Myth: Seat-belts are uncomfortable or inconvenient.
Fact: People quickly become used to wearing seatbelts and once wearing becomes a habit there is no discomfort or inconvenience. The imaginary discomfort or inconvenience of wearing a belt the first few times in no way compares to the serious discomfort and inconvenience of motor vehicle crash injury. Newer seat-belts are made so that comfortable movement is possible but they will still lock up in sudden stops or crashes.
Myth: Drivers in airbag-equipped vehicles don’t need to wear seat-belts.
Fact: Airbags provide supplemental protection in frontal crashes by protecting the head and chest from hitting the steering wheel or dashboard, but airbags will not help in a side or rear impact or roll-over crash. An airbag by itself reduces the risk of dying by only 12%, whereas a seat-belt reduces fatality risk by 45–60%. Motorists should wear a seat-belt for
protection in all types of crashes.
Myth: Wearing a seat-belt might lead to getting trapped in a burning car or caught in one under water.
Fact: Less than 1 out of 200 traffic-related incidents involve fire or water submersion. The greatest danger is with the impact that precedes the fire or submersion in water. If a car occupant is not using a seat-belt, it is very likely that they will be knocked unconscious
or severely injured. Chances of escape are 3 to 5 times better while wearing a seat-belt.
Myth: It is better to be thrown clear of a car in a collision.
Fact: Being thrown from a vehicle is four times more likely to lead to fatal injury in a crash, and three quarters of people who are thrown from the car are killed. The force of an impact can throw someone nearly 50 metres, or 15 car lengths. Seat-belts also prevent a car occupant’s head from smashing into the windshield, which could cause spinal damage. The best bet in a crash is to stay inside the vehicle, securely held by the seat-belt.
Myth: Seat-belts can hurt you in a crash.
Fact: Properly worn seat-belts seldom cause injuries. If they do, the injuries are usually surface bruises and are generally less severe than would have been the case without any belt. Studies have consistently shown that injuries in most serious crashes would have been much more severe had seat-belts not been worn.
Myth: Seat-belts are unnecessary at low speeds and on short trips.
Fact: Of road crash casualties who were not restrained, 70% were travelling at less than 50 km/h. A collision at 50 km/h has the same effect as falling from the fourth floor of a building. Two thirds of crashes happen less than 15 km away from home.
Myth: Wearing a seat-belt in the back is not necessary.
Fact: When a crash happens an unrestrained passenger in the back seat will be propelled against the front seat with a force of several tonnes, crushing the front seat occupant.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Weekly Safety Slogan
Safety… it's where we want to go today
There are no shortcuts to anything worth doing
Safety… Takes just a few seconds
When in doubt, check it out
Safety… you do make a difference
You get what you inspect - Not what you expect
Safety's the key to accident free
There are no shortcuts to anything worth doing
Safety… Takes just a few seconds
When in doubt, check it out
Safety… you do make a difference
You get what you inspect - Not what you expect
Safety's the key to accident free
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What is Seoul Declaration?
The Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work reaffirms these principles. Building and maintaining a national preventative culture must therefore be high on everybody’s agendas. Governments, employers' and workers' organizations, multinational companies, social security institutions, occupational safety and health bodies and NGOs have declared their support to the principles enshrined in the Seoul Declaration.
The Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work was adopted by the Safety and Health Summit on 29 June 2008 on the occasion of the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.
The Congress was organized jointly by the SafeWork Programme of the International Labour Office(ILO), the International Social Security Association(ISSA), and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA).
The Declaration calls for a preventative safety and health culture, which gives the right to a safe and healthy environment and which is respected at all national levels. The signatories of the Seoul Declaration commit to actively participate in the securing of a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties, where the principle of prevention is accorded the highest priority.
The Seoul Declaration also recognizes that safety and health at work is a fundamental human right as stipulated in Art 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Together with the many supporters of the Seoul Declaration, ILO, ISSA and KOSHA have committed themselves to promote this preventative safety and health culture worldwide. A series of forums and meetings on safety and health at work have taken place and continue to take place around the globe to promote cooperation and sharing in order to carry out a common vision of creating a safe and healthy working environment as a basic means for the development of individuals, business and society.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Safety Training Material
Manual Handling of Materials Training Presentation
Noise & Hearing Conservation Training Material
Noise & Hearing Conservation Training Material
Weekly Safety Slogan
You come into this world tied off, so stayed tied off
You get the level of safety that you are prepared to walk past.
Safety… Did it, done it, doing it tomorrow
The safe way is the best way
Safety…Do It For Family
When in doubt get out
Safety… Do it. Do it right. Do it right now.
