Tag Archives: research

Health Issues

A SMALL REQUEST

Monday is WORLD CANCER DAY…would you be interested in passing on this request?  It is estimated that 93 per cent won’t.   A small request and it’s just one line. Dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer. Amen All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it’s 
only to one more person. In memory of anyone you know 
who has been struck by cancer or in honor of someone who is still living with it.

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle..

Many of us have has experienced some form of cancer, or has a close relative or friend who has.  As research continues, please take a few seconds to pray for cures to be found for this terrible disease.  Thank you for your time and concern.  Pat

 
General Safety Issues

BE A SMART CONSUMER AND AVOID ACCIDENTS (GUEST POST)

There has been a lot of product related deaths in the US. In 2008, there are 25 reported toy-related deaths in children below 15 years of age while there were 17 reported deaths in 2010 in the US alone (Source: http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/107868/toymemo10.pdf). There are other categories of consumer safety related issues, such as asbestos poisoning, mercury poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning, amusement rides related injuries and deaths, as well as electrocution and fires started by different products. The key to avoiding these kinds of incidents is to become a smart consumer.

Check for Product Safety Recalls

So you are buying a second-hand car at a very low price. You are enticed to but this model since it has been barely used and yet you’re getting it at almost a quarter of its original price. But before you buy a specific product, you should always do some research. The product that you will be buying at a very low price might have been recalled by its manufacturer. You should always be wary of a product that is sold at a very low price, since you might be getting more trouble than it is worth.

Research Before You Buy

In this day and age, everything can be found on the Internet. Before you buy a product, do some research about it. Look for similar brands, check market prices and look for some product reviews. This way, you can save yourself from repairs and also avoid accidents. Is this brand better than this brand?  This brand is cheaper, but is it better?  Have there been any recalls or safety issues with this brand?  Does this brand use mercury or asbestos?  These are just some of the questions that you should be able to answer before finally purchasing a specific product.

Check the Store For Authenticity 

This wouldn’t be a problem if you bought your refrigerator from a shopping mall. You’ll just have to go back to the shop if there is any problem with your product. But what if you bought something online, and with your credit card?  Before purchasing a big item from an online store, you should always check the store for authenticity. There is a register of online stores available in most cities, or if not, you can surely find a review about that store somewhere. If you don’t want to be unsure, just make an extra effort to go down to the local shopping mall to buy some furniture or appliances.

Avoid Providing More than Necessary Information

Sure, the store needs your credit card number and your signature. In most cases, the store would verify your identity with your bank, and the bank would ask some questions, but that’s it. If you think that the store clerk, or the “bank personnel” on the other end of the line seems a bit too inquisitive, avoid answering their questions.

Make Sure to Ask for a Receipt

After making a purchase, always ask for a receipt. Make sure that the information on the receipt can be read easily, and that the name of the store is visible. You would need the receipt in claiming your warranty or if you need to return your product. In case that the store refuses to provide you with any service, you can also use the receipt to file a complaint against the store.

These are just some reminders to help you be a smart consumer. Always check before you purchase to avoid injuries and deaths.

Marissa Olson is a writer and an educator. She writes for a law firm in Southern California that specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases.

General Safety Issues

SEVEN STEPS TO GET A JOB IN CONSTRUCTION (GUEST POST)

Jobs in the construction industry can be divided into two broad categories: labour and management. In either category, there are countless opportunities to secure jobs with sub-contractors, contractors, private organizations and municipal agencies. Construction as an industry can be very rewarding if you are willing to work hard. There are good employment benefits and the pay-rate is also higher compared to jobs in other industries. Here are 7 steps that could make getting a job in the construction industry easy for you. 

  • Know your vocational inclinations to understand which type of position in the construction industry would suit you the most. If you like physical work, a labour based position should be your choice. On the other hand, if you are not averse to paper-work, like compiling budgetary allocations, and co-ordinating projects, you might be better suited for a managerial post.   (It must be noted that managerial posts would require the candidate to have degrees in business, architecture management or engineering. Even in case of labourers, some sort of minimum qualification like a high-school diploma or an equivalent is required for minimum eligibility.) 
  • Research the various types of jobs available in the construction industry. There are general labour jobs like carpentry, wood-framing, drywall work and door installations. On the other hand, speciald labour would include electrical work, plumbing, painting, masonry and concrete work. You need to take time in properly researching the different aspects of the industry and look at them from the perspective of your vocation before starting your job hunt. 
  • You would need to narrow down your search based on the type of job you are looking for. For example, if you wish to occupy a managerial or general labour post, you will need to target general contracting companies which handle all aspects of a construction project. 
  • Keep tabs on the local construction activities in your area. This would allow you to predict accurately the demand for the type of employees. It will also allow you to sound informed about local trends in a job interview, further bettering your chances of landing the job. 
  • Look for trade schools and/or apprenticeship programs being offered in your locality by community colleges or trade unions. Possessing a degree in your chosen trade would keep you ahead in the competition. In case of an apprenticeship, you will get assistance in securing a job while taking classes at night to augment your skills in the chosen trade. 
  • Keep your eyes open for construction jobs listed in the local newspapers. Apply to the appropriate openings with your resume and then follow the instructions specified in the ad. It is also a good idea to constantly follow up on your applications through e-mails and phone-calls until you land a job. 
  • Take initiative in contacting prominent contractors or sub-contractors even if they are not looking to hire anybody new. It would be preferable to meet them face to face about your interest in working for them. If not, leave a letter and a copy of your resume.

