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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.

General Safety Issues

SOMETHING WE TAKE FOR GRANTED – WATER!

A large portion of the United States suffered a devastating drought this past summer.  As the old saying goes, “It’s either feast or famine!”  In addition to the results of little or no rain, this year’s drought caused a huge loss of wildlife and property because of wildfires throughout the state of Texas.   The drought we experienced made us realize how much we needed water for our tanks, lakes, and livestock, as well as our daily lives.  This past summer, there were small communities that ran out of water, and what they were going through was unbelievable.  In other areas of the U.S., there were floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.

We in America are very fortunate that we have clean, readily available water.    We need to appreciate our clean water and do all we can to get clean water to those who don’t have it.  Imagine watching a mother take her child to a muddy waterhole – one that is polluted, and see that child drink from it.  People over the world are dying, because their water is full of pollution and disease.  

The Importance of Water Conservation 

We Americans waste billions of gallons of water with no regard to the fact that many other people in countries across the world would fight over the very water that we waste.  We would probably all think a little more about water that is wasted, if we had to drink the water that other folks do.  Some are losing their lives because they have no water at all.  

Here are  ways that you can help the with conservation issue:

  • Take short showers.  If you run a little water for it to warm up, catch it and use it to water your plants.
  • If people leave water bottles around, and don’t finish drinking it, you can also use that to water plants.
  • Stop running the water while you brush your teeth, wash your hands or hair, and shower or bathe.
  • Most people don’t need a huge bathtub; it’s a nice luxury, but you get just as clean in a regular-sized one.
  • If you are fortunate enough to have a swimming pool, keep it covered, to keep out the dirt.
  • You might pay attention to the amount of water you use on your yard and try to cut down. 

The Importance of Water to Our Bodies! 

You cannot be truly healthy without the proper hydration of the body.  We should drink half our body weight in ounces, minimum each day.  If you weigh 200 lbs, you should consume 100 ounces of water.  Every organ in our body heavily depends on water to function properly and to its capacity.  According to an article posted by Bob McCauley, the human body is 69% water, the brain is 85% water, bones – 35% water, blood – 83% water, and the liver is 90% water. Also:

  • In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
  • Mild dehydration will slow down metabolism as much as 3%. 
  • The biggest trigger of daytime fatigue is lack of water.
  • Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and bladder cancer by 50%. 

Remember, you are not what you eat; you are what you drink.  Water is immensly important to your health.  If we change the way we drink, by drinking pure, natural water that is good for our health, we can help our pocket book and environment at the same time.  A common-sense theory by years of study by Dr. F. Batmagheldj, shows that water works well in keeping us healthy and pain free.  Even some illnesses can be cured by water, the basis of all life, especially, your body.  Our health truly depends on the quality and quantity of the water we drink.  If you sincerely want to have a healthy lifestyle, make drinking enough natural water a regular habit in your life.  You will feel the benefit in a short time.  Water is a free investment for your long-term health. 

With that, I am going to go fill up a tall glass of ice water; and cut my shower short tonight!  Let’s all think about conserving water, the elixir of life!

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

OCTOBER IS “HEALTHY LUNG MONTH!”

The American Lung Association has declared October – “Healthy Lung Month.”  Because our lungs are a very important part of our respiratory system, we need to do all we can to keep them healthy.  Bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, air pollution, chemicals – any of those things that we breathe can damage the airways and threaten to cause the lungs to not work properly. 

The air we breathe affects us at home, school, work, or outdoors.  Because the environment is full of pollutants, the media even gives us warning of pollen counts and other breathing hazards on a daily basis.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (dictates standards to protect workers’ lungs), and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (researches and generates knowledge of work-related illness), all are working to educate and enforce the importance of safety issues such as air quality for America’s workforce. 

In the workplace, respirators are an important tool of personal protective equipment to aide workers who must breathe in pollutants such as dust, chemicals, gases, fumes, oil-based aerosols, asbestos, and other air-borne particulates.  Respirators are also used in healthcare settings, such as hospitals, and by EMS/EMT, fire and rescue, school healthcare, industrial and manufacturing industries. 

Dust masks are loose-fitting filters that fit over the nose and mouth, capturing dust on the outside while the wearer breathes in air.  Respirators will have NIOSH marked on the outside, meaning they have been tested and certified.  There are many types of designs and uses of respirators.  The type of respirator to be selected depends on the hazards of each particular setting.  There are an estimated five million workers in the U.S. that are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces in the United States. 

 There are more than 159,000 deaths in the U.S. per year from lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  Although smoking is thought to be the leading cause of lung cancer, those workers who wear respirators are better protected from airborne hazards – many of which have been known to cause cancer, lung impairment, asthma, and other diseases, or death.   Last year, because of the H1N1 virus, respirators were in high demand.  I know several persons who wear a respirator when they travel, to avoid catching a “bug.”

It is important that employers take the time to check the air quality of the environment their workers are in every day.  Respirators should be selected and tested on each worker for proper fit.  The choice must be based on the workplace contaminants, concentrations, and all other specific conditions.  All selections should be compliant with State, Federal, and Local regulations on workers safety including but not limited to OSHA regulations on respiratory protection (29CFR 1910.134.)  Some respirators are suited for environments free from oil-based contaminants.  Others are used for types of gases, fumes, oil-based aerosols, and asbestos. 

We need to start our children out with healthy lungs, by keeping our homes properly ventilated and smoke-free.  It’s harmful for children to have to ride in a car that is full of smoke.  Outdoor activities are important for kids and adults, too, so report any locations that may cause pollution in your neighborhood.  Next, we need to be sure that their schools have healthy atmospheres.  They should be built with adequate ventilation and be cleaned regularly.  School buses may contribute to air pollution. 

Focus on good health for you and your family.  Keeping your lungs nice and pink is a smart thing to do.  Too many times we need to stop and take a deep breath, and if your lungs aren’t in good shape, it’s hard to do.

General Safety Issues

EARTH DAY, 2010

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There are two different days of the year that worldwide Earth Day celebrations are held.  The first Earth Day celebration started on April 22, 1970, when Senator Gaylord Nelson encouraged everyone to take responsibility for life on our planet.  Later, another observance began March 20th, 1978, when John McConnell established Earth Day around the time of the vernal equinox.   Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously throughout the world by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.  There are now more than one-half billion people that participate in Earth Day network campaigns every year.

With the beginning of the April 22, 1970 movement, approximately 20 million Americans participated to reach the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment.  Up until this time, separate groups who had been fighting against polluting factories, power plants, toxic dumps, oil spills, wilderness loss and extinction of wildlife began to realize that they shared common goals.  Through the years and with the help of the worldwide web, the efforts of those concerned with the environment have multiplied.  Other concerns such as global warming and clean energy have now emerged, as well.

Some of the goals of these Earth Day movements are:

  • A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.
  • An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.
  • Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

We are given the opportunity to keep our towns, states, and country beautiful and protect the environment. Our children should be taught to respect the earth.  Even with all the campaigns promoting “Keep America Beautiful”, and similar others, some people still disregard them, by discarding trash alongside the roads, or throwing cans in lakes or streams.  It is our focus to ensure that persons whose jobs are to clean up pollution or other acts of negligence of the earth remain safe as they do their job.

Are you doing your part to keep your little corner of the world green?

There are things each of us can do to preserve our country’s beauty, protect our wildlife, and keep our air clean.  In exchange, if we maintain a good environment, we are also making our world a safer place.  Whether you choose to observe “Earth Day” in March or April, (or both), let’s make it a habit to appreciate our world by keeping it safe and pristine.