Tag Archives: physical

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH – PART I

Letting oneself become distracted while driving is one of the most dangerous things our highways are facing.  First, food and drink were the contributors to distracted driving.  Now, with cell phones being the main culprit, we are seeing more and more accidents being caused by not only talking on the phone while driving, but texting while behind the wheel.  New cars are being designed with technological advancements that require looking at the screen rather than the road, so it is easy to see why so many drivers today are guilty of driving distracted, often as a result of multi-tasking. 

According to studies on driving distractions, focus is placed on three major forms of distractions: physical, visual, and cognitive.  Using a cell phone while driving places cognitive demands on the user.  Talking on the phone requires concentration to listen, process and respond as opposed to just listening.  An even higher, more dangerous level of driving distraction is text messaging.  This affects all three major forms of driving distraction simultaneously.  It has been shown that hands-free phones are no safer than handheld ones. 

Almost every day we  hear a story about a child or innocent person who has been killed by someone talking on his/her cell phone, who ran a red light, or failed to see the other car.  Go to Focus Driven – Advocates for Cell-Free Driving and read some of the stories of how the use of cell phones while driving have impacted the lives of others, those who lost a child or family member.  There is no conversation that is so important that is worth taking the chance of hurting or killing someone.  It’s a simple thing to turn that cell phone off.  Your messages will be there when you arrive safely at your destination.  Just think how convenient it is to have your very own answering machine with you, taking your messages.  If you will get into the habit of turning your phone off, you will learn to appreciate a nice, quiet drive without disruption.  The experience of reading those stories has convinced me to turn my phone off while I am driving.  I have said it before, and then slipped back into the habit of setting it close by, but I don’t want to be guilty of hurting an innocent person because of some conversation with a friend, that could wait until I am out of my car. 

In the words of one of the guest bloggers on the Original Blog of Focus Driven-Advocates for Cell-Free phones: “Should connectivity be prioritized over safety?  Refraining from using a cell phone while driving may seem impossible to some.  Drivers using cell phones are four times as likely to crash.  Sending or receiving text messages increases crash risk by at least eight times.  No text, no conversation, no status update of email is worth putting your life, or another person’s life, in danger.”  This man was describing the devastation of losing his 12-year old son, who was riding with his mother when her SUV was hit on his side of the car by a woman ran a red light, talking on her cell-phone.  His son would now be 21, and, sadly,  his parents can only imagine what he would have been like at that age. 

If we are ever to change this problem, it is going to involve everyone.  If you receive a call from someone while they are driving, ask them to hang up, because you don’t want them to have an accident, and then ask them to call you when they get home.  Speak up if you are a passenger, and tell your driver to please stop texting while you are in the car.  It will take courage to tell your friends, family members and co-workers, who use their cell phones while driving, to ask them to take the pledge to drive cell-free.  Help change the social acceptance about cell phone distracted driving.  This should begin with new drivers, who need to get into the habit of not using their phones as soon as they begin driving, and of course, parents, who should have set the example for them. 

Tomorrow, we will continue with how distracted driving affects companies’ liability when their drivers use cell phones while operating company vehicles, and how they are correcting the problem.

General Safety Issues

THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE!

I have always felt like anyone who could abuse a child, an older person, or an animal has no heart.  Yesterday, March 2nd, it took a very small man to stand up and talk about a very large problem: elder abuse.  Mickey Rooney, age 90, spoke before a Senate Special Committee on Aging, and described his experience of suffering from abuse for several years by his stepson and his stepson’s wife.  In February, Rooney won a restraining order against them, following claims that they were attempting to get him to sign over control of his assets, and leaving him fearing for his safety.  He said he had suffered in silence because he was embarrassed to admit this was happening to him, but has to speak out for millions of seniors who are suffering, as well.   Following the hearing, the committee chair, Senator Herb Kohl, introduced legislation that would create an Office of Elder Justice to help coordinate law enforcement response to chronic abuse of the aged. 

There are so many different ways that elderly persons can be abused:

  • Financial – unauthorized use of funds, property, misuse of personal checks, credit cards, accounts, stolen cash, household goods, forging signatures, identity theft, investment fraud, and phone scams, to name only a few.
  • Physical – use of force, restraints, hitting, shoving, inappropriate use of drugs, and confinement.
  • Emotional – verbal intimidation such as threats, yelling, ridicule.  Nonverbal psychological abuse such as ignoring, isolating them from friends or activities, terrorizing or menacing. 

An older person may begin showing signs of mental deterioration, but we shouldn’t dismiss this on the word of the caregiver or facility (if they are in a nursing home, etc.).  If there is tension between caregivers and the patient, it may be because something is going on that they are not able to tell anyone.  Watch for bruises, scars, broken bones, sprains, broken eyeglasses or frames, or signs of being restrained.  Older people may be being mistreated in their own home, the home of their children, a private care facility, hospital, or nursing home.  If you notice any of these signs, you must get involved.  An expert in this subject, who appeared on CNN News today, says that for every person that comes forward, there are approximately 23 that haven’t been heard about.  That’s a frightening statement. 

None of us are able to reverse our age – we are all headed in the same direction.  Hopefully, if we live to be 90 years old, our minds will still be as sharp as Mickey Rooney’s.  He was clear in what he had to say, and said it with a sincere heart.  Regardless of laws that are passed, there has to be something done at every level to improve the status of our elderly.  We as individuals can volunteer to visit them, substitute for a family caregiver who needs a break, or be an ombudsman for the elderly.  Every older person has a great story to tell; some may not remember what happened yesterday, but they can recount stories from their childhood and never miss a detail.  Many know every word to the old gospel songs, and sing them with great pride.  Don’t count the older generations out.  For those who still have their parents, treasure every moment.  They were there for you, and you should do the same for them.  You may not be able to take care of them, but you can find someone who will be responsible for their well-being and care for them in a loving way.  That’s all anyone can ask. 

