Workforce Safety Training Tips

Food Safety Training

2011-11-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

Introductory module from Brevidia's online Food Safety Training Video-based e-learning program.

Repeat Accidents: Break the Chain PowerPoint Kit

2011-11-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

Repeat Accidents: Break the Chain PowerPoint Kit

JOB SAFETY ANALYSIS - DVD

2011-11-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

JOB SAFETY ANALYSIS - DVD

Program explains what job safety analysis is all about and how to conduct a job safety analysis.

Food Safety Poster Series (12 Posters)

2011-11-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Food Safety Poster Series (12 Posters)

Your employees play a vital role in food safety. Now, you can make sure they're aware of critical regulatory requirements and best practices with this high-quality, affordable poster series.

Display these posters in key work areas and important food safety messages will be continually reinforced ... even when your quality manager is not in the work area.

Understanding the New FMLA - DVD

2011-11-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Understanding the New FMLA - DVD

The changes to the FMLA can be confusing and supervisors can now be personally liable for non-compliance with and violations to the FMLA. Compliance training is more critical than ever.

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Safety Compliance Poster Subscription

2011-11-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Safety Compliance Poster Subscription

These posters focus on OSHAs required training topics and add visual reinforcement to your safety training programs. They also help prevent injuries and accidents from occurring.

With your subscription youll receive different safety posters (17 x 22) twice a month for a year. Thats 24 safety topics annually! Display these colorful posters--your commitment to safety will be a reminder to your employees every day. Your employees will get the message and take ownership in safety policies and proper procedures. Need more posters-- want to display your safety message throughout your organization--special discount pricing is available for multiple copy purchases--call 1-888-337-2121 and Business Training Media's customer specialist will be glad to assist you.

Oil Spill Response Series - DVD

2011-11-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Oil Spill Response Series - DVD

Major oil spills capture the attention of the public when they occur, but it is the smaller spills that occur much more frequently. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires plants, ports and carriers to prepare contingency plans for response to unplanned oil spills. This series provides training to personnel who are called upon to control and clean up oil spills. Copyright 2002. Series includes five programs plus Leader's Guide. Available as five DVDs

Hazardous Materials Your Right to Know

2011-11-07T20:12:00.001-08:00

Hazardous Materials Your Right to Know

Because you can never know too much when you work with hazardous materials, this video expands on introductory lessons. See how to handle materials safely, and what kind of protective equipment you should be wearing. Also learn about the risks of chemical exposure and where to get the information you need before you touch anything. In short, you’ll learn how to treat hazardous materials with the respect they command.

Vehicle Inspection - DVD

2011-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Vehicle Inspection - DVD

Explains the importance of performing an inspection before starting a route, what to look for, and how to best execute a pre-trip inspection required by law.

Hand Hygiene: The Best Medicine (DVD)

2011-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hand Hygiene: The Best Medicine DVD

This program covers proper hand hygiene guidelines and explores the prevention of slips and errors that are caused by acting without considering the consequences. Your staff will learn the step-by-step and CDC-approved handwashing process.

CSA 2010: A Driver's Guide - DVD Training

2011-11-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

CSA 2010: A Driver's Guide - DVD Training

Under FMCSA's new CSA 2010 initiative, drivers' actions will impact their safety performance evaluation ... and the safety ratings of their employer. This program explains CSA 2010 and shows drivers why they must practice compliance with the driving and safety regulations, for the benefit of their careers and their company.

Drop By Drop - Subtle Discrimination - DVD

2011-11-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Drop By Drop - Subtle Discrimination - DVD

Who said you shouldnt sweat the small stuff? What if those small things undermined morale and reduced productivity? This diversity program, Drop by Drop, demonstrates how the small slights, subtle discriminations and tiny injustices can add up to big problems in your workplace! These little negative gestures are called micro-inequities and they occur in organizations every day. These small communications of disrespect, prejudice and inequality arent overt, but they can be incredibly destructive. A poison in the workplace that isnt delivered in a bucket, but takes its toll drop by drop.

1910 OSHA Guide

2011-11-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

1910 OSHA Guide

The 1910 OSHA Guide is tab-divided for easy searching ... it's designed to help you find key OSHA requirements and make sure you're complying with them.

Inclusion Insight Video - By Dr. Roberts

2011-09-16T04:49:00.001-07:00

Stereotypes, Lazy Brains & Unintentional Intolerance

This new DVD Training Program shows how the Creativity & Innovation Approach to Diversity & Inclusion works by seeking different perspectives, new ideas, knowledge and experiences.

INCLUSION INSIGHTS is designed for flexible use. Each insight has a brief discussion guide to help you use them independently in short sessions or integrate selected insights into your curriculum. A second training design groups the insights into three 1-hour training sessions: Stereotypes, Lazy Brains, and Unintentional Intolerance.

Together these three sections form a comprehensive approach to understanding how NICE (Not Inclined to Critically Examine) people fall into stereotyping and what they can do about it.

Dr. Robbins uniquely challenges and motivates people with a dynamic use of storytelling, humor and extensive knowledge of pertinent issues and concepts. The inclusiveness and power of his message are why organizations like Boeing, Pepsico, McDonald's, Disney, NASA, Toyota and numerous others call on Dr. Robbins to inspire, educate and prepare their people for the challenges of the 21st century workplace.

Dr. Robbins' unique concept of "Unintentional Intolerance" has captured wide acclaim from numerous audiences and organizations across the country. An approach that does NOT blame or point fingers, it challenges individuals and organizations to be more open-minded, mindful and intentional about inclusion and value people for their unique gifts, abilities and experiences.

INCLUSION INSIGHTS Learning Objectives:

• Examine how nice, well-meaning people engage in "unintentional intolerance."
• Recognize how closed-mindedness and exclusion take place, and how to become more open-minded to new people and novel ideas.
• Discover how everyday experiences shape our perspectives and influence our interpretations of the people and world around us.

Dr. Robbins brings a unique and insightful perspective to the field of diversity. His approach to diversity helps us to recognize that we all play a role in the development of an inclusive work environment and brings the diversity discussion into the 21st century. – Glenn Winfree, Aetna

Dr. Robbins is a gifted speaker and story teller who can move people to see things they may never have seen before. His knowledge of diversity issues is only surpassed by his ability to share that knowledge in an inviting, insightful and inspirational way.
– Lynsey Martin, Raytheon

To learn more about this program, visit Business Training Media.com

SEC’s Whistleblower Rules Effective Soon: What Employers Need to Know Now

2011-07-31T09:03:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s final rules implementing the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act become effective on Aug. 12, 2011. To be prepared, companies should have in place a responsive internal compliance program and a strong and unequivocal anti-retaliation

Repeat Accidents: Break the Chain PowerPoint Kit

2011-07-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's a sad fact that many workplace accidents involve the same employee or the same type of injury. Recurring accidents cause stress, fear and slow productivity. This companion Booklet and PowerPoint� Kit is the perfect solution to help you drive your safety message home. Designed for all managers, supervisors and workers training is straightforward and gets buy-in to your company's safety procedures.

Some of the topics covered are:

Why some people are more prone to accidents

What causes repeat accidents

How to conduct an accident investigation

How to prevent accidents and "break the chain"

Case studies for role-play exercises

PowerPoint� Kit includes:

30-slide PPT presentation

Comprehensive speaker's notes

20 booklets

Customizable training certificates

Learn More...

Food Service Safety Set

2011-07-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Food Service Safety Set

This set includes three food service safety titles that teach employees how to be conscientious when working in the kitchen.

Avoiding Kitchen Burns

Kitchen personnel will learn how to:

Identify the causes of most common kitchen burn accidents
Use precautions with steaming pots and steam and electrical equipment.
Properly position pot handles on stoves.
Extinguish kitchen fires.
Prevent hot grease injuries.

HACCP in Action Video

2011-07-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

The HACCP system - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points - was developed in the 1960s in the US and was used in the NASA space program. This program analyses and explains this scientific system, which identifies specific hazards and measures for their control, ensuring food safety. HACCP can be applied throughout the food chain from primary production through to consumption. HACCP also aids in the inspection of food premises by regulatory authorities and ensures confidence in export industries that the food we produce is safe.

Throughout this program the seven principles that all food workplaces should implement as part of their Food Safety Program are discussed.

Learn more...

OSHA Accident Case Studies - PowerPoint

2011-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Real-life case studies of actual industrial accidents from OSHA files dramatize to even your most skeptical workers what can go wrong. Theyll learn valuable safety training lessons from real mistakes - but in classroom training meetings instead of on your shop floor.

Animated, customizable PowerPoint slides with accident photos get workers' attention and make your safety meetings come alive. Includes 25 meetings on all key safety topics such as hazcom, forklifts, lifting, general safety, etc.

25 case study meetings on key OSHA topics
Actual accidents from OSHA files give a realism to training that cannot be duplicated
Customizable visuals and text
Easily insert photos and situations from your facility
Fast moving, animated PowerPoint presentation
15 slides per topic with photos. Comes with the actual text of OSHA's training requirements
Detailed speakers notes for every slide
Makes anyone a subject matter expert
Printable handouts, quizzes, and slides for each topic
Weve given you everything you need to reinforce and document your training
Interactive exercises and questions
Involves trainees in "What went wrong?
Handouts for every participant
Reinforces training

LEARN MORE...

EHS Today - Complimentary Subscription!

2011-07-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

EHS Today: EHS Today, formerly known as Occupational Hazards, informs safety, health and industrial hygiene professionals in the manufacturing, construction, and service sectors about trends, management strategies, regulatory news and new products that help them provide safe and healthy work sites.

Safety Daily Advisor Free Complimentary Newsletter

2011-07-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Safety Daily Advisor: Keep up-to-date with the latest OSHA and state regulations and safety training best practices. Safety Daily Advisor will help you:

Save Time – with concise, complete, actionable information
Stay Up-to-Date – their team of experts does the research for you
Succeed – Plain English analysis and advice is immediately useful

For a limited time also receive a Free Special Report, 2010 - 2011 EHS Salary Guide.

The ultimate strategic resource for safety professionals and small-to-medium business owners.

Alcohol & Drug Testing: Driver Awareness Training

2011-07-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

The potential physical and financial consequences of alcohol misuse and drug abuse are all too real. This flexible training program clearly and concisely presents information to help keep drivers safe... and help comply with 49 CFR �382.601(b).

Alcohol & Drug Testing: Driver Awareness Traininggives drivers the information they need. The easy-to-understand video and print materials highlight the 11 key areas DOT requires you to cover.

This program includes several ready-to-use training tools:

(1) 25-minute, closed-captioned video - Available on DVD (with extra bonus features) or VHS, the program combines engaging video and editing technology with expertise from industry professionals at all levels. Also includes Did you know? segments based on common questions customers have asked J. J. Keller's Editorial staff.
(1) Instructors Guide - Features five situational narratives to help engage drivers in discussion, as well as other major topics: introduction to the topic, how to use the program, regulatory background, overview of required tests, and effects of alcohol and drugs on the body.
(11) Driver Handbooks - Cover the 11 required topics carriers must discuss with drivers and feature tear-out driver receipts.
(1) Trainer Tools CD-ROM - CD presents a quick and easy way to invigorate classroom training through visual learning aids. Provides instant access to topic- specific information, including customizable transparency masters, quizzes with answer keys, clip art, training logs, and more! (CD-ROM not sold separately)
(1) Awareness Poster - Photo- based poster helps keep the issue visible.
(1) Wallet Card Sheet - Provides quick, simple proof that training has been completed. Includes one wallet card sheet, perforated to provide 10 cards.
(11) Alcohol & Drug Testing Reference Cards - Includes essential information about alcohol- and drug-testing procedures, testing requirements, driver rights, protecting drivers' privacy during testing, and testing form samples.
(1) Confidential Alcohol and Drug File Packet - Includes a variety of forms to help satisfy the recordkeeping requirements in 49 CFR �382.401.

Learn more...

It's All About Respect: Avoid Discrimination in Your Workplace PowerPoint Kit

2011-07-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Don't let Prejudice disrupt your company!

We're not supposed to talk about certain sensitive subjects on the job--race, religion, sex, age, physical appearance, physical limitations and ethnicity. But in the 21st century almost every workplace has a diverse workforce so the risk of narrow mindedness can occur.

It's your responsibility to be certain your workplace is free of prejudice and is in compliance with regulations under the Civil Rights Act, Equal Pay Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Talking about respect is the way you can make sure it exists in your workplace.

With this Booklet/PowerPoint kit your employees will get facts in friendly terms.

Topics covered:

Why we need respect in the workplace
Where does respect come from
It's the LAW
Types of discrimination
How to avoid discrimination & display respect

Learn more...

Fall Protection for Construction

2011-07-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Fall Protection is the most-cited OSHA standard for construction companies. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 35% of all fatalities at construction sites were fall related in 2006.

Fall Protection for Construction training program can help you comply with the regs, and keep your employees safe.

This training program covers OSHA's general fall protection requirements, steel erection fall protection, fall protection for tower erectors, and ladder and scaffold safety.

Learn more...

Online OSHA Training And Safety Courses | OSHA 10,30,Hazwoper Training

2011-02-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

The premier online safety training portal for OSHA Accepted Construction, General Industry and OSHA Outreach Training. Our interactive online courses include the 10 Hour Outreach, 30 Hour Outreach and the Hazwoper 40 Hour, 24 Hour and 8 Hour Refresher. Get your OSHA training online today!

Learn more...>>

Suit Says BP Official Resigned Over Safety Issues

2011-02-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON (AP) — A former official with BP's drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico resigned just months before last year's oil spill because of disagreements with the oil giant over its commitment to safety, according to a class-action federal lawsuit related to the spill.

Documents filed Monday night in Houston claim Kevin Lacy, BP's former senior vice president for drilling operations for the Gulf of Mexico, reached a mutual agreement with the company to resign in December 2009 because he believed the company was not adequately committed to improving safety protocols in offshore drilling operations to the level of its industry peers. The Deepwater Horizon rig explosion occurred on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

The claims come in an amended version of the lawsuit, originally filed last year, that alleges BP inflated its stock price by hiding information and making false and misleading statements about its safety practices before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP's stock value dropped roughly in half following the oil rig explosion and spill.
BP spokesman Daren Beaudo declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Public pension funds in New York and Ohio are the lead plaintiffs in the suit, which also includes individual investors and the Oklahoma police pension system. Similar lawsuits by the different plaintiffs originally were filed in New Orleans but were consolidated and moved to Houston federal court.

The amended complaint claims that a company reorganization that began in 2007, which resulted in numerous layoffs and cuts to safety budgets, "would materially affect the Company's ability to drill safely in the Gulf of Mexico."

"Lacy's departure from the Gulf of Mexico drilling unit in December 2009 coincided with other additional and extensive reshuffling of personnel in the BP Gulf of Mexico drilling unit . such that by the time of the Deepwater Horizon incident, four out of five of BP's senior drilling officials for the Gulf of Mexico had only been in their posts for a few months," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit cites a confidential witness for information about cutbacks and layoffs in safety programs and budgets.

The suit said Lacy, an experienced drilling engineer who had implemented a rigorous drilling safety program while at Chevron, had been recruited to join BP in 2007 to improve and standardize its drilling policies and protocols.

A telephone number was unlisted for Kevin Lacy in Houston.
The amended complaint also listed various accidents and safety problems BP had before the oil spill, incidents which have been previously detailed in other lawsuits and investigations of the oil giant.
The oil rig blast led to more than 200 million gallons of oil spewing from BP's well a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico, according to government estimates.

The Justice Department is conducting on ongoing criminal investigation and already has sued some of the companies involved. A presidential commission that investigated the spill said last month that management failures at BP, rig owner Transocean Ltd. and contractor Halliburton Co. led to the blowout and explosion.

New! Employee Online Training Courses -
Safety Training Media now offers a wide selection of online training courses covering hundreds of subjections including management, leadership, customer service, diversity, HR issues, harassment prevention, sales, communication skills, safety, finance, ethics, personal development and much more. -- Review our course catalog

10 Ways to Prevent Accidents at Work

2011-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

By Victoria R Leah

1. Ensure you have had a good nights sleep and are awake and alert at all times. Lack of concentration can easily cause you to have an accident whilst at work.
Wear the required uniform and protective wear. If you have not been given the correct uniform or protective wear to carry out your job, speak to your employer. It is their duty to make sure you are working within a safe environment.
Participate in any emergency drills that take place and be aware of how and why they are being carried out. Emergency drills are also enforced to prevent accidents occurring.
If you cause or spot any spillages or obstructions on the floor, clean them up straight away to prevent any slip, trip or fall accidents.
If you have not received the relevant training if necessary, speak to your employers or supervisor. Do not use any form equipment that you do not know how to use.
Be aware of the safety program within your workplace and ensure that you adhere to it.
If you see any electrical appliances that might look faulty, make sure you inform your employer.
Safety signs & posters should be highly visible within the workplace, be aware of these in order to avoid a personal injury from occurring.
A first aider is also responsible for monitoring possible hazards at work. If you have had an accident, make sure that record this is the accident book. This for your own safety and to prevent others from having the same accident as you.
It's your employers duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees to prevent accidents occurring and potentially making an accident at work compensation claim with a personal injury solicitor.

7-Minute Safety Trainer

2011-01-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here's everything you need to deliver effective, customized, 7-Minute Safety Training from one CD-ROM. "Click and print" dynamic, customized handouts, overheads, and outlines. You'll deliver effective safety training faster and easier than ever before.

Key Topices Include:

Confined Spaces
Electrical Safety
Fire Safety and Emergency Response
HAZCOM
Machine Safety and Other Equipment
Material Handling Safety
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal Safety
Safety Awareness
Safety and Security Measurest
Workplace Hazards

Free quarterly updates first year.

This safety software delivers complete safety training on every OHSA required training topic like electrical safety, hazard communication, emergency preparedness, and workplace safety.
When you use 7-Minute Safety Trainer, you can be sure that your employees will pay attention and retain the training information.
You select from over 50 key safety topics, prepare your materials, and print out your presentation.
Each trainer outline is designed to comply with specific OSHA safety regulations.

Find more about this program from Safety Training Media

Need an Extra Right Arm? Arm Yourself with a Safety Committee

2011-01-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

What safety professional would say no to an extra right arm? Well-trained, purposeful safety committees can significantly augment a safety manager's capability, and boost a company's overall success.

Safety committees are common in companies of all sizes in virtually all industries, both unionized and not. Although they got their start in auto manufacturing, committees are everywhere today.
Although they are not required, safety committees are admired by OSHA. The state of Oregon mandates them for many businesses, and in Pennsylvania, certified committees can earn employers rebates on the cost of workers' compensation coverage. In California, committees may serve as a legally required means of communicating with workers about safety and health.

Learn more about safety committee training resources from Safety Training Media

What Is WHMIS?

2011-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

By Paula C. Anderson

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a requirement for proper labeling of hazardous materials in Canada. It is a national system that has been implemented since 1988 and combines federal and provincial legislation, namely the Controlled Products Regulations and the Hazardous Products Act. The two introduced the new national standard on how hazardous materials should be classified.
The main objective of the WHMIS regulation is to set the criteria for chemical hazards while ensuring the protection of Canadian workers from adverse hazard effects, such as acute and chronic health conditions. This is because some of the hazardous materials may lead to skin sensitization, carcinogenicity, and even respiratory tract disease when improperly used. Suppliers of hazardous materials are required by the Federal and provincial occupational safety and health legislation to provide MSDSs and label products as a condition of their sale and importation.

With the application of WHMIS, employers will be able to protect confidential and important business information on the processing of used resources, and at the same time keep their employees in the loop about the information, warnings, and trainings they need to be aware of. Possible appeals and claims that may arise can also be solved with the help of the provided mechanisms and guidelines of WHMIS.
Another benefit of WHMIS is to ensure hazardous and controlled materials are not misused by businesses in their workplace in order to protect the health of Canadian workers. In terms of adverse effects, WHMIS is one of the largest information providers on hazardous materials.

One thing to consider about WHMIS is that it strives to bring awareness to all the interests of the stakeholders while reaching out a consensus agreement to the workforce, industry, and agencies of the government. The consensus agreement is considered by all involved parties as a shared responsibility to preserve the environment and promote safety in workplaces.

The agreement introduced the National WHMIS Compliance Policy, which outlines the principles of fair and consistent government enforcement. The policy establishes the responsibilities and roles of organizations, employees, and the government that also require support and buy-in from all parties involved.

Canadasafetycampus.com offers certified affordable WHMIS Training and TDG Training.

Safety Training Pays Off Every Minute

2011-01-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

With millions of job-related accidents annually, someone is injured on the job in the United States about every 8 seconds.

Most injuries are minor, and workers soon recover. However, some are permanent and heartbreaking—loss of sight or hearing, amputated fingers, toes, or hands, paralysis—injuries that can ruin a person's life.

In addition to being a crippler, a serious injury snatches money out of a worker's wallet because disability income is less than full salary. And a disabling injury can mean permanent reduction in earning power or a complete loss of pay if the worker can never be able to perform the same job again.

OSHA Training System offers dozens of completely prewritten, affordable programs to handle your OSHA-mandated training needs. Try it at no cost. Get the details.

Paint a Safer Picture

As dark as that picture is, inattention to workplace safety training can paint a darker one still—every day 15 American workers die from work-related injuries or illness.
This grim fact touches not only the victim. What about the consequences for others? On-the-job injury, illness, and death weave a web of grief and anger. The web snares families trying to cope with their losses as well as co-workers experiencing a loss of confidence in management that allowed the accident to happen.
Once goodwill is gone, morale may slip, resulting in a loss of productivity, increased turnover, and eventually an impact on the bottom line.
The best way to handle accidents on the job is not to let them happen in the first place. And the best way to do that is through effective, comprehensive, and ongoing safety and health training for all employees.

Try OSHA Training System for a complete solution to your mandated training needs. You can do so at no cost or risk. Read more.

