly:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

With rapid advancements forever progressing modern technology, it seems appropriate that we utilise it to benefit the environment. For example, the idea of a business going paperless 10 years ago would have sent a company into despair, but now, it’s an easily achievable solution to business waste. Request emails instead of letters and transfer your filing system by having files saved electronically on a secure drive. In many instances, it’s actually more secure for the business to keep sensitive documents on a computer with backup capabilities anyway, as there’s less chance of them being damaged or stolen.
Furthermore, encourage recycling in the workplace. Have designated clearly labelled recycling bins to promote recycling amongst workers. You could also upcycle old office furniture to give it a new lease of life. An excellent way to save the business money, and also helps the environment.

Combat Pollution

Pollution can be extremely harmful to an employee’s health, particularly if you are a business located in a city centre. Business owner’s need to consistently evaluate hazardous aspects of working life that could impact their staff. This includes indoor pollution. It could be beneficial to install stainless steel ductwork for larger companies to have more control over the air quality and temperature in the building. This will ensure employees are operating under safe conditions, improving their overall health and wellness. In turn, this could lead to them taking less sick days and becoming more motivated.

Monitor Energy Usage

Another easy way to sustain an environmentally friendly business is to implement restrictions on energy use. This could be something as simple as turning all equipment off at night by the switch instead of leaving it on standby. You could also introduce energy saving lightbulbs which can greatly reduce your waste over the coming years. If staff spend too much time indoors, in offices or warehouses for example, it can become dull and depressing. Try to choose daylight lightbulbs to emulate natural light as this is beneficial to your staff because they create a more bright and positive work environment.

A Environmentally Friendly Future

Every business should look into ways they can help the environment, both for the benefit of their employees and the planet. If a business is operating from an industrial site or city centre, it is particularly advisable that they evaluate their practices as they are most vulnerable to pollution that could affect their employees’ health. On the whole, a company should be more aware of their carbon footprint as they have a responsibility to protect the environment for a better future.

Uncategorized

Five Steps to a Safe and Healthy Workplace

Five Steps to a Safe and Healthy Workplace

Every business owner, no matter how small or big his business is, needs to prioritize and seriously take care of the workplace’s health and safety. This is actually the first aspect you should take care of before you start the business, so you’ll be sure that nobody will ever be endangered while they’re at work.
Therefore, in today’s post, we’re presenting you 5 steps which will guide you towards a safe work environment and a healthy atmosphere that anyone can work in.
Design the Workplace Safely
It all starts with the way you choose to design the workplace. If your priority is to promote a safe and healthy atmosphere in the workplace (as it should be), then you know what to focus on while you design it.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself in order to create a functional, safe, and healthy design:
  • What are the best triggers for motivation, productivity, focus, and efficiency you can implement in the workplace design?
  • What is the healthiest atmosphere to work in for your employees’ minds and bodies?
  • What equipment, machines, substances, and materials will be needed and what measures should be taken for using everything safely?
Provide the Right Gear
To promote a safe and healthy atmosphere in the workplace, you need to think in terms of quality and not quantity. It is extremely important to provide the right gear even if is for the office or for the work side.
As Mark Devens, the HR manager at assignmentgeek.com.au, advises, “You’d better not look at the price and prepare a flexible budget. Otherwise, the cheaper products will be extremely tempting. You see, the cheaper the gear is the lesser it will last, and the more pollutant and dangerous it will become over the years.”
Make sure you do good research on the company you’ll be using before buying your equipment and materials, just to make sure your employees won’t get cancer after using Monsanto’s cleaning products. As well, buy only the gear that is truly necessary and fits your purposes best.
Provide All the Necessary Training
Even if the employees are qualified to work with the machines and equipment used in the workplace, you need to provide training for all the employees, especially if some of the gear may cause some severe injuries.
As you’re the employer and the one responsible for all the aspects of your workplace, you must do everything that stands in your power to prevent any possible unfortunate incident. Therefore, you must provide:
  • Right training
  • Written instructions
  • Safe work procedures
  • First aid kit
  • Open discussions about risk prevention.
  • Encourage the employees to speak up if they feel unsafe.
Regularly Inspect and Renew the Gear
In order to prevent any possible hazard in your workplace, you must make sure that everything is working perfectly. So, you must plan a regular inspection to check if every gear is working on safe terms.
As well, renew the damaged gear as soon as possible. Of course, the safest would be to renew the gear before it gets broken and has the chance to represent a danger for your employees and even for you.
Investigate Incidents and Keep Records
No matter of the incident’s gravity, you should always conduct an investigation. This is crucial because you must acknowledge the real cause and course of events and figure out what measures you must take to ensure it won’t happen again.
Moreover, you should keep records of any incident, any first aid treatment, any incident investigation, any inspection, and any provided training. This will help you identify a solution to prevent any unfortunate event from now on.
Conclusion
Everyone should feel safe and healthy while they’re in the workplace. This is the only way you can keep your employees productive and focused on work and growth. Not to mention that if you fail to take care of such important aspects like safety and health, you’ll have to deal with a lot of unfortunate events that will cost you money and your reputation.
Take our tips and tricks into consideration and do what’s right for your business. One mistake could cost you everything, so better not risk it!
About the writer:

