Alcohol is a sedative. Drinking any quantity of alcohol impairs a person’s judgment, thinking ability, and coordination to some degree. Some people can “handle” alcohol better than others, but it is a fact that any alcohol consumed has some effect. Other factors which influence your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol include your weight, medications, and previous medical conditions. You may not feel it right away, but remember, alcohol affects judgment.

After drinking, you are no longer in a position to assess your own capabilities. You don’t have to be drunk to have some impairment. If you can’t make it through the day without a drink, you could have a problem and should seek professional help.

What should you do about a co-worker who is drinking on the job? Should you ignore the situation or report it? Most people would ignore the situation because they do not want to cause problems on the job or do not want to get involved. People would prefer to avoid conflict at almost any cost. But look at it this way — the drinker, no matter how nice a co-worker, is not doing you any favors. It’s a fact that the drinker is less productive. Who has to pick up the slack? You do. It is a fact that the drinker is more 1ikely to be involved in accidents. Who else is he or she placing at risk? You!

Are you allowing the drinking to continue?

• You are – if you cover for the drinker’s poor productivity
• You are – if you cover their mistakes.
• You are – if you make excuses to others for them.

Take control of the situation.

• Don’t allow the situation to continue. Stop covering for the drinker.
  • Talk to your supervisor. It is your responsibility to talk to your supervisor whenever any performance or safety issues affects your job. A drinking worker could be just as dangerous as a defective saw. You wouldn’t hesitate to bring the saw to your supervisor’s attention, would you?
  • If you are uncomfortable, suggest to your supervisor that there may be a problem. A good supervisor will take the initiative and pick up the issue from there.

Whatever you do, make sure you do something. Watch out for your co-worker as they may need help. If you don’t, you may pay dearly for someone else’s mistake.

While there are steps you can take to alleviate the discomfort associated with a cold – drinking plenty of hot liquids, taking a cold remedy and getting plenty of rest – your poor sore nose may suffer. Reaching for a soft, soothing tissue may offer your nose a bit of relief.

In addition to reaching for a tissue, here are three simple tips to help you through cold and flu season:

1. First, blow your nose. Wipe your nose with a soft tissue. Be careful not to rub too hard. Then, blow as hard as you can to get the mucus out.
2. To soothe sore, chapped skin, apply lip balm, moisturizer or any unscented medicated lotion.
3. Share selectively. Germs are awfully easy to spread, and nobody wants to share a cold. On the other hand, if you know someone who’s coming down with a cold, share those home remedy necessities!

This article is provided courtesy of the North American Precis Syndicate.

• Flammable objects should be kept at least 3′ from heating equipment.
• Children must remain a minimum of 3′ from open fires and heaters.
• Refrain from using an oven to supply heat.
• Water heaters and stationary space or central heating equipment must be installed by qualified professionals.
• All heating equipment and chimneys must be cleaned annually by a professional.
• Turn off portable heaters when leaving a room or sleeping.
• Only use manufacturer-recommended fuel in fuel-burning space heaters.
• When using a fireplace, use a sturdy screen to confine sparks.
• Ensure that working smoke alarms are installed on every level in a home.
• Develop and practice a home escape plan.

Everyday, I see people texting or concentrating on there phone rather than the road. Rather than worrying about what someone’s status is, worry about the people around you.

• Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field.
• A texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.
• Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes).
• Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.
• 20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.

So pay attention to the road and get home safely. When you drive safe, others can go home safely too.

Although the causes of tire explosion are often difficult to determine, some of these explosions are believed to be caused by flammable vapors that somehow enter the tire. When the vehicle is being operated, the temperature of the air and vapor mixture inside the tire increase due to friction, the outside air temperature, and the effect of sunlight shining on black rubber absorbing heat. If the vapor and air mixture inside the tire are within the flammable limits that will support combustion, and any or all of the above heat producing factors are present, the temperature inside of the tire can reach the combustion point of the air mixture, and an explosion will occur. It is believed that the source of this problem is the introduction of flammable gasses and vapors through the compressed air system.

The following are some precautions that will help prevent flammable vapors from entering the compressor and subsequently becoming trapped in your tires.

• Do not locate the compressor in a utility room that is also used for storing flammable solvents, paints, thinners, etc. The flammable vapors will be sucked into the compressor intake, and pumped into your tires.
• Do not clean the compressor air intake filter with a flammable solvent. Use a non-flammable solvent or degreaser designed for this purpose that is recommended by the filter manufacturer.
• Do not add alcohol, methanol, or other flammable solvents to the compressor tank to prevent freezing of the condensation inside of the air tank. A better solution is to drain the tank frequently, or relocate the compressor inside of the building to eliminate the freezing problem.
• Do not locate the compressor near your battery charging area. When batteries are being charged, they emit hydrogen gas during the process that is highly flammable and can be sucked into the compressor intake.