Ready-to-Use Training

It's no exaggeration to say that safety training pays off every minute—and keeps paying off day after day.
That's certainly true of the OSHA Training System. As the name implies, this complete training system is specially designed to meet your full safety and health training needs. All the materials are prepared in advance, so no prep time is required. All you do is reproduce what you need and put it to use.

Materials include:

32 complete safety units, meeting every key OSHA standard. Each includes full background for trainers, a ready-to-use safety meeting, and follow-up handouts. View a Table of Contents.
Quizzes, handouts, and copies of 27 different employee booklets, coordinated to the safety meetings. (Booklets can be bought in any quantity at a discount.)

A complete training recordkeeping and tracking system that tells you which employees need what training, and then tracks your program to ensure they get it.

Quarterly updates, included with the program. You receive at least 4 new safety units every 90 days, covering new OSHA standards and training needs.
If you share the common problem of never having enough time or the right materials for training, we'd suggest you examine the OSHA Training System program.

Recent Enforcement Actions Prove Costly to Employers

2011-01-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

Imperial Sugar Company has agreed to pay more than $6 million in a settlement with OSHA. The case stems from a 2008 combustible dust explosion at Imperial's Port Wentworth, GA, plant and from safety and health violations the agency subsequently discovered at the company's Gramercy, LA, facility. The 2008 explosion killed 14 workers and seriously injured dozens of others. In the agreement, Imperial Sugar will pay $4,050,000 in penalties for the 124 violations found at its Port Wentworth plant after the explosion, plus an additional $2 million for 97 violations found at its Gramercy plant. OSHA says this agreement requires Imperial Sugar to make extensive changes to its safety practices, and it underscores the importance of rigorously addressing workplace safety and health hazards.

BP North American Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC have been cited for 42 alleged willful violations at BP-Husky's Oregon, OH, refinery. Proposed penalties total $3,042,000. "OSHA has found that BP often ignored or severely delayed fixing known hazards in its refineries," says Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

Milk Specialties Company of Whitehall, WI, has agreed to pay $535,000 in penalties as part of a settlement resulting from OSHA citations alleging willful, repeat, and serious violations. Problems at the facility included combustible dust hazards, untrained employees working in dangerous areas, and lack of confined space permits.

New Jersey Transit will pay an employee who filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA more than $500,000 for retaliating against the worker by disciplining him for reporting a work-related illness.

Driver's Ed 101: Training Workers to Drive Safely

2011-01-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

Whether their driving your vehicles or their own, you want your employees to be safe on the road and avoid accidents.

Here are four key safe driving issues that should be included in safety meetings and training sessions concerning driving safety.

Collisions

Collisions are common, especially at intersections, where it's estimated one-third of all two-car crashes occur. Use these safety tips when training employees to prevent collisions:

Head-on—Drivers should keep alert and look down the road for possible problems, like an oncoming driver passing another vehicle.
Rear-end—To avoid being hit, drivers should signal intentions, slow down gradually, and check mirrors for tailgaters. To avoid rear-ending another vehicle, drivers should maintain a 2- to 4-second distance from the vehicle ahead and watch for brake lights and turn signals.

Passing

When passing, drivers should:

Pass only in a passing zone
Check oncoming traffic to make sure no one is coming
Check mirrors to make sure someone behind you isn't moving out to pass
Never pass unless they can see enough clear space to do it comfortably

When being passed, drivers should slow down if the other vehicle needs extra room to pass safely.

Road/Weather Conditions

Drivers should adjust their driving to road and weather conditions. Road construction, traffic, slippery roads, and other hazardous conditions contribute to many accidents. But these accidents can be prevented if drivers take precautions such as:

Slowing down
Increasing following distance
Being prepared to stop
Turning on headlight to be more visible
Avoiding distractions and focusing all attention on driving
Keeping calm in heavy traffic
Knowing how to handle a skid (take your foot off the break and turn in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go)

DUI

You can't overemphasize the hazards of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to one recent report, 1 in 5 drivers admits to drinking and driving. Every year more than 20,000 people are killed by impaired drivers, and 50,000 are injured.

Drinking impairs all the faculties that prevent traffic accidents:

Ability to determine distance
Reactions
Judgment
Vision

Don’t Fold on Scaffold Safety

2011-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

by Chris Kilbourne

Scaffolds provide necessary access to certain jobs—and require necessary training to work on them safely. OSHA general industry standard on scaffolds (29 CFR 1910.28-29) emphasize specifications that are very precise about everything from the spacing of the poles to the size of the planking. No matter what its type, a scaffold has to be strong enough for its load. It also must be designed so that:

1. The people on it won't fall off.
2. The people below it won't be hit by a falling scaffold, tools, materials, etc.

The first step to staying safe on scaffolds is to select the scaffold designed for the task and make sure it meets OSHA's specifications. While you or your employer may pick the scaffold that employees use, take time to review the key specifications with your employees. Scaffolds should be made of strong metal or stress-grade lumber. Here are some of OSHA's main requirements:

A scaffold must be able to support at least four times its maximum intended load of people and equipment.
A suspension scaffold designed for a 500-pound load can hold no more than two people.
A suspension scaffold designed for a 750-pound load can hold no more than three people.
A suspended scaffold's rope or wire must be able to support six times the maximum intended load.
While in use, a scaffold must be secured to the building or structure.

Give your employees these OSHA scaffold safety requirements that focus on preventing workers on the scaffolds from falling. Scaffolds must have:

Sound, rigid footings able to hold the intended weight. You can't use boxes or barrels or other movable objects.
Guardrails 2 x 4 inches wide and 3 to 3½ feet wide.
Guardrail supports every 10 feet on all open sides.
Toeboards 4 inches high on all open sides.
Screens between the guardrails and toe boards on scaffolds over areas where people will be walking.
Poles, legs, or other uprights that are plumb and secured.
Planks that extend 6 to 18 inches over the end supports on wooden scaffolds.
Cross braces on metal scaffolds.

Train employees how to inspect scaffold equipment before each use. OSHA's construction regulations require a "competent person" to perform these inspections. Nevertheless, still make sure employees inspect scaffolds to make sure that:

The equipment can handle up to four times the anticipated load (up to six times the load for a suspension scaffold's rope or wire).
The equipment is in good condition.
Any damaged equipment is removed from service.
Required personal protective equipment (PPE) in good condition is available for workers.

Tell workers which assigned safety equipment they must wear to prevent scaffold accidents. Employees who work:

On or under a scaffold should wear a hard hat and sturdy shoes with nonskid soles.
On a swinging scaffold should wear a safety belt that's attached to a secure line or structure, not to the scaffold itself.
With tools should use safety nets to catch tools and debris so they don't have to carry them, and so they don't fall on the people below. A safety net designed to catch tools and materials is not, however, designed to catch a person. It's not a substitute for a secure scaffold and safe work procedures.

Finally, train employees to follow safe work procedures when working on scaffolds. For example:

Don't overload a scaffold.
Check that the scaffold and any personal fall protection system is firmly secured.
Stay off scaffolds during storms or high winds.
Don't work on a scaffold that is covered with snow, ice, or other slippery material. If you're assigned to clear that material from the platform, be sure you are properly equipped and extra careful.
Shield scaffold ropes from corrosive substances or processes that produce heat.
Don't stand on a box or barrel or other makeshift device while on a scaffold platform.
Know when people are walking or working under the scaffold.
Avoid letting debris accumulate on a scaffold platform.
Keep tools and materials away from the scaffold platform edge.
Keep only the materials you need on a scaffold.
Remove all materials from the scaffold at the end of the day. there's no cost or obligation.

Why It Matters

In a recent study, scaffold accidents accounted for about 9 percent of the construction industry's annual fatalities.
IScaffold accidents also accounted for about 2 percent of annual work-related injuries.

Fall Protection for Construction - DVD Training

Fall Protection is the most-cited OSHA standard for construction companies. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 35% of all fatalities at construction sites were fall related in 2006.

Fall Protection for Construction training program can help you comply with the regs, and keep your employees safe.

This training program covers OSHA's general fall protection requirements, steel erection fall protection, fall protection for tower erectors, and ladder and scaffold safety. Learn more about this program...>

Show Workers What They're Risking If They Don't Wear Their Hearing Protection

2011-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

by Chris Kilbourne

Hearing loss is a big problem in many workplaces. Noisy equipment and processes can damage sensitive structures in the ear. Hearing loss usually takes place over time, and once the damage is done, it's irreversible.

Hearing aids can help, but the physical damage to the ear cannot be repaired—at least not yet. Maybe some day. In the meantime, we have to rely on PPE to protect employees' hearing.
According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately 22 million workers are exposed on the job to noise levels that could harm their hearing. Workers are affected in industry sectors such as manufacturing, construction, mining, transportation, agriculture, and the military.
NIOSH cites these key facts about hearing loss:

1 in 4 people exposed to excessive noise or other toxicants while on the job will develop permanent hearing loss.
Approximately 11.4% (13.9 million)
Hearing loss may impede some individuals' ability to be gainfully employed.
Hearing loss is not inevitable and can be prevented.

If you have a noise problem in your workplace, OSHA requires you to provide appropriate hearing protection and to develop a hearing conservation program.

Think you have no time to train? Think again. The 7-Minute Safety Trainer helps you fulfill key OSHA-required training tasks in as little as 7 minutes. Try it at no cost and see!

Try NIOSH's Hearing Loss Simulator

To help employees understand the impact of noise in the workplace and the importance of using hearing protection, NIOSH has developed a Hearing Loss Simulator.
The Simulator is a software training and communication tool that demonstrates the effects of noise exposure on a worker’s hearing without exposing the person to harmful noise levels or toxic materials. The software considers several factors including age, gender, level of exposure, and years of exposure, and then simulates human speech that is degraded to reflect the estimated hearing loss.

Human speech is considered the most complex and important sound most workers need to perceive, so the Simulator allows the user to combine speech with common background noises to demonstrate hearing loss.
Employees choose either a male or female voice to demonstrate different sound frequencies and can choose from a variety of background noises, including recorded worksite sounds.

Workers can record and upload their own custom foreground and background noises, and they also have the ability to control the speech-to-background noise ratio to illustrate how increasing background noise interferes with understanding speech that is present in the foreground.

In addition, users can manipulate sound and frequency levels allowing results of an actual hearing test to be entered into the software.

NIOSH says that the real-life scenarios of this software have the potential to raise awareness, increase motivation for hearing loss prevention, and reduce the number of workers who suffer from hearing loss.
You can download the NIOSH Hearing Loss Simulator free at www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/products/product47.htm.

Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.

E-Z Training at a Phenomenal Price

To help train employees in a broad range of safety and health topics, including hearing protection, savvy safety professionals have for years relied on the BLR^® 7-Minute Safety Trainer. This essential training resource allows you to provide concise, memorable training easily and effectively in just a few minutes. Materials are ready-to-use, and each session supplies a detailed trainer's outline as well as a handout, quiz, and quiz answers to get your points across quickly—and cost-effectively.

All told, this "trainer's bible" contains 50 prewritten meetings covering almost every aspect of safety you'd want or need to train on, in a format designed to be taught in as little as 7 minutes. Major topics include:

—Confined spaces
—Electrical safety
—Fire safety and emergency response
—HazCom
—Machine guarding and lockout/tagout
—Material handling
—PPE use and care
—Housekeeping/slips, trips, and falls
—and dozens more

Just make as many copies as you need of the included handouts and quizzes, and you're ready to train.
Equally important is that the program ships new meetings every quarter to respond to new and changed regulations. This service is included in the program price, which averages just over $1 a working day. In fact, this is one of BLR's most popular safety programs.

CAUTION! Watch Out for Most Commonly Cited Lockout/Tagout Violations

2011-01-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

The lockout/tagout regulations are perennially ranked among OSHA's top 10 violations. Last year, for example, there were more than 3,000 violations of the standard, with penalties mounting to nearly $4 million.

These are the sections of the lockout/tagout standard that were most often cited last year:

§1910.147(c)(4)(i) Lockout/tagout procedures
703 violations
Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.

§1910.147(c)(6)(i) Inspection of energy control procedure
521 violations
The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.

§1910.147(c)(1) Energy control program
516 violations
The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.

§1910.147(c)(7)(i) Employee training
379 violations
The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.

Think you have no time to train? Think again. The 7-Minute Safety Trainer helps you fulfill key OSHA-required training tasks in as little as 7 minutes. Try it at no cost and see!

§1910.147(d)(4)(i) Role of authorized employees
174 violations
Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy-isolating device by authorized employees

§1910.147(c)(4)(ii) Details of procedures and enforcement
161 violations
The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance.

§1910.147(c)(6)(ii) Certification of periodic inspections
124 violations
The employer shall certify that the periodic inspections have been performed. The certification shall identify the machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was being utilized, the date of the inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection.

§1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A) Training requirements for authorized employees
105 violations
Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.
Where Do You Stand?
What shape is your energy control program in? Does it include the following elements?

A list identifying all energy sources that required lockout/tagout
Procedures to ensure that energy is fully drained before powered equipment is serviced or maintained
Procedures to prevent machines from being turned on or restarted accidentally
Assignment of lockout responsibilities to specific, authorized employees
A plan to test procedures annually and correct any problems

Are your employees divided into three different categories and does each group receive appropriate training?

"Authorized" (qualified) employees must receive thorough training and are the only ones permitted to perform lockout procedures or remove locks or tags.
"Affected" employees are those who work with and around this equipment. They must be trained to know the purpose and use of the energy control procedure and to call authorized employees for any maintenance or repair.
"All other" employees are those who may be in the area. They must be trained to understand the purpose of lockout/tagout and that they must never remove or ignore lockout/tagout devices.

Safety Training Advisor Best Sellers

2011-01-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here's what your colleagues are snapping up to make their jobs more efficient and easier.

Safety Audit Checklists
This handy book of checklists helps you easily perform a safety audit. Get your employees and safety committee ready for unexpected OSHA visits, quickly and easily with this checklist system. Helps you uncover problems before you're cited or fined. Learn more

7-Minute Safety Trainer
Now you can stop worrying and procrastinating about OSHA safety meetings. Here's the resource that's done all the hard preparation for you, 7-Minute Safety Trainer. It delivers complete 7-minute meetings - from outlines... to quizzes... to reproducible handouts.

Safety Meetings Library
This unique library of training materials has been helping safety professionals deliver high-quality training for over 10 years. But now with new features and even more meetings, it's even easier to give OSHA required safety training to every type of employee in your organization.

Ready-Made Checklists

2011-01-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

If you need assistance assessing safety needs and planning training, then you need Safety Audit Checklists. In fact, this comprehensive safety and health resource provides a whole lot of very useful information about assessing and planning training.
For example, among other materials, Safety Audit Checklists provides you with a sample safety training planning grid and a sample safety training planning calendar that you can copy and use as is or customize for your training programs. In addition, you get a training needs assessment checklist and a training planning checklist.

All told, this best-selling program provides you with more than 300 separate safety checklists keyed to three main criteria:

OSHA compliance checklists, built right from the government standards in such key areas as HazCom, lockout/tagout, electrical safety, and many more.
"Plaintiff attorney" checklists, built around those non-OSHA issues that often attract lawsuits.
Safety management checklists that monitor the administrative procedures you need to have for topics such as OSHA 300 Log maintenance, training program scheduling and recording, and OSHA-required employee notifications.

Make as many copies as you need for all your supervisors and managers, and distribute. What's more, the entire program is updated annually. And the cost averages only about $1 per checklist.
If this method of ensuring a safer, more OSHA-compliant workplace interests you, we'll be happy to make Safety Audit Checklists available for a no-cost, no-obligation, 30-day evaluation in your office.

Celebrate Diversity!

2011-01-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

January 17 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which makes it a great time to celebrate diversity in your workplace. For safety's sake, you need your employees to learn to respect each other's differences so they can understand each other, communicate effectively, and work together safely.

Discuss all the ways employees can be diverse. For example, workers are diverse:

By race—but keep in mind that members of the same race can be very different from one another;
By gender—gender differences are particularly noticeable in jobs that traditionally have been all male or all female, but now increasingly include both sexes;
By physical appearance—such as height, weight, and hair color;
By age—age and generational differences are likely to be more noticeable as the number of older Americans in the workforce increases;
By education—educational differences can affect the way different people approach the same job;
By cultural background—this may reflect race or country of origin, but it may also reflect how we celebrate different holidays or what language is spoken at home; and
By physical abilities—these take into account both special talents and special needs, including physical disabilities.

There's no doubt that diversity can lead to challenges in the workplace, so make these points with your employees:

Differences among people are OK. Keep in mind that being "different" doesn't mean "better" or "worse"—it just means "different."
Coordinating different styles of working can be challenging because not everyone approaches a task in exactly the same way.
Learning to communicate across cultural and language differences can also present difficulties. Clear and open communication is essential to working successfully in a diverse group.
Developing flexibility is another important ingredient to dealing with diversity. It's important not only to listen to new ideas, but also to implement different approaches.
Finally, be willing to adapt to change. This includes both changes in the workforce itself and changes in the way we approach our daily tasks.

Diversity also brings positive opportunities. Discuss the following points with your employees:

A diverse workplace helps attract and retain high-quality people from a variety of backgrounds.
Morale increases when everyone feels that he or she is welcome and appreciated, regardless of background.
Productivity improves as morale increases.
Accepting and encouraging diversity reduces discrimination and the risk of lawsuits.
Decision making is improved when there is a diversity of approaches present in the workplace.
Our organization's profile and reputation in the marketplace improves when our workplace becomes known for encouraging diversity and treating all employees fairly.

Finally, give your employees practical steps for working safely and effectively in your diverse workforce.

For example:

Learn co-workers' names and use them.
Don't make assumptions about co-workers.
Treat male and female co-workers equally.
Avoid sexist comments and remarks.
Don't make assumptions about the personal identity or affiliation of any individual.
Take advantage of life experiences and share them.
Respect differences.
Understand how a physically challenged person wants to contribute to the team. Don't assume that a disability limits participation.
Do not condone tasteless jokes or comments.
Think inclusive, not exclusive.

In addition to hazard identification, your workers have other safety responsibilities. Here are the "Top Ten":

Know and follow safe work procedures.
Avoid obvious unsafe acts, such as running through the work area or tossing tools.
Keep the work area clean and uncluttered. Keep aisles and stairways clear, clean up spills, properly dispose of flammable scrap, and take other steps to eliminate items or conditions that could create a hazard.
Report accidents, injuries, illnesses, exposures to hazardous substances, and near-misses immediately.
Report situations that don't seem right even if you're unsure they're hazards. This is especially important if you're working with hazardous chemicals; where symptoms that appear to be minor, like a headache or red skin, may be the first indicator of overexposure.
Cooperate with internal inspections and job hazard analyses.
Follow company safety rules. They combine government laws and regulations with the experience of many people in this company and this industry.
Look for ways to make the job safer. Do your part to improve safety by voicing your observations and making suggestions.
Participate in safety training. Apply what you learn and help co-workers when they're unsure of what to do.
Treat safety as one of your most important job responsibilities. Your job is not only to perform particular tasks and get particular results: It's to do those things safely.

Why It Matters

In today's American workforce, nearly one-third of workers are minorities, nearly one-half are women, and more than 10 percent are aged 55 or older—so it's already relatively diverse.
By the year 2020, the percentage of minorities in the workforce is projected to increase by more than 40 percent, and the percentage of older workers is expected to go up as well.
By the year 2050, nearly half of workers are expected to be minorities, and the percentage of workers over the age of 55 will increase to almost 20 percent

Find Out How Gallo Winery Cultivates a Safe Workplace

2011-01-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

The E & J Gallo Winery is the largest family-owned winery in the world and the largest exporter of California wine. It's also a company that is dedicated to employee safety and health.

In the late 1990s the company set out to improve safety and health by adopting the behavior-based (BBS) approach developed by Behavior Science Technologies (BST).

"We were looking for a lightning rod of culture change and a way to get employees involved," Derrick C. Jarvis, CSP, director of corporate safety and health told BLR's OSHA Compliance Advisor a few months ago. According the Jarvis, the experiment has proven quite successful.

Part of the Job

The behavior approach involves Gallo personnel at all levels. Line employees, team leaders, supervisors, managers, and top executives are all trained to conduct peer observations.
"Employees run and manage the process," Jarvis explains. "Goals and objectives are established by local steering teams. The biggest challenge is to make BBS integral to the job, not something separate."
Jarvis says this requires strong leadership out on the floor to ensure that employees understand the importance and value of the observations. The message at Gallo is that observing is as important as other job duties.

Risk-Based, Not Rule-Based

When and how many observations employees are expected to perform varies. Workers coordinate with their supervisors to find the 15 to 20 minutes (for example, during a quiet part of the shift) to conduct an observation. Typically, observations are planned, not conducted without notice.

An employee will approach a peer and say, "I'd like to conduct an observation. Are you familiar with the process?" If necessary, the steps are reviewed and the session gets under way.

Overall, says Jarvis, the process is risk-based, not rule-based. This means that observers look for behaviors that could result in injury rather than for strict adherence to rules. A critical behavior checklist helps identify the desired behaviors.

Beyond the checklist, the conversation that takes place between the observer and the observed is the essence of the exchange. This is where feedback is delivered and the real learning takes place. Gallo emphasizes a positive tone. That means safe behaviors are discussed first before moving on to any at-risk behaviors.

The conversation also focuses on factors contributing to any at-risk behaviors observed. These can be system- or management-related issues, or training and awareness problems. They can also be employee habits so engrained that the worker does not realize he or she is doing them.
This high-value feedback is conveyed to the steering committee and, ultimately, to management. Data from the observations help justify requests for changes or expenditures.

In one recent year employees completed over 6,000 observations. "That means there were 6,000 peer-to-peer safety conversations," Jarvis notes. "It's clear to me as a safety professional that there's a very high value to these. Without blame, we're working to uncover barriers that we can address." Tomorrow, we'll highlight three critical strategies for improving safety culture.

