Randy – Page 46 – Risk Management 365

Type 2 Diabetes

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. High blood sugar is a major cause of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, amputation, and blindness. In 2009, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Family history and genes play a large role in type 2 diabetes. Other risk factors include a low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight around the waist. In the United States, type 2 diabetes is more common among blacks, Latinos, and American Indians than among whites.

How is type 2 diabetes linked to overweight?

About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. It isn’t clear why people who are overweight are more likely to develop this disease. It may be that being overweight causes cells to change, making them resistant to the hormone insulin. Insulin carries sugar from blood to the cells, where it is used for energy. When a person is insulin resistant, blood sugar cannot be taken up by the cells, resulting in high blood sugar. In addition, the cells that produce insulin must work extra hard to try to keep blood sugar normal. This may cause these cells to gradually fail.

How can weight loss help?

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, losing weight may help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight and becoming more physically active can help you control your blood sugar levels and prevent or delay health problems. Losing weight and exercising more may also allow you to reduce the amount of diabetes medicine you take.

via WIN – Do You Know Some of the Health Risks of Being Overweight?.

Workplace Safety & Health Administration and Enforcement

Three Department of Labor (DOL) agencies have responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the laws enacted to protect the safety and health of workers in America.

OSHA administers the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.

Safety and health conditions in most private industries are regulated by OSHA or OSHA-approved state systems.

Nearly every employee in the nation comes under OSHA’s jurisdiction with some exceptions such as miners, some transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed.

Employers subject to the OSH Act also have a general duty to provide work and a workplace free from recognized, serious hazards.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

DOL’s MSHA has responsibility for administration and enforcement of the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, which protects the safety and health of workers employed in the nation’s mines.

The Act applies to all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, or method of extraction.

The Fair Labor Standards Act

FLSA contains rules concerning the employment of young workers, those under the age of 18, and is administered and enforced by DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. Intended to protect the health and well-being of youth in America, the FLSA contains minimum age restrictions for employment, restrictions on the times of day youth may work, and the jobs they may perform.

Other resources

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs – Administers four major disability compensation programs which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease.

Office of the Ombudsman for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOMBD) and the SHARE initiative also play a role in the administration of DOL workplace safety and health programs.

For help in determining which safety and health standards apply to particular employment situations, select from the subtopics lists. Also, see the Office of Compliance Assistance Policy’s Web pages on safety and health in the workplace.

via U.S. Department of Labor — Find It By Topic — Workplace Safety & Health.

Hepatitis C: Testing Baby Boomers Saves Lives

Hepatitis C is a liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis C virus. Once infected with the hepatitis C virus, nearly 8 in 10 people remain infected for life. People with hepatitis C often have no symptoms and can live for decades without feeling sick. For some people, the disease can cause serious health problems including liver damage, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. Hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver cancer and the leading reason for liver transplants.

Problem

About 3 million adults in the US are infected with the hepatitis C virus, most are baby boomers.
Anyone can get hepatitis C, but adults born from 1945-1965, or baby boomers, are 5 times more likely to have hepatitis C.
About 3 in 4 people don’t know they’re infected so they aren’t getting the necessary medical care and treatment.

via Hepatitis C: Testing Baby Boomers Saves Lives | CDC Features.

Your Best Defense Against a Workplace Injury

A safety and health management system (SHMS) is your best defense against a workplace injury.

An effective safety and health management system has five primary elements:

• Management Commitment

• Employee Involvement

• Workplace Analysis

• Hazard Prevention and Control

• Safety and Health Training

This systematic approach integrates occupational safety and health objectives into the company’s organizational structure.

The results of a system approach include:

• An effective system supports the organization’s philosophy.

• Safety and health policies and goals are clearly communicated.

• Accountability for implementing the system is understood and accepted.

• Long-term solutions are implemented rather than one-time fixes.

• Evaluation of results over time promotes continual improvement.

• An effective system positively impacts the company’s bottom line.

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.