FALL PROTECTION AT WORK

Fall protection is the backup system planned for a worker, who could lose his or her balance at height, in order to control or eliminate the risk of falling.

All fall protection products fit into four functional categories:

1. Fall Arrest
2. Positioning
3. Suspension
4. Retrieval

Fall Arrest
A fall arrest system is required if any risk exists that a worker may fall from an elevated position, as a general rule, the fall arrest system should be used anytime a working height of six feet or more is reached. Working height is the distance from the walking/working surface to a grade or lower level. A fall arrest system will only come into service should a fall occur. A full-body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard or a retractable lifeline is the only product recommended. A full-body harness distributes the forces throughout the body, and the shock-absorbing lanyard decreases the total fall arresting forces.


Positioning
This system holds the worker in place while keeping his/her hands free to work. Whenever the worker leans back, the system is activated. However, the personal positioning system is not specifically designed for fall arrest purposes.


Suspension
This equipment lowers and supports the worker while allowing a hands-free work environment, and is widely used in window washing and painting industries. This suspension system components are not designed to arrest a free fall, a backup fall arrest system should be used in conjunction with the suspension system.
















Retrieval
Pre-planning for retrieval in the event of a fall should be taken into consideration when developing a proactive fall management program.

5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT

 1. Identify the hazards
Take a walk through your workplace to identify hazards. You will want to observe employees completing their daily tasks in order to identify additional risks and to see if there could be an easier way for them to complete tasks. It’s important to talk to your employees colleagues while conducting your assessment because they are the ones who will have the best feedback regarding issues that may not be as obvious to you.

2. Decide who could be harmed and in what way

Establish groups that are affected by the risks and hazards you identified in your search. To see the bigger picture, understand that there are groups outside of your workplace that might be harmed if corrective action is not taken. Record the ways that they could be harmed if the hazard or risk is not corrected and review the list with your employees or colleagues to see if there is anything else they have to add.

3. Establish Control Measures

Risk is a part of everyday life and you are not expected to eliminate all risks. What you must do is make sure you know about the main risks and the things you need to do to manage them responsibly. Generally, you need to do everything 'reasonably practicable'. This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time or trouble. Look at what you're already doing, and the control measures you already have in place. Ask yourself:

• Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
• If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?

4. Record the findings of your assessment and inform those at risk of the controls

Make a record of your significant findings - the hazards, how people might be harmed by them and what you have in place to control the risks. Any record produced should be simple and focused on controls. Report your findings and proposed solutions to all employees. It might also be a good time to provide some additional training regarding any changes to procedures, updates to your health and safety policy and to provide a “refresher” session to employees to remind them that they have their responsibilities in ensuring a safe workplace.

5. Review the Risk Assessment on a regular basis

Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. So it makes sense to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis, look at your risk assessment again and ask yourself:

• Have there been any significant changes?
• Are there improvements you still need to make?
• Have your workers spotted a problem?
• Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses?

Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.

Top Safety Tips For Online Banking

As the world advances in technology fraudsters are also advancing and becoming more clever. These criminals continue to explore new ways to deceive people in the online world as they look for their next victim. To enjoy a secure experience, the following Safety Tips for Online Banking are being offered:

1. Keep your password confidential: The password acts like a key to your web bank account. Sharing the password means that crooks can also access your online account. In addition, make your password as impersonal as possible. For example, do not use your date of birth, phone number, or your identity card number as your password. Crooks can access this information and decide to try it out. It is also advisable to keep changing your password every four months. In addition, do not store your password in the computer.

2. Beware of questionable emails: Crooks may also send you emails asking for your personal information such as a password or pin. As we noted earlier, as time goes by, they get smarter and smarter. They have designed fake bank logos and use them when sending you an email, you may be easily lured to give personal information. You can detect fake emails from these crooks because their emails usually direct you to questionable internet sites. In addition, you will notice that they do not address you as you are used to being called by your bank. The emails may also contain poor grammar.

3. Make use of anti-virus protection software: You should get the best quality antivirus protection available for your internet banking experience. They protect your personal information in your computer from being lost due to a virus. Search for the services of a computer expert to enable you to get the top rated services available.

4. If you discover you did submit private detail to these con artists, inform your web bank immediately: Make sure you give your bank your current contact information so that they can get in touch with you with any questions or any other matters that require your attention.

5. Ensure you have strong computer expertise to improve the safety of your personal information: Otherwise, avoid shared computers.

6. If you notice that some money is missing in your internet bank account, notify the bank immediately: The more time that passes the more money can be stolen from you.

Worker Pulled Into Machine By His Jacket

Worker pulled into machine by his jacket: $175K fine in connection with death

A lack of safety training played a part in the death of an employee at a manufacturing plant, according to OSHA.


The Tonawanda Coke Corp. employee was pulled into the rotating shaft of a coal elevator on Jan. 6, 2016. As the worker prepared to grease and lubricate the elevator, his jacket was caught, pulling him onto the rotating shaft.

OSHA says the elevator at the Tonawanda, NY, plant wasn’t shut down nor locked out at its power source, as required by the hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) standard.