Health and Safety at Work

2011-01-23T12:44:00.001-08:00

By Andreas Becker

Providing a comfortable work environment for workers is part of providing a healthy and safe workplace. This is not always practical but all reasonable efforts should be made to make the workplace as comfortable as possible.

Either sitting or standing for extended periods can be uncomfortable. Seating must be provided if it is reasonable for workers to carry out their work while seated. The type of seating should be designed in a way that is appropriate for the task at hand and should provide both comfort and stability. If it is necessary to perform the work standing seating can normally be provided for breaks.

Employers have a responsibility to provide workers with a smoke free environment. The laws relating to smoking in the workplace are the responsibility of the Ministry of health. The ill effects of smoking and passive smoking are well recognised. It is wise to develop a smoke free policy. This can then be referred to during recruitment, in employment agreements and other workplace policies. The policy and smoke free signs can be printed and displayed in prominent places around the workplace. All contractors should be notified of the smoke free policy. All employees should receive education and training about the smoke free policy and managers and supervisors should be trained in ways to manage breaches. If steps are not taken to provide a smoke free workplace employees are entitled to lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Health.
There are no maximum or minimum temperature set in law at which work must stop. This is because there are many factors that influence how much we are affected by air temperature. How hot we feel can be influenced by external factors such as air temperature, humidity and wind. This can be exacerbated by having to wear protective clothing, strenuous work, level of acclimatisation and insufficient breaks. It can be uncomfortable to feel hot and this can lower productivity and morale and as such the above factors should be controlled as much as possible. In extreme cases excessive exposure to heat can result in heat exhaustion and in some cases fatal heat stroke. All practicable steps need to be taken by both employers and employees to ensure that the level of heat exposure does not reach dangerous levels.

An employee can also experience stress when exposed to low temperatures. This can happen when they are required to work outside in the cooler months, at high altitude, in wet weather or in refrigerated environments. Wind chill factor needs to be taken into account even at moderate temperatures. It is important that employers ensure that employees wear appropriate protective clothing and that appropriate measures are taken. Some effects may be minor and result in only discomfort but greater cold stress can have serious consequences including death. When a worker is feeling the effects of cold stress they experience stiff joints, reduced muscle strength, loss of dexterity and is less mentally alert. As a result he will be more prone to accidents. Direct health effects of exposure to cold temperatures are those that affect the extremities such as frostnip and the more severe frostbite and those that affect the body's core such as hypothermia. Women are regarded as being at greater risk of cold injury as they are less able to increase their temperature by shivering or exercise. Other factors which affect the level of cold injury are increased age, fatigue, some drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Making sure that the working environment is comfortable is an important aspect of ensuring the health and safety of employees.

To find out some more information about OSH NZ. Come visit our website today. For more information on occupational safety hazards in New Zealand please visit our homepage for some great resources: Health and Safety NZ

An Accident at Work Happened - Are You in Charge?

2011-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

By Matthew Sorrow

The workplace is not quite a safe place. But you can't avoid being there. You have to work and it is almost as natural a fact that accidents happen at work. Of course it depends on the work and level of risk that it needs, more often or not. But who is in charge of that: you or your manager?

There are special regulations of Health and Safety law. And training must be proceed to every working man in the company. The accidents wouldn't happen so often if people acted according to those rules. But sometimes they are not even aware of the danger that is waiting for them. They don't think about the safety but only the work being done. This is quite often the thoughts of employers and employees.

If the accident happens to you you feel very uncomfortable and usually you might be in great pain. When the pain is letting go a little bit you are starting to wonder: ''What have I done that caused this accident? Is it my fault? What an embarrassment! What I will do later with feeding my family and myself!'' Those thoughts might appear when a person was really bad injured and...is only the feeder in the family.

Of course, you have to report the accident to a supervisor. It's not a subject that you can take easily! It's a very serious matter. Probably the accident might happen because of your mistake. Probably, but not sure. And this is an area that must examine by specialists. Maybe you did something wrong, but what if the company that you are working in didn't make sure that you are safe at your work?

If the company made a mistake it's a lot more serious matter than you suppose. You might be not the only person who could be injured there or even died. But only a special investigation will tell you what exactly happened. If it's your employers fault you should make an accident at work claim or personal injury claim.

Not sure about that?

Many people are hesitate before taking this step. They have a lot of objections. They are thinking what their colleagues will say when they get to know that he is 'against' his company. They are also worried about their future in this work - will they be fired or not. But all of those things are not important. Most important is yourself - your health and a pain that you were given.

Surely, if you were a victim of road accident or an accident committed by a doctor you would make a road traffic claim or a medical compensation claim. So why not in this case?
Whether you are in charge or the company - you can't tell that without a special investigation. But surely is that you should claim your rights in a proper way.

Read also about team development and management training

Writing Up a Safety Incident Report

2011-01-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

By Jim Bain

The responsibility of writing up a safety incident report is usually the job of the management "Head of Safety" department, but in a smaller company any member of management may be assigned the task. Additionally, in a "Union Shop" the union will have an authorized person to also write up a report.

These reports are no small matter as to remain within compliance of OSHA standards and regulations, these forms must be completed and kept on file for an OSHA investigation or review.

Maintaining compliance with the law not with standing, the real issue is there has been an accident and an injury to an employee. Technically any injury is an OSHA recordable, even if it's not actually work related. For instance should an employee buy candy from the break area's vending machine and subsequently breaks a tooth chewing it, it is an OSHA recordable.

The steps pertaining to writing a detailed and accurate safety incident report, unless there's a catastrophic failure resulting in multiple injuries or death, are not really that difficult, especially if you have pre-printed forms and are only required to fill in the blanks. Without any forms a logical " 5 whys?" approach is quite sufficient. Why did the accident happen? Where did the accident happen? Who did the accident happen to? What can be done to prevent the accident from happening again? What has been done to correct the hazard?

For a normal incident, answering the five questions accurately and in as much detail as you reasonably can, will suffice.

Here is a typical hypothetical response to an accident without serious injury and no remaining danger being posed to anyone.

Go to the accident scene and calmly review the area, looking for obvious signs of the accident and where it occurred. Interview the person(s) involved in the accident. Do not act like the Gestapo while performing this investigation or else you'll never get the truth of what happened. You're not there to judge or issue punishment, you're there to insure the employees are alright and to prevent this type of accident ever occurring again.

After interviewing the accident victims, interview any witnesses to the event. Ask for written statements from everybody involved, but don't expect much new information. Most people will verbalize more information than write.

Finish reviewing your notes and take one final review of the accident scene before going back to the office to write the incident report. Write the report, even if it's a rough draft, immediately while facts are fresh in your mind. You may not think you'll forget anything by tomorrow, but I can just about guarantee you, you will.

Answer the 5 why questions.

* Who was involved. Joe Smith; fork truck driver
* What happen? Driver backed into a hole exposed because a floor grate was missing.
* Why did this happen? Maintenance forgot to replace the grate when finished working on the pipes below.
* What will correct this hazard? Reinstruct maintenance personnel to always replace floor grates when finished working.
* What has been done to correct the hazard? The floor grate has been reinstalled.

For a standard safety incident report this type of investigation and reported results would fulfill any requirement posed by law.

Hello, my name is Jim Bain, former minor league baseball player and Coach. Since retirement I have dedicated my life to teaching baseball and have developed a website packed with Baseball information and tips. http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com/

OSHA's Top 10 Safety Violations for 2010

2011-01-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

By Henry Wilter

This year OSHA issues over 94,000 citations for safety related violations. At the National Safety Council's 2010 Congress and Expo, OSHA announced the top 10 safety violations, which accounted for nearly half of the total violations, for the year. While this year's list is nearly identical to last years, with the big four (scaffolding, fall protection, hazard communication, and respiratory protection) remaining unchanged, it still serves as an invaluable resource for the public workforce. Read through the list and decide whether or not you have been guilty of the following safety violations.
OSHA's Most Cited Safety Violations of 2010

Scaffolding: 9,093 violations - Scaffolding violations and accidents are most commonly attributed to improper use that results in the plank giving way, the employee falling off, or an object falling on top of the person.
Fall Protection: 6,771 violations - Fall protection violations occur whenever a person is 4 feet above the ground without proper safety measures. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction.
Hazard Communication: 6,378 violations - Manufacturers and movers of hazardous materials must evaluate, label, and provide MSDS for each product.
Respiratory Protection: 3,803 violations - Respirators help to protect against unhealthy breathing environments. This can be caused by insufficient oxygen, dust, vapors, gasses, fiberglass and more.
Ladders: 3,072 violations - 8 percent of all occupational fatalities are due to falls.
Control of Hazardous Energy - Lockout/Tagout: 3,321 violations - "Lockout-Tag out" refers to locking the on/off power switch while working with high current electrical devices.
Electrical - Wiring Methods: 3,079 violations - Electrical hazards are present for those who work directly and also indirectly with or near dangerous electrical lines.
Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,993 violations - Many employees are injured by driving powered industrial trucks off of loading docks, into ditches or by being struck by trucks while working.
Electrical - General: 2,556 violations - Working with electricity is always hazardous. Many employees are injured during routine electrical maintenance and install.
Machine Guarding: 2,364 violations - Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be labeled and safeguarded.

That concludes our list of the top 10 OSHA violations and their causes. OSHA 10 hour training is an excellent way to to prevent hazards and maintain safe, compliant working conditions.

Henry Wilter is an on-site safety trainer with Easy Safety School, a provider of online and on-site OSHA training courses.

The 5 Rules of Workplace Safety Management

2011-01-23T12:31:00.001-08:00

By Peter L Mitchell

There are certain rules of human behavior that must be taken into account when developing a process of safety management. If you violate these rules, you will fail in your objective to develop a safer workplace. The rules themselves are pretty simple, however, don't be deceived because they have a great influence on human behavior.

Repetition To get your message across it is necessary to use repetition. Repetition will ensure that your safety message is at the top of every employees' consciousness. Safety management is a process not an event. One of the ways to create this consciousness about safety is to hold five minute safety briefings at the beginning of each shift. This is very similar to a game plan which is discussed before a sports team takes the field. If you make the safety briefings relevant, interesting and valuable, you will find that staff members will contribute readily.

Consistency The concept of consistency applies to many situations and has a profound effect on human behavior. We trust people who are consistent, we believe their message, in turn we will tend to be more trustworthy and consistent. Consistency is demonstrated. For example, if, at a safety briefing you mention that there will be no blame should an accident occur, the statement has to be backed up by your behavior and the behavior of others in the event of an accident.

Involvement Involvement is the key to safety management. To gain control, you must give control. The people who are ideally situated to develop safe working practices are the people doing the job. This is in contrast to the normal prescriptive safety management process where somebody, somewhere creates rules and regulations without the experience of doing the job. Every single person on any work site should be able to contribute to safe working practices. If you avoid this basic principle, you will find that the imposed "safe working practices" will be ignored.

Positive reinforcement The number one tool in safety management is positive reinforcement. If you are serious about creating a safer workplace, make sure that you recognize safe behavior. Every day, go on a mission to find people who are working safely and tell them that you have noticed what they are doing. This is harder than it sounds. Try it and find out for yourself. But remember, the results are well worth the effort. Catch your people doing it safely and they will continue to do it safely.

Common sense It has been said that sense is not that common. This is relevant when considering workplace safety management. If the safety rules and regulations don't pass the common sense of the people at risk, they will not comply. That's why the involvement of the staff in safety management is so important.

Thank you for reading this article. Peter L Mitchell invites you to visit his web site where you will discover a wealth of resources such as free downloads, ideas, articles, information and books, This site is updated nearly every day. Click here http://plmitchell.com/.

Why Fire Safety Training Is Essential These Days

2011-01-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

By Tom Billmore

Fire safety training has become an essential part of the average person's life so he can be well equipped to deal with any fire situation, wherever he is.

Fire safety training is no longer restricted to only firefighters specialized for fire hazards for the simple reason that a fire can break out possibly anywhere and under any situation. Having the basic knowledge of safety can help you prevent major accidents and in some cases, even save lives!

One tends to think a fire can only break out in high-rise buildings. But that is not true. Apart from buildings, cars, schools and offices can also catch fire, as can theatres, stores and homes. Learning about safety will keep you alert in a fire situation and your presence and knowledge could prevent a disaster from happening. However easy it seems, using the extinguisher needs proper training and one must know all about ways to fight fire and evacuation in case a fire breaks out.

There are plenty of affordable fire fighting schools that you can enroll into. Online options for fire safety courses are also freely available. However, the only disadvantage of these online courses is that you miss out on the practical training. Nevertheless, the basic training that you acquire in these courses also comes in handy in case of a fire situation.

Fire safety training comprises of safety in different situations. Fire extinguishers have become a necessity and are found placed everywhere we go, be it schools, offices, movie theatres, shopping centers and even in our homes. Using the fire extinguisher is one of the main subjects of any the safety training. It is important to know about the different kinds of extinguishers present and how to use them. The course also informs you about the classification of fires and the use of the correct extinguisher according to the fire.
The training course also educates the participants on outdoor fires that can break out. Special sections in the training program also cover safety in homes and while traveling. These include tips on how to stop the fire at home and what to do in case a fire breaks out when you are in a hotel while traveling.

Fire Safety is now a common training program that provides the average man with the knowledge and skills required to combat fires, whether big or small.

Safety Culture - Six Basic Safety Program Elements

2011-01-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

By James Roughton

If you run a small business, sometimes it is hard to keep up with all the rules and regulations. However, there are some very basic elements that must be implemented into a management system. One example is Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Proposed 'I2P2' Rule.According to OSHA, the proposed rule will "require employers to develop and implement a program that minimizes worker exposure to safety and health hazards."

No one really knows what the proposed rule will look like, but we can usually make a good guess. So, to help with some these Safety program elements, OSHA's "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines", published on January 26, 1989 provides some limited guidance that you can follow.
In many of the voluntary programs, OSHA outlines five elements that will help you to create a successful management system. From my standpoint, although management and employee participation is complementary and forms the core of an effective safety and health program, I want to make sure that there is a clear and distinct difference between management of the operation and employee participation. It will be easier to implement a management system if you understand what OSHA is considering a model system and then expand on the model to fit the organization. The following are the core elements of an effective management system:

Management leadership
Employee participation
Hazard identification and assessment
Hazard prevention and control
Information and training
Evaluation of program effectiveness

An effective management system addresses work-related hazards, including those potential hazards that could result from a change in workplace conditions or practices. In addition, it addresses hazards that are not regulatory driven by nature. The best advice is to not wait for an inspection or a workplace injury to occur before workplace hazards are addressed. If you do not already have a plan in place, then you should immediately create a plan for identifying and correcting hazards, and then implement the elements of the plan.

The key is to have employees participate in the development and implementation of the plan.

It is a good practice to implement and maintain a management system that provides systematic policies, procedures, and practices that are adequate to protect employees from safety hazards. In other words, an effective system identifies provisions for the systematic identification, evaluation, and prevention or control of workplace hazards, specific job hazards, and potential hazards that may arise from foreseeable conditions.
No matter if a safety program is in writing or not is less important than how effective it is implemented, managed, and practiced. It should be obvious that as the size of the workplace, the number of employees, or the complexity of an operation increases, the need for written guidance will increase. The program should help to make sure that there is clear communication to all employees with consistent application of policies and procedures.

Management Leadership

Management leadership from the top down is the most important part of any process. "Lip service", is not going to work and does not demonstrate commitment. Management demonstrates this commitment by providing the motivating force and the needed resources by including at least the following:
· Establishing the roles and responsibilities for managers, supervisors, and employees at all levels of the organization and holding each level accountable for carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
· Providing managers, supervisors, and employees with the authority, access to relevant information, training, and resources needed to carry out their responsibilities.
· Identifying at least one manager, supervisor, or employee to receive and respond to reports about safety conditions and, where appropriate, to initiate corrective action.
Just to make it clear, demonstration means "do as I do" and not "do as I say." This is an important concept, no matter what you are tying to accomplish, always "walk-the-walk, and talk-the-talk". If you say that you are going to do something, do it!

Employee participation
Employee participation provides the means for employees to develop and/or express their commitment to themselves and/or their fellow employees. Therefore, in any successful system, employees should be provided an opportunity to participate in establishing, implementing, and evaluating the safety system. To fulfill and enhance employee participation, management should implement some form of the following elements:

Regularly communicating with all employees concerning safety matters.
Providing employees with access to information relevant to the safety system.
Providing ways for employees to become involved in hazard identification and assessment, prioritizing hazards, safety training, and management system evaluation.
Establishing procedures where employees can report work-related hazards promptly and ways they can make recommendations about appropriate solutions to control the hazards identified.
Providing prompt responses to reports and recommendations.

It is important to remember that under an effective safety system, management encourages and supports employees to report safety hazards and making recommendations about associated hazard, or participating in the corrective actions for hazard as noted.

Hazard Identification and Assessment

A practical hazard analysis of the work environment involves a variety of elements to identify existing hazards and conditions as well as areas subject to change that might create new hazards. Using management techniques coupled with employee participation and continually analyzing the work environment to anticipate and develop programs to help prevent harmful occurrences will help to identify hazards. The following elements are recommended to help identify existing and potential hazards:

Conducting a baseline workplace assessment, updating assessments periodically, and allowing employees to participate in the assessments.
Analyzing planned and/or new facilities, process materials, and equipment.
Developing routine job hazards analyses and training employees on the hazards noted.
Assessing risk factors of ergonomics applications to employee's tasks.
Conducting regular site safety inspections so that new or previously missed hazards are identified and corrected.
Providing a reliable system for employees to notify management about conditions that appear hazardous and to receive timely and appropriate responses. This system utilizes employee insight and experience in safety and allows employee concerns to be addressed. And the most important, the employee should be encouraged to use this system without fear of reprisal.
Investigating injuries, "near misses," and loss producing events so that their causes and means of prevention can be identified.
Analyzing injury trends to identify patterns with common causes so that they can be reviewed and prevented

Hazards that employees are exposed should systematically be identified and evaluated. This evaluation can be accomplished by assessing compliance with the following activities and reviewing safety information for example:

The establishment's injury experience.
The OSHA 300 logs
Workers' compensation claims (Employers First Report of Injury)
Nurse and/or first aid logs
Results of any medical screening/surveillance
Employee safety complaints and reports
Environmental and biological exposure data
Information from prior workplace safety inspections
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)
Results of employee safety perception surveys
Safety manuals
Safety warnings provided by equipment manufacturers and chemical supplier
Information about safety provided by trade associations or professional safety organizations
Results of prior incidents and investigations
Evaluating new equipment, materials, and processes for hazards before they are introduced into the workplace
Assessing the severity of identified hazards and ranking those that cannot be corrected immediately according to their severity

It is also important to evaluate other regulatory requirements that may impose additional and specific requirements for hazard identification and assessment.

Hazard Prevention and Control

Effective planning and design of the workplace or job task can help to prevent hazards. Where it is not feasible to eliminate hazards, action plans should be implemented that can help to control unsafe conditions.
Elimination or control should be accomplished in a timely manner once a hazard or potential hazards are identified. The following are some suggested measures:

Using engineering techniques where feasible and appropriate
Establishing safe work practices and procedures that could be understood and followed by all affected employees
Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) when engineering controls are not feasible
Using administrative controls. For example, reducing the duration of exposure
Maintaining the facility and equipment to prevent equipment breakdowns
Planning and preparing for emergencies and conducting training including emergency drills, as needed, ensuring that proper responses to emergencies will be "second nature" for all employees involved
Establishing a medical surveillance program that includes handling first aid cases onsite and off-site at a nearby physician and/or emergency medical care to help reduce the risk of any injury that may occur

Once identified, an action plan should be developed to help solve the issues or can be used to come into compliance with applicable requirements. These plans can include setting priorities and deadlines and tracking progress in controlling hazards.

Information and Training

Training is an important part of any program to ensure that all employees understand the requirements of the safety programs and potential hazards of the operation. This training should address the roles and responsibilities of both the management and the employees. It will be most effective when combined with other training about performance requirements and/or job practices. The complexity depends on the size and the nature of the hazards and potential hazards present. The following information and training should be provided to all levels:

The nature of the hazards and how to recognize them
The means to control these hazards
The protective measures that can be used to prevent and/or minimize exposure to hazards
The provisions of applicable requirements

Anyone who has responsibilities for the information and training should be provided the level of training necessary to carry out their safety responsibilities.
The following provides a brief explanation for some specific-level training. You should review your operation and expand on the brief summary.

Employee Training

Employee training programs should be designed to ensure that all employees understand and are aware of the hazards that they may be exposed and the proper methods for avoiding such hazards.

Management Training

Management must be trained to understand the key role they play in safety and to enable them to carry out their job duties effectively as follows:

Analyzing of the work under their supervision to anticipate and identify potential hazards
Maintaining physical protection in their work areas
Reinforcing employee training on the nature of potential hazards associated with their work and on protective measures. The reinforcement is done through continual performance feedback and, as necessary, through enforcement of safe work practices
Understanding their roles and responsibilities

Note that some compliance standards impose additional, more specific requirements for information, training, and education. Make sure that you read specific training requirements.

Evaluation of Program Effectiveness

The management system should be evaluated to ensure that it is effective and appropriate to specific workplace conditions. The system should be revised in a timely manner to correct any deficiencies as identified by any program evaluation. It is important that system elements be reviewed at least annually to evaluate their success in meeting the goals and objectives so that deficiencies can be identified and the program and/or the objectives can be revised when they do not meet the goal of an effective safety process.
The key to developing a management system is to provide visible top management involvement in implementing and sustaining the management system so that all employees understand that management's commitment is serious.

Resources: OSHA's "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines", published on January 26, 1989
"Developing an Effective Safety Culture: A Leadership Approach" by James Roughton

James Roughton, CSP, Six Sigma Black Belt is very passionate about developing social networking strategies for Small Businesses. I am on a journey of discovery and want to spread the word about how to develop and maintain effective social networking strategies to maximize exposure on the internet.
I am a Certified Safety Professional, Six Sigma Black Belt, an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, Inbound Marketing Educator, freelance author, blogger, Social Media Marketing Strategist, Technical Trainer, Safety Professional, on-line entrepreneur, and social networking guru. I love to help individuals and small businesses develop WordPress Websites that can navigate and explore the Social Network Jungle one step at a Time. You can visit my blogs at:

Job Hazard Analysis
James Roughton

Is Maritime Safety Observed by Shipping Firms All the Time?

