Tag: Weekly Safety Message 05

Carbon Monoxide Safety Talk

Carbon monoxide (CO) poses a serious threat to individuals both at home and on the job. According to the CDC, each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 people visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 people are hospitalized. CO poisoning is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the US. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Loss of consciousness

If you or people around you are experiencing these symptoms, it is important to get them and yourself out of the area. Being exposed to CO for an extended amount of time can cause irreversible brain damage and eventually death.

General Safety Tips

• Never burn charcoal indoors
• Never leave your car running in a garage or any poorly ventilated area
• Never heat your house with your stove- this can lead to a buildup of CO in your house
• Never use a generator inside your house.

Illness Prevention

Avoid the situations mentioned above. Have gas-burning appliances and heaters regularly inspected by a professional to ensure there are no issues with using them in the home. Install carbon monoxide alarms on each floor of a building or home. Test the alarms at least once a month and replace them according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. People who are asleep or intoxicated are very susceptible to CO poisoning, and alarms are the only chance to alert them to danger before it is too late.

Discussion point:

-Has anyone experienced a problem with a carbon monoxide leak?

Carbon Monoxide Safety

Safety Can Be Redundant Safety Talk

Some individuals like to reflect back on the “old days” when it was all about production to protest the ever-increasing emphasis on workplace safety. Over the last few decades, many changes have come into play regarding workplace safety. Whether it is through new technologies, new laws, new rules, or just more focus given to safety, those in the same job for years have experienced a major shift towards more of an emphasis on safety than the years before.

Why Safety Can Be Redundant

Often times the same work tasks are completed every single day. Because of this, the safety issues and focuses are often the same- day in and day out. The discussions on safety will often focus on a handful of hazards for the work going on that day. The reason for this is that the same hazards often are the ones that cause the majority of incidents and injuries. While discussing and focusing on the same old hazards can get redundant, it is important never to become complacent toward them.

Battling Complacency

We do many of our work tasks in the same exact way every single day. Yet paperwork is still filled out, and discussions are still had regarding safety for these tasks. One of the most difficult things to avoid at work is complacency with hazards as well as going through the motions with safety procedures. As time goes on, individuals become more confident in their abilities and knowledge at work, and some people are willing to take more risks. This is one reason why safety issues need to be constantly reinforced, even if it has become redundant to talk about them.

Summary

It is understood that safety can be redundant at times, but it needs to be understood by employees that we all need to be reminded to stay focused on working safely. The same old hazards are often the ones that get people injured. OSHA’s Fatal Four construction hazards are an example of this. It is known that falls, electrocutions, struck-by, and caught-in or between incidents are the main causes for the overwhelming majority of fatalities in the construction industry yet it reoccurs year after year.

Do not get complacent with the hazards of your work, and do not view some redundancy in a safety program as a negative.

Safety Can Be Redundant

Auto Accident Procedures Safety Talk

According to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in an auto accident are 1 in 114. This is a frightening number, considering how frequently we see accidents happen on the roads. Auto accidents are unfortunate events that no one wants to be involved in.

The best way to prevent auto accidents is to drive defensively. This means you should avoid distractions, stay alert, look down the road, avoid following too close, and anticipate other drivers’ actions. Although you can do everything right, you may still find yourself involved in an accident at one point in your life. Therefore, it is vital to be prepared for how you should react, and what you should do and not do following an accident.

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Taking Proactive Steps in Case an Accident Occurs

One of the best ways to minimize the impact of an accident is to be prepared for the accident prior to it taking place. Some steps to take include:

• Items such as medical information, driver’s license, insurance, and vehicle registration should be up-to-date and readily accessible.
• Remove or properly secure loose items in your vehicle to prevent the possibility of them flying around during impact.
• Keep your cell phone charged and readily available to dial 911 and take photos of the scene.
• Consider keeping a first aid kit and emergency seat belt cutter/window breaker tool in your vehicle.
• Maintain paper, pens, or pencils in your vehicle to document other vehicle and witness information.

Procedures After an Accident Occurs

• If the accident occurs at a busy location such as a freeway or intersection, move your vehicle to a safe location, if possible, to avoid causing secondary accidents. If moving is not possible, use your hazard lights to alert oncoming traffic of the hazard.
• Place your vehicle in park, and take a moment to relax. Be aware of your surroundings and be sure no electrical wires are on your vehicle or other hazardous conditions exist prior to exiting your vehicle.
• If you have road flares or traffic triangles, consider using them to alert oncoming traffic.
• Check on others involved. Be sure that other vehicle occupants and pedestrians in the area are not injured. Dial 911 immediately if someone is injured and request an ambulance.
• Call the police to the scene and notify your employer. Even with minor accidents, having an officer come to the scene to create a police report and properly document information will assist later when dealing with insurance companies.
• Avoid admitting fault and apologizing to others at the accident scene. Allow the police to objectively judge events that took place and determine fault of the accident.
• Gather as much information as you can. Important items to document include:
  • Driver and passengers’ full names
  • Insurance information
  • Makes, models, and license plate numbers of all vehicles involved
  • Contact information for any eyewitnesses
• Document the scene by taking photos and videos of not only the vehicles, but the entire scene. Include documentation of road signs, traffic lights, and the complete external environment around where the accident took place. Doing so will assist with the investigation and allow the insurance company to better understand what took place.

Summary

Following an accident, drivers, and passengers may experience an adrenaline rush that could disguise injuries and alter your ability to think straight. Therefore, being prepared and understanding pre and post-accident procedures is important. You should refer to the company-specific procedures should you have any questions prior to being involved in an accident.

Discussion points:

1. What else can we do to be better prepared in the case that an accident occurs?
2. Why is it important to not admit fault or apologize at the accident scene?

Auto Accident Procedures