 The company received two repeat and six serious violations with a proposed total of $175,200 in fines. The violations include failure to:

• ensure the shutdown of power sources for the coal elevator and another machine and that energy isolation devices had lockout devices affixed
• guard projecting shafts and bolts on the coal elevator against employee contact
• provide hazardous energy control training to authorized employees and inform them of the location of energy control devices (repeat)
• conduct and certify an inspection of energy-control procedures (repeat)
• ensure the full lockout of an energy control device
• maintain working surfaces in a clean and dry condition, and
• ensure to bolt covers of electrical disconnects fully.

The repeat violations are based on similar hazards cited during OSHA inspections in 2010 and 2014.
“Training employees on lockout procedures and ensuring those procedures are used would have prevented this needless loss of a worker’s life,” said OSHA’s area director in Buffalo, NY.

TOP TIPS TO PREVENT SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AT HOME

I. Expose family members to basic safety education.

II. Promote good housekeeping. Items should not be left lying about on the floor, including children’s toys. Things should be properly arranged to avoid accident.

III. Enforce better control over what children can play with when unattended.

IV. Avoid touching electrical switches when your hands or clothes are wet to prevent electrocution. Always employ the services of professionals and procure genuine materials for maintenance.

V. All carpets or other floor coverings should be firmly fixed to prevent trips and falls.

VI. Mop up immediately any liquid or grease spilled on the floor anywhere in your home to avoid slips.

VII. Care should be taken while using electrical appliances such as heaters, cookers, electric iron, and so on.

VIII. Children should always be kept out of the cooking areas as they can sustain burn injuries.

IX. Detergents, disinfectants, bleaches. paints, and rat poisons should be kept out of the reach of children to prevent poisoning.

X. All medicines and tablets should be securely locked up in their appropriate storage places and out of the reach of children. All expired drugs should be promptly disposed of.

XI. Sharp objects or tools should not be left carelessly around after usage to avoid cuts and puncture injuries.

XII. Avoid carrying out electrical and gas repairs on your own, except you are a trained electrician or gas cooker repairer. It is very dangerous to tackle gas and electricity by trial and error. The implications can be fatal.

Your Car AC Could Kill You

Getting into your car and immediately turning on the AC could kill you

According to research, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen). Have you ever noticed the smell of heated plastic in your car?

In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anaemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukaemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 16 degrees C (60 degrees F), the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level…

People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession excessive amounts of the toxin.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver. What’s worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff. So friends, please open the windows and door of your car – give time for interior to air out – dispel the deadly stuff – before you enter.

As a precaution:

Open the windows after you enter your car, then wait a couple of minutes before you turn ON the air-conditioning.

Safe Handling of Chemicals in the Workplace

In the work environment chemicals are commonplace and necessary for making our jobs easier and more productive. There are many hazards associated with these benefits. Failure to understand the hazards of products can lead to their casual use and often leads to employee injuries, costly clean-up, or property losses. Used properly, most products can be both safe and effective. So how can an employer protect workers required to use chemicals as part of their daily work? 

Below are some simple guidelines:

1. Identify the chemicals you use.

2. Take an inventory of all chemicals used in your workplace by department. List the quantities on hand, where they are stored, and what they are stored in.

3. Request Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the companies that supply the chemicals you have identified on the inventory list. Keep a log of all MSDSs on hand. These will be needed for training of employees and for quick reference in the event of an emergency.

4. Label all containers with the following information:
• Name of the chemical.
• Concentration (strength) of the chemical.
• Information about hazards associated with the chemical (For example, skin irritant) and emergency information (“If chemical gets in eyes…”).
• The manufacturer’s name.
• The date of manufacture (chemicals can degrade over time).

5. Identify the safe uses of the chemicals in your workplace:
• Follow safe handling instructions and identify personal protective equipment to be used while handling chemicals.
• Beware of instructions regarding the mixing of chemicals.
• Always wash yourself thoroughly after handling chemicals. If a chemical spills on you, wash it off at once. Some workplaces have a chemical shower that you can use to get cleaned up quickly.
• Don’t eat, drink, or smoke when you’re handling chemicals. You could accidentally swallow some chemicals or accidentally ignite flammable chemicals if you’re smoking.

Chemicals must always be stored in a safe place with similar-type chemicals. You should never store chemicals with food items. Most chemicals will belong to a specific category, and you need to make sure that only chemicals from the same category are stored together. If you’re not sure what category a chemical belongs to, always check its label or refer to its MSDS.

Categories might include:

Flammable Chemicals
Chemicals such as methanol, ethanol, and kerosene are very flammable and need to be kept away from heat and substances that might cause them to ignite or explode. In most workplaces, flammable chemicals are stored in a separate cupboard or cabinet that has been specially designed for them.

Oxidizing Substances
Oxidizing chemicals quickly and easily react with other chemicals. Because of this, they should only be stored with other oxidizing chemicals.

Corrosive chemicals
Chemicals such as acids can corrode substances. They can also react violently and explosively if they come into contact with other types of chemicals.