Mary Whitman is a blogger and freelancer from Adelaide, South Australia. In her spare time, she enjoys talking about Sustainable Development and Art. Find Mary on Twitter.

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.

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

Right Type Roof Height Safety – Preventing Accidents at Workplace

Right Type Roof Height Safety – Preventing Accidents at Workplace

Roofs play an essential role in enhancing the overall look of any house. It is a fact that working on roofs can be dangerous and many people have fallen off and suffered injuries in the process in order to avoid frequent mishaps, roof height safety must be given utmost importance.

Introduction of Roof Height Safety – Done for Convenience

Earlier, there was nothing like a height safety system. With the advent of technology, roof height safety has been introduced for the convenience of workers. The introduction of fall prevention systems has proved to be really convenient. However, people need to be trained to install the same on the roofs.

It takes a few minutes to get a job done but working on roofs asks for safety measures, unlike other construction works. Accidents cannot be prevented; however, certain inclusions can reduce the risk of accidents to a great extent.

Height Safety of Roofs – Great Concern!

Gaps and holes inside the roof enhance the risk of accidents. As numerous accidents occur at the time of working on roofs, roof height safety is a great concern. It will allow people to carry out their day-to-day roof construction work with utmost precision. In case of any type of height safety system, fall prevention is the first priority. This is the reason close analysis of the roof is duly carried out. Installation of a guard rail is mandatory to ensure a high level of safety to workers. It will also prevent objects from being kicked off the roof. As there are higher chances of materials falling off the roof, heavy precaution must be taken from day one.

Importance of Anchor Points – Used in Special Situations

Situations where guardrails are impractical, anchor points must be installed. It is preferable especially in case the roof has small inclinations. Workers equipped with a harness of appropriate length are less prone to fall off.  An ideal anchor point system purely functions on the principle of roof height safety at its best.

The anchor point is positioned in such a manner that the worker can easily prevent himself from any mishap. As they are unable to reach the edge of the roof, it is highly imperative for the lanyard to comprise of an appropriate length. It will prevent any unpredictable risk. More space will help you easily manage your task in the best possible manner.

Beware of Hazards!

You may expect to get the best equipment set along with highly innovative safety systems installed. But at the same time, your employees need to be trained to make the best use of all including roof height safety. With proper training, it will become easy to prevent all types of mishaps.

Inexperienced workers must be supervised by experienced personnel e. properly designed roof height safety serves to be the only barrier between a healthy work environment and serious accidents. It is highly imperative to install the best system with the guidance of a qualified team of Experts. People who desire to install height safety for roofs must do their research well. As this is a fairly new inclusion in the list of roof height safety systems, you might not find enough people who can guide you through. Also, there are several companies that guarantee high quality roof height safety systems; however, you cannot trust them blindly. You must consult those who have installed the height safety systems, seek their assistance and then invest in one. It is an expensive buy and thus you would not want to goof up on that front. To avoid frequent repairs, invest in a durable variety.