 

Penny Cooper is an expert associated with CV Insight, a leading UK firm specializing in CV verification and pre employment screening services. For more details on their employment screening and verification services, click here.

Many thanks, Penny, for this good advice about securing a job in this industry.  The key is to be “willing to work hard” in many jobs; and, there are folks out there who need work, so we hope these suggestions will help them to emphasize their willingness to do just that when they are seeking employment.  It also would be wise to assure them that they will be a careful and safe employee.  pb

General Safety Issues

SAFETY KNIVES IN THE WORKPLACE

GUEST BLOG

PPE, or personal protective equipment,  has become a much-discussed topic on health and safety forums. However, safety knives are yet to receive their due, with quite a few industries unaware about how to implement knife safety in their present work environments. Creating a ‘knife policy’ as such is imperative, but also quite challenging. This is because officers will obviously be focusing on safety, while the actual knife users may be more concerned with cutting performance! Of course, price is another factor for the company in question. Regardless of these challenges, there is no doubting the importance of introducing safety knives for manual cutting operations at the workplace. 

Carefully assessing the requirements for safety knives   

As part of your company’s knife safety audit, you need to first evaluate the type of knife that delivers optimal performance whilst offering the expected levels of safety. This can be done by taking into consideration the opinions of knife handlers across various departments. Different departments may handle a variety of materials on a regular basis; these may include cardboard, plastic or shrink wrapping to name a few. Some safety knives may work better with plastic than cardboard. So it follows that precise material handling requirements must be understood before identifying the safety knife features and performance that will best suit the daily cutting tasks. In fact, a precise assessment is the first step to creating and implementing a safe workplace knife culture. 

Verifying the suitability of safety knives 

Pharmaceutical and food industries may require metal detectable knives that can be easily cleaned in an autoclave while other may prefer the disposable variety that doesn’t risk cross contamination. How can you verify the suitability of safety knives unless you use them first? By requesting the safety knives supplier to provide samples that can be used to guarantee all the important considerations. Before using the safety knives, it is imperative that users go through the operating instructions for different knife designs carefully. 

To use the safety knives optimally, it is crucial that you understand how to use them correctly. For instance, some knife designs will need to be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees while others can be held much like you would handle an open blade knife. The direction of cutting is another consideration. Some cut away from you and others with hooked heads cut towards you. To prevent snagging, some knifes may ‘slice’ as opposed to ‘cutting’ material. So, as you can see, choosing the right knife design will involve a bit of research and trial. As PPE safety equipment suppliers provide sample knives, trialling, at least, should not be a problem. 

Taking other factors into consideration 

You need to assess how comfortable it is to use and handle the safety knives. A few lightweight designs may shatter easily and expose their blades. Assess whether the knife blade is enclosed within a finger-safe gap or it is auto-retractable. Also see if the knife blade can be replaced. As a range of safety knives is available at leading suppliers, you will have a lot of choice when it comes to picking a design that best meets your workplace needs. 

Blog4Safety and Texas America Safety Company want to thank Penny Cooper, a writer who represents suppliers of safety equipment, Intersafety, located in the United Kingdom.  We appreciate your interest in sharing safety information with our readers.

 

 

 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS AWARENESS OF SEVERAL DISEASES

To persons who suffer from any of these diseases, it’s not necessary to be reminded that November is designated as National COPD Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Diabetes Awareness Month, and Epilepsy Awareness Month.  Most of us know persons who have one of these very serious health conditions, and want to do our part to make the world realize that they can help by donating or getting involved. 

On behalf of the 24 million Americans living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a disease that kills one person every four minutes, the COPD Foundation is leading the call for increased research initiatives, enhanced screening and diagnosis, improved treatment and therapies, and heightened public awareness during November, COPD Awareness Month and November 16, 2011, World COPD Day.  COPD encompasses a group of lung diseases, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory asthma and bronchiectasis. The most common symptoms are breathlessness (or a “need for air”), abnormal sputum (a mix of saliva and mucus in the airway), and a chronic cough. Daily activities, such as walking up a short flight of stairs or taking a shower, can become very difficult as the condition gradually worsens. The primary cause of COPD is tobacco smoke (including second-hand or passive exposure).

Alzheimer’s is a devastating illness.  I have watched loved ones forget who even their closest family members are.  It is a cruel disease.  It takes away the person’s memory and gradually all of their abilities, with symptoms progressively worsening.  Beginning with mild memory loss, until the late stages, the person loses the capability to carry on a conversation or even respond to their environment.  Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.  A worldwide effort is being made to find better ways to treat the disease, delay it’s onset, and prevent it from developing.  There can be other reasons for memory loss, but if you or a loved one are experiencing these symptoms, consult with your physician, to reassure you that there may be other reasons behind it. 