2011-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

By Kalyan Kumar

Shipping companies and organizations worldwide are responsible for following maritime safety standards at all times. They are bound by an international maritime law which requires them to ensure the safety of vessel crew and passengers on land and sea.

Seafarers have been trained in school about the proper safety measures to take during emergency situations. And their training does end after graduating because before they are hired for a job on a vessel, they are required to undergo further schooling. Additionally, when they get employed and work on board, they continue to have regular drills all for safety purposes.

The overall governing body when it comes to worldwide shipping is the International Maritime Organization or IMO. Since its establishment in 1959, the organization has adopted global safety standards for vessels and seafarers. Its Maritime Safety Committee is the one that takes charge of safety-related issues.
Each country has a maritime agency that looks into all aspects of shipping operations within their jurisdiction and checks vessels entering and leaving their territorial waters. When accidents happen, this same agency has a committee or special board that investigates the causes and comes up with disciplinary actions and solutions.

In the European Union, the Parliament and its Council reached an agreement in March to implement more safety measures to prevent maritime accidents and accountability of shipping operators. This will pave the way for an improved control system of checking vessels that pose a risk, more stringent standards, the creation of a certification body and implementation of financial penalties.

In the past and recent years, there have been several accidents at sea involving passenger and non-passenger ships in the different parts of the world. These include fires, collisions, sinking of ships and those caused by mechanical failure as well as natural disasters such as storms and bad weather. As these are accidents, it's also inevitable that some people will get injured or killed in worse cases.

While maritime accidents involving big vessels may be unexpected at times, some can be attributed to negligence due to inexperienced crew. There have been reports that some ships employ crew members not properly trained for the job resulting in underperformance on board.

In the case of cruise ships, it's the passengers who become victims of negligent conduct on the part of crew members. Due to unforeseen circumstances, sometimes their vacation turns into a nightmare that may haunt them for a long time. But there are the maritime lawyers who can always help them should they wish to file a lawsuit and claim.

Accidents that happen at sea should not be ignored and when personal injuries are involved, taking legal action may be the right step. This is not only to seek compensation for the injury suffered by the victim but also to teach ship operators a lesson. Sometimes, shipping companies are so confident about their operations that it's only when accidents occur that they take the necessary steps to improve their systems.
Safety of life at sea is and should always be a priority for shipping firms. This matter should be constantly reviewed to prevent further unfortunate incidents.

For information on maritime lawyers, visit Gallagher Law Firm, Louisiana lawyers and attorneys who specialize in personal injury, car and truck accidents, divorce, maritime law and more.

Safety Training in Airlines

2011-01-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

By Joshua Wregglar

As the saying goes, the safety of the airline lies with the crew itself starting from the pilots and co pilots stewards attendants, everybody has a definite responsibility in adopting the safety measures to secure their lives and that of the passengers.

The main responsibility of the safety lies on the pilots and basic safety training is always provided to them to fly safely. A renowned UK airline provides one day safety training to guide through the basic rules of safety. The cabin safety training package offers the crew in fire and smoke training, wet drills, slide descents and door operation. The training equips the whole flight and cabin crew to tackle all sorts of emergency situations using advanced fixed and in motion simulators. Realistic fire and smoke training is provided as well as with smoke chamber and fire ground Wet Drills cover all the preliminary training with life jackets and life rafts and in water operations. Door operations include the opening and the use of emergency exit doors required in situations. Use of oxygen masks and helping the passengers in critical situations are carried out by the mock drills in controlled environment.

The course of Advanced Safety Management System for Airlines is designed in such a way to train specially for the safety specialist and persons of senior management cadre, so that there is remarkable improvement in the safety management systems using modern communication systems and technologies. It trains in improving the risk management abilities through advanced techniques and plan for better cost effective measures. This also trains to develop a strategic communication system through a safety communication program. Planning strategies in risk management both in the qualitative and quantitative manner is another important feature of this safety training course. Thorough investigation and analyzing previous incidents, latest precautionary measures can be adopted.

Special training is provided to the pilots and the air traffic controllers to avoid air-borne collisions. In this 5-daytraining course of ACAS (Airborne Collision Avoidance System) and T-CAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) enables them to get a full understanding of ACAS in international standards, clearly understanding the operational procedures of the air traffic controller and the pilots providing necessary feedback. The course offers different case studies, specific procedures of pilot and air traffic controller and the situational awareness of the pilot and the controller.

Training for basic airside safety is also imparted to the ground staff and other persons handling the airline operations. This includes the marking of danger zones, improving the signaling in adverse climatic conditions, maintaining proper traffic rules at the ramp, instant reporting of an accident, preventing fire breakouts, first aid training, fire protection and fire action, proper health conditions of the staff and maintain a well communicating system. The course is four hours duration but have multi benefits like refreshing safety training skills of the staff, minimizing the accidents and other damages in the ramp and training fresh staffs.
Other safety training courses are also provided in creating safety awareness, handling cargo etc. to keep the airlines free from any disasters without compromising in profit margins.

Safety media sell a huge range of health and safety products such as posters, DVD's, leaflets and equipment. They have everything you need to carry out safety training.

Stopping Cyberbullying: School Safety Training

2011-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

By Sam Caleb Y Dupage

"Bullycide" is is an unfortunate new term coined to describe teen suicides prompted by extreme intimidation by other students. Its victims are teens like Miranda Larnerd or the teenager whose case gained national attention as her parents claimed her to be a victim of "cyber-bullying". Megan was the victim of a cruel MySpace hoax perpetrated by peers and a neighboring parent. She commited suicide after reading a particularly cruel entry.

Social networking sites are not the province of school systems. And yet high school, college and, surprisingly, middle school is where bullying can be incubated or halted before it spawns tragedy. It is simply too often the case that teachers and school administrators are not prepared to recognize the signs of violence or harassment before it occurs.

The All Hazards Training Center at The University of Findlay, or Findlay All Hazards for short, offers solutions for prevention of student harassment, and other school security concerns such as disgruntled parents, weapons on school grounds, and assaults. A truly comprehensive approach is always taken, which includes contingent safety issues including severe weather, fires, and hazardous materials transportation accidents.|Where can they go for help? School Safety and Security Training from the University of Findlay provides thorough training and simulation exercises for administrators and safety professionals to recognize, prevent and handle issues like harassment and intimidation. But Findlay's approach goes beyond the issue of bullying, treating such threats as contraband at schools, bomb threats, security screening and transportation safety.

Findlay's training programs meet the needs of all primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities, with the goals of improving the overall safety of the campus, and readying everyone, from the superintendant's office to teachers to maintenance staff, to deal with emergencies or potential crisis. At the primary school level, one of the things that sets Findlay apart is the involvement of parents in the programswith two main phases: assessment and ongoing training.

Findlay's School Safety and Security subject matter experts teach the essential steps in hazard awareness, with emphasis on situation management and emergency response, in single six to eight hour classes selected from a suite of courses for school teachers and administrators. Complementing the staff training, students and, on occasion, parents receive a few hours of instruction from the All Hazards Training Center. Such sessions also profile a school's safety and security vulnerabilities for Findlay's experts, including the manner in which students treat one another and the measures that have been taken in prior harassment situations, whether mental or physical.

These School Safety and Security training courses stress "threat assessment management" as the most sure-fire means of preventing bullying and harrasment. After the essentials of school security and safety training have been covered, instructors can go deeper with specialized training for particular parts of the school staff, such as a more in-depth threat management course.

The classroom training can move into "hands-on" training, where exercises are performed that address certain potential crisis scenarios. Ultimately, in concert with fire, police, and other local emergency services, Findlay's school safety training personnel conduct full-scale emergency exercises across the entire school system.

Now more than ever, though, Findlay school security trainers work to prepare the entire school building staff to detect problems before they escalate. By understanding the venues of harassment and bullying, whether those are websites or out of the way, unseen areas of schools where violence can take place away from the notice of school staff, these important school safety training classes demonstrate how to prevent bullying and worse. All Hazards instruction also helps schools create safe means for students to report harassment.
Many students today never feel truly safe at school, especially when cyber-bullying carries threats and intimidation beyond the school environment. School safety and security training from the All Hazards Training Center equips educators to restore the environment of safety and learning that kids deserve.

Effective training programs in the areas of OSHA safety compliance, and, of course, school safety and security training are provided by The University of Findlay.

More information is available at:

http://osha-safety-training.findlay.edu/
and http://school-safety-security-training.findlay.edu/

Make Your Office a Safe Place to Work With Office Safety Training

2011-01-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

By Harry Worthington

The safety of the workers in any office is one of the main responsibilities of the management. One of the best methods in ensuring safety in work places is by conducting a regular office safety training seminar.
The safety seminar would not be expensive, as in most cases they can be conducted free by the public and local authorities. The police department, as part of their public services, often conduct safety training and tips regularly. This is also part of the public safety awareness campaigns of the local fire station brigades. In large corporate offices, the Human Resources department would normally maintain an Occupational Safety Officer that usually conducts the training.

The safety seminars include actions to be taken when an incident occurs. In this part of the training, the trainer would normally emphasise the importance of proper first aid training. Employees are educated on the types of temporary medical assistance needed to help a victim, including the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR is the most common life saving technique that involves chest compression and mouth to mouth rescue breathing. The placement of emergency equipment to combat a situation, are also given importance in the lectures, and so does the use of the first aid kits.

Offices situated in high rise buildings are given fire drill training in order that they will be able to react quickly when a fire is noticed or when the fire alarm rings. Local government regulation and building codes also include provisions for fire drills. Workers in earthquake prone countries are also given a special earthquake and evacuation drill. Massive emergency and evacuation drills cannot succeed if the workers are not given safety training in small numbers.

One of the important elements of the safety seminar is the identification of the office hazards. Risk Managers and Safety Officers agree that when the hazards are eliminated, the office will be a safer working area.
Mechanical hazards include over filled filing cabinets that can tip over when not properly bolted to the floor. Overheating electrical equipment, such as photocopying machines and electric kettles, are also part of the hazard that requires to be rectified. The physical sources of danger include chairs that do not support, adequately, the backs of the workers, and improper glare control from the windows and computer video display units. Toxic vapours in the atmosphere are part of the chemical hazards in the office. These are mainly from the fumes caused by printers and copiers. Smoking in the office was then part of this danger, but local by-laws have eliminated it. Common electrical hazards in the office are caused by loose wires and the overloading of power chords. Air-conditioning units that are not regularly serviced are also included.
An office danger that is often neglected is the psychological hazard. Employees who work very long hours or are consistently pressured to do monotonous or repetitive work are prone to accidents. These hazards can be properly addressed during safety trainings.

The Occupational Health and Safety Acts of different countries have established the duties of the employers in relation to the health, safety and welfare of the employees. By regularly conducting office safety training, the environment in the office will be less dangerous and the workers will be more productive.

Are you looking for Office Safety Training to improve the knowledge of you employees? Worksafe UK is a company that has a wide selection of health and safety training that can help you. For more information please visit the website at http://www.worksafe.uk.com/

Welding Safety Hazards and How to Prevent Them

2011-01-23T11:53:00.001-08:00

By Timothy Micek

Weld safely and Know the risks
With out proper knowledge and safety precautions welding can be both dangerous and unhealthy. Most welding processes involve an arc flame, so the risk of facial and flesh burns is very high. Both the eyes and skin can be affected by the bright light and extreme temperature. Most skin burns begin similar to a sunburn, but can get much more serious. Eye burns are much more serious even in the slighter cases of damage. Additionally, the brightness of the weld area can cause flash burns in which ultraviolet light causes inflammation of the cornea and can burn the retinas of the eyes. The risk of blindness is always there if not properly protected. Welding helmets are durable and dependable, the bulk of them protects the face by drastically reducing the amount of exposure.

Welding helmets with an auto darkening lens are specifically designed for optimal protection of the eyes. Standard welding helmets protect the eyes from ultraviolet emissions released during multiple arc welding processes; exposure to these emissions result in inflammation of the cornea and is known as arc eye or ultraviolet keratitis. These dangerous ultraviolet rays can cause the same amount of damage regardless of the source be it natural or artificial. Unfortunately, the symptoms (gritty painful eyes, eyelid twitchy, very watery eyes, aversion of bright light, pupil constriction) are not recognized until hours after exposure once the damage is already done. Damage is cumulative, so the longer duration and higher frequencies of exposure will result in more serious injuries and damage. In these cases blindness is most likely to occur. However, with the proper protection of a welding helmet with an auto darkening lens injuries are easily and effectively prevented.

If not properly shielded, other damage to the eyes can occur such as retinal burns and total loss of vision. Welding helmets are always essential since damage can occur over a relatively short period of time. Arc welding operations are potentially very dangerous. Many health hazards can arise from the emission of electromagnetic waves, namely ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet light is the most frequent cause of radiation based eye injuries. In addition to the ultraviolet exposure risk there are other ways in which the eyes can be damaged without proper protection during welding. Such risks are photochemical and thermal damage to the retina. Photochemical damage is a result of exposure to intense blue light. Thermal damage occurs when exposed to visible and near infrared radiation. In all cases, the longer the exposure the greater the damage. Therefore making welding helmets a very important piece of safety equipment.

The newer, electronic models of welding helmets are similar to the older models but with substantial safety and convenience enhancements. For example, all welding helmets include a window filter known as the lens shade. In the older models this window was made of tinted or polarized glass. Thanks to electronic advancements the more modern models use a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) filter, or shutter, that better adjusts to the bright light. Essentially, the auto darkening lens allows the welder to continue working with adequate vision and normal lighting.

http://www.weldinghelmetboss.com/ Offers a full Line of name brand welding helmets and welding safety equipment

Health and Safety Training - A Safer Workplace for Everyone

2011-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

By Renu Rohila

Be it our homes or workplaces, accidents and health hazards are commonplace. Health and Safety Training is essential as it will minimize the chances of several mishaps and unexpected accidents. At workplaces, employers must impart this training to employees, especially workers involved in mill and heavy machinery factories.

Accidents most often occur due to human negligence and carelessness. Ignorance, with regard to proper handling of machines or equipment, can also lead to severe accidents. Your employees can claim accident compensations on grounds of unsafe working conditions. Accident compensations can be huge. Besides, accident injury cases can also harm your company's reputation.

Health and Safety Training is therefore of utmost importance, not just for avoidance of unwanted mishaps, but also because your employee's safety should be your prime concern.

Factories workers need complete training of safety and health programs. Without them, workers will not know how to handle situations at workplaces. A complete understanding of how factory machines and equipments work will not only ensure safety of people handling them, but also increase work productivity.

It is important under these following circumstances:

To the new recruits on how to handle machines and equipments.
Following introduction of new or advanced machinery.
Following introduction of repaired machinery with added new or advanced mechanics.

In addition to the above, general fire training, special safety training for handling poisonous chemicals, gases, handling of safety equipment, accessories or suits, emergency combat training, etc, should also be imparted.
Fire is the most feared of all calamities at workplaces, and in general. Fire accidents can not only cause mass destruction to your office and factory, but also severely injure people. This training, to avoid fire accidents, is necessary at workplaces and does not only limit to training employees on how to use fire extinguishers. You should be able to devise a fire safety program exclusively for your workplace and it should constitute an important part of your employee health and safety program.

In addition to devising a safety plan, you should also have fire equipment like smoke and fire alarms, water hoses, and extinguishers installed for immediate combat of all fire problems. Professionals should be hired to check, maintain, repair or install electrical connections or equipments. Naked wiring or faulty electrical connections should be checked and removed or fixed.

Assuming that factories will use highly toxic chemicals, special safety training should be imparted to workers on the correct handling of chemicals or liquids. Burns caused from chemical spills cannot only severely harm your employees, but flammable liquids can also cause immediate and huge fire accidents at workplaces.
It can be either hands-on or imparted with the help of training DVDs. Generally, training can be imparted every month as refresher courses or where specialized training is required, regularly or as required.

US Labor Department's OSHA fines Bridgford Foods

2011-01-23T11:43:00.003-08:00

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued the Bridgford Foods Processing Corp. facility in Chicago 10 safety citations for failing to implement and provide training for workers on lockout/tagout procedures, thereby exposing them to energized equipment. The meat processing plant is facing proposed penalties of $212,000.

"By failing to train employees and enforce lockout/tagout procedures, Bridgford Foods placed employees in danger of serious injury from equipment that was not properly de-energized," said Gary Anderson, OSHA's area director in Calumet City, Ill. "OSHA is committed to ensuring that workers are provided a safe and healthful workplace."

As a result of a July 2010 OSHA inspection, Bridgford Foods Processing has been issued one willful citation, with a proposed penalty of $70,000, for allowing workers to remove a shovel stuck in an auger screw conveyor without locking or tagging out the auger, placing employees in danger of the machine operating while they worked to remove the shovel. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Bridgford Foods Processing also has been issued six repeat citations, with proposed fines of $135,000, for having locked exit doors, failing to provide lockout/tagout or electrical safety training, failing to provide a load backrest extension on a powered industrial truck to minimize the hazard of material falling and failing to specifically outline energy control procedures. OSHA issues a repeat citation when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Additionally, two serious citations have been issued for failing to perform periodic energy control inspections and to maintain unobstructed exit routes. Those citations carry penalties of $7,000. An OSHA violation is serious when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

One other-than-serious citation has been issued for failing to properly illuminate exit signs. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Bridgford Foods' Chicago facility has been inspected by OSHA three times since November 2007, resulting in 29 health and safety citations. The company is headquartered in Anaheim, Calif., and also operates two factories in Dallas, Texas, and one in Statesville, N.C.

This investigation falls under the requirements of OSHA's Severe Violators Enforcement Program. Initiated in the spring of 2010, SVEP focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe, industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards, employee exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals and all egregious enforcement actions. For more information on SVEP, go to http://www.osha.gov/dep/svep-directive.pdf*.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Calumet City Area Office at 708-891-3800. To report workplace injuries, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/index.html.

How to Become an Authorized Trainer

2011-01-23T11:37:00.001-08:00

To become an authorized trainer, you must complete a required OSHA trainer course:

For Construction Industry:
- Course #500, Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry. Prerequisites are:
  - five years of construction safety experience (a college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation, in the applicable training area may be substituted for two years of experience) and
  - completion of course #510, Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry.
- Course #501, Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry. Prerequisites are:
  - five years of general industry safety experience (a college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation, in the applicable training area may be substituted for two years of experience) and
  - completion of course #511, Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry
For General Industry:

For course schedules see, OSHA Education Centers

These courses provide an overview of the most hazardous and referenced standards. The courses are one week long and are conducted by the OSHA Training Institute and the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers which are located around the country.

When you complete the course, you are authorized to train for four years. Before the end of four years, you must take an update course to renew your authorization for another four years. There are two update courses available:

Course #502: Update for Construction Industry Outreach Trainers
Course #503: Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers.

OSHA Training Institute

2011-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

The OSHA Training Institute provides training and education in occupational safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, state consultants, other federal agency personnel, and the private sector.

Learn more...

US Labor Department's OSHA cites Miami business for deliberately

2011-01-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Lead Enterprises Inc. in Miami, Fla., alleging that the company knowingly neglected to protect employees from lead exposure. The company is being cited with 32 safety and health violations, and $307,200 in total proposed penalties.

"This company was well aware of what it needed to do to protect its workers from a well-known hazard but failed to provide that protection," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "Lead exposure can cause many serious health issues including brain damage, kidney disease and harm to the reproductive system. Such a blatant disregard for OSHA's lead standard is shameful and will not be tolerated."

Lead Enterprises is a lead recycling and manufacturing company that produces lead products, including fish tackle, lead diving weights and lead-lined walls used in medical radiology facilities.

As a follow-up to a 2009 inspection, OSHA conducted a July 2010 inspection that resulted in four willful citations and proposed penalties of $224,000. The citations allege violations of OSHA's lead standard including exposing workers to lead above the permissible exposure limit; not providing engineering controls to reduce exposure; failure to perform ventilation measurements; failure to provide a clean change area; and failure to provide a suitable shower facility for workers exposed to lead above the permissible level. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Additionally, 21 serious citations with proposed penalties of $70,400 allege that Lead Enterprises failed to perform an initial exposure determination for workers who clean the facility, to conduct quarterly monitoring, to notify workers of air monitoring results, to provide appropriate protective clothing, to maintain surfaces free from lead accumulation, to properly store oxygen and acetylene tanks in the facility, properly install production equipment, and to fix or remove defective forklift trucks. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

"The management of Lead Enterprises acknowledged awareness of the OSHA lead standard and the dangers associated with lead exposure but continued to allow the hazard to exist, exposing employees to a serious health risk," said Darlene Fossum, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale.

Three repeat citations with a proposed penalty of $11,200 have been issued, alleging that the company failed to cover electrical wires on a furnace fan motor and record injuries on the OSHA recordkeeping forms for 2008 and 2010. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Two other-than-serious citations were issued with $1,600 in proposed penalties for failing to record instances of medical removal on OSHA 300 logs, and label containers that held lead-contaminated clothing. Two additional other-than-serious citations with no monetary penalties have been issued for failing to certify forklift operators and notify the laundering facility of lead exposure dangers.

In August 2010, OSHA issued citations to E.N. Range Inc. in Miami, a sister company of Lead Enterprises. E.N. Range is the primary lead supplier for Lead Enterprises, and both companies have the same owner. The earlier citations alleged that E.N. Range knowingly neglected to protect employees who clean gun ranges from serious overexposure to lead. E.N. Range also was cited for providing, without medical supervision, non-Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for lead exposure. The company was cited for more than 50 violations of the lead and other standards, with total proposed penalties of $2,099,600. It is currently contesting the citations and penalties.

