April 2015 – Risk Management 365

Internet Social Networking Risks

Social networking sites are Internet-based services that allow people to communicate and share information with a group.

Risks:

Once information is posted to a social networking site, it is no longer private. The more information you post, the more vulnerable you may become. Even when using high security settings, friends or websites may inadvertently leak your information.

Personal information you share could be used to conduct attacks against you or your associates. The more information shared, the more likely someone could impersonate you and trick one of your friends into sharing personal information, downloading malware, or providing access to restricted sites.

Predators, hackers, business competitors, and foreign state actors troll social networking sites looking for information or people to target for exploitation.

Information gleaned from social networking sites may be used to design a specific attack that does not come by way of the social networking site.

via FBI — Internet Social Networking Risks.

Keep Employee Communications SIMPLE!

Keep It Simple Stupid! We have all heard this a thousand times. Yet it is often pushed aside when it comes to communicating with others. How does it apply to your employee communications?

Documents are often filled with jargon, long sentences and unnecessary information. This resulting communication makes it hard for your audience to take action, to understand your ideas, and often hurts employee engagement.

Checking the readability score of your communication can often make the difference. Most corporate communication is often written at the 11th to 12th grade level – or higher. The goal for your communication should be keeping the readability score at the 7th or 8th grade level.

You can check your document score at https://readability-score.com

Signs of Over-Exercising

1. Your workout leaves you exhausted versus energized. If you finish your workout feeling like you need a nap, rather than feeling revitalized and ready to conquer the next thing, you are likely pushing yourself too hard or too long, and it may be time to assess and scale back those workouts.

2. You are unexplainably irritable and moody. If small things are setting you off, and you can’t figure out why your fuse is short or your moods are so funky, this could be a sign that your body is worn down and fatigued. Your body may be screaming for a vacation from exercise, so take one!

3. You’re sleeping too much or can’t sleep. Are you restless and unable to sleep through the night no matter how tired you feel? OR, does it not matter how much sleep you get you STILL feel tired? Both of these can be caused by overtraining. When you exercise too much, your body can interpret it as a stressor, sending out stress hormones like cortisol that makes sleeping difficult. On the flip side, overtraining can actually make some people more tired than normal. Sleep is the time when the body and brain repairs itself, so if you’re pushing it too hard, your body might be telling you that it needs more rest that you’re giving it.

4. You have ”heavy” legs. Rather than walking or jogging with ease, your legs feel like dead weights. Heavy, tired and overly fatigued legs (or arms) can be caused by muscles that just haven’t had enough time to fully recharge and repair.

5. You get sick frequently or can’t seem to recover. When you over-exercise you break your body and immune system down, so you are more susceptible to getting sick, or it takes you longer to recover.

6. You feel sore for days at a time. Rather than bouncing back from a tough workout, if your body is constantly aching or sore it’s a warning that you need to step back and allow it to repair itself.

7. You feel unmotivated and/or “blue.” It seems ironic since exercise has been shown to boost feel-good endorphins, but overtraining has been linked to a decrease in energy and mood, so you need to relax and restore.

via 7 Serious Signs of Over-Exercising | LIVESTRONG.COM.

Fleet Safety is Good Business

There is a clear link between a well-managed vehicle fleet and profitability. With more than 90 percent of crashes caused by human error (per the National Safety Council or NSC) creating a Fleet Safety plan will help your bottom line! A documented Fleet Safety plan pays off in multiple fashions – tangible benefits are a reduction of vehicle maintenance, downtime, and increased fuel efficiency. Intangible advantages could be increase in employee satisfaction, owner’s peace of mind with a documented process to follow.

via Welcome to the Fleet Safety Institute.

Lawn Mower Safety

While mowing:

Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes with slip-proof soles, close-fitting clothes, safety goggles or glasses with side shields, and hearing protection.
Watch for objects that could be picked up and thrown by the mower blades, as well as hidden dangers. Tall grass can hide objects, holes or bumps. Use caution when approaching corners, trees or anything that might block your view.
If the mower strikes an object, stop, turn the mower off, and inspect the mower. If it is damaged, do not use it until it has been repaired.
Do not pull the mower backwards or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary, and carefully look for children behind you when you mow in reverse.
Use extra caution when mowing a slope. When a walk-behind mower is used, mow across the face of slopes, not up and down, to avoid slipping under the mower and into the blades. With a riding mower, mow up and down slopes, not across, to avoid tipping over.
Keep in mind that lawn trimmers also can throw objects at high speed.
Remain aware of where children are and do not allow them near the area where you are working. Children tend to be attracted to mowers in use.

via Lawn Mower Safety – HealthyChildren.org.

Powers Tools

Power tools such as impact wrenches, pneumatic nail guns and screwguns make many workplace tasks easier and more efficient. Because they have become so commonplace in today’s workplace, however, workers are not only exposed to a variety of hazards posed by power tools, but constant use makes it easy to forget those hazards.

And while employers are responsible for the safe condition of tools and equipment in the workplace, workers are responsible for properly using and maintaining tools.

During your next workplace safety training session, remind power tool users of these general precautions for operating power tools

via Workplace Health and Safety Training from DuPont.

Take time to unwind…Stress Awareness

It’s healthy to relax, renew, and rejuvenate

Stress happens. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, at times it’s unbearable. That’s why taking time for yourself is a necessity.

Stress does not merely afflict your mind; it can also affect you on a cellular level. In fact, long-term stress can lead to a wide range of illnesses – from headaches to stomach disorders to depression – and can even increase the risk of serious conditions like stroke and heart disease. Understanding the mind/stress/health connection can help you better manage stress and improve your health and well-being.

via Stress Awareness.