Risk Management 365 – Page 31 – Risk Profile Improvement

Spring Gardening And Yard Work Hazards

Spring yard and garden work could mean trouble if you don’t take the proper precautions. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 135,000 people per year are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with power lawn and garden tools, including lawnmowers.

Injuries often occur because of improper use, improper safety apparel, failure to heed safety instructions and owners’ manuals, inadequate maintenance of tools, and mechanical problems. Often, the victims of these accidents are children who are unaware of any danger and are playing in the area where power equipment is being used.

via Approach Spring Gardening And Yard Work With Caution | CPSC.gov.

Welding, Cutting, and Brazing

Welding, cutting, and brazing are hazardous activities that pose a unique combination of both safety and health risks to more than 500,000 workers in a wide variety of industries. The risk from fatal injuries alone is more than four deaths per thousand workers over a working lifetime.

Welding, cutting, and brazing is addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, and construction industry.

via Safety and Health Topics | Welding, Cutting, and Brazing.

Health is Wealth

Too often, our health takes a back seat to managing our families, careers and daily obligations. Generations of Wellness knows that in order to live a viable life, to love and take care of our families, and manage our daily responsibilities – our health must take center stage in our list of priorities.

Learn how embracing a healthy lifestyle and making health your number one priority will bring invaluable wealth to your life and your family for generations to come.

via Health is Wealth.

Health Promotion at Work

The workplace is an important setting for health protection, health promotion and disease prevention programs. On average, Americans working full-time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace.

While employers have a responsibility to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace, they also have abundant opportunities to promote individual health and foster a healthy work environment for more than 139 million workers in the United States.

via CDC – Workplace Health – Business Case – Home.

What Triggers an Allergy?

An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing. Substances that often cause reactions are:

Pollen
Dust mites
Mold spores
Pet dander
Food
Insect stings
Medicines

Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body’s defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm. Genes and the environment probably both play a role.

Allergies can cause a variety of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling, or asthma. Allergies can range from minor to severe. Anaphylaxis is a severe reaction that can be life-threatening. Doctors use skin and blood tests to diagnose allergies. Treatments include medicines, allergy shots, and avoiding the substances that cause the reactions.

via Allergy: MedlinePlus.

What is Safety Culture?

Safety culture is the ways in which safety is managed in the workplace, and often reflects “the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values that employees share in relation to safety”. The related concept of safety climate represents employees’ shared beliefs about how safety behaviors are rewarded and supported.

via Safety culture – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Get Moving: The Benefits of Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help:

Control your weight
Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Reduce your risk of some cancers
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Improve your mental health and mood
Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you’re an older adult
Increase your chances of living longer

If you’re not sure about becoming active or boosting your level of physical activity because you’re afraid of getting hurt, the good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.

Start slowly. Cardiac events, such as a heart attack, are rare during physical activity. But the risk does go up when you suddenly become much more active than usual. For example, you can put yourself at risk if you don’t usually get much physical activity and then all of a sudden do vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, like shoveling snow. That’s why it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your level of activity.

If you have a chronic health condition such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease, talk with your doctor to find out if your condition limits, in any way, your ability to be active. Then, work with your doctor to come up with a physical activity plan that matches your abilities. If your condition stops you from meeting the minimum Guidelines, try to do as much as you can. What’s important is that you avoid being inactive. Even 60 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is good for you.

The bottom line is – the health benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risks of getting hurt.

via Physical Activity for Everyone: The Benefits of Physical Activity | DNPAO | CDC.

Ammonia Refrigeration

Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Exposure to 300 parts per million (ppm) is immediately dangerous to life and health. Ammonia is also flammable at concentrations of approximately 15% to 28% by volume in air. When mixed with lubricating oils, its flammable concentration range is increased. It can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition present, or if a vessel containing anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire. Fortunately, ammonia has a low odor threshold (20 ppm), so most people will seek relief at much lower concentrations.

via Safety and Health Topics | Ammonia Refrigeration.

Prevention: High Blood Pressure

You can take steps to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle. These steps include maintaining a healthy weight; being physically active; following a healthy eating plan, that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods; choosing and preparing foods with less salt and sodium; and, if you drink alcoholic beverages, drinking in moderation. Here is a list of more healthy lifestyle habits for preventing and controlling high blood pressure.

Following a Healthy Eating Pattern
Reducing Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Being Physically Active
Limiting Alcohol Intake
Quitting Smoking

via Prevention: Guide to Lower High Blood Pressure.

Workplace Health – Worker Productivity

Workplace health programs that improve employee health by reducing, preventing or controlling diseases can affect worker productivity.

Improvements in physical, mental, and emotional health enhance stamina, concentration, and focus leading to greater work output.

The cost savings of providing a workplace health program can be measured against:

Absenteeism among employees due to illness or injury
Reduced overtime to cover absent employees
Costs to train replacement employees

via CDC – Workplace Health – Evaluation – Home.