In the foyer of a recent safety seminar there was this rather odd vending machine. At first glance it looked like a regular food-type vending machine, but as curious onlookers neared, it could be seen that the products within were body parts! We at Safetycare loved this. A simple artistic installation that reminds us that we can't replace our body parts as simply as just buying them from a vending machine, so we had better look after our own.
We have a great little DVD on Hazardous Substances in the workplace. All workplaces, not just heavy industrial type work environments use Hazardous Subtances to some extent or other.
There are literally thousands of different substances used in the workplace. Cleaners, adhesives, paints, solvents, pesticides, inks, lubricants and fuels are just some examples.
This program covers:
• An Introduction to Hazardous Substances • How we can be harmed by Hazardous Substances • The common problems • Minimising potential exposures • The role of the organisation • The role of the individual
Our team came across this video on 'Camino del Rey' in Spain. This walkway was built in 1905 for workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls. A walkway was needed to cross between the falls for inspection and maintenance of the channel.
The walkway is not maintained, and is highly deteriorated and dangerous. It is 3 feet wide, and is over 1000 feet above the river below. Almost the entire the path has no handrail and some parts of the concrete walkway have completely collapsed. All that is remaining is the steel beam originally in place to hold it up. One can latch onto a modern steel safety-wire to keep from falling, though it can't hold much weight. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years; after four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, many adventurous (and crazy) tourists still find their way onto the walkway to explore it.
Thank you to all of our subscribers for making Montie the world's leading safety video subscription service. If there's anything we can do to assist you, please give us a call, we've love to have a chat with you! Until then, stay safe!
If you aren't familiar with Montie . . . . you MUST check it out! www.safetycare.com It is simply the best Safety Training Video Solution! Call us for a free 2 week trial.
This shows the use of an elevating work platform (EWP) on uneven ground.
Scissor-lift EWPs must not be operated on uneven ground unless outriggers are used. They definitely should not be chocked as shown. If the surface is uneven, relocate the EWP to flat ground. Use a knuckle-boom lift or review what other height access can be employed.
Safe work practices: - Train operators to operate equipment safely - Ensure the supporting surface is firm, clear of obstructions and wheels or outriggers are contacting the ground before elevating or repositioning the unit - Test equipment before operation to ensure all safety devices are fully functional - Ensure all level indicators are in place and fully functional.
Subscribing to our YouTube channel is a great way to stay up to date with all our videos! If you don't yet have a YouTube account, click on the image below, sign up and become a subscriber. Whenever we add a new Safety Video, you'll get a notification!
OSHA Safety Posters Here is the official OSHA's posters designed for the workplace.
Say-It Has a small collection of free safety posters that promote safety in the workplace. These posters are written in both English and Spanish.
NYSIF Safety Posters Offers 40 free safety posters in several different categories: Tool Safety, Eye and Head Safety, Construction Safety, Ladder Safety, Safety at the Workplace, Driving Safety, Food Industry Safety, and other areas as well.
Printshop101 Has six different free safety posters for the work environment.
Vermont SIRI Safety info There are several different safety posters available here on a variety of different subjects like: construction safety, home safety, health and fitness, driving safety, electrical safety, and many more.
Agric.govHere are some great cartoon safety posters available for download.
There are laws and regulations that require the investigation and reporting of certain types of accidents. Insurance requirements also lead to many Accident Investigations as do potential claims at common law.
However, from an Occupational Health & Safety point of view, the main aim of Accident Investigations is not to fulfil these legal and insurance obligations, but rather to prevent recurrences of the same or similar accidents. Accident Investigations therefore should be regarded as an important part of accident prevention.
This program covers: - A definition of an accident - Contributory factors leading to accidents - Who should be involved in an investigation? - The strategy of the investigation - Gathering the facts - Interviewing - Isolating the key contributory factors - Determining corrective actions
Learning why and how accidents occur is fundamental to making improvements in both working conditions and operational methods.
The Accident Investigation process will reduce the number of workplace accidents and should be regarded as an important component of any workplace health and safety strategy.