Lead Enterprises has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by OSHA's area office in Fort Lauderdale; telephone 954-424-0242. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/index.html.

Workplace Postings - California

2011-01-23T11:31:00.001-08:00

In California, all employers must meet workplace posting obligations. Workplace postings are usually available at no cost from the requiring agency. The Department of Industrial Relations requires employers to post information related to wages, hours and working conditions in an area frequented by employees where it may be easily read during the workday. Additional posting requirements apply to some workplaces. For a list of available safety and health postings, visit the Cal/OSHA publications page.

Preventing and Reducing Costly Injuries and Illnesses

2011-01-23T11:29:00.001-08:00

An effective IIPP can reduce or prevent costly injuries and illness in your workplace. Besides the trauma to the workplace of experiencing an employee injury or illness there are effects on the injured employee(s) and their families. Injured employees may experience pain and suffering, loose their salary, and miss opportunities for future job advancement.

Also, injuries and illness increase the cost of doing business. These direct costs to the workplace can include medical treatment, higher worker’s compensation insurance premiums, indemnity, and litigation.
On average, costs per injury can add up to more than $50,000.00 for a back injury, $62,000.00 for a slip and fall injury, and $40,000.00 for a Carpal Tunnel or Repetitive Motion Injury. These costs do not include additional indirect costs associated with injuries and illnesses such as lost productivity, re-training, hiring new employees, administrative time, repair and replacement of equipment, etc.

Cost data cited is from the WCIRB in 2008
(https://wcirbonline.org/wcirb/resources/data_reports/pdf/2008_loss_and_expenses.pdf)

Additional references for injury and illness cost data provided by:
J. Paul Leigh, Ph.D.
Department of Public Health Sciences
University of California, Davis
Davis, California

Employment Law Guide: Laws, Regulations, and Technical Assistance Services

2011-01-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

Prepared by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy

This Guide describes the major statutes and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses.
Statutory and regulatory changes will occur over time, which may affect the information in this Guide. For the latest information on all laws check this site periodically.

Click here access the online guide

New Drug-Use Screening Tool Available for Physicians

2011-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

In 2007, an estimated 19.9 million Americans aged 12 or older (around 8 percent of the population) were current (past month) users of illegal drugs--nearly 1 in 5 of those 18 to 25 years old--and many more are current tobacco or binge alcohol users. The consequences of this drug use can be far-reaching--playing a role in the cause and progression of many medical disorders, including addiction. Yet only a fraction of people who need addiction treatment receive it.

To address this need, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently unveiled its first comprehensive Physicians’ Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, a tool that gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit and non-medical prescription drug use. The NIDAMED resources include an online screening tool, a companion quick reference guide and a comprehensive resource guide for clinicians. The outreach initiative stresses the importance of the patient-doctor relationship in identifying unhealthy behaviors before they evolve into life-threatening medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke or HIV/AIDS, or result in other adverse consequences such as personal relationship, financial or legal problems or job loss.

NIDAMED tools were developed because doctors are in a unique position to discuss drug-taking behaviors with their patients before they lead to serious medical problems or effect workplace productivity and safety problems. Research shows that screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment by clinicians in general medical settings, can promote significant reductions in alcohol and tobacco use. The tools also put physicians in a unique situation for identifying patients who are misusing prescription medications.

The NIDAMED online screening tool provides physicians the ability to confidentially screen a patient to determine whether they may have a substance abuse problem. It is an interactive Web site that guides clinicians through a short series of questions and, based on the patient's responses, generates a substance involvement score that suggests the level of intervention needed. A physician can use this interactive tool during routine office visits. NIDAMED also includes an online resource guide with detailed instructions on how to implement the screening tool, discuss screening results, offer a brief intervention and make necessary referrals. In addition, a quick reference guide has been developed to serve as a prompt to medical professionals to initiate screening.

Employers should take note of this new NIDA initiative because early interventions like this, whether performed by doctors or workplace-based employee assistance professionals, also can help reduce the adverse consequences of substance use. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), seventy-six percent of people with drug and alcohol problems are employed and workplace substance abuse negatively impacts productivity, safety and absenteeism and increases healthcare spending. In addition, employers stand to gain from early intervention efforts with employees who may not necessarily be addicted, since light and moderate alcohol users--higher in number than alcoholics--cause 60 percent of alcohol-related absenteeism, tardiness and poor work quality.¹

More information on all NIDAMED products can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/nidamed. Additional information about substance use and prevention in the workplace can be found at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Working Partners Web site.

Drug Free Workplace - Partners in Prevention Booklet & PowerPoint Kit

2011-01-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

Drugs can be dangerous, even prescription medications if they are misused! Don't let your company become a victim of employee substance abuse and risk the high cost of low productivity, lost work time and even life-threatening accidents.

Make sure your employees understand

Dangers of prescription and over the counter medications
How alcohol affects performance even "the day after"
Where to get help
Strict controls of illegal substances

This easy-to-use kit makes training convenient, fast and thorough.

It includes everything you need:

Fully customizable 30-slide PowerPoint presentation with comprehensive speakers notes
20 employee booklets and a voucher to purchase unlimited copies at an additional 10% savings
Training certificate that you can personalize, print, and customize with your company's specific requirements

To learn more about this program visit SafetyTrainingMedia.com

Food Service Safety and Sanitation Training

2011-01-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Whether it’s a cafeteria, group picnic or any activity involving food, this is a “must see” training program. This program explains bacteria, the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, how to properly kill bacteria, hot and cold temperatures required for food safety, contamination of foods and cross contamination of different types of food and more. This is an excellent training program for anyone handling, cooking, preparing or serving food.

Runtime: 20 Min.

Free Online Preview

To purchase this program, visit SafetyTrainingMedia.com

HIPAA Privacy Compliance Training

2011-01-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

This brand-new video training program will help you comply with HIPAA's Privacy Rule the first comprehensive federal protection guidelines for the privacy of health information. Your staff will learn the importance of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality under HIPAA's Privacy Rule.

What is Protected Health Information
Use and disclosure of protected health information
Consent and authorization
Patient rights
Compliance
Developing a HIPAA attitude.

Added features and benefits of DVD training include:

English and Spanish versions many also include Portuguese
A Customizable PowerPoint Presentation makes training site-specific; excellent for training different personnel and departments
Training Points outlines key learning points of your training; reinforces important safety points to your employees.
Chapterized Content - video-enriched training organized by learning objectives that facilitates classroom discussion; ideal for refresher training, specific training points and navigating through the course.
Expanded Leader's Guide excellent resource to help plan and implement your presentation. A quiz is provided that can serve as a pre and/or post evaluative tool.
Portable Convenience perfect for those who train and travel! Includes ten employee handbooks.

For more detail and to purchase this program, vist SafetyTrainingMedia.com

ADA & Disability Law

2011-01-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Equal opportunity is an important part of business, and the Americans with Disabilities Act is designed to eliminate workplace discrimination against handicapped individuals.

This program explains how employers can keep themselves legally protected during the interviewing and hiring process, how to write job descriptions that outline the specific functions of the job, and how your workplace can better accommodate employees with disabilities. Learn the law and discover the benefits of hiring without discrimination.

To learn more and purchase this program, visit SafetyTrainingMedia.com

Personal Liability In The Worplace Pranks And Harassment

2011-01-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

This is perhaps the most important training on the market today because individuals and employers are targeted for lawsuits, by the individuals who have been harassed or subjects of harmful pranks. Without realizing just how harmful these actions can be to others, victims are striking back, which often lead to great monetary awards and career ending difficulties. Every organization has the liability for making sure the workplace is free of such pranks and harassment, but also to develop a plan that ensures each instance be investigated and action taken to prevent future pranks and harassment.

New social media, such as facebook, twitter and youtube can lead to personal liability, even though no harm was intended. Emailing jokes is a fact of life, but when it is disruptive, harmful and hurtful, it becomes a matter for the legal system, if the victim so chooses.

This training program provides examples of such activity, what steps that can and should be taken to prevent workplace pranks and harassment. Millions of dollars in litigation costs, awards and loss productivity are at stake, as much as the deleterious effect on victims. Every employee, supervisor and management should review this program and take action to curtail and eliminate these practices.

For More Info & Free Online Preview Click Here!

Ten Steps to a Safe Kitchen

2011-01-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

Keep your refrigerator at 40° F (4° C) or less.
Refrigerate cooked, perishable food as soon as possible within two hours after cooking.
Sanitize your kitchen dishcloths and sponges regularly.
Wash your cutting board with soap and hot water after each use
Cook ground beef, red meats and poultry products to a safe internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer.
Don't eat raw or lightly cooked eggs
Clean kitchen counters and other surfaces that come in contact with food with hot water and detergent or a solution of bleach and water.
Allow dishes and utensils to air-dry in order to eliminate re-contamination from hands or towels.
Wash hands with soap and warm water immediately after handling raw meat, poultry, or fish.
Defrost meat, poultry and fish products in the refrigerator, microwave oven, or cold water that is changed every 30 minutes.
- Follow package directions for thawing foods in the microwave.
- Cook microwave-defrosted food immediately after thawing.
- Changing water every 30 minutes when thawing foods in cold water ensures that the food is kept cold, an important factor for slowing bacterial growth on the outside while inner areas are still thawing.

download the PowerPoint presentation.

Electrical Safety Training - Work Practices

2011-01-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

By Charlie Bentson King

Electrical safety training is paramount to a safe and productive workplace. Because electricity is a part of every aspect of a workplace it is imperative that everyone in that workplace understands its safety and use. Just a single electrical accident can be catastrophic. OSHA has made the training mandatory and divides it into three categories - hazard recognition, proper work practices and hazards specific to different work environments.

Work practices start with understanding the most common electrical dangers - shocks, burns and fires - and how to avoid them. Here are some of the major reasons for these dangers and how to avoid them.

Faulty wiring causes many electrical accidents. Never pick up a tool by its power cord. It will damage the wire by pulling it away from the tool causing cracks and other defects. Any damages in the cord should be addressed immediately by putting the tool out of service and scheduled for repair.
Never run too many pieces of equipment on the same circuit. This causes overheating and increases the risk of fire.
Extension cords are designed for temporary use only and NEVER should be used as a permanent solution. Make sure you always check the extension cord for its rating.
3-pronged cords should never be fitted into 2-pronged outlets. This keeps the grounding wire from operating and makes you vulnerable to stray electricity.
Using "double insulated" tools will provide you extra protection when working with electricity. These types of tools should be mandatory in the workplace as they conduct electricity away from you increasing worker safety exponentially.
If there is any suspicion of a tool or piece of equipment not operating properly it should be reported immediately to your supervisor who can arrange for it to be locked and tagged.Lock-Out Tag-Out is an important component of electrical safety and should be trained accordingly.
Using the proper lighting is another important part of electrical safety. If you can't see what you are doing it's much easier to make a mistake and get hurt.
Avoid wearing metal jewelry, chains or any other metal objects as they can conduct electricity. All of these objects should be removed before beginning work.
All equipment should be kept in good working order and free of any debris and grease. This will help with overheating and prevent fires. When cleaning equipment avoid using liquids and metal cleaning equipment as they can conduct electricity.
Using the proper personal protective equipment is also imperative. Insulated hard hats and gloves can be the difference between life and death.

Work practices are the second category of training that OSHA requires and an integral part of electrical safety training. Make sure that your organization is up-to-date on electrical safety training. It might just save a life.

Charlie Bentson King is a Vice President for Workplace Safety Videos - The world's most comprehensive source of safety video and safety DVD training programs including electrical safety videos.

OSHA Safety Training Focuses on Safety Management and Risk Reduction in 2011

2011-01-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

By Taylor Tremor

As the United States braces itself for yet another series of environmental as well as synthetic catastrophes, the safety-training professionals start to batten down the fences. With the impudence on providing safety training to both employees and subcontractors, on a national front, this posting is on the importance of construction companies to shore up their safety training opportunities.

OSHA Training Courses

Today you will be educated, in a flash, on what one such safety training company, located here in the United States, is doing to open up the Internet and focus on safety management and risk reduction. The safety training game has changed and it is within the context of this alteration that the Internet has granted both speed and fluidity to the design of how construction firms train their workers.

OSHA Construction Training

Safety management is the generalized phrase that defines what a company does to adequately prevent accidents and injuries to the forms workers. Risk reduction can be defined as the actions taken to reduce the amount of risk, either real or perceived, in and on a worksite. What safety training does is serve as a shield against accidents. At the site, safety management as well as risk reduction are the driving factors for superior workplace safety training.

OSHA Construction Training

The OSHA 30 Hour Construction Course thoroughly covers and complies with the requirements set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) for all construction-based workers in the United States. As the name implies the course details and explains worker safety and workplace safety protocols in the construction related industry. After passing the final test with a score of 70% or greater, you are then rewarded with the 30 Hour Construction Industry Course Completion Card.

Construction Course Description:

The OSHA 30 Hour Construction Industry Training Course offered will have you up and running, and OSHA compliant in no time! We understand the time constraints and the time spent away from work and family is both limited and precious. That is why we have streamlined the process to make it that much easier for you to be both worker and workplace safety and well on your way to OSHA compliance all in the same setting. You also have the flexibility to monitor your time spent on studying the OSHA 30 Hour Construction Training Safety Course as well as getting ready for the final exam at the end of the course training.

Taylor Tremor is a content coordinator for Online OSHA Safety Training. An avid safety and health adviser and professional coordinator, Taylor looks forward to meeting you and fulfilling all of your OSHA compliant training issues at Online OSHA Safety Training!

The New Red Flags Rule: Preventing Identity Theft

2011-01-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

The Red Flags Rule requires many businesses and organizations to implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program designed to detect the warning signs — or "red flags" — of identity theft in their day-to-day operations.

By identifying red flags in advance, you'll be better equipped to spot suspicious patterns when they arise and take steps to prevent a red flag from escalating into a costly episode of identity theft. Take advantage of other resources on this site to educate your employees and colleagues about complying with the Red Flags Rule.

Help your organization comply with the Red Flags Rule with this new program. This course covers the law's salient points and provides guidelines to meet its stringent requirements. Keep confidential information secure, safeguard your reputation and protect your bottom line with "Red Flags Rule: Preventing Identity Theft".

This powerful program new program teaches employee how to:

Know the legal definitions of creditor, financial institutions, covered accounts and reasonable foreseeable risk
Grasp the four steps to Red Flags Rule compliance
Define and detect the five categories of red flags
Know how to respond to red flags

Learn more about this new Red Flag Rule training program and get a Free online preview!

OSHA proposal for new Injury and Illness Prevention Program

2011-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Injury and Illness Prevention Program

Bryan Seal, of the Directorate of Standards and Guidance, introduced the topic of how the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule should be organized. OSHA has the task of determining what an Injury and Illness Prevention Program standard would look like; Mr. Seal requested stakeholder input on how the standard should be organized so that covered employers and industries will be able to comply with the rule.

Mr. Seal posed the following questions: OSHA has identified six core elements for inclusion in the standard: (1) management duties; (2) employee participation; (3) hazard identification and assessment; (4) hazard control; (5) education and training; and (6) program evaluation and improvement. Are these core elements an effective foundation for this standard? What should the overall standard look like? What additional tools or appendices would be useful? Do you have successful tools or guidance that can assist employers in compliance with the standard?

Stakeholders provided the following comments and recommendations regarding organization of a rule:

Management Duties

■ Participants stated that management leadership is the key for success for an Injury and Illness Prevention Program —all other components should fall in line if management is committed to an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. As such, stakeholders recommended that the OSHA rule should strongly emphasize the duties required of management.

Employee Participation

■ Numerous participants said that the OSHA standard needs to include elements that ensure employee awareness of, and participation in, an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Some recommended the standard further allow employees to hold management accountable for Injury and Illness Prevention Program violations.

■ Several stakeholders stated that the OSHA rule should place equal emphasis on the employee involvement and management commitment components. They also recommended that employees should be involved in the planning and decision-making process, because employees have a better understanding of the impact an Injury and Illness Prevention Program will have on workplace hazards.

■ One participant suggested encouraging employee participation using eye-catching posters and other messaging tools. This participant also recommended using diagrams and pictures to overcome language and literacy obstacles.

■ Stakeholders expressed concern that employees might initially be suspicious of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program based on the fear that their input could be used against them. These participants suggested that requesting full involvement from employees, including the writing of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program processes, could convey a more trusting and proactive safety culture, ultimately increasing buy-in from employees.

■ A few participants stated that the OSHA rule should emphasize participation from temporary or contingent employees and day laborers, who are often neglected in an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. These employees must have a mechanism for reporting and controlling workplace hazards.

Hazard Identification and Assessment

■ Many stakeholders indicated that an Injury and Illness Prevention Program is most effective when management, supervisors, and employees collaborate to develop the program. These stakeholders asked that the OSHA rule require collaboration between these constituents.

■ Several stakeholders recommended that the OSHA rule require employers to conduct risk-based hazard assessment surveys. Because not all hazards are equal, the stakeholders stated, OSHA must develop a feasible approach to allow employers to reasonably allocate scarce resources and to address the most significant hazards.

■ Stakeholders stated that the OSHA rule should require written documentation of job hazard analyses and employer responses to identified hazards.

■ Stakeholders urged OSHA to include management of change as a part of hazard identification.
Education and Training

■ Several stakeholders recommended that training be interactive and led by an instructor who can respond to questions or concerns. These stakeholders indicated that requiring employees to watch a training video is significantly less effective at conveying an Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

■ Several participants recommended that the OSHA rule include training for temporary and contingent workers, even if these training requirements are different from the requirements for full-time employees.

■ One participant urged that the rule include training requirements for management personnel. Management personnel are also affected by workplace hazards, the participant said.

■ A stakeholder recommended that hazard identification and control be the first topic addressed in safety training. Employees who understand the hierarchy of risk assessment can safely identify hazards and address them accordingly.

■ Participants stated that employee training should include information on how to report complaints, and should detail the method by which complaints are to be addressed.

■ Several stakeholders said that the OSHA rule should consider literacy levels and language barriers during training.

■ One participant said that Injury and Illness Prevention Program training should follow normal craft training, because employees cannot fully understand hazards unless they understand their job and responsibilities.

■ A few stakeholders mentioned that training should be performance-based, not based on watching a video or attending a class. These stakeholders stated that it is important for employees to understand the training material, rather than merely prove they attended.

Program Evaluation and Improvement

■ Stakeholders stated that the OSHA rule should require written documentation of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program evaluation.

■ Participants suggested that employers should regularly post an evaluation metric of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, to convey to employees the value of setting an Injury and Illness Prevention Program goal and improving safety.

Additional Elements to Include

■ Stakeholders asked OSHA to include helpful program development tools and guidance documents in the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule. These stakeholders emphasized that small employers, which lack the resources to hire safety professionals, will need tools to develop an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

■ Participants recommended that OSHA consider literacy levels and language barriers in all components of the rule. These participants stated that the success of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program is largely tied to employees understanding all the applicable elements. A participant suggested that unions can help employers overcome language barriers during the development of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Another participant suggested the use of hand-held translators or online translation tools.

■ Stakeholders urged OSHA to promote accountability as an element that is equally important to management responsibility.

■ One participant stated that the OSHA rule should emphasize the accurate reporting of injuries and illnesses.

■ Several stakeholders suggested that the OSHA rule should include voluntary appendices. Voluntary appendices are more easily understood and can serve as a starting point for less-savvy employers, the stakeholders said.

Other Standards and Programs

■ One participant mentioned that the most successful Injury and Illness Prevention Program's in California exist at workplaces with employers who display a strong concern for safety. The participant stated that the safest employees are the ones who know they will not be disciplined for expressing safety concerns. This stakeholder said that many of the employees who have been hurt or died either did not express their concerns about a known hazard or spoke out and were hushed by management.

■ One participant mentioned the Department of Energy's 10 CFR Part 851. This rule includes a model implementation guide and provides suggestions for encouraging employee involvement.

■ A stakeholder stated that Appendix A of the Army Corps of Engineers' 385-1-1 Safety and Health Requirements Manual has guidance on how to prepare an accident prevention plan.

■ One participant mentioned that employers subject to the California state standard have kept inadequate documentation. This participant stated that for a performance-based Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule, clear and thorough documentation is highly important, especially for reference during inspections.

■ A participant stated that the OSHA rule should emphasize the rule's interaction with preexisting standards (e.g., state Injury and Illness Prevention Program standards, industry-specific standards).

■ One stakeholder asked OSHA to include, as an appendix, its publication on job hazard analysis.

■ As part of the HAZWOPER standard, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences developed a non-mandatory appendix with minimum criteria for training requirements, a participant said.
1.4 Economic Impact

Bob Burt from the Office of Regulatory Affairs introduced the topic of economic impacts from the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule. Mr. Burt explained that OSHA is required to demonstrate that its regulations are economically feasible. Additionally, to facilitate OMB's review, OSHA weighs the economic impacts of regulations using the techniques of cost-benefit analyses. Accordingly, OSHA sought stakeholder information about what the potential costs and benefits of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule would be.
Mr. Burt posed the following questions to the stakeholders: What are the costs of starting and maintaining an Injury and Illness Prevention Program? What would be the incremental cost to businesses that already have implemented an Injury and Illness Prevention Program? What approaches could be used to minimize costs? What kind of impact would this standard have on small businesses? How can the benefits or the effectiveness of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program be measured? Mr. Burt also asked stakeholders to refer OSHA to any specific sources of cost or benefit data that they were aware of.
Stakeholders provided the following comments and recommendations regarding economic impacts:
Assessing Costs

■ A participant stated that nonprofit organizations have implemented an Injury and Illness Prevention Program in instances where it is not yet required by rule. The participant said that although these organizations must spend resources to develop an Injury and Illness Prevention Program, the reduction in injuries and illnesses has often saved these organizations money. An Injury and Illness Prevention Program has always dropped incident rates, thus lowering compensation costs.

