Tag Archives: hazard

General Safety Issues

STRESSFUL JOBS EQUAL DANGEROUS JOBS

A short time ago, we presented an article that asked, “What Are the Most Dangerous Jobs in America?”   Some jobs that are stressful may not be as demanding as dangerous jobs; however, they can create so much pressure that they are as harmful to an individual than the ones that carry a lot of risk.

Based on a study done by CareerCast.com, listed below are the five top stressful jobs of 200 hundred occupations, and were based on 21 stress-causing factors and how significant these demands figure into the average workday.  Certain job demands are competitiveness, risk of unemployment, and the opportunity for advancement.  It’s interesting that some of the five were also on our list of America’s Most Dangerous Jobs, and reference will be made to our articles, in case you wish to review them.

1.    Firefighters – Stress Rank 200.  Whether they are professional or volunteer firefighters, these men and women are on call and risk their lives to protect our homes, businesses, and wilderness from devastating fires.  They experience smoke inhalation, heat exhaustion, and may be required to work outdoors for long hours, in all weather elements.

2.    Corporate executives – Stress Rank 199.  These people make decisions that are important to employees and their company’s success or failure on a daily basis.  They may work many more hours than their workers realize.  Their world is a very competitive one.

3.    Taxi drivers – Stress Rank 198.  Our article, “Have You Taken A Taxi Lately?” describes the risks that taxi drivers experience every day.  Their hours are erratic, which include nights and weekends.  Driving through heavy traffic, especially in bad weather and being responsible for passengers can create a very heavy stress load.

4.    Surgeons – Stress Rank 197.  It may take hours for a surgeon to perform one operation.   Add several more surgeries to that, or emergency surgery during odd hours, and their level of stress can be high.  In addition to the fatigue factor, the decisions they must make affects the lives of their patients.  Their job demands precision and perfection.

5.    Police Officers – Stress Rank 196.  Law enforcement officers face life-threatening  situations – sometimes on a daily basis.  They have to work long shifts, be ready for emergencies, and present physical and emotional strength to the public they serve.  Our article, “Want to Go Into Law Enforcement?” talks about the dangers our officers incur.

Other stressful and dangerous jobs we have discussed include “Dangerous Job: Coal Miners; (before the terrible explosion in West Virginia,), and “Timberrrr”-logging industry dangers.

A final note: any occupation that has to do with producing our nation’s energy is dangerous.  A current example is the tragic off-shore rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.  Whether drilling on land or in the water, persons working on drilling rigs respect the dangers that go along with their jobs.  Persons that work on well service rigs, in refineries, coal mines, and companies that contract with oil and gas companies are trained to be familiar with the risks involved in their particular duties.  Stress and danger seem to go hand-in-hand in many occupations.  We have named just a few today.

General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CUT PROTECTION

Persons who work in environments that require them to handle sharp objects want to wear the safest, cut-resistant gloves that are available for their particular needs.  Cut resistance defines the material that the gloves are constructed from.  One method of testing the fabric is using force to cut through the material using a moving blade.  In the U.S., the ASTM F1790 is the most common test for cut resistance, which along with ANSI/ISEA glove selecting criteria rates them on a scale from 0 to 5.

Other factors that are also important to consider are the workplace conditions: humidity, temperature and lubricants that are involved.   Most cut-resistant gloves are made from stainless steel wrapped with softer nylon yarn for strength and comfort.  These types of gloves are suitable of food processing, canning, glass handling, and metal fabricating applications.
Certain materials that are in the design of cut-resistant gloves are five times stronger than steel.  Although they are strong and cut-resistant, they are not puncture-proof.  They are not intended for use near powered blades or other rotating equipment.

Employers know the risk factors in their workplace.  Things they should look for when selecting cut-resistant gloves for their employees:

  • Tear strength
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Durability – select gloves that will be as strong at the end of the shift as at the beginning.
  • Comfort – gloves that are going to stay on all day long should be comfortable.
  • Fit – gloves that are loose will only make things clumsy for the employee.
  • Grip –very important that the glove allows a good grip.

Certain types of industrial jobs require wearing cut-resistant sleeves, as well.  The main ingredient to reducing injuries is to train employees well in the type of risks they will encounter on a daily basis.  As with any well-trained workers, they learn to never take their safety for granted: to be constantly aware of accidents that may be waiting to happen.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

TWO THINGS YOU MUST PROTECT

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Your eyes are two very important parts of your body that must always be protected.  We may take our senses of vision, smell, taste, hearing and feeling for granted, but if you lose your eyesight, your whole world can be changed in an instant.  Since January is National Eye Care Month, we think it’s a good idea to focus on this subject.

Workplace eye-related injuries account for approximately 94,500 people being treated in U.S. hospitals, according to Prevent Blindness America.  Employers and employees must be educated about hazards that workers face on a daily basis.  Prevent Blindness America has categorized the top causes of eye injuries at work, and we want to pass that on to you:

Product Categories Est’d Injuries Per Year
Tools (power,portable,manual, other)                               19,458
Welding Equipment                                                                     15,338
Adhesives                                                                                          5,733
Bleaches (non-cosmetic)                                                            5,580
House Repair/Construction                                                      4,476
Lawn Mowers                                                                                   4,388
Paints, Varnishes,Shellacs,Removers                                   3,434
Chemicals                                                                                          3,350

In an article we presented last year, “Focusing on Occupational Eye Injuries”, welding equipment led the number of work-related eye injuries last year, and tools came in second.  We can see by the statistics there is still much work to do regarding training and proper use of Work Safety Products.  After assessing the particular hazards by management/safety personnel at your workplace, the determination should be made regarding what type of eye/face protection is needed.  There are all types of safety glasses: wraparound, side-shields that fit on temples of glasses, goggles, and faceshields.  Our wonderful gift of vision could be lost in a split second by not taking that few seconds to put on eye safety gear.

OSHA states that thousands of workers are blinded annually in work-related eye injuries that could have been prevented with selection and use of proper eye protection.  Costs to employers are more than $300 million annually in lost production time, medical expenses, and worker compensation.

So, it benefits both the employer and employee to be aware of the hazards their workplace may contain.  And, as you can see in the list, there are many items listed above that we use at our homes, as well.  The next time you mow your lawn, why not put on a pair of safety glasses?  What could it hurt?