MEMIC Safety Blog

Time for a Tick Check

 Posted by Peter Koch


Do you recognize these symptoms?   Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, joint aches, and a red bulls-eye like rash.  These can be symptomatic of tick borne illness such as Lyme disease. 

If you work outdoors either for your job or just around the yard at home chances are good that you have already pulled a tick from yourself or a pet this year. While they are not as annoying as the mosquitoes or black flies, their bite can be more threatening to your health by transmitting bacteria which cause illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

The instances of Lyme disease are on the rise in the New England states.  Don’t believe it’s a problem?  Just look at these numbers:  221% . . .270% . . .497%.  They represent the increase in Lyme disease incidence rates between 2005 and 2009 for Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont respectively.  You can check out the incident rates for all states here:  Lyme Disease Incident Rates.

Ticks don’t fly or jump, but grab hold of their hosts from blades of grass, leaves, or abundant leaf liter then climb to find suitable place to feed. The State of CT, in their publication Tick Bite Prevention, provides the following recommendations for preventing tick borne illness.

1)  Wear lighter colored clothing
2) Wear long pants and tuck your pants into your socks
3) Wash and dry clothing – ticks can’t survive an hour in a hot dryer
4) Carefully inspect the body and remove any attached ticks
5) Carefully inspect your pets and remove ticks
6) Use repellants (see the State of CT publication on Tick Bite Prevention for a list of effective repellants)

A key step in prevention of tick borne illness, especially if you work in the woods or areas with high tick populations, is self inspection and early removal.  According to the CDC, early removal of a tick, within 24 hours of attachment, can dramatically reduce the chance of Lyme disease. 

For more tips on prevention check these resources:  CDC, Tick Bite Prevention and the American Lyme Disease Foundation.

So take a MEMIC Minute this summer and check for ticks.

Spring Clean Up: Chainsaw Awareness

 Posted by Andy Wood

With the snow banks melting in the Northeast comes the requisite spring clean-up around the property. If your facility includes even a little wooded property, that clean-up will most likely include some quality time with your chainsaw. Regardless of your skill level, it’s critical that you are aware of the hazards you will face and have the skills to manage them successfully; or recognize that you don’t and obtain additional resources from your employer. These resources may take the form of gear upgrades, more help, or additional training.

The OSHA standard for logging operations (1910.266) sets the baseline standards for all chainsaw operations.  It is very specific about training, supervision, and operational guidelines. Some very practical information is available on their website, specifically the Logging ETool.

For basic chainsaw operation, I’ve divided the necessary information into three categories. MEMIC has developed webinars and guiding documents for each of these topics. All are available on the Safety Director at www.memic.com.

1. A full compliment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
2. A saw maintained in serviceable condition.
3. Some baseline knowledge of industry standards which address: hazards, ergonomics, saw control and physics. (Refer to the Logging ETool referenced above.)

Specific hands-on training should be attended and operations closely supervised in regards to the most hazardous chainsaw operations, tree felling, and storm damage clean-up.

If you consider the tools and equipment you’ll use during outdoor projects, I think you’d agree that the chainsaw may create the greatest hazard. Take the time to get it right as the stakes are high when the accident involves a chainsaw, trees under tension, and gravity.

Seven Key Slicer Errors to Avoid

 Posted by Peter Koch

I never realized just how dangerous a meat slicer could be; but 20 years later I can still see the scar.  According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry, between 2000 and 2004 more than 700 workers were injured while using a meat slicer.  I guess I was ahead of my time.  While working for a small family owned restaurant I committed one, well more than one, of the seven key slicer errors, and in an instant, became a statistic.

Seven Key Slicer Errors:

1. Operating the slicer with the blade guard removed.
2. Leaving the slice thickness set to anything but zero when not in use.
3. Pushing the food into the blade with your hand.
4. Slicing pieces that are too small for the food pusher.
5. Cleaning the slicer with the blade spinning.
6. Cleaning the slicer with the power cord plugged in.
7. Taking your eyes off the slicer when it is in operation.

For me it was #5 and #7.  My penance was eight stitches and nerve damage to my left pinky finger.  Not a good trade off for what little time was saved.