Without oxygen being passed from the lungs to the blood stream and then pumped around the body by the heart a person will die. When a person suffers cardiac arrest their heart stops beating, they lose consciousness, they stop breathing, and blood will not circulate. Unless they receive prompt first aid attention until medical or ambulance help arrives they will suffer irreparable brain damage and die within minutes.
This program looks at the technique for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on adults, in accordance with the current resuscitation guidelines. The program covers:
Basic Life Support (BLS) procedure
How to conduct CPR on an adult casualty
How to deliver Rescue Breaths
How to deliver chest compressions
How to use a Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
This picture has a Welding, Manual Handling, Electrical Safety, Traffic Management and PPE shocker all in one!
Take a look at the welder’s assistant:
1. He's having to hold the welding unit...and above his shoulders. 2. He's providing an anchor for the ladder. 3. He's the traffic manager for any pedestrians and passing motorists. 4. He's collecting the welding sparks and fumes. 5. And neither of them are wearing any eye protection making 'Arc Flash' or Arc Eye' almost a certaintly.
WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.
WHMIS was created to reduce injuries, illness and deaths associated with working with hazardous materials in the workplace. These hazardous materials that come under the umbrella of WHMIS are also referred to as controlled products.
Our wacky safety film shot in the 50's 'You and Office Safety' has just hit 100,000 views on YouTube! Thank you to all of our clients and Blog subscribers for following us!
“The most hilarious office safety film you’ll ever see!” Shot in the 1950’s, this retro, extremely funny office safety film still coveys the same safety messages that are relevant today!
Below is a preview clip for the powerful Manual Handling video 'Child's Play'. We are constantly receiving positive feedback from our clients. They tell us that this is the only Manual Handling video that gets the message through, and sticks! This is such a fun and effective training video and it also comes with 3 posters you can put up around your workplace.
Check it out for yourself, we're sure you'll agree that there is no more effective Manual Handling DVD than 'Child's Play!
Forklifts sometimes called Lift Trucks are a common sight in many workplaces, and often make the lifting and transporting of goods and materials much easier and safer. But without good safety practices and procedures in place forklifts can be very dangerous. In fact, forklifts are a leading cause of workplace deaths and injuries.
A loaded forklift can weigh many tonnes, and do a lot of damage in the event of an accident. In addition, they are frequently less stable than many other vehicles.
Safetycare has just been accepted into Youtube's partnership program! For the last 2 years, the Safetycare channel has been a popular place to find accurate Occupational Health and Safety content. Youtube has nominated Safetycare as one of its preferred content creators in the field of OH&S!
Click on the image below to go to our YouTube Channel. It is a great place to preview snippets of our videos prior to purchasing them.
Statistics show that unsafe acts are the most common cause of workplace accidents. Despite the introduction of training programs and safe work practices and procedures, controlling unsafe acts has proven to be difficult.
The reason for this is that unsafe acts involve the Human Factor, that is, they occur as a result of peoples attitudes and behaviours. Behavioural Safety offers a way to reduce the incidence of unsafe acts by modifying peoples behaviours and improving their attitudes towards safety.
To buy the full version of this DVD please visit us at www.safetycare.com
To kick off the new year, we thought we'd keep our posts a little light hearted! Mr Bean was a popular comedy television show in the early 90's. In this episode 'Mr Bean Rides Again', Mr Bean (played by Rowan Atkinson) tries to perform CPR on a heart attack victim. Not very accurate, but most funny! Enjoy!
Please join us at the The Safety Cafe! Registration is free, and it's a great place to chat about safety, ask questions, share ideas etc. A really friendly place to talk safety, so please introduce yourself in the 'Introduction' section. Here is a screen shot below. Click on it to be taken straight to the Safety Forum!
Although safety is no joking matter, here are a few safety related jokes you can use to lighten up your safety training session!
Q: How do you drive a OHS Manager completely insane?
A: Tie him to a chair, stand in front of him, and fold up a road map the wrong way.