You get the level of safety that you are prepared to walk past.
Safety… Did it, done it, doing it tomorrow
The safe way is the best way
Safety…Do It For Family
When in doubt get out
Safety… Do it. Do it right. Do it right now.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Heart Risk and Injury
Nitric Oxide, a gas that occurs naturally in the body, may do more than any prescription drug to prevent heart attack and stroke. Nitric Oxide is essential for healthy circulation. It helps dilate blood vessels, prevent blood clots and regulate blood pressure. It also helps inhibit the accumulation of dangerous arterial plaque. Nitric Oxide helps prevent heart disease and stroke in the following ways: blood vessels expansion and protecting the blood vessels smooth muscle tissue from harmful constriction. This allows the flexibility necessary for blood to circulate with less pressure. Exercise reduces the risk of a heart attack and protects the heart from injury if a heart attack does occur. For years, doctors have been trying to dissect how this second benefit of exercise works, with the aim of finding ways to protect the heart after a heart attack.
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified the ability of the heart to produce and store nitric oxide as an important way exercise protects the heart from injury.Nitric oxide, a short-lived gas generated within the body, turns on chemical pathways that relax blood vessels to increase blood flow and activate survival pathways.
Both the chemical nitrite and nitrosothiols appear to act as reservoirs for nitric oxide in situations where the body needs it, such as a lack of blood flow or oxygen.The Emory team's results, spearheaded by John Calvert and David Lefer, strengthen the case for nitrite and nitrosothiols as possible protectants from the damage of a heart attack.
Nitrosothiols have received much attention in biochemistry because they serve as donors of the nitrosonium ion NO+, and nitric oxide and some organic nitroso derivatives serve as signaling molecules in living systems, especially related to vasodilation. Red blood cells, for instance, release nitrosothiols into the bloodstream under low-oxygen conditions, causing the blood vessels to dilate.
Continues Reading
For Further Information :
http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/stories/2011/05/research_exercise_heart_nitric_oxide.html
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Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified the ability of the heart to produce and store nitric oxide as an important way exercise protects the heart from injury.Nitric oxide, a short-lived gas generated within the body, turns on chemical pathways that relax blood vessels to increase blood flow and activate survival pathways.
Both the chemical nitrite and nitrosothiols appear to act as reservoirs for nitric oxide in situations where the body needs it, such as a lack of blood flow or oxygen.The Emory team's results, spearheaded by John Calvert and David Lefer, strengthen the case for nitrite and nitrosothiols as possible protectants from the damage of a heart attack.
Nitrosothiols have received much attention in biochemistry because they serve as donors of the nitrosonium ion NO+, and nitric oxide and some organic nitroso derivatives serve as signaling molecules in living systems, especially related to vasodilation. Red blood cells, for instance, release nitrosothiols into the bloodstream under low-oxygen conditions, causing the blood vessels to dilate.
Continues Reading
For Further Information :
http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/stories/2011/05/research_exercise_heart_nitric_oxide.html
Please support us and click this link[No spam link]
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Why Inattention Blindness on the Road is a Gorilla of a Problem
Some of the nation’s leading distracted driving researchers have uncovered more information about how distracted drivers experience “inattention blindness” while behind the wheel – and, in the process, learned that not all distracted drivers are created equal.
According to University of Utah psychologists, drivers using cell phones fail to see something right in front of them because they are operating on lower working memory capacity. This is the ability to focus attention when and where it is needed, and on more than one thing at a time. Some drivers, however, may be better able focus their attention on the road even when distracted.
Psychology faculty members Jason Watson, Ph.D., and David Strayer, Ph.D., used a video that was created for earlier inattention blindness research featured in the 2010 book The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris, Ph.D.
Finding the Gorilla
The video depicts six actors passing a basketball, and viewers are asked to count the number of passes. Many people are so intent on counting that they fail to see a person in a gorilla suit stroll across the scene, stop briefly to thump its chest and then walk off.
The study included 197 psychology students, ages 18 to 35, who watched the video after completing a set of math problems to test their working memory capacity. Of the students who noticed the gorilla in the video, researchers only analyzed the video results of students who were at least 80 percent accurate in counting the basketball passes in order to remove potential bias.
A total of 58 percent of participants who counted mostly accurately noticed the gorilla while 42 percent did not. The researchers then considered only the participants who had counted the passes exactly. For those participants, 67 percent with high working memory capacity noticed the gorilla, while only by 36 percent of those with low working memory capacity saw it.
The results suggest that people with high working memory capacity are more likely to see a distraction because they are better able to shift their attention when necessary.
