news & notes

WORKPLACE HYGIENE: AN OLD IDEA The relationship between the workplace environment and worker health was recognized as early as the 4th century B.C. when the ancient Greeks realized that prolonged exposure to lead could make workers sick. Five hundred years later, the Romans noticed increased health risks to those working with zinc and sulfur. They devised a face mask (possibly the worlds first PPE) made from an animal bladder to protect workers from exposure to dust and lead fumes. In 1556, a German scholar described the diseases of miners and prescribed preventive measures. His book included suggestions for mine ventilation and worker protection, discussed mining accidents, and described diseases associated with mining, such as silicosis. In 1700, an Italian scholar published a book that contained accurate descriptions of the occupational diseases of most of the workers of his time. By the early 20th century in the United States, Dr. Alice Hamilton was leading efforts to improve industrial hygiene. She had observed industrial conditions firsthand and startled mine owners, factory managers, and state officials with evidence that there was a connection between worker illness and exposure to toxic substances. Today, you can make history, too, by doing your part to identify and control workplace health hazards and helping to make this an even healthier place to work.

All Safety Products

www.AllSafetyProducts.biz

Sep '03

Workplace Hygiene
Protection against health hazards on the job
Potential workplace health hazards include air contaminants and chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards. Air contaminants can include dusts, fumes, mists, aerosols, fibers, and vapors. When there are contaminants in large enough quantities in the air you breathe, they can make you sick. Thats why we use ventilation and, in some situations, respirators to eliminate air contaminants or at least to reduce them to safe levels. Chemical hazards can also make you sick. How sick you get depends on the amount of exposure, the length of exposure, and the toxicity of the chemical. We work hard to eliminate chemical hazards. When they cant be eliminated, we use safety procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect you. Physical hazards include excessive levels of noise, vibration, illumination, and temperature. You can do your part to minimize these hazards by using available protective devices, following safety procedures, and always wearing assigned PPE. Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other living organisms that can cause infections by entering the body either directly or through breaks in the skin. Good housekeeping to maintain a clean and sanitary workplace can help reduce these hazards. So can frequent handwashing. Ergonomic hazards in the workplace, such as repetitive motion, awkward working positions, heavy lifting, and prolonged periods of sitting or standing, can cause health problems known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). We try to control these hazards as much as possible by redesigning jobs, processes, tools, and workstations. When this approach alone doesnt solve the problem, we add safe work procedures to help protect your health.

Personal Hygiene
Remember these simple but vital precautions
An important way to protect your health on the job is to prevent exposure to hazardous substances through practicing good personal hygiene at work. True, these precautions may take a few extra minutes. But those few minutes can help ensure many years of good health, so they are worth every second. Remember to: Wash thoroughly with soap and water after working with or around any hazardous substance. Make a habit of washing your hands before you eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics, touch your street clothing, or handle contact lenses. Wash thoroughly before and after using the toilet, too. Dont bring food, beverages, or their containers into a work area where hazardous substances are kept or used. Cover open cuts or sores with bandages before working with or around hazardous substances. Dont touch your mouth, nose, or eyes with hands or gloves, even to blow your nose or cover a sneeze, when youve been working with hazardous substances. Wash first. Safe personal hygiene may also require showering after removing chemically contaminated protective clothing. Dont skip this step, no matter how much of a hurry youre in to get home. Also be sure to keep work clothes and street clothes separate so that chemical contamination doesnt go home with you.

news & notes

WATCH OUT FOR AMPUTATION HAZARDS A few years ago, a worker at a Georgia manufacturing company used his feet to push cardboard down inside a compactors loading chamber while the machine was still running. As the compactors horizontal ram entered the chamber to finish flattening the material, the cardboard grabbed the mans feet and immobilized him as the ram severed both his legs. Amputations of legs, arms, fingers, and toes occur at the rate of 26 a day in workplaces across the country. Theyre often associated with particular machine operations, such as setting up, threading, preparing, adjusting, clearing jams, cleaning, lubricating, repairing, and performing general maintenance. Amputations also happen during materials handling activities and when using forklifts, powered and nonpowered hand tools, and trash compactors. To prevent these horrible accidents: Never remove, disable, or bypass a machine guard. Dont use a machine if the guards are not operating properly. Report it and tag it out so no one else uses it. Be aware of where your hands and feet are at all times while operating machinery. Only perform repairs and maintenance on machinery if youre trained and authorized to do so. Always lock and tag out machines to prevent unexpected startup when cleaning, repairing, servicing, clearing jams, etc. Dont take risks just to save a little time or effort.

Workplace Violence
Use this checklist to recognize danger signs
Be alert to co-workers or former employees who: Threaten bosses or other workers. Blame others for problems. Vow to get even with others in the workplace. Believe that others are out to get them. Seem overwhelmed by financial or other personal problems. Become angry easily and often. Show intense interest in weapons. Are always suspicious of others motives. Show increasingly troubled or negative behavior and attitudes. Indicate romantic or other obsession with an individual. Be alert to customers, vendors, or other outsiders who: Overreact to problems or delays. Threaten employees. Use abusive language. Appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Throw or punch inanimate objects. Show or claim to have a weapon.

