Randy – Page 61 – Risk Management 365

Automated External Defibrillators AED Save Lives

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Over 350,000 people will suffer from sudden cardiac arrest this year . It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere and at any age. An AED is the only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to operate tool for someone with no medical background.

Time is of the essence:

The average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes.
For each minute defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival is reduced approximately 10%.

via Learn about Automated Defibrillators | American Red Cross | AED.

Stay Safe While Boating

Wearing a life jacket can dramatically decrease your chances of drowning while boating. “Wear It!” every time you’re on the water.

Everyone, on all types of boats, should wear properly-fitted life jackets, or personal flotation devices (PFD). By wearing a life jacket, you can dramatically decrease your chances of drowning while boating.

Know the Facts: Recreational boating can be a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends. And making safety a priority can ensure that boating stays fun.

Consider that:

In 2009, 3,358 people were injured and 736 died in boating incidents. Of those who drowned, 9 out of 10 were not wearing life jackets.
Of the people who died in a boating incident in 2009, more than 7 out of 10 (73%) drowned. More than 90 percent of the people who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
Alcohol use was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating incidents.

via CDC Features – Stay Safe While Boating.

Aging Workers

What physical changes occur, in general, as a person ages… and how can this affect their work?

Our bodies change as we age. People reach full physical maturity or development at around the age of 25 years. Then after a period of relative stability, our bodies begin to show signs of aging. Most of these changes are first noticed at ages 40 or 50, but changes can occur (or start) as early as 20 or 25. These changes include:

Maximum muscular strength and range of joint movement: In general, people lose 15 to 20% of their strength from the ages of 20 to 60. However, every person is different and there is a large range between individuals. However, most jobs do not require a person to use all their strength. Older employees may be able to perform the same tasks as a younger worker, but they may be working closer to their maximum level. The musculoskeletal system weakens over time, resulting in a decreased capacity for load-bearing work. Keep in mind that, for example, highly repetitive motions — doing the same thing, over and over again — can cause physical problems at any age.
As we age, the body loses some ‘range of motion’ and flexibility. People may be used to certain range of movements at one task or workstation. Being less flexible or able to reach could cause problems in some unpredictable situations that require unusual movements.
Cardiovascular and respiratory systems: The ability of the heart, lungs and circulatory system to carry oxygen decreases. Between the age of 30 and 65, the functional breathing capacity can reduce by 40%. These changes can affect the ability to do extended heavy physical labour, reduce the body’s ability to adjust to hot and cold conditions.
Regulation of posture and balance: In general people may find it harder to maintain good posture and balance. When seated or standing still, this may not be a problem. However, accidents that happen because someone loses their balance do happen more often with age. Work that requires precise adjustments, strong muscular effort (including lifting and carrying), joint movements at extreme angles, or those done on a slippery or unstable surface, will be affected by poorer posture. Unexpected bumps or shocks may cause a more serious problem than with a younger worker.
Sleep Regulation: As we age, our body is not able to regulate sleep as well as it used to. How long a person sleeps, and how well they sleep, can additionally be disrupted by changing work hours or by light and noise. The impact on employees is especially a concern for older shift or night workers. They might need more recovery time between shifts or extended workdays. Use of shift rotations that are the least disruptive to sleep patterns are preferred.
Thermoregulation (Body Temperature): Our bodies are less able to maintain internal temperatures as well as less able to adjust to changes in external temperature or due to physical activity. This change means that older workers may find heat or cold more difficult to deal with than when they were younger. It also means that if they are doing hard manual labour, they may get overheated more easily.
Vision: Vision changes with age. We will notice we cannot see or read from certain distances as well as we used to. This reduction in the “amplitude of accommodation” (the ability to see or adjust focus in certain distance ranges) is normally corrected with prescription glasses. Changes also occur in the peripheral visual field (how well you can see in the areas to the side of you, that you’re not directly looking at), visual acuity (how exact, clear, and “unfuzzy” things appear), depth perception (how far away things seem), and resistance to glare, and light transmission. These changes are normally not noticed by a person unless there is poor lighting or there are sources of glare. Someone might also notice that they can’t see as well when they’re reading something when text size is small, or when there is poor contrast between the text and the background. Brighter lighting (that is suitable for the task) and well laid-out documents which avoid small print are important.
Auditory (Hearing): Hearing also changes. We may not be able to hear as well at higher frequencies (high pitch sounds). Most often, this change is noticed as the inability to listen to a particular voice or sound in a noisy environment. As well, people who work with a lot of background or noise may have difficulty hearing verbal instructions.

via Aging Workers : OSH Answers.

When is Lightning a Danger?

