Allergies, Antihistamines & Drowsiness Spring is here! It is time to put away the heavy coats and break out the sunglasses. But the weather conditions that lead to "spring fever" also give rise to another affliction that affects many of us-hay fever. Hay fever can make those who are sensitive to pollen miserable, interfering with work and play. Fortunately, modern medicine has developed drugs which give temporary relief from hay fever's common symptoms. As users of antihistamines and decongestants know, however, there are side effects to these over-the-counter drugs. The side effects most often experienced is drowsiness. A Gallup survey of allergy sufferers...

Reporting And Investigating An Accident A good accident investigation tries to answer these questions: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? Why did it happen? How can it be prevented from happening again? When these questions are answered for all accidents and near misses, patterns often emerge and preventable causes are often discovered. But the patterns may not be true unless information acquired during the investigation is complete and accurate. The observations of co-workers, as well as from employees that were directly involved, can be critical. It helps if everyone will: Make mental or written notes...

Safety And Your Supervisor Is job safety important to you? Some people will say yes right away. Others may feel differently, at least when this question is first posed. But survival and avoidance of pain is a basic instinct for all. You may say that safety isn't important to you, but just wait until you get hurt. At that time, I'll bet you will think differently. Safety does not just happen. Remember the old adage, if something can go wrong, it will. We must work to make things happen right; that is, in a safe manner. But one person cannot do this...

Hazard Recognition I've never met a worker who intentionally injured himself or herself. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, many workers are seriously injured each year and many people still believe that accidents "just happen." But, accidents do not just happen! What Goes Wrong? Usually, an error that is within the control of one or more people is at the bottom of things. Often, several errors take place, at the same time, for an accident to occur. So when we analyze accidents, we should focus on which aspects of a task were controlled and which were not. Assuming that workers have been...

Motion Injuries - General Safety Taking the time to think about everyday tasks and their affects on our bodies is a good way to prevent injuries. The following scenarios will demonstrate how inadequate planning leads to pain and disability, affecting on- and off-the-job activities. At the breakfast table you rush to clean everything up before going to work. You stretch awkwardly across the table to lift your infant baby out of the highchair. Half standing, you start to lift your baby, but then stop, reacting to a sharp pain in your back. Instead of using your leg muscles to lift, you used...

Office Safety Practices It is amazing how many people who work in offices take safety for granted. Most people think of a construction site or factory when they think of safety. Well, that's not the way it should be. Granted, construction sites and factories are potentially extremely dangerous; but offices can be too, especially when no one considers office safety. Let's review some of the situations that increase exposure to injury and what we can do about them. Avoid walking and reading at the same time. If it is important enough to read, then stop and read it. Never leave file cabinets...

Emergency! Where's The Fire Extinguisher? As you walk toward the maintenance shop, you smell something burning and see light gray smoke coming from the window. You run into the shop and find the contents of the plastic trash can burning. What will you do? What is burning in the trash can? Where is the closest fire extinguisher? What type of extinguisher is it? Is the fire too big for you to put out? Do you even need a fire extinguisher? Are there people in the shop that should be warned of the danger? These are questions that should be going through your...

Everyone Is Responsible For Safety Safety is everyone's responsibility! As an employee, you should: Learn to work safely and take all rules seriously. Recognize hazards and avoid them. Report all accidents, injuries and illness to your supervisor immediately. Inspect tools before use to avoid injury. Wear all assigned personal protective equipment. On the other hand, it is management's responsibility to: Provide a safe and healthy workplace. Provide personal protective equipment. Train employees in safe procedures and in how to identify hazards. Everyone must be aware of potential hazards on the job: Poor housekeeping results in slips, trips and falls. Electricity can cause...

Common Sense And Accident Prevention Generally speaking, we are not born with common sense, we acquire it throughout life. Actually, common sense is really common experience--we learn about life from others' experiences as well as our own. Awareness of your environment, self-preservation and concern for your fellow workers are all factors in good common sense. Contrary to popular opinion, all workers can prevent themselves from getting hurt. The easy way to avoid pain is to observe how others have taken risks and been injured, rather than learning the hard way--from your own injury. That's common sense! The experts say at least 80%...

Stairs And Walkways Stairs and walkways in all businesses can be the cause of injury accidents. These passageways do not typically get the maintenance they need since they are "only" access ways and not production areas. Here are ten safety tips to help eliminate exposures at your company. Always keep one hand free to use the handrails, both up and down the stairways. Keep all stairs and walkways clear of debris and potentially slippery substances such as; ice, snow, water, oil, or grease. Keep passageways free of tools, equipment and other materials. Always practice good housekeeping in these non-production areas. When...