Environmental Health and Safety Update

SafetySkills is offering the public not only important safety tips to keep you and your family safe while traveling this holiday season, but also their Hazardous Driving Conditions course completely free of charge (http://www.safetyskills.com/winter-driving).

Here are some tips to keep your road trip as smooth as possible.

1. Check the weather and know how to drive in bad weather safely before going out.

75% of winter weather related deaths are due to driving in dangerous weather. Only venture out it bad weather if you have to and take SafetySkills Hazardous Driving course free at http://www.safetyskills.com/winter-driving.

2. Winterize your vehicle.

Make sure all vehicle maintenance is up to date and stock your vehicle full of self-sustainable technologies and supplies (first aid kit, blankets, bottled water, flashlights, etc.)

3. Pay Attention.

Don’t get distracted. Driver distraction is becoming the most dangerous issue affecting the roads today. In 2008, 500,000 car accidents and 6,000 deaths were caused by driver distraction. Combine a distracted driver with hazardous weather and you have got a huge problem on your hands.

4. Never drink and drive.

There is really isn’t much need to elaborate. Everyone knows that driving while intoxicated impairs your judgement and reaction time. Just don’t do it.

5. Drive as much as possible when the sun is shining.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council (NSC), driving deaths are 3 times more likely to occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Try to travel during the day as much as possible.

No one wants to spend their holiday dinner surrounded by the fire department. Safety in the kitchen can save your and your loved ones from one of the biggest dangers of the holiday season, kitchen fires.

SafetySkills has provided the public with these safety tips for the kitchen:

Never leave food unattended while cooking.

The number one cause of kitchen fires is leaving cooking food unattended.

Keep all flammable objects away from heat sources.

Roll up long sleeves and keep all cloth items (pot holders, dishtowels, etc.) away from the stove and oven.

Limit the number of people in the kitchen.

Only fit as many people in the kitchen as there is space to work safely. Too many people can cause accidents and items to be knocked over, starting a fire.

Keep your kitchen clean.

Leftover food and grease can easily catch fire in burners, ovens, pots and pans.

Work carefully with grease and oil.

Grease fires can start and grow rapidly the hotter they get. Watch the temperature and put out a grease fire by smothering it with lids to pots and pans. Never use water to put out a grease fire, water will make the fire spread.

If a fire starts, call 911.

If your home fire extinguisher can’t do the trick when needing to put out a fire, immediately call 911 and evacuate.

It’s safe to say that when you think of Black Friday, you think about tons of sales to save you money on holiday shopping. Unfortunately, some of these savings come with a high price. Last year on Black Friday a Wal-Mart security guard was trampled to death by overly eager shoppers trying to make the most out of the potential savings that awaited them. This particular incident received news coverage all over the U.S. and even internationally in hopes of getting people to realize that no amount of financial savings is worth someone’s life.

But apparently not everyone got the message. There have been multiple reports of violent incidents occurring across the country just to save a buck. In a Sheboygan, Wisconsin Wal-Mart this morning police were called in a scuffle broke out over discounted GPS units. Another case in Centennial, Colorado Toys ‘R’ Us resulted in a 78-year-old woman being thrown to the floor. 14 Police patrol cars were called to another Toys ‘R’ Us in Jantzen Beach, Oregon when a physicla dispute took place amongst 100 shoppers who had been waiting since midnight.

Shoppers also need to be aware of the added risk that lies ahead of them on the road. Contrary to popular belief  the most dangerous holiday to be driving is not New Years’ but actually Thanksgiving. This is not that surprising when you put all elements into consideration and can be used when driving during the rest of the holiday season:

• Hazardous weather conditions
• Rushing for time = Speeding
• Celebrations = Drinking and Driving
• Overall courtesy that is shown during the holiday time on the road = Road Rage
• Driver Distraction

The one thing to learn from all of this is that Thanksgiving is a time to show gratitude for what you have, not to hurt others in order to get what you want.

This video won’t teach anyone to park a car, but it definitely lets us know that we are surrounded by dummies who need to take a driver safety course or two. This driver, a 62 year-old woman, was arrested after completing this stellar parking job and leaving the scene of the crime. This video reminds us all that driver safety is extremely important because this could have been a tragic situation if the owners of those cars were inside.

