Environmental Health and Safety Update

Summer is coming to a close and parents are busy getting their children prepared for going back to school. This is usually the time of year where young children are experiencing a mix of emotions ranging between excitement and nervousness, but now it’s their parents that have something to worry about. Experts say that the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, could make a comeback when kids head back to school.

Here are a list of things that you can do to reduce risk of infection.

1. Do your research.

Learn about the H1N1 virus and what precautions you should be taking yourself. The Center for Disease Control (CDC.gov) is a great resource on the latest information about health threats. You can also take SafetySkills free Flu Symptoms and Prevention Strategies course. This free online course includes vital information about swine flu and how to protect yourself from infection. After taking this course, recommend it to other parents and your children’s daycare or school staff members.

2. Be clean.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people do not perform simple cleansing chores that could save them and their family members from getting sick.

• Use proper cleaning supplies in your kitchen and bathrooms, but don’t over do it with the bleach. That will cause a whole new health problem.
• Take out the trash in a timely fashion. This will prevent insect infestation and mold, plus it’s not the best smell to have in your home.
• Always use anti-bacterial soap and carry anti-bacterial gel (such as Purell) in your purse, car, etc.
• Keep tissues available in every room of your home.
• Make washing hands fun for kids – have them sing their ABC’s while washing to ensure that they have done it long enough, they’ll love it!
• Use anti-bacterial sprays around the house, like Febreeze. It really does help.

3. Ask your child’s teacher and daycare center administrator what they are doing to prevent the spread of infection.

As a parent, I know that I feel guilty enough about leaving my child at her pre-school everyday without needing to worry about if she is going to come home with a dangerous case of the flu. Having a good relationship with your child’s teachers and caregivers is extremely important for many reasons, but especially when it comes to being aware of how they are protecting your child. If you do not feel satisfied with their approach, give them a recommendation of what you would like for them to use or consider moving your child to another daycare or school that fits your criteria.

4. Use common sense.

Obviously if your child is sick, do not send your child to school. This spreads illness and it turns into an endless cycle of misery. If your child appears to have more than just a case of the sniffles, make an appointment with your pediatrician. Remember to keep your house as clean as possible when anyone in the household is sick to reduce the chances of others in the home coming down with it.

If anyone has any helpful tips to give other parents or child caregivers, please leave a comment below. Thanks.

Now I remember learning about fire safety as a child in school, but for some reason those lessons are not always retained. Luckily, Candace Quinn’s new book I Survived a House Fire…I Wish My Stuff Had is a great reminder of a luxury we all take for granted.  Here is a quick and simple recap of fire safety from her book, fireSafety.gov and SafetySkills Basic Fire Safety course.

1. Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are the simpliest, easiest and most effective way to save lives in a fire. Unfortunately, 2/3 of deaths in a home fire are because the home did not have a working smoke alarm or a smoke alarm at all. In order to reduce your risk during a fire do as follows:

• Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home or business and near all sleeping areas.
• Replace batteries at least once a year and your smoke alarm every 10 years.
• Perform a monthly smoke alarm test.
• Avoid placing smoke alarms near bathrooms, heating appliances, windows or ceiling fans.

2. Escape Plans

The next most vital part of fire safety is having an escape plan. All you need to do is think of every possible way to exit your home or business. Think of every alternative because the most likely exit may be blocked. Think of every door and window as a potential exit.

• Practice an escape plan from every room twice a year.
• Try to create 2 escape routes from each room.
• Practice your plan during both daylight and evening hours.
• Designate a specific meeting place away from the home.
• Designate one person to go to the nearby telephone to call the fire department.

3. Practice Fire Safety

Practicing fire safety is the best way to avoid a fire occurring in the first place. Fires can start anywhere and at anytime, so safe habits are always a good idea.

• Check all appliances and electrical equipment for frayed cords
• Never leave food unattended while cooking
• Have professionals regularly check heating and electrical equipment
• Never smoke a cigarette in bed or without an ashtray
• Never leave burning candles unattended.

4. Prepare

• Install and routinely check smoke alarms
• Install fire escape ladders to rooms on upper levels
• Place fire extinguishers in kitchens and other locations with potential fire sources
• Install fire blankets
• Use electrical outlet covers on unused outlets
• Purchase home owners or rental insurance to protect valuables
• Keep documentation of all valuables – important paperwork, pictures, receipts – in a fireproof safe
• Install indoor fire sprinklers – commercial and residential

5. What to do After a Fire

• Contact your local American Red Cross, Salvation Army or other local disaster relief service to get temporary food, shelter and other necessities.
• Contact your insurance company and locate important documentation. Insurance usually covers all necessities during this difficult time, so know your coverage.
• Replace documentation and records if unable to recover.
• Find a support system to vent your feelings about your experience – friends, family, support groups, therapists, online forums, etc.