“People who notice the gorilla are better able to focus their attention,” Watson said. “They have a flexible focus in some sense.”
Pay Attention
The study results don’t mean drivers should believe any possible “superior” attention skills give them a pass to talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
According to previous University of Utah research, only 2.5 percent of individuals can drive and talk on a cell phone without impairment. And Strayer has conducted studies showing that inattention blindness explains why motorists can fail to see something right in front of them – like a stop light turning green – because they are distracted by the conversation, and how motorists using cell phones impede traffic and increase their risk of traffic accidents.
Watson explained that while some drivers might have the extra flexibility to notice distractions that can cause accidents, it “doesn’t mean people ought to be self-distracting by talking on a cell phone while driving – even if they have better control over their attention.”
The study appears in the May issue of The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. To watch the gorilla video, visit http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html.
According to University of Utah psychologists, drivers using cell phones fail to see something right in front of them because they are operating on lower working memory capacity. This is the ability to focus attention when and where it is needed, and on more than one thing at a time. Some drivers, however, may be better able focus their attention on the road even when distracted.
Psychology faculty members Jason Watson, Ph.D., and David Strayer, Ph.D., used a video that was created for earlier inattention blindness research featured in the 2010 book The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris, Ph.D.
Finding the Gorilla
The video depicts six actors passing a basketball, and viewers are asked to count the number of passes. Many people are so intent on counting that they fail to see a person in a gorilla suit stroll across the scene, stop briefly to thump its chest and then walk off.
The study included 197 psychology students, ages 18 to 35, who watched the video after completing a set of math problems to test their working memory capacity. Of the students who noticed the gorilla in the video, researchers only analyzed the video results of students who were at least 80 percent accurate in counting the basketball passes in order to remove potential bias.
A total of 58 percent of participants who counted mostly accurately noticed the gorilla while 42 percent did not. The researchers then considered only the participants who had counted the passes exactly. For those participants, 67 percent with high working memory capacity noticed the gorilla, while only by 36 percent of those with low working memory capacity saw it.
The results suggest that people with high working memory capacity are more likely to see a distraction because they are better able to shift their attention when necessary.
“People who notice the gorilla are better able to focus their attention,” Watson said. “They have a flexible focus in some sense.”
Pay Attention
The study results don’t mean drivers should believe any possible “superior” attention skills give them a pass to talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
According to previous University of Utah research, only 2.5 percent of individuals can drive and talk on a cell phone without impairment. And Strayer has conducted studies showing that inattention blindness explains why motorists can fail to see something right in front of them – like a stop light turning green – because they are distracted by the conversation, and how motorists using cell phones impede traffic and increase their risk of traffic accidents.
Watson explained that while some drivers might have the extra flexibility to notice distractions that can cause accidents, it “doesn’t mean people ought to be self-distracting by talking on a cell phone while driving – even if they have better control over their attention.”
The study appears in the May issue of The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. To watch the gorilla video, visit http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html.
Common Mistakes in Confined Space Monitoring
A confined space is no place to "learn as you go." Learn how to avoid these potentially deadly errors in the work world's most dangerous spaces.
Learning from practical, real-world experience often requires learning from your own mistakes. In many cases, this can be an effective way of developing greater levels of competence and understanding in a given subject. Unfortunately, when mistakes are made in confined space monitoring, the cost of this education is often measured in the number of lives lost.
The deadly nature of confined spaces leaves little room for error and even less opportunity to "learn as you go." Learning about some common mistakes before entering a confined space will go a long way toward establishing a workplace air monitoring program based on industry best practices.
Mistake #1 Not knowing OSHA standards and recommendations
It all starts here. Understanding what kind of hazards may be present at your job site involves familiarity with OSHA standards and a working knowledge of its terms and definitions. For example, a confined space as defined in OSHA's confined space standard, 29 CFR 1910.146, is any space that is large enough and configured so that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
When a space meets these criteria, further consideration must be given to determine whether it meets OSHA's definition of a "permit-required" confined space. If a confined space also contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant, has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated or contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard, then additional measures must be taken to safely enter and perform any work within the space.
More than just a glossary of safety terms, OSHA standards also provide a blueprint for procedures and practices that are at the heart of any safety program. In fact many, if not all, mistakes in confined space monitoring could be decreased or eliminated altogether if safety managers and workers simply followed OSHA's standards and recommendations.
