Category: Safety

Thanksgiving Day has more than double the number of home cooking fires than an average day according to the U.S. Fire Administration. In fact, each year more than 4,000 fires occur on Thanksgiving Day.

“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of Thanksgiving Day home fires, and it’s easy to understand why,” said Red Cross preparedness expert Heidi Taylor. “People can easily become distracted and lose track of what’s happening in the kitchen when they are enjoying spending time with family and friends.”

To help prevent home fires this Thanksgiving, the Red Cross suggests the following tips:

• Keep potholders and food wrappers at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking
• Wear tighter fitting clothing with shorter sleeves when cooking
• Make sure all stoves, ovens, and ranges have been turned off when you leave the kitchen
• Set timers to keep track of turkeys and other food items that require extended cooking times
• Turn handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents
• After guests leave, designate a responsible adult to walk around the home making sure that all candles and smoking materials are extinguished

Even with the best preparation and precautions, accidents can happen. Thanksgiving is high time for cooking related burns. Minor burns can be treated easily if you remember to save the butter for the rolls and not a burn. For a superficial burn, cool the area by running it under cold water until the heat eases and then loosely cover the burn with a sterile dressing.

Courtesy American Red Crosshttps://safetytoolboxtopics.com/Seasonal/thanksgiving-fire-prevention-safety.html

 Safety Toolbox Talk Webmaster

 Behavioral Safety

A worker received an electric shock on a piece of equipment he was using. He was not injured, and he did not report the incident. A few days later another worker also received a shock from the same defective equipment and again did not report the problem. Within days a third worker also received an electrical shock which caused severe injury.

This true story illustrates what can happen when we ignore close calls in the workplace. A close call is a chance to identify a hazard and correct it before someone is seriously injured or killed.

We have all had many experiences with close calls or near misses in our everyday lives. The best thing we can do is to pay attention to them and learn from them. For example, most of us have slipped while rushing down the stairway. We may have caught ourselves before falling and then resolve to slow down in the future. Another example is pulling out to pass when driving and being faced with an on-coming car. We quickly pull back into our own lane and tell ourselves next time we will make sure it is safe before we try to pass.

In both instances, there was the potential for a serious accident, but we were lucky. We have learned something by close calls and will probably be more aware in the future.

Close calls in the workplace serve the same function. They give us an opportunity to recognize that something is wrong and to do something about it before you or someone gets hurt.

Be sure to report near misses. You could help prevent injury to yourself or a coworker.

 Safety Toolbox Talk Webmaster

 Behavioral Safety

The importance of looking out for one another’s safety is truly a sign of a mature and dedicated working environment. It’s one thing to look out for your own safety but it takes it to a whole different level when you are committed to the point of looking out for your coworker’s safety also.

How about you?

• Do you guide coworkers on the correct way to complete a task safety when you see they are doing something unsafely?
• Are you willing to approach a coworker on safety?
• Are you afraid of confrontation?
• Is their safety worth that risk?

Early next Sunday morning most of those in the United States will turn their clocks back one hour for the end of Daylight Saving Time. Most of us think: “Fantastic! I get another hour of sleep”; and yes you will. However, there is a huge difference between the “society clock” and the “biological clock” we all work from. During such time changes there is statistically an increase in safety incidents.

With the end of daylight savings time comes an increase of darkness around the time of rush hour, when traffic is at a peak and many are making our way home from work. Drivers aren’t used to the decreased visibility – nor are pedestrians, who might take chances crossing roads when they shouldn’t.

Pedestrians walking around at dusk are nearly three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars in the days following the end of daylight saving time than just before the time change. A study of seven years of nationwide traffic fatalities was conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, calculating the risk per mile walked for pedestrians. The study found that the per-mile risk jumps 186 percent from October to November.

The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) has done studies proving that auto accidents increase after the clocks fall back an hour. Besides the lack of visibility, the NRSF notes that commuting in the dark can also make drivers drowsier than usual. According to some health studies, changes in waking time coupled with the earlier onset of darkness throws off our internal clocks. This increases driving risks, primarily because in our 24/7 society, we have a fundamental problem of already being sleep deprived.

The end of daylight saving time can leave many feeling fatigued, which can pose safety risks both at home and in the workplace. Some things to keep in mind when switching back to standard time are:

 
Fatigue — Studies suggest that it takes people who work traditional hours several days to fully readjust their sleep schedule after the time change. While it may seem a welcome gift to get an extra hour of sleep as opposed to losing an hour in the spring, there is a physiological consequence to changing our clocks. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit sluggish during the first week or so of November.

Accidents — Evidence suggests that time changes increase safety problems both at work and at home. Just being aware of the increased risk of accidents in the period immediately following the time change may help you stay alert. Try to avoid building up a sleep debt in the days before the change.

Safety professionals have long used the start and end of daylight-saving time as reminders for performing recurring safety tasks. Use the occasion of setting your clocks back as a cue to:

• Check and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Ensure they are working properly and replace the batteries. As the cold sets in and many start up their gas-fired furnaces, fireplaces, portable unit heaters and the like for the first time, carbon monoxide poisoning risks increase dramatically during this time of year. Replace any smoke alarm unit that is older than 10 years. Replace any CO alarm unit that is older than 5 years.
• Prepare a winter emergency kit for your automobile. Such kits can be a lifesaver if you are stuck out in bad weather while driving. They should include items such as: warm clothes, blanket, flashlight, batteries, water, non-perishable snacks, shovel, flares, reflective hazard triangle, jumper cables, cat litter or sand for traction, ski hat and gloves.
• Check to see if your fire extinguishers need recharging. Check the small gauge at the top of the extinguisher. If the needle in that gauge is in the green, chances are, the extinguisher is okay. If it is in the red, you need to have the extinguisher recharged.