CAUTIONGasoline!
Keep safety in mind next time you gas up
Youve probably heard the old story about the guy who couldnt see if his gasoline tank was empty, so he lit a match. Maybe this story brings to mind some unsafe acts youve been involved in when using gasoline. Maybe you thoughtlessly refueled a lawnmower without letting it cool first, or you left gasoline-soaked rags on the floor or piled in a corner. Or maybe you were smoking while refueling. Lets face itwhen we do any of these things, we are just pushing our luck. Remember these basic safety rules concerning gasoline: Keep cigarettes, sparks, and open flames away from areas where gasoline is used. Never use gasoline for cleaning purposes. A nonflammable or nontoxic solvent should be used instead. Always keep gasoline in approved containers and clearly identified. Make sure the engine has stopped and the area around the tank opening is cool before refueling. Use care when filling the tank. If you spill more than a few drops, flush it away immediately. Never keep more gasoline than necessary on a jobsite. Any leftover gas should be returned to the designated storage area. Always place cloth, paper, and other gasoline-soaked wastes in approved disposal containers, which are usually metal.

news & notes

SAFE VACATION CHECKLIST Security tips from the Oregon State Police: Secure Your Home Lock all doors and windows. Never leave your keys hidden outside. Use timers for lights and radios to make your home appear occupied. Have a neighbor or friend pick up mail, packages, and newspapers. Leave trip plans and emergency phone numbers with trusted people. On the Road Never carry large amounts of cashuse travelers checks or ATM cards. Keep a record of traveler's check numbers and your credit card numbers in a safe place. Have numbers to call in case your credit card or checks are stolen or lost. Never advertise your plans, travel routes, or the amount of money you are carrying to strangers. If your car breaks down, raise the hood and attach a white cloth to the antenna. If you leave your car, stay together. Carry a cell phone. Hotel/Motel Security Determine the best route from your room to fire escapes, elevators, and phones. When occupying or leaving your room, lock all doors and windows. Use the door viewer to identify anyone requesting entry. Place belongings in the closet and dresser. Arrange your things so you will know if anything is missing.

Be Kind to Your Feet

After all, they stand up for you, dont they?
My aching feet! is a common complaint of busy people in any occupation, especially if they spend a lot of time standing or walking on the job. Of course, appropriate safety footwear will be provided for employees who face particular hazards in their work, but even everyday work shoes should be selected with care. Make sure the shoes you wear to work: Dont pinch at any point. Provide a firm grip for the heel. Support the arches. Allow comfortable movement of the toes. Shoes that lace up give added support, and for anyone working on metal or cement floors all day, a shock-absorbing, cushioned insole is a sensible addition. Sandals and high heels (1 1/2 inches or higher) are not a good idea for anyone who spends a lot of time on the job standing or walking. Completely flat soles are not a good idea either, since they may cause undue pressure on the feet and lower back. Here are some other things you can do to ease the strain on your feet and legs: Change your stance from time to time. Change body position once in a while. Flex your toes and ankles lightly now and then. Get occasional rest on a chair, stool, or benchat least during your breaks.

Clean, Neat, and Safe

Good housekeeping is a good habit on the job
Here are seven reasons why good housekeeping is important: 1. It eliminates the causes of accidents and fires. 2. It helps minimize personal injuries and illness. 3. It saves energy by eliminating the need to work around congested areas and misplaced items. 4. It makes the best use of space and allows for efficient inventory control. 5. It helps control damage to property. 6. It encourages better work habits. 7. It reflects an image of a well-run operation. Here are seven ways to create a safer workplace through good housekeeping: 1. Clean up your work area immediately after completing each task. 2. Dispose of scrap and debris properly. 3. Return tools and equipment to their proper place. 4. Clean up spilled liquids right away, and respect wet floor signs. 5. Make sure all materials are properly stacked and stored. 6. Dispose of hazardous substances by using the prescribed safe method. 7. Clean up your work area at the end of the day. Good housekeeping is everyones responsibility. It not only makes our workplace safer, it also makes us more efficient, productive, and competitive.

news & notes

HELP YOUR PPE KEEP YOU SAFE Youre exposed to hazards on the job every day. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to use personal protective equipment (PPE). The company provides you with training and specially selected PPE to guard against workplace hazards. Your job is to use this equipment responsibly so that it can do its jobprotecting you. Know the hazards of your job and which PPE is called for. Use the PPE thats provided in the way you have been taught. Inspect PPE before each use to make sure it is in good condition. Report any problems with PPE to your supervisor right awaynever use worn, damaged, or defective PPE. Take care of PPE assigned to youkeep it clean and store it properly. Remove PPE carefully so that you dont contaminate yourself. Remember . . . your PPE wont protect you if youre not wearing it! HAND TOOL SAFETY What could be safer than plain old hand tools, like hammers, screwdrivers, and pliers? Ask the machinist who broke her nose while attempting to adjust a machine with pliers. The job called for a wrench, but the pliers were closer at hand. She was in a hurry and didnt feel like walking all the way over to the tool crib for the right wrench. Dont let something like this happen to you. Always use the right tool for the job.

Alphabet Soup
Do you know what these terms mean?
In the safety materials you read, certain terms may be abbreviated instead of spelling out the whole word or words. You need to know what these abbreviations, or acronyms, mean because your safety might depend on it. For example, you probably already know that the letter F means Fahrenheit and the letter C means Celsius. These are two ways to measure temperature. Thats important to know because something thats 200F or 100C is very hot and would burn you if you touched it. Now, see how much else you know about safety acronyms. Match the safety- and health-related acronyms in the first column to their definitions in the second column. 1. ____ GFCI A. Personal protective equipment 2. ____ Z87 B. Decibel 3. ____ LOTO C. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 4. ____ dB D. Ground fault circuit interrupter 5. ____ MSD E. Logo for eye protection that meets safety standards 6. ____ CPR F. Lockout/tagout 7. ____ PPE G. Musculoskeletal disorder 8. ____ MSDS H. Permissible exposure limit 9. ____ PEL I. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation 10. ____ OSHA J. Material safety data sheet Answers: (1) D (2) E (3) F (4) B (5) G (6) I (7) A (8) J (9) H (10) C