Mistake #2 Using your own senses
While it is common knowledge that a number of hazardous gases are both colorless and odorless, many people think they can easily recognize the presence of hydrogen sulfide one of the more common confined space toxic gases. The problem with this deadly gas is that its distinctive "rotten egg" odor is only perceptible at very low concentrations. At higher levels, hydrogen sulfide has a paralyzing effect on your sense of smell. Even at low concentrations, prolonged exposure can dull the olfactory nerves and make it impossible to accurately detect, even if concentrations suddenly increase.
The only way to safely detect a hazardous atmosphere is with a "calibrated direct reading instrument" as described in OSHA's confined space standard 29 CFR 1910.146.
Mistake #3 Disregarding the importance of training
A gas monitor is not the only component of an effective gas detection program. When workers are trained on the operation of the instrument and the procedures for confined space monitoring, the risks involved with this type of work can be greatly diminished. One of the more important benefits of training involves an increased awareness of the potential dangers. Familiarity, complacency and a false sense of security can all lead to abandoning best practices, especially when the time spent working in the space is expected to be minimal. But trained workers know that accidents can happen to anybody and that no matter how much time is spent working in the space, the potential danger remains the same.
A variety of training options from gas monitor manufacturers are available, from video, online and computer-based training to classroom sessions and hands-on learning through confined space simulators. With so many options, including sessions that can be held at your facility, there's no reason that proper training in confined space monitoring should be overlooked.
Continues Reading
Learning from practical, real-world experience often requires learning from your own mistakes. In many cases, this can be an effective way of developing greater levels of competence and understanding in a given subject. Unfortunately, when mistakes are made in confined space monitoring, the cost of this education is often measured in the number of lives lost.
The deadly nature of confined spaces leaves little room for error and even less opportunity to "learn as you go." Learning about some common mistakes before entering a confined space will go a long way toward establishing a workplace air monitoring program based on industry best practices.
Mistake #1 Not knowing OSHA standards and recommendations
It all starts here. Understanding what kind of hazards may be present at your job site involves familiarity with OSHA standards and a working knowledge of its terms and definitions. For example, a confined space as defined in OSHA's confined space standard, 29 CFR 1910.146, is any space that is large enough and configured so that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
When a space meets these criteria, further consideration must be given to determine whether it meets OSHA's definition of a "permit-required" confined space. If a confined space also contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant, has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated or contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard, then additional measures must be taken to safely enter and perform any work within the space.
More than just a glossary of safety terms, OSHA standards also provide a blueprint for procedures and practices that are at the heart of any safety program. In fact many, if not all, mistakes in confined space monitoring could be decreased or eliminated altogether if safety managers and workers simply followed OSHA's standards and recommendations.
Mistake #2 Using your own senses
While it is common knowledge that a number of hazardous gases are both colorless and odorless, many people think they can easily recognize the presence of hydrogen sulfide one of the more common confined space toxic gases. The problem with this deadly gas is that its distinctive "rotten egg" odor is only perceptible at very low concentrations. At higher levels, hydrogen sulfide has a paralyzing effect on your sense of smell. Even at low concentrations, prolonged exposure can dull the olfactory nerves and make it impossible to accurately detect, even if concentrations suddenly increase.
The only way to safely detect a hazardous atmosphere is with a "calibrated direct reading instrument" as described in OSHA's confined space standard 29 CFR 1910.146.
Mistake #3 Disregarding the importance of training
A gas monitor is not the only component of an effective gas detection program. When workers are trained on the operation of the instrument and the procedures for confined space monitoring, the risks involved with this type of work can be greatly diminished. One of the more important benefits of training involves an increased awareness of the potential dangers. Familiarity, complacency and a false sense of security can all lead to abandoning best practices, especially when the time spent working in the space is expected to be minimal. But trained workers know that accidents can happen to anybody and that no matter how much time is spent working in the space, the potential danger remains the same.
A variety of training options from gas monitor manufacturers are available, from video, online and computer-based training to classroom sessions and hands-on learning through confined space simulators. With so many options, including sessions that can be held at your facility, there's no reason that proper training in confined space monitoring should be overlooked.
Continues Reading
Advance Learning Interactive Systems Online
Free Online Courses & Certification. ALISON offers free independent interactive multimedia training courses. Choose from our broad range of courses and start learning today!
Please enjoy the learning and get the knowledge.
Website Link : Alison.com
Weekly Safety Slogan
Safety: expect the unexpected.
You can't get "home" unless you're "safe"
SAFETY: To be or not to be - there's no question about it!
The safety risk is the one you didn't take
Safety... A commitment to yourself.
When everything else fails, follow the instructions.
Safety... You will regret if you forget.