■ A stakeholder with experience in an Injury and Illness Prevention Program said it can take a company 12 months to implement a program if they have a dedicated employee overseeing the effort. If a company does not have a dedicated employee, implementation can take 18 to 24 months, the stakeholder said.

■ One participant suggested that OSHA speak to insurance companies, which might be willing to provide information on potential savings afforded by an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. This participant stated that OSHA should be cautious when obtaining cost data from existing programs, because OSHA's rule might have different Injury and Illness Prevention Program requirements.
Small Businesses

■ A participant suggested that OSHA should consult with small businesses subject to the California state standard. The participant said that these small businesses would be able to speak to the initial costs and maintenance costs that resulted from the state standard.

■ One stakeholder stated that OSHA needs to convince small businesses that an Injury and Illness Prevention Program can be cost effective. One stakeholder stated that small businesses with no injuries will incur costs, but will see no tangible benefit.
Cost-Effectiveness and Costs vs. Benefits

■ One participant recommended that OSHA should strive for a lower-cost standard, even if that reduces the benefits. This participant noted that OSHA cannot address all safety and health issues in a single rule, so it should focus its resources on higher-priority areas.

■ A stakeholder cited an example of an employer that operates in two different countries, one of which requires an Injury and Illness Prevention Program while the other does not. The stakeholder said that in the county that requires an Injury and Illness Prevention Program the company has experienced 37 percent fewer injuries and illnesses.

■ One stakeholder suggested that OSHA consult with employers (e.g., in California) that have longer-running programs in place, because they might have more information on the long-term costs and benefits of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

■ In determining the benefits of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program, a stakeholder said that OSHA should be wary of low incident rates, which might be a result of discouraged reporting. This participant said OSHA should also be wary of the benefits afforded by behavior-based safety programs, because these programs do not emphasize the identification of hazards.

■ A participant mentioned that some occupational illnesses (e.g., workplace asthma) are not documented as such, and will not be captured in cost-benefit analyses.
2 Closing Remarks

OSHA representatives thanked the stakeholders for their participation. Ms. Dougherty emphasized that the stakeholder input would greatly help OSHA formulate the standard. She reiterated that the rulemaking is in the early stages and it is difficult to predict the timing of the release of the standard. Mr. Seymour described the procedure for formally submitting comments. Interested parties can provide documents and other information to OSHA. Any information used by OSHA in the preamble will be added to the docket once it is opened.

Workplace Violence for Employees: The Early Warning Signs DVD

2010-12-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Workplace violence is an issue that can affect any organization, of any size, in any industry. This training video takes on this important topic without sensationalizing, but by approaching the subject directly and honestly.

Stephen White is a leading expert on workplace violence. Over the past twenty years, Dr. White has consulted on thousands of threat cases for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations of all sizes, both public and private. In this workplace violence training video, Dr. White draws from his experiences to dispel some of the common myths about workplace violence, while providing a better understanding of what you should be aware of to help keep your workplace safe.

The employee version details the ten distinct warning signs that could foretell violence. It emphasizes the need for employees to speak up and get help if they notice anything that causes concern.

To purchase this program, visit SafetyTrainingMedia.com today!

Tips for Managing Stress and Change at Work: Stress Management Tips

2010-12-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

Are you experiencing stress at work? Want to learn more about what causes stress and the impact of stress on people at work? In an earlier article, Understanding Stress and Workplace Stress, the concept of stress and its impact in your workplace is explored.

These five major suggestions will help you manage the stress you experience at work. Effective stress management is not easy and stress management takes time and practice. Developing stress management skills is important for your overall health and well-being, however.

These five stress management tips are in no particular order. They do not take in the universe of stress management, but these stress management tips encompass several of the main stress management challenges you experience at work. Think about your own situation and your own tendencies in stressful situations to select your best stress management strategies from the list.

Control time allocation and goals. Set realistic goals and time frames for yourself. Remember the Alice in Wonderland Syndrome from the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Alice is walking in a woods. She comes to a fork in the road. Not knowing which way to go, she asks the Cheshire Cat:

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, said the cat.
I don’t much care where, said Alice.
Then it doesn’t matter, said the cat.
--so long as I get somewhere, Alice added as an explanation.
Oh, you're sure to do that, said the Cat, if you only walk long enough.

Do you feel this way some days? Setting realistic goals for your day and year helps you feel directed and in control. Goals give you a yardstick against which you can measure every time commitment. And, walking long enough is a stress producer, not a stress management tool.

Scheduling more than you can handle is a great stressor. Not only are you stressed trying to handle your commitments, you are stressed just thinking about them. If you are experiencing overload with some activities, learn to say, “no.” Eliminate any activities which you don’t have to do. Carefully consider any time-based commitment you make.

Use an electronic planner to schedule each goal and activity you commit to accomplish, not just your appointments. If that report will take two hours to write, schedule the two hours just as you would a meeting. If reading and responding to email takes an hour per day, schedule the hour.

Reconsider all meetings. Why hold meetings in the first place? An effective meeting serves an essential purpose - it is an opportunity to share information and/ or to solve a critical problem. Meetings should only happen when interaction is required. Meetings can work to your advantage, or they can weaken your effectiveness at work. If much of your time is spent attending ineffective, time-wasting meetings, you are limiting your ability to accomplish important objectives at work.

The Wall Street Journal, quoted a study that estimated American managers could save 80 percent of the time they currently waste in meetings if they did two things: start and end meetings on time and follow an agenda.

You can’t be all things to all people – control your time. Something has to give. Make time for the most important commitments and take time to figure out what these are. Time management is a systematic approach to the time of your life applied consistently. The basis of time management is the ability to control events. A study was done some years ago that revealed symphony conductors live the longest of any professionals. Looking into this longevity, researchers concluded that in no other occupation do people have such complete control over existing events.
In his book, Time Power, Dr. Charles Hobbes suggests that there are five categories of events:

Events you think you cannot control, and you can’t.
Events you think you cannot control, but you can.
Events you think you can control, but you can’t.
Events you think you can control, but you don’t.
Events you think you can control, and you can.

There are two major issues about control:

Each of us is really in control and in charge of more events than we generally like to acknowledge.
Some things are uncontrollable. Trying to control uncontrollables is a key cause of stress and unhappiness.

With the competing demands that exist for your time, you probably feel as if much of your day is not in your control. Feeling not in control is the enemy of time management. Feeling not in control is one of the major causes of stress in our daily lives, too.

Make time decisions based on analysis. Take a look at how you currently divide your time. Do you get the little, unimportant things completed first because they are easy and their completion makes you feel good? Or, do you focus your efforts on the things that will really make a difference for your organization and your life. Events and activities fall into one of four categories. You need to spend the majority of your time on items that fall in the last two categories.

Not Urgent and Not Important
Urgent but Not Important
Not Urgent but Important
Urgent and Important

Manage procrastination. If you are like most people, you procrastinate for three reasons.

You don’t know how to do the task,
You don’t like to do the task, or
You feel indecisive about how to approach the task.

Deal with procrastination by breaking the large project into as many small, manageable, instant tasks as possible. Make a written list of every task. List the small tasks on your daily, prioritized To Do List. Reward yourself upon completion. If you do procrastinate, you’ll find that the task gets bigger and bigger and more insurmountable in your own mind. Just start.

These tips for managing stress and change will help you change your actions and your outlook. Best wishes as you implement these ideas. Live a great life.

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Work-Life Balance

2010-12-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

By Susan M. Heathfield

Work-life balance is a concept that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of their lives. Work-life balance is a daily effort to make time for family, friends, community participation, spirituality, personal growth, self care, and other personal activities, in addition to the demands of the workplace. Work-life balance is assisted by employers who institute policies, procedures, actions, and expectations that enable employees to easily pursue more balanced lives.
The pursuit of work-life balance reduces the stress employees experience. When they spend the majority of their days on work-related activities and feel as if they are neglecting the other important components of their lives, stress and unhappiness result. Work-life balance enables employees to feel as if they are paying attention to all the important aspects of their lives.

Because many employees experience a personal, professional, and monetary need to achieve, work-life balance is challenging. Employers can assist employees to experience work-life balance by offering such opportunities as flexible work schedules, paid time off (PTO) policies, responsible time and communication expectations, and company-sponsored family events and activities.

Managers are important to employees seeking work-life balance. Managers who pursue work-life balance in their own lives model appropriate behavior and support employees in their pursuit of work-life balance. They create a work environment in which work-life balance is expected, enabled, and supported. They retain outstanding employees to whom work-life balance is important.

Why Swine Flu H1N1 Should Matter to Employers

2010-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

By Susan M. Heathfield

Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe, disease-free workplace for employees. Consequently, you need to take proactive steps to prevent the potential spread of any contagious disease, including Swine Flu H1N1, in your workplace. Employers also need to address business continuity in the event that a Swine Flu H1N1 outbreak affects the ability of your employees to come to work.
Even if current speculation about the spread of swine flu (Influenza A virus, H1N1) in pandemic proportions proves wrong, a workplace plan for employee health and safety and business continuity, in the event of any disaster or contagious disease, makes good business sense.

Swine Flu: What Makes Swine Flu a Concern to Employers?

Swine flu (Influenza A virus, H1N1) is the latest contagious disease predicted to potentially reach pandemic status. Swine flu differs from normal seasonal influenza, to which many employees have developed some immunity. Because vaccine is available to combat expected annual flu strains, some employees have obtained flu shots to prevent contagion.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States Department of Labor, describes the difference between seasonal flu and a potentially pandemic flu: "pandemic influenza refers to a worldwide outbreak of influenza among people when a new strain of the virus emerges that has the ability to infect humans and to spread from person to person. During the early phases of an influenza pandemic, people might not have any natural immunity to the new strain; so the disease would spread rapidly among the population."

A vaccine is not currently available for swine flu H1N1, and might not be available for many months following the onset of the disease. This is partially why workplaces need to prepare for a potentially devastating impact should swine flu H1N1 reach pandemic proportions.

OSHA predicts the following potential impacts on the workplace.

Absenteeism and Swine Flu: A pandemic flu outbreak could affect as much as 40% of your workforce during periods of peak swine flu infection. You may experience severe absenteeism. Employees may be absent because they are sick or because they must care for sick family members.

Schools and daycare centers may close so parents will need to tend their children in the home. Even if daycare centers remain open when schools are closed, daycare centers will not accept potentially infected children from closed schools.

Some employees may be afraid to come to work for fear of catching the swine flu H1N1, especially employees with weaker immune systems who easily become sick. Sadly, in a worst case scenario, some employees and their family members could die.

You need a plan for how you will deal with the serious increases in absenteeism you will experience during any contagious disease outbreak.
Presenteeism and Swine Flu: Employees come in to work sick. “We all know what it feels like to have the flu – you’re not operating at 100 percent, you may not even be operating at 50 percent,” said CCH Employment Law Analyst Brett Gorovsky, JD. “The bottom line for most organizations is that it’s in everyone’s best interest for sick workers to simply stay away, even in normal times.”

“Employers need to discourage both the ‘hero employee’ – and even more so, the ‘hero boss’ – who try to muddle their way through the day when they shouldn’t,” said Gorovsky. “Employees are sensitive to the differences between what management says and what it means, and when they see their supervisors coming in sick, they’re convinced that’s what’s expected of them also.”

How an employer deals with a sick employee who is showing signs of illness in the workplace is tricky. Technically, you can ask the employee to leave work and not return without a fitness for duty note from a physician. This option is apt to create unhappy employees, potential lawsuits, and charges of discrimination if not handled appropriately and similarly across your workplace. Consult an attorney as to the appropriate steps to follow. Consider publishing a policy about what sick employees can expect from the employer if they come to work with symptoms of contagious illness.
Potential Commerce Disruption and Swine Flu: Both your customers and your suppliers may also be experiencing the affects of swine flu H1N1 infection. Just as your ability to produce your product or service will be affected, so will theirs. You may experience reduced sales and revenue and an inability to ship or receive supplies and parts in a timely manner. At the same time, you will have fewer employees on your end to deal with any of these issues.

In 2007, the CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey revealed that only 27% of companies reported that they had a plan in place in the event that a large percentage of employees become ill. This was almost a 100-percent increase over 2006, when only 14% of companies surveyed had such plans, however, it still represented just over one in four organizations. This is shortsighted in the event of a pandemic.

Want to know the swine flu prevention steps for employers and employees? Here are steps for preventing the spread of swine flu.

Recommended Steps to Address Swine Flu H1N1 Prevention in Your Workplace

These swine flu prevention steps are recommended for the employer to prepare for and manage a potential swine flu H1N1 contagion in the workplace.

Communicate to your employees the steps you are taking to prevent the spread of swine flu or other communicable diseases in your workplace. It is important that employees understand that you are monitoring the spread of the swine flu and protecting their interests.
Educate your employees about swine flu, the symptoms, and the potential medical treatments. Inform employees to wash their hands frequently and to use material or tissue to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissues in containers lined with plastic bags. Post this information about swine flu in employee break rooms and distribute via email.
Stay up-to-the-minute by accessing current information from state, local, and federal authorities and sharing it with employees.
Form a business continuity team to determine what steps must be taken in advance of a pandemic to assure your organization’s continuing ability to serve customers.

--Identify the key employees and business processes that must continue to operate and form a backup plan for their continuance.
--Develop an emergency communication plan.
--One component of the plan must enable employees to telework if your company encourages telecommuting or closes to interrupt the spread of the disease. Consider staggered work shifts to minimize contact.
--Another component should involve backup strategies for serving customers when employees are absent from work. Cross-training in jobs that must be done on premise, such as shipping, is also recommended.
Encourage sick employees to stay home from work. In fact, develop an organization culture that persuades employees to stay home when they are sick, rather than coming in to work and infecting coworkers. Make sure your managers are setting the example and remaining home from work when illness or symptoms appear.

Make sure your sick leave policy encourages employees who have influenza-related symptoms (e.g., fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, or upset stomach) to stay home so that they do not infect other employees. Recognize that employees with ill family members may need to stay home to care for them and certain cases may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Encourage employees to frequently wipe down their work areas, light switches, door handles, phone receivers, and touched objects with sanitizing wipes.
Develop practices that distance employees from each other, customers and the general public. Consider minimizing face-to-face contact between employees by using email, websites and teleconferences. Minimize employee travel.
Provide convenient access to health and safety information and equipment such as sanitary wipes, tissue paper, and plastic garbage bags.
Ask custodial or cleaning staff and services to disinfect all surfaces in the workplace daily.

Recommended Steps for Employees for Prevention of Swine Flu H1N1 in Your Workplace

These swine flu prevention steps are recommended for the employees to prepare for and work during a potential swine flu H1N1 contagion in the workplace.

Stay home if you are experiencing illness or any of the above mentioned symptoms of flu.
Practice sanitary personal habits. Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth and nose with tissue or a handkerchief when you sneeze or cough. Place used tissues in plastic-lined garbage cans.
Wipe down your work areas frequently including light switches, door handles, phone receivers, and touched objects with sanitizing wipes.
Maintain a distance of three feet between yourself and your coworkers to discourage the spread of swine flu and other contagious diseases.
Don’t use or touch the equipment or tools of other employees.
Limit your contact with other employees and the public maintaining a distance when possible. Use email, teleconferencing and telecommuting to inhibit the spread of the disease. Do not shake hands or touch in greeting until the spread of swine flu H1N1 has dissipated.

Prevention is key in weathering a bout with contagious illness. These actions by both employer and employees will help prevent the spread of swine flu.

Additional Resources for Dealing With Swine Flu H1N1 Prevention in Your Workplace

Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic
Each state has a website designed specifically to provide pandemic flu information. Add your state’s name to the end of the following Web address: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/.
Here is a swine flu H1N1 map of the spread of the disease in the United States, by About.com’s Vince Ianelli.

A special thank you to Wolters Kluwer Law & Business for part of this information.

Federal OSHA Guidelines

2010-12-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

Federal OSHA Guidelines

Downloadable guidelines to many of the Federal publications related to the work of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor. These include an employee’s rights following a Federal inspection at a workplace.

Corporate Data Security Challenges

2010-12-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

How Companies Can Protect Against Identity Theft

From Troy Allen

Identity theft resulting from stolen corporate data is big news. The extensive media coverage and damage to the organizations and brands involved in recent data security breaches has brought identity theft detection and prevention to the forefront of corporate America's concerns.

Given the amount of sensitive information their personnel files house, Human Resource departments in the corporate landscape have unique challenges. And, awareness of data breach methods and the ways to thwart an identity theft attack are key to reducing the department's exposure.

Thwart Identity Theft

These strategies are recommended for HR professionals to thwart identity theft:

Educate employees about the appropriate handling and protection of sensitive employee data.
Consistently enforce policies and procedures, physical safeguards, and IT security. All three are required or data security is questionable and identity theft may occur.
Review and revise physical security practices as needed, in both "bricks and mortar" and "virtual" operations. Policies should address all of the critical areas such as:
--Who is able to leave the office with file folders,
--Where is sensitive data stored and destroyed,
--Who has access to sensitive data, and
--Are employees required to surrender keys and badges upon leaving the company's employ?

Identity Theft Victims

Human Resource departments also need to be concerned about those who will be victims of identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 27,000 people are victims of identity theft each and every day. These identity thefts will result in employees taking an average of 175 hours of work time to restore their identity following identity theft. This lack of productivity has been tabbed "presenteeism" (being at work but not working on work issues).

And, with increasing technology and sophistication, there are extensive networks of identity thieves whose sole purpose is to gain access to poorly secured organizational data and extract sensitive information - using means as simple as an unguarded laptop.

Safeguard Employees Against Identity Theft

To safeguard against these evolving identity theft threats, HR professionals need to:

Conduct background checks on employees.
Perform proper vendor screening.
Include breach of data protection clauses in their vendor contracts.
Have a pre-breach protection of sensitive data plan and a post breach protection of sensitive data plan incorporated into their business continuity planning and their enterprise risk management planning.

Identity Theft Insurance

Organizations are discovering that adding a voluntary employee identity theft benefit to an existing benefit package adds value. This allows employees, as consumers, to have identity theft services available to assist them if or when their personal information is breached -- whether at work or at home. Security conscious companies enact proper identity theft policies to protect employee data and keep the company safe. They also offer similar options for their employees to demonstrate smart data security and to promote employee appreciation and satisfaction.

Identity Theft Protection

According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. The problem will get worse before it gets better. So the onus is on those organizations and departments housing sensitive employee information to improve their data protection through:

employee education and services,
explicitly followed identity theft protection policies and procedures,
a sound IT security infrastructure, and
a plan of action, for when - not if - a data breach occurs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Troy Allen is the Chief Operating Officer of Kroll Fraud Solutions. He has frontline experience helping a wide variety of corporations and organizations protect against and respond to data breaches. He sets direction for the company's continued success in identity theft discovery, investigation, and restoration. He oversees a team of licensed investigators who specialize in solving tough issues for ID theft victims. Published as a subject matter expert on identity fraud, Allen is a frequent speaker on data protection, loss and recovery.

Keep Company and Employee Information Safe

2010-12-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

From Jeremy Wunsch

Right now, someone within your company may be accessing confidential corporate information either dishonestly or by accident.

In the news virtually every week, you read about large, well-known companies suffering from the loss of sensitive corporate information at the hands of employees. Given that Human Resource departments often hold the key to valuable corporate and employee information, the risk of data breaches presents unique challenges for HR.

Fortunately, through simple and effective internal threat management procedures, HR can help prevent employee information leaks from happening to their company. These procedures will protect employees' most confidential and valuable information from being exposed to unauthorized parties.

Be aware of where critical employee information and corporate data are located and who has access to them.
Develop an acceptable use policy for all employees that outlines appropriate use of corporate assets and employee information. The policy should also outline the company procedures when a violation takes place.
Consistently enforce policies and procedures.
Regularly review and revise existing policies to ensure all necessary policy changes and additions have been addressed.
Ensure your company has an internal incident response plan and the appropriate resources in-house to handle an incident of employee information or corporate data loss or access by unauthorized employees or outsiders.

What Not to Do if a Data Breach Occurs

If the worst should happen and your company does experience a situation where sensitive data is leaked or lost, don't fall prey to common mistakes such as turning on an employee's computer to check around. Turning on the computer or any electronic device involved may destroy potential evidence.
Here are ten common ways a computer forensics investigation is compromised. Company employees:

Boot up the computer. Turning on a computer that's relevant to a case can overwrite sensitive files that may be important to your company's case and change important time stamps. Compromised computers should not be used at all and should be stored in a secure location until it can be handed over to a computer forensics expert.
Turn off a relevant computer. If a computer is running at the time it is discovered to be relevant to a data breach or investigation, it should be powered down in a way that will be least damaging to potential evidence. The only person that should turn off a suspected computer is a certified computer forensics expert, or an IT employee under the supervision of such an expert.
Browse through the files on a computer. Resist the temptation to snoop, even with the best intentions. HR may know exactly where to look, but it's the act of looking that causes problems for retrieving untainted evidence. Browsing through files may cause file times to change which may make it impossible to tell exactly when an important file was deleted or copied from your company's network.
Fail to use a computer forensics expert. Your company's IT department is not a computer forensics department. In fact, asking the IT staff to conduct even routine checks into a system's files can destroy potential evidence. A professionally trained computer forensics expert should be retained for the handling of all sensitive data.
Fail to involve all parties. In-house counsel, IT staff, and every business player involved with the case should be included when conducting electronic discovery. Failure to involve all parties can result in overlooked or lost data.
Fail to learn the lingo. Even tech-savvy support professionals may become confused by the expanded vocabulary used by computer forensics experts. It pays to become familiar with the new language.
Don't make a forensics image of the computer(s) involved. Imaging is the process in which you create a complete duplicate of a hard drive. This is done for the purposes of copying a complete and accurate duplicate of the original materials, with no risk of flawed or overlooked data.
Copy data in "cut and paste" or "drag and drop" methods. It is true that you can buy an $80 external USB hard drive and copy your data to it. However, this process does not preserve the unallocated space (where deleted files reside) and will change the file times and other data on the files that have been copied out.
Wait to preserve the evidence. The longer a computer is in operation without any preservation, the more likely that the data that is relevant to your company's situation may be permanently altered or overwritten. Always preserve your electronic data the moment you believe that litigation is possible.
Fail to maintain a proper Chain of Custody at the time of collection. Not documenting who had access to the electronic evidence after the alleged incident can lead to problems down the road. Opposing parties can poke holes in the collection and preservation process. They can argue that the data could have been altered on the device while the computer was not securely stored and unused.