Q: What’s the difference between God and a Safety Manager? A: God doesn’t think he’s a Safety Manager.
Manual Handling Joke:
During a manual handling training session, a strong young man at the construction site began bragging that he could out do anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of the site safety team. After several minutes, the Safety Manager had had enough.''Why don't you put your money where your mouth is'', he said. "I bet you a weeks wages that I can move something in a wheelbarrow over to that site hut that you won't be able to wheel back". "You're on, old man", the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got". The Safety Manager grabbed a wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right, Get in".
Fire Drill
A voice on the site PA loudspeaker announced: "This is a test of the speaker system to make sure it will work properly in case of emergency." My confidence in this safety precaution faded when the voice added: "If you are unable to hear this announcement, please contact us."
To all of our Blog readers, we wish you a happy (and most importantly safe!) holiday period. Thank you for your support in 2009 and we look forward to seeing you in 2010! From the team at Safetycare.
The location and type of Fire Extinguishers in our workplaces, is something that we can become a bit complacent about. Today, take the time to do a quick wander around your workplace. Familiarize yourself the location and types of fire extinguishers you have. . . . You won't have time to do it in an emergency!
Safetycare has a great DVD on Portable Fire Extinguishers that goes through what each extinguisher is, and how to use it. Go to http://www.safetycare.com/.
Here, an industrial fused switch has had one of the fuse links replaced with a length of copper tube.
Fuses provide an important safety function and are in place to provide overload and short circuit protection for electrical wiring and equipment. Fuses cut power when excessive current is being drawn. This prevent overheating and fires.
If you need to do some refresher training on electrical safety in your workplace, why not get an Electrical Safety Power Pack. It comprehensively covers electrical safety basics including static electricity. CLICK HERE TO GET IT!!!!!
The huge number of hazardous chemicals in existence makes it impossible for anyone to be an expert on all of them, hence the need for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). Material Safety Data Sheets are required to be made available to all personnel who use or handle hazardous substances in the workplace. It is fundamentally important that anyone who is involved in the transportation, use or storage of hazardous substances is able to read and understand the safety information contained on a Material Safety Data Sheet.
Please join us at the The Safety Cafe! Registration is free, and it's a great place to chat about safety, ask questions, share ideas etc. A really friendly place to talk safety, so please introduce yourself in the 'Introduction' section. Here is a screen shot below. Click on it to be taken straight to the Safety Forum!
Although this video is not hugely 'dramatic', it illustrates perfectly just how vulnerable a forklift is when fully extended. You can also see that once momentum has taken hold of the tipping forklift, the driver is flung violently into the platform from which he his lifting from.
This could easily have resulted in an amputation, or death by crushing. Stay safety everyone. . . don't become complacent around the forklifts in your workplace.
This weeks 'I saw the sign!' is related to motor vehicles. Now for the ones of us out there that have a reasonably late model vehicle, who has seen or noticed this little tag on the seat bolster before?
Not quite sure what it is, let's go in for a closer look. . . .
As cars become safer and safer, they are fitted with more and more airbags. This little tag indicates that there is a bolster seat airbag fitted to this car. The airbag will deploy (if needed) from the tagged area. It is important we all do a quick check over our vehicles as to where airbags are fitted. This ensures we don't accidently put inappropriate seat covers or dashboard covers on etc, that could render these safety devices not only useless, but potentially dangerous.
Please join us at the The Safety Cafe! Registration is free, and it's a great place to chat about safety, ask questions, share ideas etc. A really friendly place to talk safety, so please introduce yourself in the 'Introduction' section. Here is a screen shot below. Click on it to be taken straight to the Safety Forum!
This image was published in a newspaper article highlighting best practice in construction safety because the worker is wearing all the safety gear. [Those boots must be anti-gravity boots!]
Rather than being best practice, it displays two of the most dangerous work practices in construction: • Working on a suspended load, and • Working at height without fall protection.
Our team came across this video on 'Camino del Rey' in Spain. This walkway was built in 1905 for workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls. A walkway was needed to cross between the falls for inspection and maintenance of the channel.
