Author: Randy

Safety – Begin With The End In Mind

mazeThe Second Habit in Steven Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is Begin With the End in Mind. I think that is a great habit to apply to workplace safety. I have attached an Annual Safety Audit to the end of this message anyone can use as a road map to an effective safety strategy. It’s been my experience that most employers want to keep their employees healthy and safe because it’s not only good business but also the right thing to do.

Click on the link to download a copy of Annual Safety Audit:

dl.dropbox.com/u/13760500/RM365AnnualSafetyAudit.pdf

Coronary Heart Disease – 10-year risk

heart_disease

Since it’s beginning in 1948, the Framingham Heart Study, under the direction of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), has been committed to identifying the common factors or characteristics that contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). They have followed CVD development over a long period of time in three generations of participants.

Here are the Coronary Heart Disease Predictors:

  • Age
  • Diabetes
  • Smoking
  • JNC-V blood pressure categories
  • NCEP total cholesterol categories
  • LDL cholesterol categories

Click on the link below to calculate your risk of coronary heart disease.

via Coronary Heart Disease 10-year risk Framingham Heart Study.

Machine Guarding

WarningMoving machine parts have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries. Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled. This page contains general information on the various hazards of mechanical motion and techniques for protecting workers.

via Safety and Health Topics | Machine Guarding.

Healthy Aging – Safe Exercise

exercise-heart-surgerySAFE EXERCISE PRACTICES

  1. Obtain medical clearance to exercise.
  2. Stop exercising if you feel pain.
  3. Don’t exercise when you are injured, sick, or running a temperature.
  4. Don’t over_strain during exercise.
  5. Don’t hold your breath during exercise.
  6. Always warm up.
  7. Always cool down.
  8. Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
  9. Avoid heavy meals for about 2 hours before energetic exercise.
  10. Use sun screen, hats, visors, and sunglasses during outdoor daytime exercise. Think safety at all times (for example, should you be wearing fluorescent colors? Is it too cold, too wet, too stormy, too polluted, too hot, and/or too humid for safe exercise?)
  11. Use the right equipment and wear the right clothes for exercise (dress in layers, wear fabrics that allow heat to escape, wear good shoes).
  12. Work at an effective, yet comfortable, intensity level. You should be able to carry on a normal conversation while working out.
  13. Use good posture during exercise.
  14. Stop exercise and consult your physician immediately if you experience any of the following:
  •  chest pain or tightness in the chest, neck or throat;
  • considerable difficulty breathing;
  • abnormal heart rhythm; nausea’ dizziness, light headedness, or visual
  • interruption; excessive cold sweat; or extreme or lasting weakness or fatigue (after exercise)

via Safe Exercising.

Roles of HR Professionals in Risk Management

HR Functions[4]The “people” risk in business is significant and role of HR Professionals to manage this risk varies by organization. The challenge is that risk area’s and responsibilities are often very siloed. The key is risk management should be an integrated effort, with executive level support, that enhances the strategic goals and growth of the organization. HR professionals role is to participate in risk management by assessing risk and creating HR policies to prevent or mitigate loss and ensure business continuity.

What Triggers Behavior Change?

pasted-graphicBJ Fogg founder of  the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University  designed  a behavior model to serve as a guide to identify what stops people from performing desirable behaviors. The Fogg Behavior Model shows that three elements must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur:

  • Motivation
  • Ability
  • Trigger

When a behavior does not occur, at least one of those three elements is missing.

When designing health and safety processes it’s important to include all three elements to drive desired behavior change. To be successful you need participation, education and encouragement built into the process.

via BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model.

Use Antibiotics Wisely

antibiotics1

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of antibiotics. These resistant bacteria survive and multiply – causing more harm, such as a longer illness, more doctor visits, and a need for more expensive antibiotics. Resistant bacteria may even cause death.

Parent pressure makes a difference. For pediatric care, a recent study showed that doctors prescribe antibiotics 65% of the time if they perceive parents expect them; and 12% of the time if they feel parents do not expect them. Parents should not demand antibiotics when a health care provider has determined they are not needed. Parents should talk with their health care provider about antibiotic resistance.

via CDC – Family Health – Parents: ABCs of Raising Safe and Healthy Kids.

Workplace Health Programs Increase Productivity

Workplace health programs can increase productivity

In general, healthier employees are more productive.

  • Healthier employees are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time due to illness
  • Companies that support workplace health have a greater percentage of employees at work every day
  • Because employee health frequently carries over into better health behavior that impact both the employee and their family (such as nutritious meals cooked at home or increased physical activity with the family), employees may miss less work caring for ill family members as well
  • Similarly, workplace health programs can reduce presenteeism — the measurable extent to which health symptoms, conditions, and diseases adversely affect the work productivity of individuals who choose to remain at work

The cost savings of providing a workplace health program can be measured against absenteeism among employees, reduced overtime to cover absent employees, and costs to train replacement employees.

via CDC – Workplace Health – Business Case – Benefits of Health Program – Increase Productivity.

Home Safety: 5 Tips for Preventing Falls

senior-falls-at-homeFalls are the No. 1 cause of home injuries and death in the U.S., according to the Home Safety Council. The two groups most at risk for falls are children younger than 5 and adults over the age of 70.

Try these strategies to prevent falls at home:

  • Make the bathroom a no-slip zone. Install grab bars and non-slip mats or appliques in the tub or shower. Use a bathmat with a nonskid bottom and clean up any water that splashes on floors right away.
  • Safety-proof stairs. Remove clutter from stairs and walkways. Stairs inside and out should have handrails, preferably on both sides. Have good lighting over stairs.
  • For babies and toddlers, install hardware-mounted safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Pressure-mounted gates are less effective. Gates should have the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) Certification Seal. Never use accordion-style gates.
  • Put a guard on indoor lofts, landings, balconies, and stair banisters if your child can slip between the posts. Plexiglas is a good option because it bends, is easy to cut, and doesn’t shatter.
  • Toss the throw rugs. Throw rugs are a big tripping hazard for young and old people. At the very least, tape or tack them to the floor.
  • Leave a light on. Ideally, have night-lights in bedrooms, bathrooms, and halls.
  • Make windows safe. New York City cut children’s deaths from window-related falls by a third after requiring window guards. Window screens are not strong enough to prevent falls. Install window guards with quick-release mechanisms (in case of fire) on upper floor windows. Keep furniture away from windows, especially in children’s room, and always watch children around windows.

via Home Safety: Preventing Burns, Cuts, and More.