There are 23.6 million Americans with some form of Diabetes.   Persons with diabetes know that checking their levels every day is very important, and diet plays another important part of staying healthy. 

  • Type 1 – begins in children and young adults.  Type 1 is when the body does not produce insulin.  Five to ten per cent of people have this form of the disease.
  • Type 2 – is the most common form.  The body either does not produce enough insulin, or cells ignore the insulin.  After eating, the body breaks down sugars and starches into glucose, the basic fuel for cells.  Insulin takes sugar from the body into cells.  When glucose builds up in the blood rather than cells, it may lead to diabetes complications.
  • Gestational – sometimes occurs around the 28th week or later of pregnancy.  Most often it doesn’t mean that the mother will have diabetes once her baby is delivered.  It is important that the physician monitor the blood glucose (blood sugar) levels during the pregnancy, so mom and baby will remain healthy.

The Epilepsy Foundation of America is dedicated to the welfare of the more than three million people in the United States with Epilepsy.  The brain is the source of human epilepsy.  Seizures occur when the electric system of the brain malfunctions.  Rather than discharge electric energy in a controlled way, the brain cells can emit a surge of energy through the brain that may cause unconsciousness and contraction of the muscles.  The seizures may last only a couple of minutes, but confusion may linger.  Around 7 out of 10 persons with epilepsy may never know the cause of their seizures.  Things such as head injuries, lack of oxygen to the brain during birth, and other brain injuries may damage the electrical system of the brain.  Although some persons with Epilepsy may be aware of what starts their seizures, many are not.  Many experts feel that most times the cause is patient failure to take their prescribed medications.  Others causes of the beginning of seizures may be stress, sleep patterns, or photosensitivity. 

Thanks to the organizations that support education and awareness of these serious disorders.  America and our friends worldwide hope for a day when there will be preventive measures that can allow future generations to live healthy lives, free from disease.  There are so many worthwhile causes; whether you choose to donate or support the ones we have discussed today, COPD Foundation, Alzheimers’ Association, American Diabetes Association, The Epilepsy Foundation of America, or any organization that is promoting better health, get involved in some way.  Any amount of money or volunteering your time to one or more of these organizations is greatly appreciated.  You may be helping a friend or family member that is or may become a victim of one of these diseases.

Sources:

COPD Foundation/Alzheimer’s.Org/American Diabetes Association/Epilepsy Foundation of America

General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

A WEE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT NANOTECHNOLOGY

Do you have any idea what this is all about?  We didn’t, so we decided to do a little detective work to try to explain what Nanotechnology represents.  Quoting NNI, “Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.  Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale.”  Are you with us so far? 

  • A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
  • A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick,
  • A single gold atom is about a third of a nanometer in diameter.
  • Dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers are known as the nanoscale. Unusual physical, chemical, and biological properties can emerge in materials at the nanoscale. These properties may differ in important ways from the properties of bulk materials and single atoms or molecules.

In other words, it is possible to create new materials and devices that will be used in medical diagnostics, electronics, computing, alternative energy and optics, just to name a few.  In 2008, the Project on Emerging Nanoscience estimated that over 800 manufacturers identified products that are available to the public containing nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide in sunscreen, cosmetics, and some food products, as well as silver in food packaging, clothing, disinfectant and household appliances.  

Nanoscale materials and their effects are found in nature all around us.  Researchers are trying to imitate the flexibility of spider silk, which is naturally reinforced by nanoscale crystals.  They have copied the nanostructure of lotus leaves to create water repellent surfaces used today for stain-proof clothing, fabrics, and materials.  Nanoscale materials are all around us, in volcanic ash, sea spray, and smoke from fire, for example.  Nanoscale tubes of carbon, 1/100,000 the diameter of a human hair, are very strong, and are being used to make bicycles, baseball bats and some car parts.  

Safety concerns for scientists and researchers who work with nanoscale materials are still being studied.   There are potential health risks such as ingestion (unintentional, hand to mouth), skin penetration, lung function, and respiratory problems.  Gloves, respirators, and lab coats are among the PPE that these professionals use for precautionary measures.  More data is needed to ensure their safety as they perform their experiments in this important, emerging field.  Research on workplace safety is a high priority for the agencies of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Research funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Energy and Defense all are contributing to our knowledge about potential effects of engineered nanomaterials on biological systems and recommended practices for working with nanomaterials. 

The U.S. has invested approximately $480 million from 2005 to 2011 for research and development, and environment, health and safety in this field.  Many other countries are involved in this technology,  including several European and Asian countries.

This amazing  process of making engineered materials from uniquely tiny physical and chemical properties is fascinating, even though we don’t completely understand it.

Source:  National Nonotechnology Initiative, NIOSH