You can't get "home" unless you're "safe"
SAFETY: To be or not to be - there's no question about it!
The safety risk is the one you didn't take
Safety... A commitment to yourself.
When everything else fails, follow the instructions.
Safety... You will regret if you forget.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Japan's Nuclear Plant to Halt Operation, Strains Power Supply
The operator of Japan's Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant agreed to temporarily shut down three reactors today, amid rising concerns about their ability to withstand a powerful earthquake and tsunami.
The decision came days after Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged Chubu Electric, Japan's third-largest power producer, to halt the plant's operations, citing a government study that forecast a magnitude 8.0 quake hitting the Hamaoka area in the next 30 years.
The aging plant located in Shizuoka, 125 miles southwest of Tokyo, sits on a major fault line where nearly 80,000 people live within a six-mile radius.
Safety activists have long questioned Hamaoka's ability to protect its reactors from large waves, but those concerns have grown louder since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami devastated the northeast coast, crippling reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The utility currently relies on sand dunes to block waves, and has said it would take a few years to build a seawall.
"We understand that the prime minister's request is based on increased concerns over nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident," said Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno at a news conference. "We believe that our efforts to strengthen safety will restore trust among people in the region and society."
Chubu Electric will halt two reactors at the plant, while a third, already shut down for regular maintenance, will remain offline indefinitely. Two older reactors were decommissioned in 2009.
Nuclear energy provides more than one-third of Japan's electricity, with Hamaoka's three reactors accounting for more than 10 percent of Chubu's power supply. Shutting down the plant is likely to further strain the country's energy supply, already hurting from the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant.
Hamaoka supplies power to about 16 million people in regions that include Aichi, home to Toyota and Honda car companies.
Continues Reading
The decision came days after Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged Chubu Electric, Japan's third-largest power producer, to halt the plant's operations, citing a government study that forecast a magnitude 8.0 quake hitting the Hamaoka area in the next 30 years.
The aging plant located in Shizuoka, 125 miles southwest of Tokyo, sits on a major fault line where nearly 80,000 people live within a six-mile radius.
Safety activists have long questioned Hamaoka's ability to protect its reactors from large waves, but those concerns have grown louder since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami devastated the northeast coast, crippling reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The utility currently relies on sand dunes to block waves, and has said it would take a few years to build a seawall.
"We understand that the prime minister's request is based on increased concerns over nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident," said Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno at a news conference. "We believe that our efforts to strengthen safety will restore trust among people in the region and society."
Chubu Electric will halt two reactors at the plant, while a third, already shut down for regular maintenance, will remain offline indefinitely. Two older reactors were decommissioned in 2009.
Nuclear energy provides more than one-third of Japan's electricity, with Hamaoka's three reactors accounting for more than 10 percent of Chubu's power supply. Shutting down the plant is likely to further strain the country's energy supply, already hurting from the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant.
Hamaoka supplies power to about 16 million people in regions that include Aichi, home to Toyota and Honda car companies.
Continues Reading
Monday, May 9, 2011
Chernobyl field findings - 25 years later
In the early morning of 26 April 1986, a major nuclear accident occurred in reactor number 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine. The reactor’s explosion and subsequent burning went down in history as the world’s worst civilian nuclear accident to date. The consequences were felt across Europe – and persist even today, 25 years later.
In March 2011, a Greenpeace research team visited several places in Rivnenska and
Zhytomyrska Oblast, Ukraine, to collect samples of food products produced in those areas and which comprise a significant component of the local diet.
More Info : Greenpeace
In March 2011, a Greenpeace research team visited several places in Rivnenska and
Zhytomyrska Oblast, Ukraine, to collect samples of food products produced in those areas and which comprise a significant component of the local diet.
More Info : Greenpeace
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Weekly Safety Slogan
'The Safe Way The Right Way'
'Safety, The Foundation That Never Lets ...'
'Safety, The Measure of Success '
'When disconnecting cords, pull the plug rather than the cord.'
'Safety, The Foundation That Never Lets ...'
'Safety, The Measure of Success '
'When disconnecting cords, pull the plug rather than the cord.'
The 3 R’s to safety
1. Recognize the hazard
You know that feeling you sometimes get in the pit of your stomach when something doesn’t seem quite right? Learn to follow it! While some hazards are easy to spot, there are many hidden hazards that fly under the radar, such as faulty equipment or machinery. You should report all potential hazards as soon as you sense that something is wrong.
2. Report the hazard
Reporting a workplace hazard is the only way the problem can get fixed. After all, your boss isn’t a mind reader. How can something get fixed if he/she doesn’t even know about it? By reporting a hazard you’ll not only be protecting yourself, you’ll also be protecting your co-workers.