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

5 Safety Measures You Can Take to Prevent a Gas Leak

5 Safety Measures You Can Take to  Prevent a Gas Leak

Home safety is achieved when everyone in the household is educated on what to do when there are home emergencies. This is the best assurance you can give to yourself and the people living in your house. Whatever the size of your house and appliances you have, accidents are very unpredictable and can happen when you least expect them. However, it can be prevented by following safety measures. Gas leaks are one of the main causes of fires at home and even explosions. This hazard is life-threatening which is why you should be vigilant when it comes to home safety.
The most obvious sign of a gas leak is the smell of a gas and this is something you need to worry. Leave the area as soon as possible and call emergency services. If you want to prevent this kind of incident, follow these safety measures and let everyone in the house know about these.
1. Make sure it is properly installed
Sometimes the cause of a gas leak at home is poor and faulty installation. Before you use your appliances at home, make sure they are installed properly. Ideally, a Gas Safety Engineer (GSE) or any qualified gas installer should install your appliances to make sure they are properly and securely fitted.
2. Turn off gas appliances after use
Safety starts with you and everyone in the house. Be mindful and careful whenever you use your household appliances because anything careless increases your risk at home. You and your family should know and familiarise where your gas supply can be turned off so anyone can shut if off immediately right after use. Turning off your appliances after using is the best security you can deal at home.
3. Install a carbon monoxide alarm
Gases contain carbon monoxide that’s why a gas leak can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. It is easier to detect a gas leak in your household if you keep a carbon monoxide alarm so that you will be alerted if ever there are leaks. Make sure that is installed properly; otherwise, the alarm might not function properly and leave you prone to the dangers of gas leaks. Lastly, change the batteries every year to ensure optimal performance.
4. Save the national gas emergency number
For safety and emergency purposes, make sure to save the national gas number in your phone book or any area in your house where you can list important numbers. In this case, you can contact the number whenever you have an emergency gas leak at home.
5. Check the appliances on a regular basis
Even if your appliances are installed by a Gas Safe Register Engineer, it doesn’t mean you can just be relaxed when it comes to gas leaks. Remember that you use the appliances regularly and it’s possible that they can be dysfunctional because of continued usage. We highly advise having a professional GSE check your appliances on a constant basis to see if there are any issues.
Let your family members know all these safety measures to protect your household. Gas leaks are a serious matter which is why you should educate the people in your household to ensure no one gets hurt and no property gets severely damaged.
General Safety Issues

How Technology Developments Are Keeping Construction Workers Safer

How Technological Developments Are Keeping Construction Workers Safer Than Ever Before

The modern technological advancement has brought about changes in various industries. The construction industry has not been left behind. Technology has been used to improve the safety of workers at the construction sites. It is correct to say that site safety is something that most people do not love talking about. However, this is a critical topic that should not be ignored.
According to research, one person dies while the other hundred and fifty-three others are injured due to workplace accidents that take place every fifteen seconds. To avoid these deaths and injuries, technology has introduced various construction trends that can help to keep workers at construction sites safe. The following are some of them:
Construction Wearables
These are tools that are designed to track the location of the worker at the construction site. They are equipped with sensors, vital tracking, GPS, and real-time locating. Apart from monitoring the location, construction wearables are also used to prevent you from falling, electrocution, struck-bys and being caught in severe accidents. These accidents are also referred to as the “fatal four.” Construction wearables could either be a watch, a vest or a hat. All the construction workers need to do is to move around in the sun to charge these wearables.
Drones
A construction manager can also use drones at the construction sites to ensure that safety of the workers. These technological gadgets are used to inspect the construction sites, monitor the employees and also identify any hazards at the site. With drones, there is no need for company employees to conduct high-risk researches and inspections on the construction sites that are located on elevated surfaces. In addition, drones can also be used in the construction sites to track the progress of the projects. This is done by using aerial images, videos, and mapping.
Virtual Reality
The construction industry is improving day by day due to the use of virtual reality in construction safety training. Various construction companies are now launching virtual reality training programs, which imitate a construction site. The program is being used to teach workers how they can interact with the environment without having to bring them to the construction site. Apart from assisting in safety training, virtual training can also be used to go through the design and identify any potential problems before the construction kicks off.
Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMA)
In case you are a paving contractor, you should consider investing your money in truck-mounted attenuators. These TMAs, also called crash trucks are devices that absorb energy. Typically, they are attached to the rear of trailers or vans to act as a barrier between the construction driver and the workers. In case the driver loses track while entering the construction site, he or she will first hit the TMA which will absorb the impact and protect the driver from being injured. With the modern autonomous TMA, the safety of the construction site is maintained. The driver’s life is also safe from any high-risk and dangerous situation.
Site Sensors
According to statistics, 1.3 million construction workers are exposed to asbestos on the job. Asbestos is dangerous since it causes a tumor that affects sensitive body organs such as the lungs, the heart, and lungs. Construction workers can stay safe from this fatal infection by using site sensors to read toxins that could be found on the floor tiles, plasters shingles and other construction materials.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Association (OSHA), twenty-one percent of deaths take place in the construction field. It is possible to reduce this percentage to zero if only construction managers and supervisors can put the above smart technologies to use. They ensure that workers are safe on the job and can resume their normal lives even after work.
Author Bio:
Tom Moverman established the Lipsig Lawyers Firm with Harry Lipsig and his partners in 1989. The personal injury law firm focuses on products liability, personal injury, construction accidents, car accidents and medical malpractice.
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, Hand Protection

