Risk Management 365 – Page 57 – Risk Profile Improvement

Tips to Safety at Work

Here are a few tips to stay safe at work.

Safety is a team effort. Ensure that every member of the crew knows the safety requirements before the job is started.
Safety is your responsibility.
Always communicate with co-workers during a job in order to maintain safety.
Don’t create unnecessary hazards. Notify others of both new and old ones.
Never take shortcuts. Always follow correct procedures.
Wear metal mesh gloves to protect your hands when using sharp knives regularly.
Keep your work area clean and orderly.
If you make a mess, clean it up. Never let safety be someone else’s job.
Keep access clear to emergency exits, equipment, and equipment shutoffs.
Prevent accidents by clearly identifying any hazards that cannot be removed.

via 80 Work Safety Tips to Remind Employees to Work Safe.

Follow Safe Grilling Tips

Grilling and picnicking often go hand-in-hand. And just as with cooking indoors, there are important guidelines that should be followed to ensure that your grilled food reaches the table safely.

Marinate safely. Marinate foods in the refrigerator – never on the kitchen counter or outdoors. In addition, if you plan to use some of the marinade as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion separately before adding the raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Don’t reuse marinade.
Cook immediately after “partial cooking.” If you partially cook food to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before the food goes on the hot grill.
Cook food thoroughly. When it’s time to cook the food, have your food thermometer ready. Always use it to be sure your food is cooked thoroughly.
Keep “ready” food hot. Grilled food can be kept hot until served by moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals. This keeps it hot but prevents overcooking.
Don’t reuse platters or utensils. Using the same platter or utensils that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood allows bacteria from the raw food’s juices to spread to the cooked food. Instead, have a clean platter and utensils ready at grill-side to serve your food.
Check for foreign objects in food. If you clean your grill using a bristle brush, check to make sure that no detached bristles have made their way into grilled food.

via Consumers > Eating Outdoors, Handling Food Safely.

Applying Risk Management to HR

When developing a risk management plan for your HR activities, there are a number of areas to focus on. This general list will get you started but it is very important that all organizations identify and evaluate the risks unique to their own organization.

HR Activity Potential Risk Area’s

Compensation and benefits
Hiring
Occupational Health and Safety
Employee supervision
Employee conduct
Exiting employee

via Risk Management in HR | HR Planning | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca.

Keep Kids Safe Around the Campfire

The warmth, light and smells of an outdoor campfire make it an especially memorable activity for children. Anyone who has ever told ghost stories or roasted marshmallows outdoors knows how much fun it can be. While you enjoy the campfire, always keep watch over the site and never let children alone while the fire is burning. Use long sticks or skewers to roast frankfurters or marshmallows. Do not allow any running or roughhousing near the fire.

via Campfire Safety for Kids | Everyday Life – Global Post.

Adult Obesity

Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, about 2.4 million more adults were obese than in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part of the United States. In every state, more than 15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese. The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering. In 2008 dollars, these costs totaled about $147 billion. More efforts are needed, and new federal initiatives are helping to change our communities into places that strongly support healthy eating and active living.

via CDC Vital Signs – Adult Obesity.

Fireworks Safety Tips

Fireworks can result in severe burns, scars and disfigurement that can last a lifetime.

Fireworks that are often thought to be safe, such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, and can burn users and bystanders.

Families should attend community fireworks displays run by professionals rather than using fireworks at home.

via Summer Safety Tips.

Construction’s “Fatal Four”

Out of 4,188* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2011, 738 or 17.6% were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by electrocution, struck by object, and caught-in/between. These “Fatal Four” were responsible for nearly three out of five (56%) construction worker deaths in 2011*, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 419 workers’ lives in America every year.

Falls – 259 out of 738 total deaths in construction in CY 2011 (35%)
Electrocutions – 69 (9%)
Struck by Object – 73 (10%)
Caught-in/between – 18 (2%)

via OSHA Commonly Used Statistics.

Facts about Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Substance Dependency is a Disease

Alcohol is such a big part of American life today that we rarely stop to consider our pattern of drinking. We drink wine with dinner, or have a few drinks after work, or even a few beers while watching a ball game, but when a pattern of drinking begins to emerge, it can become a problem.

Drug use in America is also more commonplace than it once was. In today’s teenage population over 90 percent have used alcohol. Over 50 percent have used marijuana, 17 percent admit to trying cocaine and 12.5 percent have used some form of hallucinogen.

via Facts about Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Machine Safety is Critical

Machine safety is critical for worker safety, because machines have many ways to injure workers: Many machines have moving parts, sharp edges, and hot surfaces with 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 might cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine may result in a contact injury to the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled.

via CDC – Machine Safety – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Why is exercise important?

Have you ever heard the expression “use it or lose it”? Its true! If you don’t use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs wont function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases-Our bodies were meant to move — they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.
Improves Stamina-When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.
Strengthens and Tones-Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!
Enhances Flexibility-Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help “loosen” those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.
Controls Weight-Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Its as simple as that.
Improves Quality of Life-Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

via Why is exercise important?.