safety – Page 14 – Risk Management 365

Automated External Defibrillators AED Save Lives

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Over 350,000 people will suffer from sudden cardiac arrest this year . It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere and at any age. An AED is the only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to operate tool for someone with no medical background.

Time is of the essence:

The average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes.
For each minute defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival is reduced approximately 10%.

via Learn about Automated Defibrillators | American Red Cross | AED.

Stay Safe While Boating

Wearing a life jacket can dramatically decrease your chances of drowning while boating. “Wear It!” every time you’re on the water.

Everyone, on all types of boats, should wear properly-fitted life jackets, or personal flotation devices (PFD). By wearing a life jacket, you can dramatically decrease your chances of drowning while boating.

Know the Facts: Recreational boating can be a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends. And making safety a priority can ensure that boating stays fun.

Consider that:

In 2009, 3,358 people were injured and 736 died in boating incidents. Of those who drowned, 9 out of 10 were not wearing life jackets.
Of the people who died in a boating incident in 2009, more than 7 out of 10 (73%) drowned. More than 90 percent of the people who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
Alcohol use was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating incidents.

via CDC Features – Stay Safe While Boating.

Aging Workers

What physical changes occur, in general, as a person ages… and how can this affect their work?

Our bodies change as we age. People reach full physical maturity or development at around the age of 25 years. Then after a period of relative stability, our bodies begin to show signs of aging. Most of these changes are first noticed at ages 40 or 50, but changes can occur (or start) as early as 20 or 25. These changes include:

Maximum muscular strength and range of joint movement: In general, people lose 15 to 20% of their strength from the ages of 20 to 60. However, every person is different and there is a large range between individuals. However, most jobs do not require a person to use all their strength. Older employees may be able to perform the same tasks as a younger worker, but they may be working closer to their maximum level. The musculoskeletal system weakens over time, resulting in a decreased capacity for load-bearing work. Keep in mind that, for example, highly repetitive motions — doing the same thing, over and over again — can cause physical problems at any age.
As we age, the body loses some ‘range of motion’ and flexibility. People may be used to certain range of movements at one task or workstation. Being less flexible or able to reach could cause problems in some unpredictable situations that require unusual movements.
Cardiovascular and respiratory systems: The ability of the heart, lungs and circulatory system to carry oxygen decreases. Between the age of 30 and 65, the functional breathing capacity can reduce by 40%. These changes can affect the ability to do extended heavy physical labour, reduce the body’s ability to adjust to hot and cold conditions.
Regulation of posture and balance: In general people may find it harder to maintain good posture and balance. When seated or standing still, this may not be a problem. However, accidents that happen because someone loses their balance do happen more often with age. Work that requires precise adjustments, strong muscular effort (including lifting and carrying), joint movements at extreme angles, or those done on a slippery or unstable surface, will be affected by poorer posture. Unexpected bumps or shocks may cause a more serious problem than with a younger worker.
Sleep Regulation: As we age, our body is not able to regulate sleep as well as it used to. How long a person sleeps, and how well they sleep, can additionally be disrupted by changing work hours or by light and noise. The impact on employees is especially a concern for older shift or night workers. They might need more recovery time between shifts or extended workdays. Use of shift rotations that are the least disruptive to sleep patterns are preferred.
Thermoregulation (Body Temperature): Our bodies are less able to maintain internal temperatures as well as less able to adjust to changes in external temperature or due to physical activity. This change means that older workers may find heat or cold more difficult to deal with than when they were younger. It also means that if they are doing hard manual labour, they may get overheated more easily.
Vision: Vision changes with age. We will notice we cannot see or read from certain distances as well as we used to. This reduction in the “amplitude of accommodation” (the ability to see or adjust focus in certain distance ranges) is normally corrected with prescription glasses. Changes also occur in the peripheral visual field (how well you can see in the areas to the side of you, that you’re not directly looking at), visual acuity (how exact, clear, and “unfuzzy” things appear), depth perception (how far away things seem), and resistance to glare, and light transmission. These changes are normally not noticed by a person unless there is poor lighting or there are sources of glare. Someone might also notice that they can’t see as well when they’re reading something when text size is small, or when there is poor contrast between the text and the background. Brighter lighting (that is suitable for the task) and well laid-out documents which avoid small print are important.
Auditory (Hearing): Hearing also changes. We may not be able to hear as well at higher frequencies (high pitch sounds). Most often, this change is noticed as the inability to listen to a particular voice or sound in a noisy environment. As well, people who work with a lot of background or noise may have difficulty hearing verbal instructions.

via Aging Workers : OSH Answers.

