October 2013 – Risk Management 365

Prevent Injury at Home

Many unintentional injuries and deaths are related to the home and its environment. Within the home, more than 11,000 people are estimated to die each year from preventable unintentional injuries, including falls, fires, drownings, and poisonings.

Health and Safety Tips:

Prevent falls:

Install grab bars in showers and tubs.
Use nonslip mats in bathtubs and showers.
Install stair rails.
Have good lighting.
Keep stairs in good repair.
Keep stairs free of clutter.
Use safety gates in homes with young children.

Prevent fire-related injuries:

Keep flammable objects away from the stove.
Make sure every bedroom has two exits in case of fire.
Practice your fire escape plan.
Install smoke alarms on every floor, including basements, and change the batteries at least once a year.

Prevent drowning:

Supervise young children in bathtubs.
Always watch young children while they are swimming or playing in or around water.
Teach your children to swim and about water and pool safety rules.

via CDC – Healthy Homes | Health Topics | Injury Prevention.

Confined Spaces

“Confined Space” refers to a space which by design has limited openings for entry and exit, unfavorable natural ventilation which could contain or produce dangerous air contaminants, and which is not intended for continuous employee occupancy. Confined spaces include but are not limited to storage tanks, compartments of ships, process vessels, pits, silos, vats, degreasers, reaction vessels, boilers, ventilation and exhaust ducts, sewers, tunnels, underground utility vaults, and pipelines. According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program, fatal injuries in confined spaces fluctuated from a low of 81 in 1998 to a high of 100 in 2000 during the five-year period, averaging 92 fatalities per year.

via CDC – Confined Spaces – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly

Here are some tips on what to do when the power goes out unexpectedly.

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, use generators, pressure washers, grills, and similar items outdoors only.
If the power is out longer than two hours, throw away food that has a temperature higher than 40°F.
Check with local authorities to be sure your water is safe.
In hot weather, stay cool and drink plenty of fluids to prevent heat-related illness.
Wear layers of clothing, which help to keep in body heat.
Avoid power lines and use electric tools and appliances safely to prevent electrical shock.

via CDC | What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly.

Lockout-tagout

Lockout-tagout (LOTO) or lock and tag is a safety procedure which is used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. It requires that hazardous power sources be “isolated and rendered inoperative” before any repair procedure is started. “Lock and tag” works in conjunction with a lock usually locking the device or the power source with the hasp, and placing it in such a position that no hazardous power sources can be turned on. The procedure requires that a tag be affixed to the locked device indicating that it should not be turned on.

via Lockout-tagout – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Danger of Acetaminophen Toxicity

Acetaminophen is the most common drug ingredient in America. It is found in more than 600 different over-the-counter and prescription medicines, including generic and store brand pain relievers, fever reducers, and sleep aids as well as cough, cold, and allergy medicines.

Acetaminophen has an excellent safety profile when administered in proper therapeutic doses, but hepatotoxicity can occur with misuse and overdose. In the United States, acetaminophen toxicity has replaced viral hepatitis as the most common cause of acute hepatic failure and is the second most common cause of liver failure requiring transplantation.

via Acetaminophen Toxicity.

OSHA – Employer Responsibilities

Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. Employers MUST provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and follow all relevant OSHA safety and health standards. Employers must find and correct safety and health problems. OSHA further requires employers to try to eliminate or reduce hazards first by making changes in working conditions rather than just relying on masks, gloves, ear plugs or other types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Switching to safer chemicals, enclosing processes to trap harmful fumes, or using ventilation systems to clean the air are examples of effective ways to get rid of or minimize risks.

Employers MUST also:

Inform employees about hazards through training, labels, alarms, color-coded systems, chemical information sheets and other methods.
Keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
Perform tests in the workplace, such as air sampling required by some OSHA standards.
Provide hearing exams or other medical tests required by OSHA standards.
Post OSHA citations, injury and illness data, and the OSHA poster in the workplace where workers will see them.
Notify OSHA within 8 hours of a workplace incident in which there is a death or when three or more workers go to a hospital.
Not discriminate or retaliate against a worker for using their rights under the law.

via Workers.

Heating Safety Tips

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. Almost half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
Never use your oven to heat your home.
Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
Test smoke alarms monthly.

via Heating safety tips.

10 Workplace Safety Tips

Safe workplaces don’t happen by accident…They happen when there is a culture of safety within the workplace. To help encourage that culture of safety within your organization – here are 10 Workplace Safety Tips to follow.

Design a safe work area: A work area may include work benches, conveyors, furniture, equipment and vehicles. The layout of an area where a particular job is based is critical to preventing injuries and ensuring an efficient job and workplace;
Maintain a clean work area: A clean work area is a Safe work area. Not only will a clean environment remove many hazards, you will ensure greater productivity from your employees;
Involve your employees in the safety planning: The single most powerful source of motivation for workplace safety – is employee ownership of the safety process;
Provide clear work instructions: Provide thorough training and clear, written instructions and make sure that each worker reads and acknowledges your safety program;
Focus your safety efforts on the most likely problems: Although it’s necessary to plan for major safety concerns, your greatest impact will come from eliminating the small safety violations that contribute the most frequent injuries;
Encourage your employees to bring safety deficiencies to management’s attention: Employees who provide information and insight into common workplace safety issues are contributing to the culture of safety in your workplace;
Watch and learn how each employee performs their job: Watch for employees who are taking shortcuts that could reduce safety but also keep an eye out for employees who are performing tasks in an improved manner that could be adopted by the other staff;
Maintain all machinery in good working order: It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that all machinery is in good working order and that a routing maintenance program is in place;
Avoid unnecessary hazards: Do a routine inspection of your workplace frequently to identify any unnecessary hazards;
Revisit your safety guidelines every year. Start off each year with an inspection of your workplace and a thorough review of your safety program.

via 10 Workplace Safety Tips for 2013.

Prevent Fire in Your Home

Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children, pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don’t use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage. Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

via CDC – Family Health – Holiday Health and Safety Tips.

Why Health & Safety Leadership is Important

Effective health and safety performance comes from the top; members of the board have both collective and individual responsibility for health and safety. Directors and boards need to examine their own behaviors, both individually and collectively, against the guidance given – and, where they see that they fall short of the standards it sets them, to change what they do to become more effective leaders in health and safety.

via Why leadership is important: Leading health and safety at work.