Safety at Home – Page 5 – Risk Management 365

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.

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.

Button Battery Safety

Button batteries are dangerous to kids, especially toddlers, and cause severe injuries when swallowed.

Did You Know?

The coin-sized batteries children swallow come from many devices, most often mini remote controls. Other places you may find them are: singing greeting cards, watches, bathroom scales and flameless candles.
It takes as little as two hours to cause severe burns once a coin-sized button battery has been swallowed.
Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the battery is removed.
Kids can still breathe with the button battery in their throats. It may not be obvious at first that something is wrong.
Repairing the damage is painful and can require multiple surgeries.
The batteries can become lodged in the throat, burning the esophagus.
Each year, about 3,500 button battery swallowing cases are reported to U.S. poison control centers.

via Button Battery Safety.

A Lawn Mower Can Be Dangerous

Each year many children are injured severely by lawn mowers. Power mowers can be especially dangerous. However, most lawn mower-related injuries can be prevented by following these safety guidelines.

When is my child old enough to mow the lawn?

Before learning how to mow the lawn, your child should show the maturity, good judgment, strength and coordination that the job requires. In general, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should be at least

12 years of age to operate a walk-behind power mower or hand mower safely
16 years of age to operate a riding lawn mower safely

It is important to teach your child how to use a lawn mower. Before you allow your child to mow the lawn alone, spend time showing him or her how to do the job safely. Supervise your child’s work until you are sure that he or she can manage the task alone.

via HealthyChildren.org – Lawn Mower Safety.

The Hidden Dangers of the Garage Door

Many families don’t realize the potential threat posed by their automatic garage door. They’re often the largest and heaviest piece of moving equipment in a home, and parents frequently let their children operate these doors unsupervised – risking potentially deadly consequences. Children can easily get trapped beneath a door when they try to duck under it, they may get their small hands and arms stuck in the mechanism or they may lower the door accidentally on someone else when confused about how to operate the door.

via The Hidden Dangers of the Garage Door | Safety at Home.

Is it safe to work with power tools?

According to one estimate, over 400,000 people go to the emergency room annually as a result of injuries caused by workshop equipment and power tools. Approximately 70 percent of the people who wind up in the emergency room as a result of injuries caused by power tools are amateur craftsmen.

There are several common power tool-related injuries to be aware of, including saw amputations, lacerations, eye injuries, and puncture wounds. While there are many different ways to get injured while using power tools, there are a number of safety tips you can incorporate into your work no matter what tools you’re using.

Be familiar with how your tool operates before you start using it. If you’re a beginner, take the time to read the owner’s manual or speak to knowledgeable experts. Only use power tools for the specific functions they were designed for.
Thoroughly inspect your power tool to ensure that it’s in working order. Don’t forget to look over any safety equipment that comes with your power tools.
Before actually commencing work is to take a minute to make sure that you’re physically able to undertake a task that involves using power tools. If you’ve been drinking, or if you’re rushed or fatigued, put off working with power tools until you’ve had time to recharge your batteries.

As far as precautions to take while you work, you should always wear standard safety equipment, such as a face shield, gloves and goggles. If you’re using a power tool that runs on gasoline, there are some extra safety precautions that you should incorporate into your work, including working only in well-ventilated areas and filling up the gas tank only after the power tool’s engine has cooled.

via HowStuffWorks “Is it safe to work with power tools?”.

Tornado Safety at Home, Work, or at Play

Have a Plan at Home, at Work, and When You’re Away

In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement, and get under a sturdy table or the stairs. A specially-constructed “safe room” within a building offers the best protection. Use an internet search engine and search for “safe room” for more information.

If a basement is not available, move to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and cover yourself with anything close at hand: towels, blankets, pillows. If possible, get under a sturdy table, desk or counter. Put as many walls as possible between you and the storm. Stay away from windows.

If caught outdoors, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to shelter, get into a vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have two options as a last resort:

– Stay in the vehicle with the seatbelt on and place your head below the windows.

– If you can safely get noticeably lower than the roadway, exit the vehicle and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands. Do not seek shelter under an overpass.

Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the designated storm shelter or the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building.

When vacationing, always bring along a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and have a place of safety in mind in the event severe weather threatens.

via Tornado Safety at Home, Work, or at Play.

Keep Children Safe From Burns

Prevention Tips

To prevent burns from fires:

Be alarmed. Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home—on every floor and near all rooms family members sleep in. Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they are working properly.
Have an escape plan. Create and practice a family fire escape plan, and involve kids in the planning. Make sure everyone knows at least two ways out of every room and identify a central meeting place outside.
Cook with care. Use safe cooking practices, such as never leaving food unattended on the stove. Also, supervise or restrict children’s use of stoves, ovens, or microwaves.

To prevent burns from scalding water:

Check water heater temperature. Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Infants who aren’t walking yet can’t get out of water that may be too hot, and maintaining a constant thermostat setting can help control the water temperature throughout your home—preventing it from getting too high.

via CDC – Injury – Safe Child – Burns.

Risk Management 365

This is post number 365 since I launched this blog a year ago. To date we have had over 8000 views and growing every day.

So what is Risk Management 365 anyway? It’s following a 5 step process of managing risk 365 days a year not just buying insurance once a year. Insurance is NOT risk management ! There is no amount of insurance that can reverse a serious injury or death of a father, grandmother, son or grandchild. We live in a dangerous unhealthy world but though education and support from committed employers and engaged employees and their families we are making a difference. How many people quit texting while driving or began a regular exercise program after reading about it in this blog? How many children now wear a helmet when riding their bike? How many people recognized the signs off a heart attack and got treatment? If you have I would love to hear from you.

Our mission is “Keeping employees and their families healthy and safe at home and at work.”

Learn more about Ottawa Kent and the Risk Management 365 process at www.ottawakent.com

Parents, Watch Out for YouTube “Challenges”

The internet has changed our lives…we use it all the time, and our kids do, too. I don’t even own a hard copy phone book or map anymore. Our kids use it for their homework, entertainment, and I like that they can find how-to videos on just about anything. But about those videos…The downside of video sharing sites most notably, YouTube and sometimes the Internet in general, is that they give kids ideas about not-so-smart stunts that they may end up trying on their own. They’re usually called “challenges.” Some of them are just… well, disgusting, like trying to drink a gallon of milk in an hour you can probably guess what happens. But some of them are truly dangerous and deadly.

via Parents, Watch Out for YouTube “Challenges”.