The walkway is not maintained, and is highly deteriorated and dangerous. It is 3 feet wide, and is over 1000 feet above the river below. Almost the entire the path has no handrail and some parts of the concrete walkway have completely collapsed. All that is remaining is the steel beam originally in place to hold it up. One can latch onto a modern steel safety-wire to keep from falling, though it can't hold much weight. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years; after four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, many adventurous (and crazy) tourists still find their way onto the walkway to explore it.
Using a trolley as a substitute for a step ladder is a very unsafe practice. Falling, even from this seemingly low height can result in serious injury. Slips, Trips and Falls are the second most common accident category in the workplace today. This shot perfectly illustrates why. . .
Slips usually occur when there is a loss of grip between the shoe and the floor. This commonly occurs when there is a contaminant between the shoe and the floor. Trips occur when a person’s foot hits a low obstacle in the person’s path, causing a loss of balance. Often, the obstacle is not easily visible or noticed.
Below are links to some good Slips, Trips and Falls documentation, articles and codes of practice in your country:
We came across this Youtube video on 'Sawstop'. A table saw stopping system that stops a bench saw instantly when it detects an electrical signal, such as from a human finger or limb. Inventions like this (when realized into the real world) make a huge difference by adding an extra line of defence. Enjoy!
Fatigue is an issue that we can no longer ignore. The reason is that many international research bodies have concluded that being awake for 17 hours or more, have the same affect on the human body as having a 0.05% blood alcohol content.
Feeling tired or drowsy after prolonged mental or physical effort at work is normal. Fatigue, however is more than just feeling tired. Fatigue is an acute and/or chronic state of tiredness that can lead to mental and/or physical exhaustion. Fatigue prevents people from functioning within normal boundaries.
Fatigue is a diffucult issue to manage in the workplace. This is the best DVD on fatigue awareness out right now. To get it CLICK HERE!
This weeks 'I saw the sign!' is related to safety in the home. Specifically to do with looking after our little ones.
This warning label can be found at the bottom of most modern chain or cord type of window blinds and coverings. 359 children were strangled by window covering cords from 1981 to 1995. That's 1 per fortnight.
In the majority of cases, strangulations occurred when parents thought the child was safe, such as in their rooms or in their bed asleep. Two common scenarios were found: - Infants playing or sleeping in their beds near windows got caught and tangled in looped cords of the window covering. - Toddlers, while trying to look out a window or climbing on furniture, lost their footing and were wrapped in the cord.
Have a walk around your home today to make sure there is no strangulation hazard around your windows.
Why is this worker free climbing the frame when there is a scissor lift available? Unfortunately, the scissor lift is the wrong type of elevated work platform to reach across the top of the building at the base of the billboard. Usually you can get where you need to work by selecting an appropriate EWP. When an EWP cannot reach, a fall arrest harness with a twin lanyard setup maybe acceptable.
Good balance, a firm grip and good luck just doesn’t make the grade.
Our Australian safety team attended (and presented some seminars at) Work Safe week in Melbourne, Australia this week. There were many seminars on Occupational Health and Safety being held which is just fantastic. All held in the new section of the Melbourne Convention Centre.
In the foyer there was this rather odd vending machine. At first glance it looked like a regular food-type vending machine, but as curious onlookers neared, it could be seen that the products within were body parts! We at Safetycare loved this. A simple artistic installation that reminds us that we can't replace our body parts as simply as just buying them from a vending machine, so we had better look after our own!
Static electricity poses a number of threats to safety, the most significant of which being the potential for it to be a source of ignition for fires and explosions. Because static electricity can occur whenever objects, substances or people move, it is a natural by-product of many workplace processes.
The program defines Static Electricity, examines the potential hazards associated with static electricity, ways to control it, and a number of important safety precautions that should be followed when working in flammable atmospheres.
These 2 photos clearly show 2 workplaces that could use a bit of housekeeping training! Not only are workplaces like these extremely hazardous, but most of the day would be spent trying to find that tool . . . We have an excellent, snappy DVD on Workplace Housekeeping. Housekeeping is an issue you can't ignore.