Workplace safety can appear very daunting for many employers. Creating a safe work environment for workers is not only morally right, but also a legal right in this country. There are many important tools available to ensure that all of the necessary precautions are taken to avoid and reduce accidents in the workplace.

1. Hazard Assessment/Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Hazard assessment or job safety analysis (JSA) helps identify potential safety risks in the workplace and what measures should be taken to avoid these hazards.

2. Implementing controls at work stations

Implementing safety controls and devices to work stations based on the findings of your JSA will reduce the occurrence of workplace accidents. This includes built-in safety devices, such as a chemical eyewash station, or requiring employees to wear hard hats and protective eye wear on the job. This year alone, 78% of eye injuries were due to a lack of protective eye wear.

3. Provide proper safety training to employees.

View training as an investment. The better the training your employees receive, the less likely an incident will occur. Many employers forgo educating their workers on topics that could potential save them thousands in workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits.

Today there are more choices than ever when it comes to safety training. Many employers think the only option is the traditional classroom setting, but thanks to technology – online training is the quickest, easiest, cheapest and most environmentally conscious choice. Many online safety training companies offer their own tracking systems to alleviate the administrative burden from employers and some offer free courses (safetyskills.com) or trials. But always make sure that your training provider is IACET certified and has the proper credentials.

Whatever type of training is chosen, setting high standards of training completion on employees is crucial and any incidents of negligence by an employee should be deemed unacceptable. This ensures your financial security as a company, as well as the safety of all of your workers.

4. Staying current.

Keeping up with the latest guidelines and trends in safety is very time consuming, but necessary. OSHA sets the standard in safety. If an employer doesn’t have time for this task, finding a training provider that does is the best route to take.

It is also important to pay attention to any news coverage about emerging workplace safety issues. For instance, incidents of Heat Stress have become more and more common resulting in heat-related illness and death. Providing training on Heat Stress is a new trend that is becoming necessary, especially for those who work outdoors.

Besides training, all gear and equipment should be regularly maintenance and replaced when it becomes outdated or a potential hazard. This is another topic that has been in newsstands across the country due to the recent metro tragedy in Washington, D.C. It was reported that the metro train that crashed needed to be replaced for a newer model, which would have saved the lives of many.

5. Refresher courses.

Like any student who finishes a class, sometimes a refresher course is needed down the road. Issues in safety are constantly changing because our technology keeps advancing. This also means that with new advancements means new problems. Giving refresher courses every year is a great way to reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents.

SafetySkills Offers Police Departments $1300 of free safety training

As a token of appreciation for police officers, SafetySkills is offering 100 free training credits to Police Department nationwide that signs up to use SafetySkills™ Direct online training in August, 2009. 

SafetySkills offers Bloodborne Pathogens, Basic First Aid and a Basic CPR Refresher course.  Each of these courses has a printable completion certificate for each police officer that successfully completes an online course. 

All SafetySkills courses satisfy OSHA training requirements.  The complete SafetySkills course catalog has over 100 pre-packaged courses that can be assigned immediately after registering for a SafetySkills Direct account.

Go to http://safetyskills.com/registration/ to sign up.  Please mention that you heard about SafetySkills from a Law Enforcement Magazine before August 30, 2009 to receive 100 training credits for your police department.   These credits will not expire and can be used immediately, or a year from now.

Training programs are a necessary part of any organization to ensure employee safety. Unfortunately, this training can sometimes be costly and for nonprofit organizations it may interfere with the funds needed to support their mission. For nonprofits in this situation the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program is here.

This grant program was set in place to honor Susan Harwood, a woman who spent 17 years of her life as the director of Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA’s Health Standards Directorate.  She spent her career developing OSHA standards that consequently saved the lives and reduced injuries of employees across the United States.

Any nonprofit organization that is not an agency of State or local government is eligible to receive funding, including community and faith-based organizations. But all applications are due Friday, July 24^th, 2009 by 4:30 p.m. E.T.

This grant will cover safety training in:

Concrete Products

Construction

Emergency Preparedness

Excavation

General Industry

Landscaping

Lead

Safety and Health Management

Workplace Violence

To add bang to your buck – all recipients of the Susan Harwood Training Grant will also receive 20% off on all SafetySkills courses and have unlimited access to our free Basic Awareness Series to any number of employees. To receive these discounts use coupon code: shtgrant or contact us at (888) 844-3549.

Go to http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/sharwood.html to learn more about the grant and apply!