Thunder and lightning are very dangerous. According to the National Weather Service “if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and you should seek shelter immediately.”Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from the rain area in a thunderstorm. The first stroke of lightning is just as deadly as the last. If they sky looks threatening, you should take shelter even if you don’t hear thunder.Another tip from the National Weather Service is to use a “30-30 rule” where visibility is good and there is nothing obstructing your view of thunderstorms. When you see the lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If that time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is within 6 miles of you and is dangerous. It is also recommended that you wait at least 30 minutes after a thunderstorm before returning to the outdoors, as the threat of lightning can continue long after a storm subsides.

via When is Lightning a Danger? | Farmers Almanac.

How to Protect Your Back

According to the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (NISMAT) at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, these are step-by-step instructions for proper lifting:

Stand close to the object with your feet spread apart, about the width of your shoulders.
Squat, bending your knees and hips, while keeping your back in proper alignment.
Contract your stomach muscles.
Lift with your leg muscles, not your back. Take care not to lift and twist at the same time.
If you’re lifting the object with another person, do it in unison. One person should say when to lift, walk, and unload.

via How to Protect Your Back.

Safe Knife Skills in the Kitchen

Concentrate on the task at hand and never allow yourself to be in a hurry. Distraction is a common cause of cuts and should be avoided at all costs.

Control – Any time you cut any vegetable, cut it in half first to create a flat surface and make it easier to control. Round fruits and vegetables then can’t roll away from you and the knife.
Stay sharp – Always use a sharp knife. Seemingly against common sense, a dull knife is dangerous. Using a sharp knife makes your slicing quick and easy, and allows the knife to work for you. It eliminates struggling with the knife or pushing to get it through food. Electric knife sharpeners work wonders and are available at culinary stores.
Use a cutting board – Always cut on a wooden cutting board. Glass and plastic will dull your knives terribly — and we’ve already discussed what that leads to. Treat your wood cutting board with mineral oil prior to first use and then treat as needed from then on.
Mes en plas – Mes en plas (sounds like menopause, but with an “n”) is the gathering of all your ingredients. Never start the mechanics of a meal (including slicing and cutting) unless you have all your tools and ingredients in front of you. You don’t want to get halfway through and find you don’t have something you need. This approach lessens your chances for mistakes and accidents.
Let it fall – Never try to catch a falling knife. That seems pretty elementary, but you really need to establish that thought in your mind. This prevents the knee-jerk reaction that will cause you to reach out to stop the knife as it’s flying off the cutting board at your $30 pedicure.
Keep it clean – Avoid cross-contamination by cleaning your knife in between food items you’re chopping or cutting. It’s as equally important to clean your cutting board. You’re asking for trouble when you cut chicken on a wood cutting board and then slice fresh vegetables. Hot water and dish soap remedy that threat.
Wash separately – Never put a knife in a sink full of water. Suds and dirty water can conceal knives, and when you put your hand in there, it’s like giving a high five to Edward Scissorhands.

via Safe knife skills in the kitchen.

Stress at Work

Early Warning Signs of Job Stress

Headache
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty in concentrating
Short temper
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction
Low morale

Job Stress and Health: What the Research Tells Us

Cardiovascular Disease: Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Musculoskeletal Disorders: On the basis of research by NIOSH and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper- extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
Psychological Disorders: Several studies suggest that differences in rates of mental health problems (such as depression and burnout) for various occupations are due partly to differences in job stress levels. (Economic and lifestyle differences between occupations may also contribute to some of these problems.)
Workplace Injury: Although more study is needed, there is a growing concern that stressful working conditions interfere with safe work practices and set the stage for injuries at work.
Suicide, Cancer, Ulcers, and Impaired Immune Function: Some studies suggest a relationship between stressful working conditions and these health problems. However, more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

via CDC – NIOSH Publications and Products – STRESS…At Work (99-101).

Tornado Season – Be Prepared

Before a Tornado

To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.

Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.

Look for the following danger signs:

Dark, often greenish sky
Large hail
A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

via Tornadoes | Ready.gov.

Planning For A Safe Workplace

Falls, lifting injuries, and fires are dangerous and common in the workplace, but that’s just the beginning. There are many possible safety issues that can occur at your office or factory. Sometimes the best workplace safety arises out of simple good planning and smart thinking.

Every single workplace should have a safety committee and safety plan in place. If you don’t have safety committees at your workplace, then propose one.

via Free Workplace Safety Tips.

Hand Washing: Reducing the Risk of Common Infections

Is it important to wash your hands?

Simply put, yes. Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections. You can spread certain “germs” (a general term for microbes like viruses and bacteria) casually by touching another person. You can also catch germs when you touch contaminated objects or surfaces and then you touch your face (mouth, eyes, and nose).

“Good” hand washing techniques include using an adequate amount of soap, rubbing the hands together to create friction, and rinsing under running water. The use of gloves is not a substitute for hand washing.

via Hand Washing: Reducing the Risk of Common Infections : OSH Answers.