3. Remove or resolve the hazard
Once you report a hazard, it’s up to your boss to ensure that the problem gets resolved. This can include everything from adding a protective metal guard, to the installation of proper ventilation; it varies from situation to situation. If the problem isn’t properly addressed, you have the right to refuse to work.
You know that feeling you sometimes get in the pit of your stomach when something doesn’t seem quite right? Learn to follow it! While some hazards are easy to spot, there are many hidden hazards that fly under the radar, such as faulty equipment or machinery. You should report all potential hazards as soon as you sense that something is wrong.
2. Report the hazard
Reporting a workplace hazard is the only way the problem can get fixed. After all, your boss isn’t a mind reader. How can something get fixed if he/she doesn’t even know about it? By reporting a hazard you’ll not only be protecting yourself, you’ll also be protecting your co-workers.
3. Remove or resolve the hazard
Once you report a hazard, it’s up to your boss to ensure that the problem gets resolved. This can include everything from adding a protective metal guard, to the installation of proper ventilation; it varies from situation to situation. If the problem isn’t properly addressed, you have the right to refuse to work.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Healthy Welders May Be at Increased Risk for Early Brain Damage
ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2011) — New research suggests that workers exposed to welding fumes may be at risk for developing brain damage in an area of the brain also affected in Parkinson's disease. The study is published in the April 6, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Fumes produced by welding contain manganese. Manganese is a chemical element that, even at low levels, has been linked to neurologic problems, including Parkinson's disease-like symptoms.
"There are over one million workers who perform welding as part of their job functions in the United States," said Brad A. Racette, MD, with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a Fellow with the American Academy of Neurology. "If a link between neurotoxic effects and these fumes were proven, it would have a substantial public health impact for the U.S. workforce and economy."
The study involved 20 welders with no symptoms of Parkinson's disease, 20 people with Parkinson's disease who were not welders and 20 people who were not welders and did not have Parkinson's. The welders were recruited from two Midwest shipyards and one metal fabrication company. All participants were given brain PET and MRI scans, motor skills tests and examined by a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. The welders had an average of 30,000 hours of lifetime welding exposure. Their average manganese levels were found to be two times the upper limits of normal.
Continues reading
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Managing Safety: Safety Culture: A Matter of Characteristics or Capabilities?
The goal of forming a safety culture is to get better safety results. It could be argued that certain characteristics make a culture more likely to get better results, but the results will come from the culture’s capabilities, not its characteristics.
During World War II, the American military gained a reputation around the world for having a “can do” culture. They tended to quickly identify problems and address them with creativity, tenacity and a lot of teamwork. This culture was seldom described by its characteristics, but it was known for its capabilities and for the results it accomplished.
The quest for safety culture excellence has led some world-class safety organizations to emulate this model. So what are the capabilities that characterize an excellent safety culture and how can these capabilities be cultivated? Below are six capabilities that most commonly have been found among organizations that have an organized approach to safety culture excellence:
Capability 1: The ability to accurately identify problems
In safety, problems are risks. Can the safety culture identify the risks inherent in the workplace and in the work processes?
Risks can involve the physical characteristics of the workplace (conditions), actions of workers to operate the processes (behaviors) or a combination of these factors. A critical skill in safety is “contingency thinking.” For example: If I do this activity in this setting, what risks are present and how could they result in injury?
This type of thinking accomplishes two important objectives: 1) It gets workers thinking upstream from the accident event; and 2) It addresses low-probability risks, which often are more difficult to identify. This capability can be developed in a culture in two ways: Workers receive training in risk identification and compile their findings or the organization completes a professional risk analysis and briefs the workers on the results.
Capability 2: The ability to prioritize
Many safety cultures fail to achieve results simply because they try to do everything at once. A “can do” culture makes progress one step at a time and develops the ability to prioritize the order of these steps. The highest priority is not always the biggest risk or the most frequent accident type. It often is the quick win that will make rapid progress and motivate the improvement effort. It also can be the project that will teach the culture how to solve more complicated problems in the future.
The ability to prioritize is a science with a lot of art interjected throughout. It is factual, but subjective as well. There seldom is an absolute right or wrong decision, but rather several options with advantages and disadvantages. Like many soft skills, it can be taught in formal classroom settings or grown through champions within the culture who have the training or natural abilities.
Continues Reading
During World War II, the American military gained a reputation around the world for having a “can do” culture. They tended to quickly identify problems and address them with creativity, tenacity and a lot of teamwork. This culture was seldom described by its characteristics, but it was known for its capabilities and for the results it accomplished.
