Safety – Page 33 – Risk Management 365

Eye Safety: Tips

1. Create a safe work environment

Minimize hazards from falling or unstable debris.
Make sure that tools work and safety features (machine guards) are in place.
Make sure that workers (particularly volunteers) know how to use tools properly.
Keep bystanders out of the hazard area.

2. Evaluate safety hazards.

Identify the primary hazards at the site.
Identify hazards posed by nearby workers, large machinery, and falling/shifting debris.

3. Wear the proper eye and face protection.

Select the appropriate Z87 eye protection for the hazard.
Make sure the eye protection is in good condition.
Make sure the eye protection fits properly and will stay in place.

4. Use good work practices.

Caution—Brush, shake, or vacuum dust and debris from hardhats, hair, forehead, or the top of the eye protection before removing the protection.
Do not rub eyes with dirty hands or clothing.
Clean eyewear regularly.
Prepare for eye injuries and first aid needs.

5. Have an eye wash or sterile solution on hand.

via CDC – Eye Safety: Checklist – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Electricity – a serious workplace hazard.

Working with electricity can be dangerous. Engineers, electricians, and other professionals work with electricity directly, including working on overhead lines, cable harnesses, and circuit assemblies. Others, such as office workers and sales people, work with electricity indirectly and may also be exposed to electrical hazards.

Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. OSHA’s electrical standards are designed to protect employees exposed to dangers such as electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions. Electrical hazards are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, and marine terminals.

via Safety and Health Topics | Electrical.

Why Wear a Bicycle Helmet?

It’s a beautiful day for a bike ride. You fill your water bottle, lace up your shoes and head out. The thought of a head injury doesn’t even cross your mind. Still, it’s a risk you’re taking if you don’t wear a bicycle helmet.

Why wear a bicycle helmet?

It’s simple. If you fall from your bike, the bicycle helmet takes the force of the blow — instead of your head. Although collisions with cars or other vehicles are likely to be the most serious, even a low-speed fall on a bicycle path can be dangerous. For kids and adults alike, wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective way to prevent a life-threatening head injury.

via Bicycle helmet do’s and don’ts – MayoClinic.com.

Protect Young Workers this Summer

Most youth find paid employment, either during the summer or year-round, before graduating from high school. Young workers, ages 14-24, are at risk of workplace injury because of their inexperience at work and their physical, cognitive, and emotional developmental characteristics. They often hesitate to ask questions and may fail to recognize workplace dangers. OSHA has made young workers a priority within the agency and is committed to identifying ways to improve young worker safety and health. OSHA’s Young Worker Initiative addresses this group’s safety and health through a multi-pronged outreach program.

via Young Workers.

Skateboarding Safety

Skateboarding can be a fun way for children and adolescents to get exercise. However, an estimated 111,000 kids younger than 18 are treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for skateboard-related injuries each year. Many of these injuries can be prevented.

Skateboarding Injury Facts: Of those children treated in U.S. emergency departments because of their skateboard-related injuries:

The three most commonly injured body regions are the wrist, ankle and face.
Broken bones, sprains, scrapes and bruises are the most common injuries.

Who is Most at Risk?

Skateboarders who are hit by a motor vehicle have the most serious injuries.
Skateboarders who ride on uneven surfaces have the most fall-related injuries.

Skateboarding Safety Tips

All skateboarders should wear a helmet and other protective gear (such as wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads).
Teach children to never ride a skateboard in or near traffic.
Check the skating area for holes, bumps and rocks. Smooth surfaces are the safest for skateboarding.
Skateboarding at dusk or after dark can be dangerous. It is safest to skateboard during the day.
Encourage children to ride their skateboard in skateboarding parks.
Children younger than 5 years should not use skateboards, and children 5-10 years should not use skateboards without adult supervision.
Make sure your child wears a helmet to stay legal and safe.
Children riding on ripsticks should follow the same safety tips as children on skateboards.

via Injury Research and Policy Skateboarding Research :: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.

