Environmental Health and Safety Update

Some holiday shopping traditions start as soon as the Thanksgiving dinner is cleared off the table. Before the turkey is even digested the shopping mission is being plotted out. SafetySkills™ would like to kick off the shopping season with some important personal safety shopping tips.

• Do not carry all your cash and credit cards out with you, carry only what you will use that day
• Consider using a one time or multiuse prepaid credit card
• Lock all purchases in your trunk – do not leave them visible
• Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet in a front pocket
• Have your keys in your hand when you are heading out into the parking lot
• Make sure you park in a well-lit area
• Check the back seat and the area around the car before getting in
• If shopping with children, make sure you have a plan and a meeting spot in case you get separated
• Only buy what you can physically carry
• Make sure you have a cell phone available
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Be well rested
• Be courteous

Black Friday is considered the unofficial start to the holiday season but unfortunately it also brings out thieves, pickpockets and others that are looking to take advantage of unsuspecting shoppers. Though most people shop safely on Black Friday but it pays to be aware of what is going on around you and to have a plan if an emergency situation develops.  SafetySkills™ hopes that you stay safe and have a great holiday weekend!

SafetySkills™ is starting off November with showcasing another free course of the month. This month’s free course is Hazardous Materials Transportation, Introduction. This free course is available to individuals or companies looking for online safety training. To view the course, you must create an account. The account is free and the course is free and the certificate of completion is also free.  Why do we offer free training? Because we hope you find SafetySkills™ so effective and easy to use that you choose us for all of your compliance training needs.

More than 800,000 hazardous material shipments occur every day – 365 days a year. Commerce involving hazardous materials contributes more than $446 billion to the US economy annually. It is an important part of everyone’s daily life. Persons involved in the packaging, marking, labeling, and transporting of hazardous materials must be familiar with the proper handling and safeguarding of hazardous materials as prescribed in the Hazardous Materials Regulations, or HMR. This free course is designed to give HAZMAT employees a general awareness of the requirements of the HMR.

Hazardous Materials Transportation,Introduction can be used to fulfill the requirements of 49 CFR 174(a)(1) for the general awareness/familiarization training. After the completion of the course you will be able to summarize which packages and containers the HMR apply to, what training is required and what the possible penalties are for violating the HMR. Employers may also be interested in all the courses available in our Hazardous Materials (DOT) Training Series.

To check out all of our over 200 OSHA, EPA and DOT compliant courses, visit us at http://safetyskills.com/