You can protect the integrity of your corporate data and employee information for purposes of litigation and restoring and protecting against data loss. Just follow the rules shared here to maintain the integrity and not compromise the usability of your electronic devices and their stored data.

When Tragedy Strikes: Eleven Tips for Your Workplace Response

2010-12-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Tragedies Affect the Workplace

By Susan M. Heathfield

For Americans and many around the world, the Kennedy assassinations, the Challenger and Columbia shuttle explosions, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast head the list of America’s incomprehensible tragedies.

In our workplaces, more personal tragedies also occur regularly. Coworkers and their family members die. Customers file for bankruptcy and leave hundreds unemployed. Manufacturing plants burn down. Friends are diagnosed with terminal illnesses. An incident of workplace violence leaves coworkers dead.

While not as riveting and all-encompassing as major, national tragedies, the more personal, closer-to-home tragedies and the national, bigger-than-life tragedies have much in common for people in workplaces.

National Tragedies Affect Workplaces

To start, we frequently find out about national tragedies while we are at work. We gather with coworkers watching national news unfold on televisions and computer screens. We gather in groups and talk about the event.

We share information and talk incessantly. We reach out to understand how the tragedy is affecting our associates. We look out for each other. As an example, many of us watched the planes crash into the World Trade Center while at work.

With the more personal tragedies, our actions and wishes are likely less public, but there is that same sense of wanting to do something to help and not knowing what to do.

In most instances, for positive mental health, we reach out to each other for friendship and support. Sometimes, it's the more personal tragedies about which we feel the most inadequate. After all, they are occurring right here - and we should be able to help.

A national tragedy or a personal tragedy has a huge impact at work. And, organizations can help people successfully weather the tragedy. They can ease the passage people experience during tragedy. They can help people deal with the helplessness and grief they experience during tragedy. They can provide a support system to help prop people up during grief.

These ideas will help you help your employees as they experience either a national tragedy or the regular, life-changing tragedies that occur within your own workplace.

Recommended Actions During Tragedy and Heartbreak

Make Sure People Are Safe
If the incident is happening in your workplace, make certain people are safe before you do anything else. Implement your disaster plan, ring the fire alarm, do whatever your company emergency evacuation plan prescribes for safety. The plan should designate a meeting location, where attendance can be taken, so you know the members of your work force are safe.

Cut People Some Slack
People cannot return to productive work immediately upon hearing about a tragedy. If you expect them to continue working, people will make errors and mistakes because they are distracted by the events or information. Don't pretend. Just tell people that it is all right to focus their energy on the happening. If you do this, most individuals will return to productive work more quickly when their need for information and interests are satisfied.

Assess the Personal Involvement of Employees
If the tragedy impacts an individual personally, offer release time, support, a ride, help obtaining information, and anything else the individual appears to need. For major and direct impacts on your workplace, you may need to decide whether to continue paying employees, even though they are not working, for a period of time. You may offer shelter, relocation, or other forms of compensation during tragedy, too.

Give People Information
If you can do so without totally disrupting work, provide televisions and computer screens so workers are informed about events as they unfold – even if only in break rooms. In more personal tragedies, give all employees as much information as possible, as soon as the information is available. (I do not mean providing employee confidential information, but other information is essential.)

Information helps people process the events. Turn on radios, broadcast breaking news over your speaker system and recognize that people will call friends and acquaintances to share information and compare notes. The closer you are to the tragedy, the more people will want to know.

These seven ideas will help you help your employees as they experience either a national tragedy or the regular, life-changing tragedies that occur within your own workplace.

Provide Places for People to Gather and Talk
Many people take comfort in being close to other people when tragedy strikes. You can informally provide opportunities for this interaction by leaving conference rooms with televisions unused. Wheel the television into a break room. Bring in lunch for your staff so people are encouraged to spend time with each other for encouragement, shared grief, and support.
Suggest a pot luck lunch for the second or third day, depending on the nature of the tragedy. Many people talk incessantly during a tragic event; others suffer silently. You will want to draw your silent people out when possible. Central gatherings will help.

Schedule a Meeting to Share Information
In a national tragedy, people want to know the latest information about what is happening. They want reassurances that they and their loved ones are safe. In more personal workplace sorrows, correct information is also important.

Without breaking the confidentiality of the people involved, and with their permission, tell people as much as you can. The more legitimate information people have, the less likely they are to depend on rumors, the less time they spend seeking information.

Give People Something to Do to Help
In times of sorrow, when people draw together for sustenance, many want something to do to help solve the problem or to ease the situation. In the instance of the terrorist attack on America, stories of volunteerism, sharing of food and space, giving blood and helping out neighbors and friends abounded. The same kind of stories dominated the Gulf Coast residents' response to Hurricane Katrina.

People want to bring a casserole to the bereaved family, send flowers to honor the dead and the living, send memories of the employee to the family, and make donations to favorite charities.
Several of my clients held company meetings to bring people up-to-date and share how to donate to relief and the location of the nearest blood donor center during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Others hold company raffles, with the money designated for donations; they purchase raffle items with American Express travel points and employees donate other offerings for the raffle. Many employers match the amount collected. Some companies match employee donations up to a certain amount of dollars with a receipt from the charity. I am sure you can imagine more ways to help that are congruent with your workplace culture.

Make Managers and HR Staff Available
Supervisors and HR staff members are critical company members during tragedy. In a study done years ago by the American Psychological Association, employees overwhelmingly listed personal attention from the supervisor as one of the most rewarding aspects of work. Free up your calendars when tragedy strikes and spend time walking through the workplace and meeting with people who need support or just a listening ear. Be visibly available.

Offer Employee Assistance
If your company has an Employee Assistance Program or counseling available via your health plan, make sure employees know it is available for people who need it. Some programs offer counseling in the workplace. Explore possibilities.

Be Prepared Before Disaster or Tragedy Strikes
Every organization needs a disaster plan. You also need plans for fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and any other natural disaster that can occur in your area. All employees should be trained in the specifics of the plan. Prepare people about what actions to take if they are confronted with potential injury in the workplace. Think about whatever is likely to happen and make a plan to handle it – in advance.

Make Grief Training Part of Your Training Program
When tragedy strikes, people are uncertain about what to do. As an example, the spouse of a coworker dies. Close work associates attend the funeral or remembrance ceremony. They may supply the family with food and time. When the employee returns to work after their bereavement leave, however, few fellow employees know what to do.

Should they offer sympathy or encourage the person to talk about his loss. The employee is often isolated because people don't know what to say or do, so they do nothing.

Teach your staff members about grief, the stages of grief, how to deal with grief in self and coworkers, how to tell children about a tragedy, and more. It will support your workplace positive morale, build employee self-confidence, and lessen the long term impacts of tragedy.

Tragedy does happen in this world. From major national tragedies to more intimate, personal tragedies, we all experience sorrow and tragedy in our lives. I trust these ideas will help you address those that occur or unfold in your workplace more effectively.

Food Safety: Common Allergies and Deadly Reactions

2010-12-07T17:08:00.001-08:00

-- Kenneth Krause

Have you ever felt ill shortly after eating something and wonder, "Maybe Iâ€™m allergic to what I ate?"

Chances are, you are not. You may be intolerant of certain foods and suffer from gastrointestinal distress, but true food allergies only affect about 1 to 3 percent of adults, and about 3 to 8 percent of children.

However, if you ARE allergic --- and some 11 million Americans have food allergies of varying degrees of severity --- it is a very serious matter. It is important that people with true food allergies identify them and avoid the food in question. Otherwise, they face devastating illness or even a fatal reaction.

What is a Food Allergy?
A food allergy is the immune system responding to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. That response is to create specific antibodies to the food, and the next time it is eaten, the immune system releases chemicals to try to protect the body. But these chemicals trigger allergic symptoms that can harm the skin, joints, or the digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular or nervous systems.

Unfriendly Foods
While any food can cause allergies, eight types of food cause 90 percent of all food allergic reactions. They are:

Eggs
Fish
Milk
Shellfish
Soy
Peanuts
Tree nuts (walnut, pecan, etc.)
Wheat

In children, the most common food allergies are associated with eggs, milk, and peanuts. Adults generally don't lose food allergies, but children may outgrow them.

Treatment
If you are diagnosed with a food allergy, treatment essentially consists of removing the problem food from your diet.

Carefully read the ingredient lists --- required on labels by the Food and Drug Administration --- for anything you are considering eating. When eating out, ask if the dish you would like to order is prepared with any ingredients to which you are allergic.

Patients with severe food allergies should wear medical alert bracelets or necklaces stating that they have a food allergy and that they are subject to severe reactions.

Fending Off Danger Foods
Parents and caregivers must know how to protect children from foods to which the children are allergic and how to manage the children if they consume a food to which they are allergic, including the administration of epinephrine.

There are many substitutes for foods that don't agree with you, such as wheat-free breads and pastas and milks made from soy, rice, oats or almonds. A nonprofit organization, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (www.foodallergy.org), provides education, advocacy and support for those with food allergies.

Chain Saw Safety - Advice from an Expert

2010-12-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

By Steve Nix

"A chain saw is the most dangerous hand tool that can be purchased on the open market. It requires no license and no training to own or operate. Approximately 40,000 injuries and deaths were reported last year in the United States...and most could have been prevented."

Carl Smith in a statement from his basic chain saw course

Carl Smith is a fifth generation logger who received a forest technician degree from Green River. Carl started his career with The Weyerhaueser Company. Smith eventually went to work for the United States Forest Service where he trained employees of the National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Smith has a personal business that trains chain saw operators for timber companies and is also in the process of writing a book on this subject as well as making a video . Contact Carl Smith at backcut6@msn.com

Q: Carl, welcome to Forestry at About.com. Your biography certainly indicates a lot of forestry experience
and I couldn't have picked a better person on the subject of chain saws. You are an expert in handling chain saws and I want to ask you a few questions.

Carl Smith: Thanks for the invite and I will be glad to help you with this.

Q: As a forester, I have seen what a chain saw can do to a careless user. How dangerous is a chain saw?

Carl Smith: If you place your hands on a chain saw, you must keep in mind that it is like grabbing a hand grenade without a pin in it. It is very likely to go off in your face. From the moment that you take it out of storage to the time that it goes back to the same place, you can be hurt by either it, or by whatever you will be cutting.

The chain saw is the most dangerous hand tool that can be purchased on the open market. It requires no license and no training to own or operate it. An overall average of 40,000 injuries and deaths occur annually in the US. This figure is just the "reported" accidents given by hospitals willing or able to furnish the information. That figure does not include out-patient visits to the doctor.
Most chain saw accidents are preventable. The only answer to reducing these accidents is proper training and knowledge with a lot of time using a saw - which is experience. You can gain experience the hard way and have the scars to prove it or you can do a little preventative reading.

Q: That's what we are trying to provide here.
Seems that chain saws are very dangerous if not used properly. That may carry over to the type saw you purchase. What type of saw would you choose if you were safety aware and wanted to make your first purchase?

Carl Smith: The chain saw that you purchase should be of the correct size for the jobs that you intend to do. To use a chain saw with a 36" bar for cutting 10" diameter trees is not appropriate. Conversely, a 10" bar is not appropriate for cutting 36" diameter trees. Many options must be considered before the purchase of a chain saw: horsepower, chain speed, bar length, weight, type of handle bar, type of bar, type of chain, etc...
Unfortunately, all chain saws are made for right-handed people. By using a "full wrap" handle bar, this will help out the left-handed operators to some extent. Your local chain saw dealer should have the ability to let you know what is right for your needs. Explain to them what you will be using the chain saw for. Chain saws can be purchased at your local hardware stores, large discount stores, or a chain saw dealer.
The best place to purchase this piece of equipment is a chain saw dealer, due to warranty work. Hardware stores and discount chains will not uphold a warranty while the chain saw dealers will if purchased from them. If you decide to use the classifieds, friends, or swap meets to purchase a chain saw, get the same information from your dealer beforehand. Also, purchase a book on proper chain saw use and techniques for cutting trees. This will help save your life or someone who will be with you.

Q: OK, what brand of saw would you recommend?

Carl Smith: There are many brands of chain saws available on the open market and as with everything else, some are better than others. Keep in mind that some retail stores such as Sears have various manufacturers build their saws for them and then put their own name on them, like Craftsman. If you want cheap and inexpensive saws, go to Wal-mart or K-mart and purchase a Homelite, McCullogh or Poulan but remember the warning about warranty work.

I will not mention all of the brands available as I have not used them all. My personal recommendations go to Stihl and Husqvarna. They are both excellent chain saws and will last a long time, given proper maintenance. They are excellently engineered pieces of equipment for their weight to power/chain speed ratio. The Stihls require metric tools and the Husqvarnas do not. The Husqvarnas are also easier to work on, if you ever have to.

Q: Storage is important if you want to extend the life of a saw. What is the proper way to put up a saw.

Carl Smith: After you have used your chain saw, proper storage procedures must be followed if it is not going to be used for a while. The gas to oil mixture must be drained from the saw's tank. If this is not done, the gas mixture will eventually turn into a varnish and will plug up the carburetor. The engine will not operate properly, if at all and a trip to the repair shop will be unavoidable. A chain and bar cover or guard should also be used to protect the chain and anything that the chain may come in contact with. Some of the smaller chain saws have a case that can be purchased, for this purpose.
Q: In my limited experience, a dull saw chain is completely worthless. I would go a bit further and suggest it can be dangerous as well. Got a few words on this?

Carl Smith: Yes. Keep the chain sharp at all times. You will be able to tell the difference between good clean chips versus powder. When a chain becomes dulled, it will not cut straight - if at all. Keep it out of the dirt at all times. Avoid rocks, nails, wire, etc... and after every third hand filing, the chain should be sharpened on a grinder, to true up the cutters, rakers and gullets.

Q: Safety is the main concern when training saw operators to use their equipment. When you saw safely, you are properly cutting the tree with the appropriate technique and tools. What are the essential pieces of equipment you need for safety sake?

Carl Smith: My students are constantly drilled that the following items be used while operating a chain saw: A hard hat, protective leg chaps, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection and "above the ankle" leather boots. Other necessary tools and supplies should include wedges, ax, large hatchet or maul, properly mixed fuel, bar oil, bar wrench, chain file with protective handle, small screwdriver with magnetic head, minor maintenance tools and a first aid kit.

If this side bind is present, your bucking cut procedure must be modified in order to release the bind before proceeding. Side bind is usually due to the fact that the downed tree is pressed up tightly against another object - another tree, a stump or a rock. When making your release cut, anticipate what both sections will do. If you feel that you cannot safely release the bind, use a piece of equipment to move the tree. Your life is more important than a piece of wood.

The following steps are necessary for bucking. You need to "size-up" correctly. Assume the correct stance, stand on the uphill side of the tree, place both hands correctly on the chain saw, and determine tree diameter vs. bar length relationship. If bar is shorter than diameter of tree, make an "off-side bucking" cut before starting. This is a vertical "bucking" cut on the opposite side of the tree from where you are standing. This will allow the bar of your saw to cut completely through the tree when the finish "bucking" cuts are made.
You need to determine type of bind present and where your "bucking" cuts will be made. Combinations of these types of bind are common. This must be kept in mind at all times.

Q: Limbing has always been easier than bucking for me. I seem to have a sixth sense for it. Still, give us some information on taking limbs off trees.

Carl Smith: "Size-up" again is a term that must be applied before making any cut with a chain saw - and that includes limbing. You must look at what might happen in reaction to your cutting. Observe the limb to be cut. Which way is it leaning? Is it under pressure? Where is the center of gravity? Which limb should be cut first and in what order, from there on? What will it do after it has been cut? Do you have the correct stance? Where are your feet and legs in relation to the position of the bar and chain? What will happen to the bar and chain after the material has been cut? All of these questions must be answered before a cut is started.
Normally, when limbing a downed or a standing tree, you will start at the butt of the tree, with the bar and chain next to the trunk. Start cutting the limb from top to bottom , using gravity as a tool. If the limb is extremely long, you may elect to cut it at the half way point of the branches length. If it is extremely large in diameter or heavy, a small cut on the bottom of the limb will help keep it from splitting when the top cut is made. Care must be taken as this method can cause the bar/chain to become pinched if the bottom cut is made too deeply.
If a limb is under pressure (touching t
he ground or another object), extreme care must be taken when any cuts are made. Usually, reversing the above procedure is the accepted method. Depending on how you place your cuts, the bar/chain can become pinched, the released limb can spring back at you. Kickback can occur forcing the bar/chain back towards you.
Some people prefer to limb one side of the downed tree first and then the other. If you are walking down the top of the tree, while limbing, never cross your feet . Always keep the correct stance, as balance is most important. Falling off of a downed tree while limbing with a running chain saw can cause a condition called "stitches at the hospital".
Steve Nix: Thanks Carl for more great information. We will wind this thing up next week when we talk about cutting down a standing tree.

Carl and I have discussed how hard it is describing the process and hazards of felling , limbing, and bucking a tree. There is a lot of technique and art to felling and preparing logs that has to be done many times to get the true feel. Please feel free to contact Carl by e-mail at backcut@msn.com if you have questions.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

2010-12-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) website, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.

Title II of HIPAA, the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.
The AS provisions also address the security and privacy of health data. The standards are meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the US health care system.

Title I: Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability
Title I of HIPAA regulates the availability and breadth of group and individual health insurance plans. It amends both the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Public Health Service Act.

Title I prohibits any group health plan from creating eligibility rules or assessing premiums for individuals in the plan based on health status, medical history, genetic information, or disability. This does not apply to private individual insurance.

Title I also limits restrictions that a group health plan can place on benefits for preexisting conditions. Group health plans may refuse to provide benefits relating to preexisting conditions for a period of 12 months after enrollment in the plan or 18 months in the case of late enrollment. However, individuals may reduce this exclusion period if they had health insurance prior to enrolling in the plan. Title I allows individuals to reduce the exclusion period by the amount of time that they had “creditable coverage” prior to enrolling in the plan and after any “significant breaks” in coverage. “Creditable coverage” is defined quite broadly and includes nearly all group and individual health plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. A “significant break” in coverage is defined as any 63 day period without any creditable coverage.

To illustrate, suppose someone enrolls in a group health plan on January 1, 2006. This person had previously been insured from January 1, 2004 until February 1, 2005 and from August 1, 2005 until December 31, 2005. To determine how much coverage can be credited against the exclusion period in the new plan, start at the enrollment date and count backwards until you reach a significant break in coverage. So, the five months of coverage between August 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 clearly counts against the exclusion period. But the period without insurance between February 1, 2005 and August 1, 2005 is greater than 63 days. Thus, this is a significant break in coverage, and any coverage prior to it cannot be deducted from the exclusion period. So, this person could deduct five months from his or her exclusion period, reducing the exclusion period to seven months, Hence, Title I requires that any preexisting condition begin to be covered on August 1, 2006.

Title I also forbids individual health plans from denying coverage or imposing preexisting condition exclusions on individuals who have at least 18 months of creditable group coverage without significant breaks and who are not eligible to be covered under any group, state, or federal health plans at the time they seek individual insurance [6].

Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; Administrative Simplification; Medical Liability Reform
Title II of HIPAA defines numerous offenses relating to health care and sets civil and criminal penalties for them. It also creates several programs to control fraud and abuse within the health care system[7][8][9]. However, the most significant provisions of Title II are its Administrative Simplification rules. Title II requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to draft rules aimed at increasing the efficiency of the health care system by creating standards for the use and dissemination of health care information.

These rules apply to “covered entities” as defined by HIPAA and the HHS. Covered entities include health plans, health care clearinghouses, such as billing services and community health information systems, and health care providers that transmit health care data in a way that is regulated by HIPAA [10] [11].

Per the requirements of Title II, the HHS has promulgated five rules regarding Administrative Simplification: the Privacy Rule, the Transactions and Code Sets Rule, the Security Rule, the Unique Identifiers Rule, and the Enforcement Rule.

The Privacy Rule
The Privacy Rule took effect April 14, 2003, with a one-year extension for certain "small plans". It establishes regulations for the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). PHI is any information about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual[12]. This is interpreted rather broadly and includes any part of a patient’s medical record or payment history.

Covered entities must disclose PHI to the individual within 30 days upon request[13]. They also must disclose PHI when required to do so by law, such as reporting suspected child abuse to state child welfare agencies[14].

A covered entity may disclose PHI to facilitate treatment, payment, or health care operations[15] or if the covered entity has obtained authorization from the individual[16]. However, when a covered entity discloses any PHI, it must make a reasonable effort to disclose only the minimum necessary information required to achieve its purpose[17].

The Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to request that a covered entity correct any inaccurate PHI[18]. It also requires covered entities to take reasonable steps to ensure the confidentiality of communications with individuals[19]. For instance, an individual can ask to be called at his or her work number, instead of home or cell phone number.

The Privacy Rule requires covered entities to notify individuals of uses of their PHI. Covered entities must also keep track of disclosures of PHI and document privacy policies and procedures[20]. They must appoint a Privacy Official and a contact person[21]responsible for receiving complaints and train all members of their workforce in procedures regarding PHI[22].

An individual who believes that the Privacy Rule is not being upheld can file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) [23][24].

The Transactions and Code Sets Rule
The HIPAA/EDI provision was scheduled to take effect October 16, 2003 with a one-year extension for certain "small plans"; however, due to widespread confusion and difficulty in implementing the rule, CMS granted a one-year extension to all parties. As of October 16, 2004, full implementation was not achieved and CMS began an open-ended "contingency period." Penalties for non-compliance were not levied; however, all parties are expected to make a "good-faith effort" to come into compliance.