This 'I saw the sign!' was sent in by Akum; one of our readers.
This graphic warns of the danger of wearing loose fitting clothing around a bench drill press. It is important to never become complacent or forgetful of what you are wearing when using a bench drill press, lathe or any other rotating/moving piece of machinery. The potential entanglement accident can be quick and deadly. This particular hazard summary is from the Ministry of Labour, Ontario, Canada:
"A lathe operator was fatally injured while polishing a slotted steel shaft with emery paper. Before putting it in the lathe, he had machined three keyway slots along the 3" diameter shaft. After securing it between the chuck and the tailstock of the lathe he began polishing with a long strip of emery paper looped around the rapidly rotating shaft. The slots caught the strip of paper, which entangled his gloved hand and pulled his arm around the shaft, severing it from his body. He died later from extensive head, neck and chest injuries."
This is not really the way to get those extra few feet required when using a forklift! Forklifts are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Feel free to save and use this image in your training session, just click on the image to open a high resolution version.
We have a Forklift Safety Training Course Pack which contains a DVD and a training course manual. It's a comprehensive, cost effective training bundle. Well worth it . . . even if your forklift operators aren't as bad as those in the picture! Click here for more info.
Statistically manual handling injuries account for around 40% of all workplace accidents. These injuries include back injuries such as ruptured discs and torn muscles – they can also include injuries such as sprained ankles, strained neck muscles, tendonitis, spondylolisthesis, carpel tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive strain injury (RSI).
Clearly there is a need for a manual handling training program in every organisation because to some degree or other, everyone is exposed to the risk of incurring a manual handling injury.
THE MANUAL HANDLING POWER PACK CONTAINS:
Manual Handling - Child's Play DVD
3 x Child's Play Manual Handling Awareness Posters
Below is a television ad campaign that was run by the RTA several years ago called 'Safety Moment', and it got us thinking. Sometimes due to a near miss, an employee making a good suggestion, or just by natural progression, some of us have a 'Safety Moment'. A realization that we can do something, or we should change something to make our workplace safer.
If you have had a Safety Moment, we want to hear from you! If you have a story please email it (email address is top-right of the Blog) to us. We would love to share it with our readers.
Sharing safety moments is a great way to spread the safety message. Stay Safe!
Slips, Trips and Falls is the second biggest issue in most workplaces after Manual Handling. The three most important factors contributing to the occurrence of slips, trips and falls are:
Poor design of the workplace
Poor workplace practices and procedures, and
Inappropriate human behaviour.
We have a great DVD on preventing slips, trips and falls. You can get it on it's own or as a part of our Falls Multi Pack. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT. Stay safe everyone!
Worksafe in Australia have launched a new campaign called 'Don't turn your back on safety'. It focuses on the biggest safety issue in workplaces worldwide; Manual Handling. This is one of the posters that is doing the rounds. We think it perfectly summarises the entire concept of Safety.
We are introducing a new segment on our blog. Its called 'I saw the sign!'
'I saw the sign!' brings to the fore safety signs, warnings, symbols and messages that we find on the equipment we use, workplaces we work in, or anywhere really! Safety warnings posted in these places can sometimes be so small they're not seen, or more commonly, we see them so often that we don't register them in our mind anymore. Either way we're bringing them to light!
Here is the first 'I saw the sign!'. Forklift turnovers can be fatal. For you forklift drivers out there, you have probably seen this warning sticker before. It is a good idea to refamiliarise yourself as to what to do in the event of a foklift turnover.
In this Worldwide safety blog and forum we will be keeping you up to date with our new safety videos, as well as sharing safety tips, photographs and news from all over the world. From here you can link to our website, Youtube channel or Twitter page! You can also find funny safety pictures, free funny safety videos and safety jokes etc.
When you purchase the Manual Handling Video or DVD 'Child's Play', you get 3 of these posters free to help you reinforce the message in your workplace! They're not tiny either measuring 23.5 inches x 33.5 inches!