This is by no means a complete list. However, to avoid injury when using or cleaning the meat slicer always:

1. Read the user manual and complete required training before operating the slicer.
2. Inspect the equipment to ensure all safety devices and parts operate smoothly and efficiently.
3. Pressure the product being sliced with the weight handle/food pusher Use the slicer in manual mode before selecting automatic.
4. Follow all manufacturer and company instructions for cleaning the slicer.
5. Set the slice thickness to zero when finished slicing and before cleaning.
6. Turn off AND unplug slicer before cleaning.
7. Wear cut resistant gloves when operating or cleaning.

Remember, before your start; take a MEMIC Minute for slicer safety.  Check out these links on slicer safety and PPE:

• Meat Slicer Safety – WorkSafe BC
• Protecting Young Workers – OSHA
• Cut resistant gloves – NH Bragg
• Cut resistant gloves – Dyneema
  

Hang Up and Drive

 _{^{Posted by Randy Klatt}}

On Tuesday December 13, 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended a nationwide ban on all portable electronic devices (PED’s) for all motorists.  The NTSB came to its recommendation after investigating a multi-vehicle crash in Gray Summit, MO that involved a driver who was texting. The crash, which occurred on Aug. 5, 2010, killed two people and injured 38 including children in two school buses.  The National Safety Council (NSC) made this recommendation many months ago and was quick to endorse this NTSB vote.

It is clear that drivers are frequently distracted by electronic devices.  Naturally this creates a safety concern not just for the distracted driver, but for everyone else on the road, in cross walks, and in construction work zones.  The NSC estimates 1.3 million crashes, or 23 percent of all crashes, involve distracted drivers using cell phones. “Quantifying crashes and fatalities involving cell phone use while driving is challenging due to several factors such as a driver’s unwillingness to admit the behavior and lack of witnesses. Additionally, cell phone use currently is not consistently captured on police reports. We are able to develop an estimate of crashes based on risk and exposure, but the problem could be much larger than we estimate,” says Janet Froetscher, NSC President and CEO. 

The links below offer the latest information concerning this topic.  If your employees drive as part of their work routine, then it is time to review your fleet plan and consider eliminating this risk.   

National Safety Council

National Transportation Safety Board Fact Sheet

Cellphone Driving Ban: Good Idea?

More Shoveling? Say It Ain’t Snow!

 Posted by  Allan Brown

Before you start, consider:

•  Snow shoveling puts a high physical demand on your heart and back.
• Avoid snow shoveling after a big meal.  Give yourself 1-2 hours after a meal before you start shoveling.  It takes a lot of blood flow to digest a meal.
• Avoid caffeine or smoking before and when you’re shoveling.  Both substances will increase your heart rate.
• Avoid shoveling if you are 40 years or older, suffer a heart condition, or have hypertension.
• Avoid shoveling if you suffer from low back pain.
• Avoid shoveling if you are physically inactive.

Dress appropriately:

It’s winter, so layer your clothing.  Not only will this keep you warm, but it will be easier to shed clothing as you warm up. Make sure your clothing doesn’t restrict your ability to move.  Wear appropriate shoes/boots.  Make sure the boots have good traction to reduce slipping.  If it’s icy wear “ice grippers” over boots or shoes to prevent slipping.  Protect your face with sunscreen.

The right shovel:

All shovels are not alike.  Consider a shovel with a bent handle.  This will reduce the amount of bending you’ll have to do when shoveling.  Plastic is lighter than metal, so go light; the snow will provide plenty of weight.

Warm up and stretch your muscles before you shovel:

Prepare your body to do work.  Increase your core temperature by marching in place or with a brisk walk.  Once your core is warm, stretch your shoulders, back, and legs.  These areas of the body will be doing the majority of the work.  Take micro breaks every 10 minutes when shoveling and stretch any tight muscle.