Communication is defined as the exchange of information between people… e.g. by means of speaking, writing, or using a common system of signs or behavior. When workers can both give and receive information so both parties clearly understand the task at hand, work is completed faster and with less problems.

When people understand what each individual needs to be doing, the average work day will go smoother and with less problems.

Of the 37 fatalities reported, 12 occurred at surface coal mines, 11 at surface metal/nonmetal mines, nine at underground coal mines and five at underground metal/nonmetal mines. Nine workers died in accidents involving machinery — six in coal mines and three in metal/nonmetal mines — making it the leading cause of fatal mining accidents.

Kentuckyhad the most mining deaths (8) in 2011, followed byWest Virginia with six and Ohio with three. All but one of those deaths occurred in coal mines. Several of the larger coal-producing states; including Alabama, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Utah; experienced zero mine fatalities last year.

MSHA has undertaken a number of measures to prevent mining deaths: increased surveillance and strategic enforcement through impact inspections at mines with troubling compliance histories; enhanced pattern of violations actions; special initiatives such as “Rules to Live By,” which focuses attention on the most common causes of mining deaths; and outreach efforts such as “Safety Pro in a Box,” which provides guidance to the metal/nonmetal mining industry on best practices and compliance responsibilities.

Click here to see data on mining fatalities by state in 2011 and as far back as 2001.

• Changes in personality, such as increased anxiety, depression or anger.
• Difficulties with eye and hand coordination, and inability to handle tools or play sports well.
• Defects in vision and visual illusions.
• Short-term memory loss or interference with long term memory.
• Increased aggressive behavior.
• Difficulty in distinguishing left from right.
• Changes in social behavior

How You Fall Often Determines Your Specific Injury.

From the time a worker loses a secure grip, footing or balance, until impact, several factors influence what part of the body will be injured and how severe the damage will be. They are:

• Distance of the fall – momentum and velocity effect the impact on your body.
• The angle of the body at impact – we’re not like cats landing on all fours.
• The obstacles the body strikes – what if you fall on railings, steps, or vehicles?
• The surface eventually landed on – will it be a pile of hay, or broken concrete & re-bar?

What You Can Do: Think!

• Help remind your co-workers to play it safe and avoid taking risks.
• Report unsafe conditions to the nearest supervisor.
• Make it a habit to work safely, regardless of time pressures and productivity goals.
• Practice caution at home – accidents and head injuries from falls happen more often off the job than at work.
• Know how to use fall protection and fall restraint equipment. Never say, “I don’t need to fool around with that stuff-I’ll only be up there a minute.”

Stay Alert! Head injuries can have devastating consequences that may impact your life forever.

Considering how quickly and easily cold viruses can spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who are feeling sick should stay home to contain their illness. Although it may not shorten the length of your cold, rest, fluids and over-the-counter (OTC) products may help you feel better. Furthermore, by staying home you will eliminate the risk of spreading illness to your colleagues.

Stay Home if You Are Sick. If you feel unwell with cold symptoms (cough, chest congestion or sinus pressure), stay home to prevent the spread of illness-causing germs. If you need to work, talk to your manager about work-from-home options and schedule conference calls instead of face-to-face meetings.

Don’t Self-Diagnose. Symptoms of the common cold usually begin two to three days after infection. Consult your health care provider to determine whether your symptoms indicate that you have a viral and/or bacterial infection. Talk to your physician about the best options for symptom relief at the onset of your illness.

Seek Symptom Relief. You can’t cure or shorten the length of a common cold, but you can seek symptom relief to make your cold more manageable while it runs its course. The buildup of excess mucus is a cause of symptoms associated with the common cold. Conney Safety offers a variety of cold medications that help provide temporary relief of chest congestion, cough, and sinus pressure.

Practice Healthy Hygiene. According to the CDC, hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness-causing germs. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water and then dry them with a clean, dry towel. If soap and water are unavailable, use a hand sanitizer.

Furthermore, you can help prevent the transmission of germs and the onset of illness by covering your cough or sneeze with the crook of your elbow, keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth and routinely disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

This article is provided courtesy of the North American Precis Syndicate.

You see, calibration gas is used to “bump” an instrument. This is the process of exposing the sensors to a known concentration of gas, setting off the sensors into an alarm mode. By bump testing, you don’t change any set points on the sensors, but just make sure everything is working correctly. If the sensors do not react to the gas or are not reading close to the levels of gas in the cal bottle, a “calibration” of the sensors is needed. This is where you tell the instrument to change the readings to match the correct levels that are in the calibration gas.

Check out this article from ISHN to learn more.