Tips to Avoid the Scariest Place Of All
Originally Posted on Oct 23, 2014 by Sandy Smith on www.ehstoday.com.
Each year, 9.2 million babies, children and teens are injured severely enough to need treatment in emergency departments all across America, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Nothing is scarier than a trip to the emergency room,” said Mark Cichon, DO, chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Loyola University Health System. “In a season devoted to frights, it is our goal to keep everyone safe.”
Here are Dr. Cichon's top tips to avoid going bump in the night and for a healthy, happy Halloween:
Invest in a pumpkin carving kit and avoid knives. “Manipulating a sharp knife in a rigid pumpkin rind without injury is almost impossible for an adult or child,” said Cichon, a professor at Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University. “Proper tools make sure you carve the jack o’ lantern and not yourself or a loved one.”
Supervise anything that is burning, from scented candles to carved pumpkins to firepits. “Fires can happen in a flash and get quickly out of control,” said Cichon. “The colder temperatures invite the warm glow of candles to the excitement of an end-of-season bonfire. Watch out for burning leaf piles.”
Use extra precaution when climbing ladders to hang decorations inside and outside. “Falls from ladders are one of the top reasons adults come to the emergency room and they are largely avoidable,” said Cichon. “Use the right-sized ladder, and one that is safe, and work with a partner to do the job right.”
Make sure Halloween costumes offer visibility and ease of movement. “Masks, hats, wigs, glasses, hoods – costumes often include headgear that can obstruct vision and lead to trips and falls,” Cichon cautioned. “And make sure it is easy to walk in the costume without tripping or catching on things.”
Dress for the weather. “It is easy to get overheated or too cold at this time of year, without the addition of wearing a costume,” Cichon pointed out. “Check skin temperature and watch for signs such as shivering or lethargy. Don’t forget to wear waterproof footgear that has treads for sure footing.”
Make sure your group is visible to motorists. Have one adult in the trick-or-treating group wear a reflective safety vest and give each child a glow stick or flashlight to increase visibility. “You want to be able to see where you are going and also for others to see you, especially around moving vehicles,” said Cichon. Stay in a group and put kids on the buddy system.
Avoid alcohol use when supervising children. “Don’t drink and accompany your kids as they trick-or-treat,” said Cichon. “If you choose, enjoy a beer or cocktail at the end of the night after kids are safely indoors, or better yet, in bed.”
Avoid over-tiring children. “Fatigue can lower resistance, leading to illness and injury,” warned Cichon. Make sure a good night’s sleep starts Halloween day and rest up before the night's activities. Eat healthy meals and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Maintain regular bedtimes.
Inspect treats when you get home. “Make sure candy and goodies are age-appropriate; avoid smaller pieces for younger children that could be a choking hazard,” said Cichon. And, if your child has food allergies such as a peanut allergy, remember to remove that candy from the bag.
Balance candy consumption with healthy foods. “When my four children were younger, my wife and I would hide their candy and allow them each to choose two pieces after dinner to limit over-consumption,” remembered Cichon.
Be aware of the potential for loud and scary noises. “Playful scaring antics by enthusiastic celebrants and even barking dogs can frighten children and cause them to react suddenly,” Cichon warned. “Falling down porch stairs, tripping over curbs and even colliding with others can result in harm.”
Drive vehicles slowly and cautiously on Halloween, especially on sidestreets. “Watch for trick-or-treaters but also be aware of any flying eggs or other debris that could impede vision,” Cichon cautioned.
Boating, Biking, and Beaching: Summer Safety Tips for Employees
Originally posted by Chris Kilbourne on https://safetydailyadvisor.blr.com
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in one recent year, more than 3,000 Americans were injured and over 700 killed in boating incidents. Of the people killed, more than 70% drowned, and more than 90% of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
So the very first boating safety tip to emphasize and reemphasize to employees is that everyone in a boat should be wearing a life jacket, whether or not they can swim.
Alcohol is another factor contributing to boating accidents, injuries, and fatalities. CDC says that alcohol use affects judgment, vision, balance, and coordination, and is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities. Boating under the influence of alcohol is just as deadly as drinking and driving. Not only is it dangerous to operate a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it's also illegal in every state in the United States.