The quest for safety culture excellence has led some world-class safety organizations to emulate this model. So what are the capabilities that characterize an excellent safety culture and how can these capabilities be cultivated? Below are six capabilities that most commonly have been found among organizations that have an organized approach to safety culture excellence:
Capability 1: The ability to accurately identify problems
In safety, problems are risks. Can the safety culture identify the risks inherent in the workplace and in the work processes?
Risks can involve the physical characteristics of the workplace (conditions), actions of workers to operate the processes (behaviors) or a combination of these factors. A critical skill in safety is “contingency thinking.” For example: If I do this activity in this setting, what risks are present and how could they result in injury?
This type of thinking accomplishes two important objectives: 1) It gets workers thinking upstream from the accident event; and 2) It addresses low-probability risks, which often are more difficult to identify. This capability can be developed in a culture in two ways: Workers receive training in risk identification and compile their findings or the organization completes a professional risk analysis and briefs the workers on the results.
Capability 2: The ability to prioritize
Many safety cultures fail to achieve results simply because they try to do everything at once. A “can do” culture makes progress one step at a time and develops the ability to prioritize the order of these steps. The highest priority is not always the biggest risk or the most frequent accident type. It often is the quick win that will make rapid progress and motivate the improvement effort. It also can be the project that will teach the culture how to solve more complicated problems in the future.
The ability to prioritize is a science with a lot of art interjected throughout. It is factual, but subjective as well. There seldom is an absolute right or wrong decision, but rather several options with advantages and disadvantages. Like many soft skills, it can be taught in formal classroom settings or grown through champions within the culture who have the training or natural abilities.
Continues Reading
Monday, May 2, 2011
Blackberry Thumb Syndrome
Blackberry Thumb Repetitive Strain Injury
Do your thumbs hurt?
Do you have a Blackberry?
Do you send lots of text messages?
You may have the new injury… Blackberry Thumb!
Repetitive Strain Injuries, or Occupational Overuse Syndrome as it is now termed, may be on the increase with the growing use of small electronic devices such as iPods, Blackberrys and mobile phones.
Computers are continuing to get smaller, despite the fact that this makes them less ergonomic. Notebooks are often described by manufacturers as desktop replacements, while handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Blackberry are increasingly being used by more people.
Mobile phone use, in particular the dramatic rise in texting is also of concern.
Anything that causes repeat motion can predispose someone to injuries of various sorts, whether it is tendonitis or aggravating underlying arthritis. These things can be made worse or even initiated by overuse. Thumb typing is very repetitive, and the keys are so small it makes it difficult to navigate around easily.
If you think of a full size keyboard and the way it is designed for use, your dexterous fingers are used for hitting the letter keys, and your relatively clumsy thumbs for the humble task of striking the space bar. With a PDA or texting on a mobile, this is all reversed.
Another issue is static loading. This means holding your muscles in contraction. When using a PDA, and in particular when texting, you have to stabilise everything and hold something still while making tiny repetitive movements. A lot of people believe repetitive strain injury only happens because of movements you make, whereas in fact holding still is just as big a risk factor. And, with text messaging you are doing both of these things at once.
Various injuries can occur, the most common of these being De Quervains tenosynovitis (tendonitis of the thumb tendons) though other injuries such as trigger finger or thumb, carpel tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow can also be seen.
What to do?
Limit use appropriately
So, don't spend long periods of time emailing from a PDA, it may be more appropriate to get your laptop out or work from your PC instead.
Consider whether the time you are spending texting or emailing could be better used actually phoning someone. Or better still, if they’re in your office, walk there and speak to them!
Hand posture
Every PDA is different, so check your manual for tips on proper hand posture.
The key seems to be the thumbwheel that most PDAs have on the side, the up/down motion is very unnatural and appears to be the culprit in most cases. If you can, find alternatives to the thumbwheel using touchscreen or other navigation keys where available.
Continues Reading
Do your thumbs hurt?
Do you have a Blackberry?
Do you send lots of text messages?
You may have the new injury… Blackberry Thumb!
Repetitive Strain Injuries, or Occupational Overuse Syndrome as it is now termed, may be on the increase with the growing use of small electronic devices such as iPods, Blackberrys and mobile phones.
Computers are continuing to get smaller, despite the fact that this makes them less ergonomic. Notebooks are often described by manufacturers as desktop replacements, while handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Blackberry are increasingly being used by more people.
Mobile phone use, in particular the dramatic rise in texting is also of concern.