CMS announced that the Medicare contingency period ended July 1, 2005. After July 1, most medical providers that file electronically will have to file their electronic claims using the HIPAA standards in order to be paid. There are exceptions for doctors that meet certain criteria.

Key EDI transactions are:

837: Medical claims with subtypes for Professional, Institutional, and Dental varieties.
820: Payroll Deducted and Other Group Premium Payment for Insurance Products
834: Benefits enrollment and maintenance
835: Electronic remittances
270/271: Eligibility inquiry and response
276/277: Claim status inquiry and response
278: Health Services Review request and reply
These standards are X12 compliant, and are grouped under the label X12N.

Implementation Guides are available from the Washington Publishing Company for a fee, now that CMS is not subsidizing the publications.

The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs' Telecommunication Standard version 5.1 is also used for the transmission of third-party pharmacy claims. The NCPDP Telecommunication Standard version 5.1 is available to NCPDP members at NCPDP's website.

The Security Rule
The Final Rule on Security Standards was issued on February 20, 2003. It took effect on April 21, 2003 with a compliance date of April 21, 2005 for most covered entities and April 21, 2006 for “small plans”. The Security Rule complements the Privacy Rule. It lays out three types of security safeguards required for compliance: administrative, physical, and technical. For each of these types, the Rule identifies various security standards, and for each standard, it names both required and addressable implementation specifications. Required specifications must be adopted and administered as dictated by the Rule. Addressable specifications are more flexible. Individual covered entities can evaluate their own situation and determine the best way to implement addressable specifications. The standards and specifications are as follows:

Administrative Safeguards - policies and procedures designed to clearly show how the entity will comply with the act
• Covered entities (entities that must comply with HIPAA requirements) must adopt a written set of privacy procedures and designate a privacy officer to be responsible for developing and implementing all required policies and procedures.
• The policies and procedures must reference management oversight and organizational buy-in to compliance with the documented security controls.
• Procedures should clearly identify employees or classes of employees who will have access to protected health information (PHI). Access to PHI in all forms must be restricted to only those employees who have a need for it to complete their job function.
• The procedures must address access authorization, establishment, modification, and termination.
• Entities must show that an appropriate ongoing training program regarding the handling PHI is provided to employees performing health plan administrative functions.
• Covered entities that out-source some of their business processes to a third party must ensure that their vendors also have a framework in place to comply with HIPAA requirements. Companies typically gain this assurance through clauses in the contracts stating that the vendor will meet the same data protection requirements that apply to the covered entity. Care must be taken to determine if the vendor further out-sources any data handling functions to other vendors and monitor whether appropriate contracts and controls are in place.
• A contingency plan should be in place for responding to emergencies. Covered entities are responsible for backing up their data and having disaster recovery procedures in place. The plan should document data priority and failure analysis, testing activities, and change control procedures.
• Internal audits play a key role in HIPAA compliance by reviewing operations with the goal of identifying potential security violations. Policies and procedures should specifically document the scope, frequency, and procedures of audits. Audits should be both routine and event-based.
• Procedures should document instructions for addressing and responding to security breaches that are identified either during the audit or the normal course of operations.

Physical Safeguards - controlling physical access to protect against inappropriate access to protected data
• Controls must govern the introduction and removal of hardware and software from the network. (When equipment is retired it must be disposed of properly to ensure that PHI is not compromised.)
• Access to equipment containing health information should be carefully controlled and monitored.
• Access to hardware and software must be limited to properly authorized individuals.
• Required access controls consist of facility security plans, maintenance records, and visitor sign-in and escorts.
• Policies are required to address proper workstation use. Workstations should be removed from high traffic areas and monitor screens should not be in direct view of the public.
• If the covered entities utilize contractors or agents, they too must be fully trained on their physical access responsibilities.

Technical Safeguards - controlling access to computer systems and enabling covered entities to protect communications containing PHI transmitted electronically over open networks from being intercepted by anyone other than the intended recipient
• Information systems housing PHI must be protected from intrusion. When information flows over open networks, some form of encryption must be utilized. If closed systems/networks are utilized, existing access controls are considered sufficient and encryption is optional.
• Each covered entity is responsible for ensuring that the data within its systems has not been changed or erased in an unauthorized manner.
• Data corroboration, including the use of check sum, double-keying, message authentication, and digital signature may be used to ensure data integrity.
• Covered entities must also authenticate entities it communicates with. Authentication consists of corroborating that an entity is who it claims to be. Examples of corroboration include: password systems, two or three-way handshakes, telephone callback, and token systems.
• Covered entities must make documentation of their HIPAA practices available to the government to determine compliance.
• In addition to policies and procedures and access records, information technology documentation should also include a written record of all configuration settings on the components of the network because these components are complex, configurable, and always changing.
• Documented risk analysis and risk management programs are required. Covered entities must carefully consider the risks of their operations as they implement systems to comply with the act. (The requirement of risk analysis and risk management implies that the act’s security requirements are a minimum standard and places responsibility on covered entities to take all reasonable precautions necessary to prevent PHI from being used for non-health purposes.)

The Enforcement Rule
On February 16, 2006, HHS issued the Final Rule regarding HIPAA enforcement. It became effective on March 16, 2006. The Enforcement Rule sets civil money penalties for violating HIPAA rules and establishes procedures for investigations and hearings for HIPAA violations.

Asbestos Awareness in the Workplace

2010-12-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals that has been used in certain products, such as insulation, tiles, building materials and vehicle brakes, to resist heat and corrosion. Asbestos includes the mineral fibers chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite and any of these materials that have been chemically treated and/or altered. The heaviest exposures tend to occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition. Workers are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work.

What are the hazards of Asbestos?

Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and its use is now highly regulated by both OSHA and EPA. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and smokers are at higher risk of developing some asbestos-related diseases. Breathing asbestos fibers can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs called asbestosis and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos also causes cancer of the lung and other diseases such as mesothelioma of the pleura which is a fatal malignant tumor of the membrane lining the cavity of the lung or stomach.

What can be done to reduce the hazards of Asbestos?

Worker exposure to asbestos hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for the construction industry, general industry and shipyard employment sectors. These standards reduce the risk to workers by requiring that employers provide personal exposure monitoring to assess the risk and hazard awareness training for operations where there is any potential exposure to asbestos. Airborne levels of asbestos are never to exceed legal worker exposure limits. Where the exposure does, employers are required to further protect workers by establishing regulated areas, controlling certain work practices and instituting engineering controls to reduce the airborne levels. The employer is required to ensure exposure is reduced by using administrative controls and provide for the wearing of personal protective equipment. Medical monitoring of workers is also required when legal limits and exposure times are exceeded.

How can OSHA Help?

OSHA has developed this webpage to provide workers and employers useful, up-to-date information on grain handling. For other valuable worker protection information, such as Workers' Rights, Employer Responsibilities and other services OSHA offers, read OSHA's Workers page.

Workplace Substance Abuse

2010-12-07T16:34:00.001-08:00

The vast majority of drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don't leave their problems at the door. Of the 17.2 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2005, 12.9 million (74.8 percent) were employed either full or part time. Furthermore, research indicates that between 10 and 20 percent of the nation's workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs. In fact, industries with the highest rates of drug use are the same as those at a high risk for occupational injuries, such as construction, mining, manufacturing and wholesale.

OSHA recognizes that impairment by drug or alcohol use can constitute an avoidable workplace hazard and that drug-free workplace programs can help improve worker safety and health and add value to American businesses. OSHA strongly supports comprehensive drug-free workforce programs, especially within certain workplace environments, such as those involving safety-sensitive duties like operating machinery.

A comprehensive drug-free workforce approach includes five components—a policy, supervisor training, employee education, employee assistance, and drug testing. Such programs, especially when drug testing is included, must be reasonable and take into consideration employee rights to privacy.

OSHA understands that many workers with substance abuse problems can be returned safely to the workplace provided they have access to appropriate treatment, continuing care and supportive services.

Although not required by OSHA, drug-free workplace programs are natural compliments to other initiatives that help ensure safe and healthy workplaces and add value to America’s businesses and communities.

OSHA works closely with the US Department of Labor's Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace program to help employers ensure their health and safety plans are enhanced through workplace drug prevention. In particular, OSHA and Working Partners strive to raise awareness about the impact drugs and alcohol have on the workplace and provide information on how to establish drug-free workplace programs. A particular focus is placed on small businesses, since they are less likely than their larger counterparts to have mechanisms in place to prevent workplace substance abuse—despite being more likely to suffer from its negative impact.

Also, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Division of Workplace Programs provides guidance for employers on workplace drug-testing issues, and its GetFit.SAMHSA.gov website provides a range of information about workplace wellness issues, including drugs and alcohol.

Small Business

When it comes to workplace substance abuse, small businesses have big disadvantages. They are less likely than large companies to have programs in place to combat the problem, yet they are more likely to be the "employer-of-choice" for illicit drug users. Individuals who can't adhere to a drug-free workplace policy seek employment at firms that don't have one, and the cost of just one accident caused by an impaired employee can devastate a small business.

The good news is that small businesses have enormous power to improve the safety and health of their workplaces and employees by implementing drug-free workplace programs that educate employees about the dangers of drug abuse and encourage individuals with related problems to seek help. Such programs help reduce occupational injuries and illnesses and send a clear signal that employers care about the safety and health of their employees.

Some small businesses do not effectively address the issue due to a lack of resources, such as staff to seek information about it and provide assistance to employees who have related problems. This reluctance may be reinforced by confusion over the cost of running drug-free workplace programs and what action can be legally taken, particularly regarding drug testing and disciplinary procedures.

To help small businesses benefit from being drug-free, the Department of Labor and OSHA's Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace program offers small businesses a range of free and easy-to-use tools to help them maintain safe, healthy and drug-free workplaces.

The Importance of Carrying Out Fire Drills in Your Business

2010-12-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Fire drills should be carried out to check that staff understand the emergency fire action plan, to ensure that staff are familiar with operation of the emergency fire action plan, to evaluate effectiveness of the plan and to identify any weakness in the evacuation strategy.

The frequency of fire drills for each building will be different and should reflect the level of risk Fire drills should take place at least once a year. Where there is more than one escape route, the fire drills should assume conditions in which one or more than one escape route are obstructed by smoke.

In offices, a fire drill should involve occupant evacuation and should commence on operation of the fire alarm. In shops, fire drills should involve rehearsal for evacuation and will normally be scheduled when there are no or few shoppers in the premises.

Where there is a possibility that someone may misinterpret the fire drill and call the Fire and Rescue Service, it may be appropriate to inform the fire and rescue service prior to the commencement and on conclusion of a drill in order to alert them to the exercise and so prevent their unnecessary attendance.

If the fire alarm system is connected to a remote alarm receiving centre, inform the receiving centre to ensure that the fire and rescue service is not inadvertently called out to the premises, and inform the receiving centre when the fire drill has been completed.

Within each building the fire drill evacuation should involve all occupants except those having a designated role such as the need to ensure the security of the premises, the safety of the occupants or where equipment or processes cannot be closed down.
When carrying out the fire drill it may be useful to:

1. Circulate details concerning the fire drill and inform all staff of their duty to participate.
2. Ensure that any equipment which is in use, such as cookers, can be made safe by isolating or turning off controls, where appropriate.
3. In larger premises, nominate observers that can assess the appropriateness of actions and identify problems.

A roll call should be carried out as soon as possible at the designated assembly point(s) and note any persons who are unaccounted for. In a fire evacuation this information would need to be passed to the fire and rescue service on arrival.

The results of the fire drill should be recorded and stored with the fire risk assessment. Throughout the fire drill, the person in charge and any nominated observers should pay particular attention to:

1. Inappropriate actions such as stopping to collect personal items, such as jackets and handbags
2. Difficulties experienced by people with disabilities
3. Communication difficulties with regard to the roll call and establishing that everyone is accounted for
4. The use of the nearest available fire escape routes as opposed to frequently used routes
5. Difficulties with the opening of doors and fire escape routes being blocked
6. Doors not being closed as people leave rooms to prevent smoke and fire spread

The significant findings of any fire drill should be recorded within the fire risk assessment and reviewed regularly...

About the Author:
Freddy has been a regular author on topics concerning business fire safety consultancy with MyFireOfficer.com Specialising in the practical application of the fire safety risk assessment process with 17 years experience as an operational fire safety officer. http://myfireofficer.com/

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Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction

2010-12-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Construction is a potentially high hazard industry for those who work in it, with falls at the top of the hazards list. In fact, falls are the most frequent cause of fatalities at construction sites and annually account for one of every three construction-related deaths. Although there are commonly available methods for preventing falls, the number of construction workers who fall to their deaths has increased in recent years. According to preliminary 2007 fatality data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were at least 442 construction worker fatalities during 2007 as a result of falls from all causes.

Of this total falls from roofs are one specific concern at construction sites and the most frequent cause for fatal falls in construction in 2007. In fact, BLS reports that from 2003 to 2007, construction worker falls from roofs resulted in 686 fatalities.

OSHA has a list of resources to help those who work in the construction industry identify actions they should take to prevent construction-related falls.

The information listed below provides a variety of links related to construction falls and a variety of means to prevent them. QuickCards followed by an asterisk (*) denote those QuickCards containing information specific to the prevention of falls relating to roofs.

QuickCards Containing Fall Safety Tips:

Aerial Lifts Safety Tips
[PDF] [Español]
Fall Protection Tips^*
[PDF] [Español]
Portable Ladder Safety Tips
[PDF]
Supported Scaffold Inspection Tips
[PDF] [Español]
Supported Scaffold Safety Tips
[PDF] [Español]

Workplace Violence Training – Recognizing the Warning Signs

2010-12-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Workplace Violence costs American companies $4.2 billion annually and is the country’s second leading cause of on-the-job deaths.

As the second-leading cause of workplace deaths, workplace violence represents a challenge to employers who must be prepared to respond to and manage these incidents.

All employees must learn to recognize the warning signs of impending violence and stop the process before its too late.

Here some key topics your workplace violence training program should cover:

What is the profile of a potential perpetrator
How to recognize behavioral warning signs
Documenting threatening behaviors
Addressing problem behaviors before they escalate into violent acts

A Manager and Supervisor’s Role

When faced with a potential workplace violence threat, managers and supervisors should hold information gathering meetings, confront a bully, or terminate a problem employee. Managers are strongly encouraged to get support from HR, security or other designated resources if they feel uncomfortable or if there is any possibility of a violent reaction.

Even if your workplace does not experience threats that indicate immediate danger, proper training on the appropriate response to warning signs of violence will improve employee comfort levels, show due diligence, and help the overall mental health of your organization.

Here's a brief preview of a new program below called "Workplace Violence for Employees" that will help your organization identify the early warning signs:

This program is available for BusinessTrainingMedia.com

Employer's Quick Guide to Avoiding Sexual Harassment Liability

2010-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Employers can be held liable for any sexual harassment that occurs in the workplace. However, if they take reasonable care to prevent and correct harassment, they will not be liable. The following article looks at the elements of reasonable care that will greatly reduce the risk of sexual harassment liability.

Written Policy. The policy should explain what sexual harassment is. It should give a variety of examples that make it clear that sexual harassment can take many different forms: unwanted physical contact; efforts to trade sex for employment-related benefits; lewd language or offensive jokes, pictures, drawings, or graffiti; or any combination. It should explain that the harasserâ€™s intent does not determine whether the conduct is sexual harassment. Whether behavior is sexual harassment depends on how the victim experiences it, not whether the perpetrator intended to harass. It should state that male and female workers can be victims of sexual harassment by harassers of either gender.

The policy should be written in a way that will communicate well and be understood by the average worker. It should avoid legal jargon. It should be translated into languages other than English if there are workers whose command of English is deficient.

Complaint Procedure and Penalties. The policy should tell workers: how to file a complaint, providing model complaint forms; where to file a complaint, identifying several persons on staff designated to receive complaints. It should explain what happens during the investigation and what happens after the investigation, identifying who is responsible for making the final determination of whether sexual harassment occurred; what the possible penalties are, as well as who imposes penalties for sexual harassment and whether the complaining party has the right to know what penalty the employer has decided to impose; and how to appeal the employer's findings.

Retaliation. The policy should strongly prohibit retaliation, giving examples of what retaliation is. It should state that retaliation against complaining parties or witnesses will be taken as seriously as harassment itself.

Fairness and Safeguards. The policy should protect the rights of all persons involved. It should assure confidentiality to the extent possible.

Publicizing the Policy. It's no good to have a written policy if employees can later claim they never saw it. Each new hire should be given a copy of the policy and sign a receipt stating he or she has read and understands it. But too many employers leave it at that. If you want employees to remember the policy and to understand that you are serious about it, there must be ongoing exposure. Make available a brochure or pamphlet that summarizes the policy.

Periodically remind employees about the policy through memos, articles in employee newsletters, in employee meetings, or some other means that you regularly use for communication. Use posters about the policy and sexual harassment on employee bulletin boards; they should summarize the policy and state how to obtain further information.

Training. Training and retraining that explains sexual harassment and its impact on the workplace environment are essential for preventing harassment and should be provided on an ongoing basis.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1998 that where the employer has and communicates a proper policy forbidding sexual harassment and a reasonable procedure through which employees who believe they have been harassed can make complaints and have them investigated, an employee who believes he or she has been harassed must use the employer's procedure rather than filing a lawsuit. The purpose of sexual harassment law, the court said, is not for the courts to intervene between employers and employees. Rather, the purpose is to encourage employers to take steps to prevent sexual harassment and remedy it if occurs. That's why the steps the employer takes to prevent and remedy it are crucial to the question of liability.

In contrast to widespread misconceptions, sexual harassment is not the use of occasional off-color language, telling a few dirty jokes, complimenting a member of the opposite sex on his or her appearance, a single incident of mildly inappropriate touching, or other behavior that might make some people uncomfortable or upset. The courts have generally held that everyone has to put up with a certain amount of behavior in the workplace that he or she finds unpleasant or even offensive. Sexual harassment is behavior that is so severe or so pervasive that it deprives the victim of the same opportunities for economic success that are enjoyed by someone who has not experienced such harassment.

This does not mean, however, that employers should ignore reports of behavior that is based on sex and is inappropriate, unprofessional, disrespectful, and/or offensive. It's impossible to make black and white rules as to exactly when a line is crossed between merely offensive behavior and behavior that is so severe or pervasive it would interfere with the ability of any reasonable person to perform his or her job. For this reason, many experts suggest training that helps employees understand that certain behavior's whether it is technically sexual harassment or not is high risk and inappropriate in any work-related setting.

Better Training Is Needed

Sexual harassment is a sensitive and costly problem that is becoming all too common in many workplaces. By providing sexual harassment training to your employees on a regular basis, you'll reduce your organization’s expose to this costly problem and create a safer workplace.

About The Author:

Myron Curry is President and CEO of BusinessTrainingMedia.com a leading provider of workforce and business development training programs designed exclusively for corporate deployment. Myron has over 20 years of successful management experience with leading fortune 500 companies and has written numerous articles about workforce management issues.

Health and Safety E Learning

2010-12-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

by: Shaun Parker

In this day and age of compensation claims for even the most minor strains and accidents it pays all employers to comply with Health and Safety regulations to cover themselves as well as their employees. The Health and Safety Executive regulations have, for a number of years now, made it a legal requirement for all employers to assess and reduce the risk to staff in the workplace.

Some employers, pressed for time as well as money, find this a problem. Whole work days are sometimes lost, venues need to be booked and paid for and transport provided. All this comes at the expense of the employer but surely cannot be as costly as the amount of sick days taken in the name of work related health problems.

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive for 2003/04 show that 448,000 British workers were reported to have suffered from work related musculo-skeletal disorders (the umbrella term for Repetitive Strain Injury). This was a staggering increase of 52,000 from the previous year.

Direct and indirect costs to society amounted to a phenomenal 5.7 pounds billion in the year 2004/5. The Health and Safety Executive attributes this to the 450,000 cases of workers absent through back complaints and 375,000 through back and upper limb disorders. Amazingly, they even report seven year old children to be suffering RSI complaints so schools also need to implement the regulations.

Repetitive Strain Injury is a common occurrence in offices where staff spend the majority of their day sat in front of a VDU, or DSE. Display Screen Equipment is a broader term for VDU and covers all the equipment at a desk including keyboard and mouse, which have been the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome when used incorrectly.

DSE Risk Assessment and Training are Health and Safety requirements and are quite simple to practice. There are recommended guidelines for the angle of a VDU, the positioning of a keyboard, mouse, desk and chair. All should be set up for the individual employee to ensure comfortable working positions.

Employers are liable for the cost of sight tests for VDU operators when requested but there is no evidence that, when used properly, a VDU screen would cause any health problems. Only when there is unnecessary glare, bad posture or a wrongly positioned unit does a problem occur. There is certainly no evidence to suggest there is any worsening of eyesight from use of a VDU.

So, employees do not want to be injured at work and employers do not want to spend man hours and hard earned profits on Health and Safety Training. However, there is a solution. It is now possible to train all employers and their staff in all Health and Safety aspects without ever having to leave their badly positioned, overly bright VDU or their wonky chair.

It is now possible to meet all the legal requirements of Health and Safety Training on line. It is called Health and Safety e-learning. Risk assessments are set out for employers and employees can set their own agenda for DSE training thus reducing impact on work schedules. Training can be completed over time at a pace that suits the individual and training certificates can be printed out at the conclusion.

This solution is cost effective, requiring minimal resources and a Learning Development Advisor is assigned to the company involved to keep track of the training. It is also recommended that results be saved to a database to establish an audit trail and prove your company's compliance with Health and Safety Regulations.

About the Author:Health and Safety expert Shaun Parker looks into the new health and safety on line training. To find out more please visit http://www.complywise.co.uk/

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