A third point to emphasize about safe boating is that people who pilot pleasure craft should know what they are doing. This means that they should have taken a safe boating course. CDC reports that more than 7 out of every 10 boating incidents are caused by operator error. Boating education courses teach the rules for safe operation and navigation of recreational boats, and can help boat operators keep their passengers safe.
Safe Biking
In 2010, 618 cyclists were killed and an additional 52,000 were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
To prevent bike accidents, injuries and fatalities, NHTSA suggests the following safety precautions:
- All bicyclists should wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet every time they ride. A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash.
- Bicyclists are considered vehicle operators. They are required to obey the same rules of the road as other vehicle operators, including obeying traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. When cycling in the street, cyclists must ride in the same direction as traffic.
- Drivers of motor vehicles need to share the road with bicyclists and be courteous, allowing at least 3 feet clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road. Motorist should also look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space. And they should always yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals. Motorists should be especially watchful for cyclists when making turns, either left or right.
- Bicyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, dawn, and dusk. To be noticed when riding at night, cyclists should use a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light, and use retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment or clothing.
Safety at the Beach
The United States Lifesaving Association (www.usla.org) offers beachgoers many lifesaving safety tips on their website, including these:
- Don’t swim alone. That way if you have a problem, there is someone there to help.
- Don't swim under the influence. Alcohol impairment affects swimming ability and judgment.
- Swim near a lifeguard. Your chance of drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards is slight.
- If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore.
- Never dive head first into unknown water. Check for depth and obstructions like rock formations first.
Lighting Indoors and Out for Safety, Efficiency, Comfort, and Security
Source: https://safetydailyadvisor.blr.com
Yesterday, we provided tips for improving workplace lighting to boost safety and productivity. Today, we offer some tips from Facebook on indoor lighting as well as advice from DOE on outdoor lighting.
Facebook, which is always a consistent innovator in technology and media, is now leading the way in energy efficiency, says BLR Legal Editor and Green Team member Amanda Czepiel, J.D. According to Naveen Lakshmipathy, a 2011 EDF Climate Corps fellow at Facebook, the company’s new 1 million square foot office campus can teach other companies three lessons in energy efficiency.
1. Plan ahead. The best way to integrate lighting energy efficiency without losing good design is to involve many people in the design process, from architects to engineers to energy efficiency experts, to ensure that all factors are considered from the start of the design process. For example, walls can be painted in appropriate shades to reflect light where it is best to do so.
2. Know how you want your lighting system to behave. If you want to use lighting controls such as occupancy and daylight sensors to vary light levels and optimize energy efficiency, you must plan ahead of time how you want your system to behave and test its functions.
3. Remember productivity and occupant comfort. There is a direct relationship between workplace comfort and increased productivity, so effectively using daylight to reduce the use of artificial lighting and eliminating overlighted or underlighted areas should be a priority.
Outdoor Lighting
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, effective lighting for safety and security should consider:
Horizontal illuminance. This is the standard for assessing effective lighting primarily because many tasks are horizontal and the measurements are easy to make. However, this is less critical for security than other metrics such as vertical illuminance and uniformity.
Vertical illuminance. This is critical because one of the main security issues is identifying persons and vehicles and their movement that is best done by viewing their vertical surfaces.
Uniformity and shadows. This is important primarily to avoid dark areas where people or objects may be hidden. Uniformity has also been found to be useful in enhancing video camera effectiveness.
Glare. Lighting aimed in the wrong direction can cause glare that can adversely affect the ability of occupants and security personnel to identify people and/or objects.
Furthermore, research shows that simply increasing light levels or maintaining high lighting levels does not necessarily promote or maintain enhanced safety or security. It is primarily factors associated with the placement and quality of exterior lighting that enhances facility and employee safety and security outside your workplace.
Fight Back Against Workplace Stress
Source: https://safetydailyadvisor.blr.com
Stress is a big problem in the workplace, and the signs are everywhere.
Ever awaken at 3 a.m. in a sweaty panic over a work problem, a presentation you have to make, or looming deadline? Maybe you've lost your temper with the kids when the real problem was related to work.
The signs and symptoms of job stress are many and diverse—from a racing pulse to skipped meals, headaches, weight gain, depression, and lack of energy.