Anything that causes repeat motion can predispose someone to injuries of various sorts, whether it is tendonitis or aggravating underlying arthritis. These things can be made worse or even initiated by overuse. Thumb typing is very repetitive, and the keys are so small it makes it difficult to navigate around easily.
If you think of a full size keyboard and the way it is designed for use, your dexterous fingers are used for hitting the letter keys, and your relatively clumsy thumbs for the humble task of striking the space bar. With a PDA or texting on a mobile, this is all reversed.
Another issue is static loading. This means holding your muscles in contraction. When using a PDA, and in particular when texting, you have to stabilise everything and hold something still while making tiny repetitive movements. A lot of people believe repetitive strain injury only happens because of movements you make, whereas in fact holding still is just as big a risk factor. And, with text messaging you are doing both of these things at once.
Various injuries can occur, the most common of these being De Quervains tenosynovitis (tendonitis of the thumb tendons) though other injuries such as trigger finger or thumb, carpel tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow can also be seen.
What to do?
Limit use appropriately
So, don't spend long periods of time emailing from a PDA, it may be more appropriate to get your laptop out or work from your PC instead.
Consider whether the time you are spending texting or emailing could be better used actually phoning someone. Or better still, if they’re in your office, walk there and speak to them!
Hand posture
Every PDA is different, so check your manual for tips on proper hand posture.
The key seems to be the thumbwheel that most PDAs have on the side, the up/down motion is very unnatural and appears to be the culprit in most cases. If you can, find alternatives to the thumbwheel using touchscreen or other navigation keys where available.
Continues Reading
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Statistics and Facts About Distracted Driving
What Is Distracted Driving?
There are three main types of distraction:
•Visual — taking your eyes off the road
•Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
•Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.
While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.
Other distracting activities include:
•Using a cell phone
•Eating and drinking
•Talking to passengers
•Grooming
•Reading, including maps
•Using a PDA or navigation system
•Watching a video
•Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.
Did You Know?
Research on distracted driving reveals some surprising facts:
•20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA).
•Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA)
•In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
•The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
•Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
•Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)
View Entire Article
There are three main types of distraction:
•Visual — taking your eyes off the road
•Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
•Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.
While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.
Other distracting activities include:
•Using a cell phone
•Eating and drinking
•Talking to passengers
•Grooming
•Reading, including maps
•Using a PDA or navigation system
•Watching a video
•Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.
Did You Know?
Research on distracted driving reveals some surprising facts:
•20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA).
•Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA)
•In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
•The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
•Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
•Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)
View Entire Article
Effectiveness of signage
When promoting safety, the use of signage is often not the best choice. Ideally workplaces should eliminate or guard against hazards, instead of relying on a worker to see, understand, and apply a safety message.
If signs are to be used in the workplace, some factors which may influence the effectiveness of signs include:
Viewing distance (Is the worker close enough to the sign to read it?)
Illumination (Is there enough light on the sign?)
Legibility (Are the words and images readable? Are they obscured in any way?)
Clarity of the message (Can the worker understand what the words mean?)
Conspicuity and placement (Does the sign capture the workers attention?)
Image details (Do the images clearly show the danger of certain actions?)
Reading time (How long will it take the worker to read the sign?)
Visual acuity (Is the worker's eyesight good enough to read the sign?)
Perception factors (Does the worker have the background knowledge to understand the sign?)
Below are the two examples of ineffective signage involved in two fatal incidences.
What happened?
In a recent incident, an operator was troubleshooting on a brake pod. He moved underneath the elevated box of the truck to work on the brake pod located in the midsection of the truck. The elevated box then proceeded to slowly lower, crushing the worker, who was unaware of the changing location of the box.
Continues reading
If signs are to be used in the workplace, some factors which may influence the effectiveness of signs include:
Viewing distance (Is the worker close enough to the sign to read it?)
Illumination (Is there enough light on the sign?)
Legibility (Are the words and images readable? Are they obscured in any way?)
Clarity of the message (Can the worker understand what the words mean?)
Conspicuity and placement (Does the sign capture the workers attention?)
Image details (Do the images clearly show the danger of certain actions?)
Reading time (How long will it take the worker to read the sign?)
Visual acuity (Is the worker's eyesight good enough to read the sign?)
Perception factors (Does the worker have the background knowledge to understand the sign?)
Below are the two examples of ineffective signage involved in two fatal incidences.
What happened?
In a recent incident, an operator was troubleshooting on a brake pod. He moved underneath the elevated box of the truck to work on the brake pod located in the midsection of the truck. The elevated box then proceeded to slowly lower, crushing the worker, who was unaware of the changing location of the box.
Continues reading
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