Loading ...Health & Safety Best Practices
Pull the String
General Dwight Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States (1953-1961) but during World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the movements of the various armed units under his command.
It is reported that he held a leadership briefing with his officers. When [...]
Grading the Monsters
As we do every year on Halloween, SafetyXChange rates the health and safety behaviors and practices of some of the world’s best known ghouls, goblins and monsters.
FRANKENSTEIN
Dr. Frankenstein’s lab is a safety nightmare. Sources of electricity aren’t properly grounded. There are open test tubes lying around containing lord-knows-what chemicals. People walk around with open torches. [...]
Time to Check Your Safety Devices
When the time changes from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time on Sunday, November 6, 2011, remember to check your safety devices.
Test your home smoke alarms and change the batteries;
Test your carbon monoxide detector according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
See if your fire extinguishers are fully charged and ready;
If you have a security system, make sure [...]
Safety Tips for Pumpkin Carvers
It’s that time again. Parents everywhere are preparing to dress up their children and send them out into the streets to take candy from strangers. While it’s important to ensure child safety year-round, it is especially difficult for parents during Halloween. But there are ways to exercise safety precautions without compromising fun. A few [...]
Earthquake Preparedness Isn’t Just for Californians
22 years ago my world was rocked…literally.
It was October 17th, 1989 at 5:04 pm PDT. The Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants were in the World Series and it was a perfect day for a game. I had a chance to go to the game at the Stick (Candlestick park, then home of the Giants), [...]
5 Weird Off-the-Job Safety Tips
Over the years, we’ve all used miscellaneous safety tips to add a bit of spice to an otherwise humdrum safety meeting or newsletter. But where do you find these tidbits? Here are five off-the-beaten-path beauties from my vast collection.
Tip 1: Rake Leaves, Not Nerves
Here’s a nifty little hint for autumn. Placing foam rubber over [...]
Dryer Lint Fire Hazard
Fewer things are less exciting than dryer lint, unless it catches fire. Then you’ll wish you had given it more of your attention.
While your clothes toss and turn in the dryer, they shed lint—fine pieces of fabric. These small fibers accumulate in the lint trap, the exhaust pipe and other spots in your dryer. Like [...]
It’s Time to Talk About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
After 25 years of preaching, teaching and otherwise promulgating safety, I’m more convinced than ever that an effective industrial safety program is a holistic one. You need only compare days lost due to off-the-job injuries to the workers’ comp variety to realize that safety must be a culture, not solely a workday activity. Successful safety [...]
Go Figure
What does this number represent?
33,808
It’s the number of people who were killed in police-reported traffic crashes in the United States in 2009.
Here are some other traffic safety statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
5,505,000 traffic crashes were reported to police in 2009
2,217,000 people were injured in police-reported traffic crashes in 2009
$230.6 billion was the [...]
Testing for ‘tude’
Wouldn’t it be great if people’s attitudes could be assessed before they were given a drivers’ license? Wouldn’t you like to see whether or not they’ve got what it takes to concentrate, communicate, be patient, be courteous and be able to make quick decisions?
Well, in Scotland there is a test for these skills.
The Driving Instructors [...]