Stop shovelling immediately if:

• You experience shortness of breath
• You feel tightness in your chest
• You begin to experience back pain

Moving snow:

Do it sooner rather than later.  Fresh snow is lighter. Packed snow is tougher to move.  Push snow whenever possible and avoid lifting.  If you have to lift the snow, keep these points in mind:

• Try to maintain your back as upright as possible.
• Bend at the hips and knees to load the shovel.
• Take less snow on the shovel if it is wet and dense.  A shovel full of wet snow can weigh up to 25 pounds.
• Lift with your legs and hips while keeping your core muscles tight.
• Avoid twisting, and always pivot the whole body when moving snow.
• Train yourself to shovel left-handed and right-handed.  This will take a little effort on your part to practice.  It takes about a week to coordinate your body.  Alternate sides every 10 minutes.
• Take frequent stretch breaks for the shoulders and back.
• Pace yourself.
• Stay hydrated; drink plenty of water before, during, and after shoveling.

When You’re Done:

• Drink water and eat a healthy snack.
• Stretch your muscles.

 

Read a past MEMIC SafetyNet blog titled "The Science of Shoveling".

 

 

Young workers, old story: Too many injuries

The special health section in Monday's Boston Globe featured a cover story about an issue important to every parent and, hopefully, every employer: workplace safety for young workers, particularly teenagers.

We know that inexperienced workers are twice as likely to be hurt at work as experienced employees. And, of course, by their very nature, teenagers are inexperienced. Couple that with the fact that they are often hired to do jobs with inherent danger and you have a potential tragedy.

What's the answer? Well, in part, it's training and supervision. And yet, this is reported in Elizabeth Cooney's story from the Globe:

When researchers from the Teens at Work Project interviewed 208 teens under age 18 who had been injured at work from 2003 through 2007, about half said they had no safety training. About 15 percent said there was no supervisor on site when they were hurt. Almost a quarter said they had no work permit.

This is inexcusable. If you have teen workers, make sure they get the training they need. And if you're a parent of a teen worker, ask them about safety. Have they been trained? Is someone supervising them when they are engaged in potentially dangerous tasks?

Work teaches lots of valuable lessons, but if the lesson comes from a workplace injury, its price is too high.

Splish, Splash

 Posted By Randy Klatt

It was one of those moments when I kept thinking, “How stupid can you be?  You’re a safety consultant!”  Fortunately, such thoughts don’t occur very often, but there I was in my driveway…

I was filling my lawnmower using a full 5 gallon gasoline container.  Since the plastic can was full it weighed about 35 lbs and the gasoline poured out of the plastic spout very quickly.  As I was trying to keep the gas flowing without spilling it the lawnmower tank filled quickly.  I was crouching over the lawnmower as I pulled the spout out of the tank.  The spout had been bent over in order to keep the pour going into the tank and when I pulled it out it flipped upward, splashing gas back towards my face.  The “how stupid…” thought that I mentioned earlier now came flooding over me as my right eye began to burn. 

I ran inside and flushed my eye with water for the next several minutes.  The burn subsided somewhat, but the eye was uncomfortable for the next several hours.  Now the question is “what did I learn from this and what can the readers take away from this story?”  

• Keep your face away from any pouring operation.
• Wear safety glasses when handling gasoline or any other hazardous chemical.

 

Additional safety tips for handling gasoline:

• Never fill gas cans while in the bed of a truck or in a trunk; always fill cans on the ground.
• Don’t get in and out of your car when pumping gas; the static buildup can discharge igniting the gas vapors. Remember, the flash point of gasoline is -40 degrees F; it is always extremely flammable!
• Always wash your hands after handling gasoline, especially before eating or drinking.
• Store gasoline in proper containers.

 

Nearly everyone handles gasoline; just remember it is a toxic substance that is extremely flammable.  Give it the respect it deserves.  I always wear safety glasses when mowing the lawn, but will now ensure I have them on before I ever start the engine.  I recommend you do the same.  For some sobering reading on what is in gasoline and its potential hazards, download a gasoline Material Safety Data Sheet using the BLR MSDS Search feature available through the Safety Director at MEMIC.com.