Whatever the cause, and however it manifests, workplace stress continues to be a problem—one that can cause reduced productivity, increase in accidents, and a spike in costs.
Stress Stats
The American Psychological Association (APA) observes that, "While stress levels appear to be balancing out, they remain high and exceed what Americans consider to be healthy."
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According to the APA and other sources:
· 69 percent of employees say work is a significant source of stress, and 41 percent say they typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday.
· 51 percent of employees report that they have considered or made a decision about their career (such as leaving a job or declining a promotion) based on workplace stress.
· While more than half of adults say they are doing a good or excellent job of knowing when they feel stressed, half of them aren't doing as well at preventing stress.
· Although 94 percent of adults believe stress can contribute to the development of major illness, a sizeable majority still thinks that stress has a slight or no impact on their own health.
· More employees are reporting that their employers provide sufficient opportunities for them to be involved in decision making, problem solving, and goal setting—one hopeful sign, since these are all steps believed to reduce employee stress.
Signs of Stress
As if life outside of the workplace isn't stressful enough for most people, when they come to work, they often encounter more stress—lack of control over work, heavy workloads, productivity demands, tight schedules, conflicts with co-workers, and worries about job stability.
When workers are stressed for any combination of reasons, the effects can be insidious. Dr. Albert Ray, physician director of Patient Education and Health Promotion for Kaiser Permanente in southern California, points to common signs and symptoms of stress:
· Acting angry and having a short temper
· Dealing with others in a curt, inhospitable manner
· Being present, but not fully productive
· Transformation from a friendly team player to an introvert
· Mocking the organization's strategies and visions
· Physical symptoms, ranging from itchy skin to chest pain, fatigue, abdominal cramping, and ringing of the ears, among many others
· Emotional problems like depression, anxiety, compulsive behavior, and substance abuse
And, of course, another symptom is carelessness. Workers may be too tense or worn out to pay attention and take proper precautions. That's when stress can lead to accidents and injuries.
Distractology 101: A Quick Course in Deadly Driving Distractions and What to Do about Them
Source: Safety Daily Advisor
The battle against driving distractions is being fought in state houses, on highways, and in corporate offices, where employee driving policies are being revised to help stem the surge of distracted driving accidents on the job.
Consider the facts about work-related road accidents:
- Motor vehicle crashes account for nearly one-quarter of all fatal occupational injuries and remain the leading cause of work-related deaths.
- On average, an injury-related crash costs an employer $150,000 and a property damage incident costs $24,500.
- The National Safety Council estimates that at least 24 percent of crashes in 2010 involved drivers using cell phones. More than 1 million involved talking, and at least 160,000 involved drivers texting.
- Over all, distracted-driver accidents resulted in 3.092 deaths in 2010 and 416,000 injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as "any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving."
All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.
A number of studies have found that the risk of a crash is four times as likely when someone is using a phone. Hands-free devices do not appear to eliminate the cognitive distraction of conversation.
And its not just phones that are the problem. Among other common driving distractions:
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, NHTSA says that it is "by far the most alarming distraction." Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that's equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field without looking.
Get It in Writing
One way you can make a difference is by establishing a cell phone policy for employees who drive on the job. NHTSA offers the following sample policy, which you can adapt by including specific consequences of noncompliance:
In order to increase employee safety and eliminate unnecessary risks behind the wheel, [Company Name] has enacted a Distracted Driving Policy, effective [Date]. We are committed to ending the epidemic of distracted driving and have created the following rules, which apply to any employee operating a company vehicle or using a company-issued cell phone while operating a personal vehicle:
Company employees may not use a hand-held cell phone while operating a vehicle—whether the vehicle is in motion or stopped at a traffic light. This includes, but is not limited to, answering or making phone calls, engaging in phone conversations, and reading or responding to e-mails, instant messages, and text messages.
If company employees need to use their phones, they must pull over safely to the side of the road or another safe location.
Additionally, company employees are required to:
- Turn cell phones off or put them on silent or vibrate before starting the car.
- Consider modifying voice mail greetings to indicate that you are unavailable to answer calls or return messages while driving.
- Inform clients, associates, and business partners of this policy as an explanation why call may not be returned immediately.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood also recommends that employees take a pledge to never text or talk on the phone while driving and to encourage others to do the same.