Gear Up: Safety Tips for Professional Plumbers

Gear Up: Safety Tips for Professional Plumbers

Written by Sofia

For some countries, it can be easy to neglect the importance of health and safety practices due to lack of awareness, training and resources. Although plumbers have the option to choose between self-employment and working for businesses, your personal protective gears along with your compliance with Occupational Safety and Health standards deserve your time and attention.
Safety Issues
Plumbers may be one of the highest paid professionals in the trade industry but are more exposed to potential hazards and accidents. Like other professions such as builders, electricians and concreters, plumbers also battle with workplace risks. Some prominent ones include:
⦁ Exposure to toxins
⦁ Slips, trips and falls
⦁ Electric shocks and burns
⦁ Manual handling injuries
⦁ Eye hazards
Biohazard waste such as sewerage, mold and bacteria can also have a negative impact on your health. Without proper care and clothing, you may endanger not only your life but also your finances and investments.
Whether it involves a simple pipe repair or water supply installation, your safety shouldn’t be compromised. Here are plumbing safety tips to help prevent accidents around your home or at work:
Pick your hand wear. 
Generally, your hands get the majority of plumbing work. Covering them with either rubber or leather gloves can keep them from chemicals and heat exposures. Heat-insulating gloves are recommended when flame or soldering work is involved.
Before accepting any jobs, it’s important to understand the scope of work to help prepare the needed hand wear to use. If the process requires the use of handheld tools such as pipe wrenches and shovels, wearing protective gloves can be an option. However, taking note of this preventative measure can help safeguard your great asset.
Will you be needing power tools like circular saws and propane torches to accomplish the job? Using bare hands may be viable, but for your safety and convenience, it’s good to have your hands fully protected. You’ll thank these hand gloves when you do.
Mind your footwear.
You may have the best hand-eye coordination and balancing techniques, but without appropriate footwear, you’re bound to potential accidents.
Wet environments require a local plumber to wear a pair of boots with non-slip soles. When working at heights and confined areas, it’s also safe to use sturdy and non-skid shoes to avoid falling incidents.
Put on your headgear.
Wearing a pair of gloves and sturdy shoes won’t guarantee complete protection. Hard hats are recommended especially when doing large projects. A durable headpiece can keep you from acquiring head injuries caused by falling objects or solid materials.
Face protection is also good to consider. Make sure to wear respiratory masks when dealing with human waste, rodent droppings and other hazardous materials that could target your health.
Prepare your eyewear.
Eye injuries caused by chemical splashes, flying particles and falling objects can both affect your personal and professional lifestyle. Wearing safety goggles can protect your eyes especially when using high-pressure water jetters to clean drainage pipes. Likewise, if you’re dealing with hot water pipe repairs or maintenance, covering your eyes with proper eye shields can save you from acquiring extreme injuries.
Whether you’re involved with simple cleaning or installation jobs, wearing safety spectacles can keep you from dust and debris as well as material handling failures.
Wear your earpiece.
Just as your eyes need protective coverings, your ears also beg for proper protection. Hearing loss is one of the recorded safety hazards for plumbers. The World Health Organization’s Protection of the Human Environment released a 2004 report stating that 48 percent of plumbers suffer from hearing loss.
Wearing earplugs is essential especially when the job requires the use of extremely buzzing tools and procedures. This is common to a local plumber working in construction and other non-residential areas.
Workplace Safety Tips
⦁ Get proper training to increase your awareness
⦁ Refer to safety data sheets (SDS)
⦁ Keep your personal protective equipment in good condition
⦁ Follow safety orders and rules
⦁ Deodorise tools and equipment on a regular basis
⦁ Dispose gloves and clothing when necessary
⦁ Disinfect protective gears from head to toe
Gear Up, But Don’t Forget the Basics
In Australia, 8 percent of plumbers involved in construction sites acquire serious claims, with carpenters and joiners topping the list. Knowing the possible hazards and the best approach to avoid them helps to guarantee your safety. For instance, a local plumber who works in commercial projects should wear protective clothing such as hard hats and non-skid shoes to reduce accident rates.
Considering the temperature and climate condition also matters. Working in winter may not be ideal as it promotes high potential risks, but taking up assignments in cold temperate areas is still possible.
Responding to your client’s urgent need is important, but your safety must not suffer. It means that only qualified plumbers are expected to deal with any plumbing works to minimize the risks.
Do your part to protect your biggest asset. Take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water and prioritize sufficient rest when necessary. Most importantly, invest in and wear high-quality protective gears to help lessen plumbing-related incidents and give you more time to enjoy the privilege of being a plumber.
When did you last check your protective clothing and equipment?
General Safety Issues

3 Best Blogs to Follow About Surviving

3 Best Blogs to Follow About Surviving

By Joseph Mclean

The Web is overflowing with blogs, each more interesting than the next one, and thousands similar to one another. So, when you are interested in reading some good content on a topic, you have to choose between so many options, it makes your head spin every time. This is no exception for the preparedness and survival community out there.

