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General Safety Issues, Health Issues

IT’S FLU SEASON: HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SHOT?

Although we at Texas America Safety Company and Blog4Safety focus on work-related safety most of the time, we feel it is our responsibility to warn y0u when health issues come up.  As most of you know, flu season is just around the corner, and for workers, it is a devestating issue when it spreads among workers.  Here are some facts from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

Influenza (Flu) Facts

  • Influenza (the flu) can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Anyone can get sick from the flu.
  • People with flu can spread it to others. Influenza viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are up to about 6 feet away or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.
  • Some people, such as older adults, pregnant women, and very young children as well as people with certain long-term medical conditions are at high risk of serious complications from the flu. These medical conditions include chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart disease, neurologic conditions and pregnancy.
  • Since health care workers may care for or live with people at high risk for influenza-related complications, it is especially important for them to get vaccinated annually.
  • Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Some persons can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others.
  • Annual vaccination is important because influenza is unpredictable, flu viruses are constantly changing and immunity from vaccination declines over time.
  • CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine as the first and best way to protect against influenza. This recommendation is the same even during years when the vaccine composition (the viruses the vaccine protects against) remains unchanged from the previous season.

Flu Vaccine Facts

  • The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Traditional flu vaccines (called trivalent vaccines) are made to protect against three flu viruses; an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an influenza B virus. In addition, this season, there are flu vaccines made to protect against four flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines). These vaccines protect against the same viruses as the trivalent vaccine as well as an additional B virus.
  • Flu vaccines CANNOT cause the flu. Flu vaccines that are administered with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ and are therefore not infectious, or b) with no flu viruses at all (which is the case for recombinant influenza vaccine). The nasal spray flu vaccine does contain live viruses. However, the viruses are attenuated (weakened), and therefore cannot cause flu illness. The weakened viruses are cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only cause infection at the cooler temperatures found within the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist.
  • Flu vaccines are safe. Serious problems from the flu vaccine are very rare. The most common side effect that a person is likely to experience is either soreness where the injection was given, or runny nose in the case of nasal spray. These side effects are generally mild and usually go away after a day or two. Visit Influenza Vaccine Safety for more information.

Cover your mouth with tissue if possible when sneezing or coughing.  The most important advice is to sneeze into your elbow if you must sneeze, and don’t have a tissue.  If you work in healthcare, wear a face mask and gloves when around patients with the flu or other contagious illness.  Keep hand sanitizer handy to kill germs when you aren’t near a lavatory.  It’s hard to know if you are coming down with the flu, as sometimes you feel well before you are aware that you may be contagious.  The main thing for those who work, is to please stay home when you are ill.

Most everyone is going to come in contact with germs either through shared office equipment, telephones, elevators, traveling by bus, plane, or cab.  Our children and teachers also are exposed through school germs.

We hope this year will be a “light” season for the flu!  Getting vaccinated will help.

Source: CDC

 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

IS MY CHILDCARE PROVIDER UP ON SAFETY MEASURES? WHAT TO LOOK FOR (GUEST POST)

When you place your child in day care, you do so under the assumption that they will be safe. You want to know that your child is free from any type of harm, including that from dangerous toys or accessories. You also want to make sure that the place is sanitary. Children touch everything, and viruses can spread quickly if their surroundings are not kept clean.

To ensure that your child remains safe while not in your care, parents should look for signs that their care provider is keeping up to the standards you expect. Some of these “signs” include: 

1. Look at the outdoor equipment. Does it look rugged and well worn? While it is to be expected that play items will be well-used, you need to know that your child care dollars are going for upkeep as well as payroll. If the equipment looks too used, chances are it is not safe.

2. Look at the toys inside. Do the toys seem age-appropriate for the children? Some toys can present choking hazards or have sharp edges. These are dangerous to very small children.

3. Look at the infant area. This is especially important since babies can easily be harmed and catch viruses. Does this area contain:

*Does the baby play yard have removable mats and fabric? You want your infant to be in a play yard that can easily be washed and cleaned. Is a top sanitary precaution.  

*Heavy objects? As infants start to grow, they begin to reach and pull themselves up. Large bookcases and other items of this nature can easily topple over on infants, causing great harm.

*Hand sanitizer? You want your care providers to have clean hands when they are interacting with your baby.

*Crib sheets. Are the cribs or bassinets being used look and smell clean? Do they have removable sheets? You do not want your baby sleeping in an area that cannot be easily cleaned.

*Stuffed animals or large blankets in sleeping areas. Babies should never be placed to sleep with a large comforter or stuffed animal. This can cause suffocation.
4. Children’s furniture. Do the tables and chairs appear to be the right size for the children? Are they well-worn and seem to be wobbly? Are they made of metal? All of these things could pose a risk to your child.

While this may seem a little overprotective, it is not. Day care centers are obligated to keep your child safe, and that includes making sure that the equipment that they use, toys they provide, and their cleanliness level all meet specific standards.

If you have any concerns about any of these issues, or other things that you may have noticed, you should take the time to talk with the center about the problems. In many cases, the problem can be quickly resolved. If not, you may find that you need to search for more qualified care providers for your child.

Researcher and author Nickey Williams writes this article to create child safety awareness. The washable baby play yard is part of the Shiloh by InGenuity collection. Fabrics simply zip off in less than a minute for machine washing and you can swiftly fold & go without extracting the bassinet, making this product extremely convenient.