When is Lightning a Danger?

Thunder and lightning are very dangerous. According to the National Weather Service “if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and you should seek shelter immediately.”Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from the rain area in a thunderstorm. The first stroke of lightning is just as deadly as the last. If they sky looks threatening, you should take shelter even if you don’t hear thunder.Another tip from the National Weather Service is to use a “30-30 rule” where visibility is good and there is nothing obstructing your view of thunderstorms. When you see the lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If that time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is within 6 miles of you and is dangerous. It is also recommended that you wait at least 30 minutes after a thunderstorm before returning to the outdoors, as the threat of lightning can continue long after a storm subsides.

via When is Lightning a Danger? | Farmers Almanac.

Safety at Work:Reporting Near-miss and Close-calls

How reporting close calls can prevent future incidents

Incidents occur every day at the workplace that could result in a serious injury or damage.
A near-miss program may help prevent future incidents.
One problem that companies face with near-miss programs is employees’ fear of being blamed after reporting a near miss.
Employers need to make the process of reporting a near miss as easy as possible.

via How reporting close calls can prevent future incidents.

Construction Industry | Preventing Backovers

A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011.

via Construction Industry | Preventing Backovers.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Human Error

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, was most likely caused by human error, cost cutting and an insufficient safety system.

BP’s head of safety admits human error over oil spill. A pressure test which would have revealed problems in the drill “was incorrectly deemed a success by BP and Transocean rig personnel”, he said. And on three occasions, real-time monitoring data from the rig indicated that pipe pressure had increased, when it should have dropped. These indicators went “unobserved or unrecognized” for about 40 minutes, which “significantly shortened” the workers’ emergency response time.

via BP’s head of safety admits human error over oil spill – environment – 27 September 2010 – New Scientist.

Prom: PROMise to Keep It Safe

Make sure prom night is a positive experience you’ll always remember; don’t drink alcohol or use any other substances that will compromise your ability to make good decisions.

Discuss plans with your friends/date ahead of time. Know your agenda and communicate with your parents.
Plan ahead what you will say or do if someone offers you alcohol or another illegal drug. Use phrases such as, “No thanks,” “Are you kidding? I want to remember this night!,” or “Actually, Id rather have a soda. Do you have one?”
Know your date before you go. If your date is a set-up, try to take a walk at a park or go for a smoothie before the big night. Both you and your parents will feel better about you staying out late with someone you know.
Find out what your curfew is and share it with your date/friends before prom night. Discuss with your parents after-curfew possibilities the party at your friends house or early morning breakfast at your place.
Ask a trusted adult to be near a phone and to be available prom night in case you need to call them, and carry enough change with you to make several phone calls.
Take your, or borrow your parents, cell phone and slip it into your purse or pocket.

via Prom Safety.

What can you do to avoid falling at work?

You can reduce the risk of slipping on wet flooring by:

taking your time and paying attention to where you are going
adjusting your stride to a pace that is suitable for the walking surface and the tasks you are doing
walking with the feet pointed slightly outward
making wide turns at corners

You can reduce the risk of tripping by:

keeping walking areas clear from clutter or obstructions
keeping flooring in good conditon
always using installed light sources that provide sufficient light for your tasks
using a flashlight if you enter a dark room where there is no light
ensuring that things you are carrying or pushing do not prevent you from seeing any obstructions, spills, etc.

via Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls : OSH Answers.

Health Care Workers – Hazards on the Job

Healthcare is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, employing over 18 million workers. Women represent nearly 80% of the healthcare work force. Health care workers face a wide range of hazards on the job, including needlestick injuries, back injuries, latex allergy, violence, and stress. Although it is possible to prevent or reduce healthcare worker exposure to these hazards, healthcare workers continue to experience injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Cases of nonfatal occupational injury and illness among to healthcare workers are among the highest of any industry sector. By contrast, two of the most hazardous industries, agriculture and construction, are safer today than they were a decade ago.

via CDC – Health Care Workers – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.