Bug Safety

Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail.
Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.
Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile Virus and other viruses.
The current AAP and CDC recommendation for children older than 2 months of age is to use 10% to 30% DEET. DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months of age.
The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.
The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5% to10%.

via Summer Safety Tips.

Beware – 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.

Summer Safety – ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES

All ATV riders should take a hands-on safety training course.
Children who are too young to have a driver’s license should not be allowed to operate off-road vehicles. Children are involved in about 30 percent of all ATV-related deaths and emergency room-treated injuries.
Don’t ride double. Passengers are frequently injured when riding ATVs. Most ATVs are designed to carry only one person: the driver. Passengers can make ATVs unstable and difficult to control.
Because their nervous systems and judgment have not fully developed, off-road vehicles are particularly dangerous for children younger than 16 years.
All riders should wear helmets, eye protection, sturdy shoes (no flip-flops), and protective, reflective clothing. Appropriate helmets are those designed for motorcycle (not bicycle) use, and should include safety visors/face shields for eye protection. Wearing a helmet may prevent or reduce the severity of these injuries.
ATVs lack the common safety equipment found on all cars and trucks that are designed for street use. ATV tires are not designed to grip on pavement, so operators should not ride on paved roads. Parents should never permit nighttime riding or street use of off-road vehicles.
Flags, reflectors and lights should be used to make vehicles more visible.
Drivers of recreational vehicles should not drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or even some prescription medicines. Parents should set an example for their children in this regard.
Young drivers should be discouraged from on-road riding of any 2-wheeled motorized cycle, even when they are able to be licensed to do so, because they are inherently more dangerous than passenger cars.

via Summer Safety Tips.

Control of Hazardous Energy – What is “lockout/tagout”?”

“Lockout/tagout” refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard employees from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities. This requires, in part, that a designated individual turns off and disconnects the machinery or equipment from its energy sources before performing service or maintenance and that the authorized employees either lock or tag the energy-isolating devices to prevent the release of hazardous energy and take steps to verify that the energy has been isolated effectively. If the potential exists for the release of hazardous stored energy or for the reaccumulation of stored energy to a hazardous level, the employer must ensure that the employees take steps to prevent injury that may result from the release of the stored energy.

Lockout devices hold energy-isolation devices in a safe or”off” position. They provide protection by preventing machines or equipment from becoming energized because they are positive restraints that no one can remove without a key or other unlocking mechanism, or through extraordinary means, such as bolt cutters.

Tagout devices, by contrast, are prominent warning devices that an authorized employee fastens to energy-isolating devices to warn employees not to reenergize the machine while he or she services or maintains it. Tagout devices are easier to remove and, by themselves, provide employees with less protection than do lockout devices.

via Control of Hazardous Energy Lockout/Tagout.

Gas Grill Safety Tips

Liquid petroleum LP gas or propane, used in gas grills, is highly flammable. Each year about 30 people are injured as a result of gas grill fires and explosions. Many of these fires and explosions occur when consumers first use a grill that has been left idle for a period of time or just after refilling and reattaching the grills gas container. To reduce the risk of fire or explosion, consumers should routinely perform the following safety checks:

Check the tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. If you cant move the hoses, install a heat shield to protect them.
Replace scratched or nicked connectors, which can eventually leak gas.– Check for gas leaks, following the manufacturers instructions, if you smell gas or when you reconnect the grill to the LP gas container. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and dont attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, or open flames away from a leaking grill.
Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire.
Do not attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See an LP gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person.
Always follow the manufacturers instructions that accompany the grill.

Consumers should use caution when storing LP gas containers. Always keep containers upright. Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors. Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill. To avoid accidents while transporting LP gas containers, consumers should transport the container in a secure, upright position. Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.Consumers should use extreme caution and always follow manufacturers instructions when connecting or disconnecting LP gas containers. Grills manufactured after October 1, 1995, are required to have three additional safety features to eliminate leak hazards: a device to limit the flow of gas in the event of hose rupture; a mechanism to shut-off the grill; and a feature to prevent the flow of gas if the connection between the tank and the grill is not leak proof. Consumers should consider purchasing grills that have these safety features.

via CPSC – CPSC Releases Grill Safety Tips.