“We all want to survive. It is in our nature. Give an interesting survival topic to a person, say it right, and it will peak their interest instantly. You can hardly say the same about many other topics.” – says George Peyer, one of the most experienced dissertation writers and bloggers.

When searching for the best blog that teaches you of survival, it is only natural to seek one that provides excellent content. In this list you will find a very limited number of blogs to follow about surviving. Providing you with a dozen or more will take more time than most people have and with the frequency of sharing inspiring blogs of these three choices, you won’t have the time or wish to look anywhere else.

The Survival Mom

True, this blog might not be the first thing that pops into the mind of preppers in general. But, if you give it a shot, you’ll learn that it is one of the most creative and informational blogs that attracts both women and men.

It isn’t just a blog of a mom complaining of her busy motherhood or sharing recipes. Unlike the traditional blogs that carry the word ‘mom’ in them, Lisa, the survival mom, represents a unique source for any modern prepper who has a family. Her advice and tips are constantly read and used by both men and women, which can be clearly seen on the very successful blog.

As Lisa says, she knew nothing about blogging when she first started this blog six years ago. Lisa Bedford only had an idea to share her prepper’s knowledge and experience with others. At this point, who knew that her blog would reach the top of almost every survival blog list on the Web?

With a grand range of articles on preparedness and survival, The Survival Mom will certainly keep you entertained and prepared. Reading about kiddie pools is surely not something you find on your regular preparedness website, and this is just one of the creative ideas of this very talented blogger.

Begin with camping and traveling tips and tricks, go down the road toward cooking and saving tips, and finish off with something as common as feet blisters – following this blog is an amazing experience that never ends! Just as soon as you think you know it all, Lisa will surprise you with something you had no idea could ever happen!

The Survivalist Blog

Created and updated by M.D. Creekmore, this blog has a very interesting backstory. The creator of this popular blog decided to go off grid and purchase two acres of land for $2,000. He parked his 26-foot trailer right there on the spot, left the rat-race, and started living a whole new life right there, in the middle of nowhere.

Since he did this, he shared his stories and gave advice based on what happens in his life. The unique insight and situation make this blog different than any other you will find on the Web. That’s what makes it so special – The Survivalist Blog is somewhat of a series of happenings in the life of one survivalist.

On this blog, you can find different categories and quite the large range of useful articles. The prepping page helps you find the perfect bug-out location, tells you which books to read and how to assemble a survival kit. Homesteading lists animals you should keep and tips for keeping them, as well as some food preparation and storing ideas and tricks.

Those who want to know more about survival and related sports can visit the sections for guns, hunting and finish, while the DIY section will surely intrigue those with a creative mind.

The Survivalist Blog has everything for everyone, all in one spot and told in the words of a true survivalist. This is not a person who just shares tricks and advise that tells you how to survive – he is actually out there surviving every day, and is more than glad to guide you through it.

Survival Blog

The final choice in this list is James Rawles’ blog – Survival Blog. This is one of the most popular choices among preppers for the fun topics and the wealth of versatile information from both the writer and his guest writers. By allowing such action, the creator of this blog gave his followers an opportunity to enjoy diverse understandings of survival and learn from people who want to be heard.

Don’t let all their efforts go to waste. Many people have achieved something they are proud of and wish to share it with you. Such things can truly help you when a survival test arises, and the Survival Blog is one sure way to access that information.

Rawles’ story is breathtaking. He is a former U.S. Army Intelligence officer who grew up in a tough era – the Bomb Shelter era. According to James, the mind set from that time ‘never wore off’. He now works as the highly successful, full-time blogger and a writer and considers this blog a reflection of his interests.

This blog has gone so far in terms of popularity, they even started a writing contest for the followers. If you have a story to share with the wide audience of James Rawles, this is your chance to do it.
Since the blog is so popular, it has over a thousand of articles at this point. To make a minor dent in them, it would probably take you weeks of reading without a break. So, it is time to get to it. Wait no longer – new articles are constantly coming up!

Do you know where to start already? You’ll find no bad choice in this list. All three blogs are highly successful and very popular among the preppers’ audience and will bring you the inspiration and creativity to get your survival juices flowing right away!

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