Back to School Construction—Commuters Beware

  Written by Peter Koch

The impending close to summer reared it’s ugly head earlier this week while dropping my daughter off at 6:30 AM for the first of her pre-season double session practices.  That also dredged up images of the hundreds of school buses and thousands of parents transporting kids, not to mention the scores of recently licensed drivers that will soon be competing for our attention during the morning commute. 

Combine these with the much needed repair work currently happening on our roads and a lack of planning on our part, and you have a recipe for, at best, a tardy arrival to work or speeding ticket.  You can imagine the worst case . . .

While no injury or fatality is considered good, the frequency of school bus related traffic fatalities is relatively low.  National Highway Statistics provides this brief summary of the stats relating to school bus crashes:

• Each year, approximately 800 school-age children are killed in motor vehicle crashes during the normal school travel hours (weekday mornings and afternoons during school months). 
• Roughly 2% of the 800 children killed are school bus related while 74% occur in private passenger vehicles and 22% are the result of pedestrian or bicycle accidents.  

What can we do to keep the grim reaper or trooper from the rear view mirror?  Start with a good plan:

1. Know your route – Be aware of any planned or current construction along your way.  Using web resources such as Trafficinfo, Rand McNally, or a local city website can help identify areas where delays are likely.
2. Leave early – Be sure to leave enough time to account for any known construction delays or school bus stops along the way.  Usually 30 minutes is enough, but more may be necessary depending on where you live.  If you get there ahead of time you can catch up on your email and text messages.
3. Stay visible – Stop far enough back for the bus driver to see you in their mirror and use your hazards when stopped for a bus, giving notice to any drivers behind you.
4.  Avoid distraction – It’s not the phone, it’s the conversation.  Refrain from using cell phones while driving in school zones or areas with children. The same goes for activities that distract the driver, such as changing CDs, looking at notes and reading maps.

The following sites provide additional tips and strategies for avoiding tragedy on you morning commute this fall:

• Back-to-School Safety
• Jiffy Lube Safety Tips
• State of Maine Good Driving Tips

Younger Workers: Willing To Please Even If It Hurts

School is out and kids are looking for work. Approximately 2.3 million will get a job this summer in the U.S. and 157,000 of them will get more than just a pay check—they’ll get hurt on the job too. Lacerations, burns and broken bones are just some of the common injuries young workers sustain summer after summer.

Even though out-of-school students fill a much-needed gap in the workforce, employers need to be aware that this age group is at higher risk for work-related injuries because of their unique biological and social characteristics:

• Teenagers are known to do tasks they haven’t been trained to do. 
• Many lack physical and emotional maturity to assess risk.
• They may not know which work tasks are prohibited by child labor laws.
• Young people are more susceptible to chemical exposures.

Right about now you’re probably wondering if you can prevent a young worker from getting hurt at your business. As with any worker, no matter what the age, the answer is always yes through proper training, supervision and clear safety rules.

Training
The first thing to consider is their experience. 

• Break them in. For example, if they have never spent the better part of a day painting from a ladder, you can lessen their risk by teaching them how to setup a ladder, pointing out overhead electrical lines and explaining why working on a sunny side is more hazardous due to higher work area temperatures and exposure to UV rays.
• Beware of the over-confident returning worker. If the employee is experienced, then their break in time is shorter, but beware that this can create complacency. 
• Be a safety coach. The only way to know if your young worker is working safely is to watch them work and coach as needed.  All too often this “safety coaching" is not done and I liken it to a two-legged stool—it might work for awhile but not for long.

Supervision
Once the young worker shows proficiency, your supervisory role is not over. 

• Be on the lookout for shortcuts. Even though they may be employed for only a few months, some workers may go out of their way to please you by skipping a safety step for the sake of productivity.
• Monitor performance in 3 areas. If your worker is held accountable only for quality and productivity but not safety, you are back to the two-legged stool. Decrease exposure by reinforcing your expectations and hold them accountable.

Clear safety rules
One last thing to be aware of is how impressionable younger workers can be. 

• Practice what you preach. If the rule is to have a blade guard in place on a meat slicer, then it must be applied across the board to all workers. If a 5-year veteran, or worse a supervisor, removes it--what kind of message does that send?  Putting oneself in danger just got a little bit easier.