In most states, the first agency to respond to elder abuse reports is Adult Protective Services.  Information and referral is also available from National Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

CREATING A HEALTHY WORKPLACE, PART II

As we discussed earlier, we all want to live in a perfect world and work in a perfect workplace.  While perfection may be out of reach, both employers and employees can do their part to create an environment where we can all go to our specific job assignments, feeling free from safety and health risks. 

Workers and managers should plan together, using a continuous method to protect and promote the health, safety, and well-being of all employees.  The strains of work that employees face are mainly trying to balance work and life issues, which creates health problems when individuals face a lack of control at work.  Thus management should recognize that this can lead to distress levels that in turn can create short-term health complaints, with longer-term health disorders.  A normally healthy person placed in an unhealthy work environment will likely be prone to develop problems such as heart, back pain, mental health issues, and injuries.  In other words, no work environment should make people ill and susceptible to injury.  Companies should also enforce policies that accommodate older workers and those with chronic disease or disabilities.  They should have resources for their employees to participate in health-improvement programs.

We know that the following hazards or problems exist in many workplaces and must be addressed:

  • Physical – can result from structural, air, machinery, furniture, products;
  • Chemicals and materials;
  • Production processes;
  • Outdoor location work;
  • Ergonomics – awkward position, repetitive motions, lifting;
  • Mechanical – working around heavy machinery, noise;
  • Mobile – driving in hazardous conditions;
  • Psychosocial – Poor organization
  • Work demands, low reward or recognition;
  • Lack of supervisor support;
  • Poor communication;
  • Bullying, discrimination;
  • Lack of negotiation;
  • Lack of flexibility. 

Corrections to all of these are up to administration.  There should be leadership that oversees proper housekeeping of all work areas, preventive maintenance, enforcement of policies, adequate training, and furnishing the right Personal Protective Equipment, such as respirators for dusty work areas, industrial hard hats and boots for construction personnel, etc.  Their policies and programs to reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for workers can be carried out in some of these ways: 

  • Post signs to encourage use of stairs.
  • Place motivational posters in common areas.
  • Offer health education classes and weight management discussions.
  • Offer employee discounts for gym memberships.
  • Offer health benefits such as flu shots and free screenings.
  • Furnish literacy education to their employees and family members.
  • Establish smoke-free policies, by incorporating incentives and competitions, with added interventions. 

It sounds as though we have put all the demands on the shoulders of the companies.  But employees know that they must fulfill their obligations to the company and their families to stay healthy and safe at all times.  If you check around, you might be surprised to see how many large companies play an active part in their communities as well as their businesses.    They support the establishment of primary healthcare facilities in the communities.  They make commitments to planners to build sidewalks, bike paths, and other projects that benefit not just their employees, but entire communities.  When schools and charities solicit their help, they usually come through with financial support that individuals cannot afford to do.

So, let’s end the year and start a new one with the goal of creating a healthier workplace for ourselves and our coworkers.

General Safety Issues

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PHYSICALLY FIT

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Because the month of May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we want to talk about how important it is to take care of our bodies by being active.  President Dwight Eisenhower started the Presidents Council on Youth Fitness back in 1956, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that our youngsters were as physically fit as their European counterparts.  Through the years, different Presidents have given the project various titles, always emphasizing fitness of young people, followed later by promoting physical fitness of all ages.

According to findings by the following: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of the Surgeon General, Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, we want to highlight some valuable information.

  • The ideal requirement for adults (18 or older) is 30 minutes of physical activity for 5 or more days per week, and children and teens should get 60 minutes of activity every day for their health.  Thirty to sixty minutes of activity may be broken into smaller segments of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day to count toward your total exercise time.
  • Physically inactive people are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among U.S. men and women.
  • Inactivity and poor diet can lead to overweight/obesity.  This increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, gallbladder, respiratory, diabetes, and other serious health problems.  Nearly 60 million Americans are obese.  Sixteen per cent of children and teens aged 6 to 19 are now 3 times more overweight in 2002, than in 1980.  The number of overweight children ages 2 to 5 has doubled since 1980.
  • Not all high school students participate in regular school physical education.  It is important that schools emphasize the need for physical education.
  • A study done by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE,) shows that infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time except when sleeping.
  • One-fourth of U.S. children spend 4 hours or more watching television daily.

In the old days, we would play outside with neighborhood kids until our parents called us in for supper (dinner).  We rode our bikes, roller-skated, played hopscotch, and did all kinds of activities, simply having fun, not knowing it would possibly have health benefits in later years.

Not all kids are into sports, but parents can do things with them, like taking them bowling, playing miniature golf, or doing other fun things that keep them moving.  It’s good for mom and dad, too!  By showing them there’s more to life than playing video games for hours, texting on a cell phone all day, or sitting in front of the television or computer, they will develop healthy habits for the rest of their lives.

It’s never too late for us grownups to locate a fitness center.  Just taking thirty or forty minutes out of your day to work out, or take a daily walk (cost is free), will be worth the effort.  Many companies and schools provide places for employees and students to exercise.  You don’t have to be a professional athlete, just get out those jogging shoes or barbells and see if you don’t feel better!  Last, but not least, choose healthy foods.