Category: Safety

Heat Stress Safety Talk

Heat stress can be a killer on the job site and at home. According to the CDC, an average of 702 heat-related deaths occur in the United States annually. Additionally, there are 67,512 emergency department visits due to heat annually, on average. Outside of the direct consequences such as heat stroke, heat stress can cause incidents on the job due to loss of focus or excessive fatigue.

Heat-Related Illnesses
(Source: www.WebMD.com)

Heat Cramps: Are painful, brief muscle cramps. Muscles may spasm or jerk involuntarily. Heat cramps can occur during exercise or work in a hot environment, or begin a few hours later.

Heat Exhaustion: There are two types of heat exhaustion. 1. Water depletion- Signs include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and loss of consciousness. 2. Salt depletion- Signs include nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, and dizziness.

Heat Stroke– Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures — usually in combination with dehydration — which leads to failure of the body’s temperature control system.

Medical Response

If anyone is displaying symptoms of a heat-related illness, it is important to get them the proper medical attention they need before the problem turns into heat stroke. For people displaying symptoms of heat exhaustion, have them stop work and get to a shaded area. The affected person needs to consume water or electrolyte-replacing sports drinks. The person should not return to work the rest of the day.

For anyone who is displaying symptoms of a heat stroke, immediate medical attention is needed. Delaying calling 911 could result in irreversible injuries or death. Symptoms of heat stroke include fainting, throbbing headache, dizziness, lack of sweating, vomiting, or behavioral changes such as confusion. The person should be cooled down immediately in a shaded area or indoors. DO NOT put ice-cold water on the victim, as this can cause shock. Use cool water to lower the body temperature of the victim. Remove any unnecessary clothing and fan the victim until medics arrive.

Safe Work Practices to Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses

• Allow for acclimatization to a hot environment before any strenuous work begins. It takes roughly two weeks for an individual to acclimate to a hot environment.
• Drink plenty of water during strenuous activities, especially in hot environments. An average person sweats between roughly 27 oz. to 47 oz. per hour during intense labor. To put that amount into perspective, an average water bottle holds 16.9oz.
• Take frequent breaks in the shade or indoors where there is AC.

Summary

Take heat stress seriously. Know the signs and symptoms of heat stress. Have a plan to get the proper medical attention for any individual displaying symptoms of heat stress. When dealing with heat stroke especially, it may mean the difference between life and death.

Heat Stress

Distractions Created by Smartphones Even When Not in Use Safety Talk

Smartphones have completely changed the way we are able to live our lives, in many ways for the better. Their use, however, can also create hazardous situations. Smartphones are a huge distraction, from simply walking down the street and texting to taking the eyes of a driver off the road for hundreds of feet of travel at a time. While it is a well-known fact that actively using a smartphone (or a regular cellphone) distracts you from other tasks at hand, research is coming out that shows there are negative effects from just having your smartphone in the area near you.

The Distractions of Smartphone Use

Today’s modern world is arguably busier and more distracting than ever before. Add smartphones into the mix, and you are guaranteed to lack focus on things occurring around you. It is obvious that using these devices while completing other tasks is distracting, but the studies that show that they can negatively affect cognitive abilities even when not in use may surprise you.

A Study Looking at the Effects of a Smartphone in Our Presence

An article published by the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research reported study findings that indicated the mere presence of an individual’s own smartphone affected test scores that targeted attention and problem-solving. More specifically, the two measures of cognitive capacity focused on in the study were “available working memory capacity” and “functional fluid intelligence.”  The researchers asked participants to place their smartphone in one of three places. The three places were (1) in sight on the desk they were working at, (2) in their pocket/ bag, or (3) in another room completely.

Even though the smartphones did not receive any notifications or alerts during the testing process, it was shown that the individuals who had their phones on their desk where they could see them did worse on the test than those individuals who had it in their pocket or bag. Furthermore, the individuals who had the phone in their pocket or bag performed worse than those individuals who had their phone in another room.

The researchers also asked participants after the testing process how much they were thinking about their smartphone during the test. The most common response was “not at all” even though the test scores clearly showed a relationship between how close the phone was to the participants and the score received on the test. The researchers came to the conclusion that an individual does not have to be actively thinking about their smartphone for it to affect cognitive capacity when it is around them.

Summary

It can be frightening to think of the negative effects technology can have on our brains. While the majority of individuals recognize the dangers of using a cellphone while completing tasks, many do not realize the impact of just having a smartphone in our presence can have on our ability to focus and problem solve. When completing tasks that require your full focus, consider putting your cellphone in a different area where it will not serve as a distraction for you.

Distractions Created by Smartphones When Not in Use

Top Five Reasons to Work Safely Today (Safety Talk)

We all have different reasons for why we choose to do certain things and why we may not choose to do others. When it comes to working safely, we should all want to make the right decision. We are all different in the way we think, but there are many common reasons why we should choose to work safely. No matter what your motivator may be, keep these five reasons in mind as to why we should all strive to prioritize health and safety and thus, work safely.

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Top Five Reasons to Work Safely

1. Your health. Obviously, your health and well-being should be the biggest motivator as to why you should choose to work safely. Once we lose our health or impact it severely, it may never be the same. It is important to really think about how a severe injury would change the rest of your life.
2. Providing for your family. Your family depends on your ability to earn an income. When you are injured or ill, you can lose that ability very quickly. Even if it is only for a short time, the financial and emotional effects on your family can be drastic.
3. Your reputation. While productive employees are still very much rewarded at many companies, working safely is often recognized right along with production. Your reputation at work not only affects you in your current position, but it can also affect whether or not you earn a future promotion at your company or land opportunities at other companies. No one wants to reward a risk-taker or put them in a position of power. If it is known that you are a worker who cuts corners or disregards safety performance, it could make all the difference in whether or not you get the chance at a better opportunity.
4. Your coworkers. Making the choice to take a shortcut can not only harm yourself, but you can also harm a coworker. Everyone’s safety on the job / occupational safety depends not only on their own choices but also on the choices of all the workers there.
5. Your company as a whole. Whether you love the company you work for or not, the job they provide you with pays your bills. Working safely allows business to continue, thus providing the opportunity for you to continue to pay your bills as well as your coworkers to do the same.

Summary

Working safely is essential. Think about how the choices you make on the job affect not only you but also your family, your coworkers, and the company as a whole. Reminding yourself of the far-reaching consequences an incident can have on many different people can reinforce making the right decision when working safely. Keep these top five reasons to work safely in mind the next time you see a coworker taking risks at work. When one person chooses to take risks, everyone risks suffering the consequences.

Top Five Reasons to Work Safely Today