For most people, thoughts of lasers go to the cool special effects of hollywood blockbusters. Honestly, how many little boys wanted to be Luke Skywalker fighting with his light saber? More than I could possibly count. But on a serious point, lasers are used in many different ways in the real world. Medical procedures, manufacturing and mechanical production are just a few. When you think about the fact that tumors are being removed and people are getting 20/20 vision all because of a laser is pretty incredible. But if a laser can do all of that, the potential dangers in the event of a mistake should get your attention. Lasers are used more and more and learning proper laser safety training is a must for any business to avoid accidents. Knowing this, SafetySkills Laser Safety course, http://www.safetyskills.com/laser-safety-training, is the best way for any employer and employee to stay safe on the job using this type of technology.

This course teaches learners the basic principles of laser operations and three essential laser components, how to identify major types of lasers, beam-related and non-beam-related hazards associated with laser operation and the controls used to eliminate or minimize laser related hazards. It also allows grown adults to shoot lasers at UFOs during the competency sections of the course, which is pretty cool if you ask me.

According to a poll done by Harvard, only 4 out of 10 adults are definitely getting the H1N1 virus vaccine when it becomes available this year. This number rises slightly, 6 out of 10, when asked if they would get the vaccination in the event that their community members were sick or dying from the virus.

Some might find these results shocking, but when the 1976  national influenza campaign gone wrong is put in perspective it makes complete sense. This campaign ended with blood on the hands of the government. The disease never spread as expected and 500 of those who were vaccinated developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, resulting in the 25 deaths. Knowing this and the effects that have been linked to countless other vaccinations, it’s only natural that people, especially parents, would be concerned about vaccinating themselves and their children.

But with all that said, there is still a great risk being expressed by experts about the dangers of swine flu. It is still expected to become a major problem and everyone should decide how they want to handle the situation. For those who would like the vaccination, contact your medical professional about the vaccine and when it will be available to you. For those who choose not to be vaccinated, be extremely aware of the other prevention methods you can take to avoid getting swine flu.

Everywhere you go all you see and hear is the need to go green. Green cars, green houses, green foods and clothing (aka organic), green cleaning products, if it exists there is probably a way to make it green. So it only seems logical that education and training courses would jump on the bandwagon. Online education and training courses are becoming extremely popular and cheaper than the traditional classroom method.

Perks of online education and training:

• Can be done anywhere at anytime
• Saves thousands of trees with online testing and record keeping
• Lessens gas consumption which is better for the environment and your wallet
• No building or utility costs
• No trainer costs
• Takes less time to complete

Companies worldwide have realized the benefits of using green training. This method allows employers to train their employees at anywhere and anytime with the most current content. On top of the fact that less time is spent by employees in training and more time working, it saves businesses by financially by the cost cuts that go with this change. Companies like Dell, Yahoo, Goldman Sachs and even the country of Norway have committed to going carbon neutral and are reaping the benefits, not only through the PR that it brings in but with the money saved.

Watch this online  How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint demo to learn more about how it can save the environment and your company.

How often do you put your life on the line for work? Well, if you’re like most of us, the answer would be zero. If you’re a firefighter you would say, well I don’t know what you would say but it would be a lot. Which is why firefighters should take advantage of National Firefighter Health Week, August 17 – 21.

It’s not very often that you get an entire week devoted to getting special perks for having a particular job and if anyone deserves it, its firefighters. Firefighters are more likely to die while putting out the flames of a burning building from a heart attack than any other cause. Having a heart attack while in that situation could lead to a chain reaction causing injury or death of other firefighters. Spend this week starting to take care of yourself. Go to the gym, start eating healthier foods, quit smoking, get a checkup, whatever will make you feel healthier and ready to go. Being at your very best is crucial when performing a dangerous job.

www.healthy-firefighter.org

www.nfvc.org

http://www.firelink.com/news/articles/8219-usfa-supports-national-firefighter-health-week-august-17-21

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.