May is Stroke Awareness Month – Know the Risks

Did you know… that every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke?  According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008 alone, more than 133,000 Americans died from stroke—or one person every four minutes— making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

It’s scary to think about.  A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts.  Although many people think of stroke as a condition that affects only older adults, strokes can and do occur in people of all ages.  In fact, nearly a quarter of all strokes occur in people younger than age 65.

Each year, almost 800,000 strokes occur in the United States and can often lead to serious, life-changing complications that include paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, problems with brain function and forming speech and/or emotions, numbness, pain, and depression.

With May being Stroke Awareness Month, we want to increase Stroke Awareness to ensure that you know how to recognize signs of a stroke and also how to prevent one from occurring.

What are the Signs of a Stroke? 

According to the National Stroke Association and the American Heart Association, stroke warning signs and symptoms are F.A.S.T.: (here’s where I got the info: http://strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/WarningSigns/Stroke-Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms_UCM_308528_SubHomePage.jsp, for design you could use this too)

• Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
• Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
• Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.

Other symptoms include:

• SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body.
• SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause.

Lower Your Risk

Demographic factors such as family history, age, sex, and race/ethnicity can all play a role in an individual’s stroke risk. Regardless of your background, however, there are several things you can do to lower your chances of having a stroke.  To prevent cardiovascular disease, including stroke, and contribute to overall health, here are some pointers:

• Appropriate Aspirin therapy – Ask your doctor if taking aspirin is right for you.
• Blood pressure control – More than half of the world’s stroke deaths are caused by elevated blood pressure levels.
• Cholesterol management – Get your cholesterol checked regularly and manage it with diet and physical activity or with medication, if needed.
• Don’t smoke.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a healthy diet that’s low in sodium.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Prevent or control diabetes.
• Limit your alcohol intake – Keep it to fewer than two drinks per day for men, or one drink per day for women.

Remember: When responding to a stroke, every second counts.

Learn more at the National Stroke Association >>

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Child & Babysitting Safety (CABS) Training, Just in Time for Summer

Posted by Kristine Rice on Wed, May 01, 2013 

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and soon it will be summer job season for our teens. Babysitting is a favorite choice for high school and college-aged young adults looking to earn extra cash during the summer months. But are they prepared to handle the emergencies that can occur?

The National Safety Council turned to the doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH to determine the five most common injuries that affect children in the summer, often ending in a trip to the hospital:

• Falls
• Bicycle injuries
• Burns
• Motorized vehicle incidents
• Drowning

The Child & Babysitting Safety (CABS) program covers topics such as:

• Babysitting as a Business
• Safety and Injury Prevention
• Leadership
• Play Time
• Basic Caregiving Skills
• First Aid

Babysitting is serious business and a big responsibility; your child is taking care of someone else’s child. Make sure they are prepared and knowledgeable in babysitting best practices as well as how to operate their first attempt at running a small business.

Read the full blog HERE >> 

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What Happens With Temporary Workers Under OSHA?

The summer hiring season is just around the corner.  And before you begin the search for temporary workers process, there are a few important things you need to know.

Temporary and migrant workers face greater dangers and are injured more often in the workplace than regular and permanent workers.  These types of workers face multiple systemic problems which make them more vulnerable to workplace accidents and that also leave them less likely to report unsafe conditions and accidents to authorities and less likely to seek medical help for their injuries (source).

With workplaces that hire temporary workers, there is the familiar question: Who is responsible when accidents occur? This question especially exists under OSHA.  When temporary or leased employees are involved, it is important to understand who is responsible for compliance. Is it the agency supplying the employees or the client employer for whom they are working? Through interpretive letters and compliance directives to staff, OHSA asserts that it can be a shared responsibility. Read the full article here >>

OSHA requires that employers protect the health and safety of all workers under their supervision and control.  Employers must train all employees, including temporary workers, on the hazards specific to that workplace – before they start working. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.

However, even after workplace accidents that result in death and permanent disability, OSHA is at somewhat of a disadvantage. Companies have a legal right to challenge their citations and the amount of their fines.

“We don’t have criminal prosecution powers,” OSHA administrator David Michaels told NPR. “We do everything we can within the current regulatory framework. We issue large fines. We go after companies we think are scofflaws. We do repeat visits to the worst companies.”

For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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How Much do You Know About Silica?

Silica knowledge is a must on a construction site, since occupational exposure to crystalline silica often occurs as part of common construction operations involving cutting, sawing, drilling, and crushing of concrete, brick, block, rock, and stone products.  The hazards of excessive exposure to crystalline silica have been known since ancient times, going back to the construction of the pyramids.  However, despite more than 2,000 years of knowledge that silica is a hazard, data from the National Occupational Respiratory Mortality System indicates that between 1990 and 1999 there were still 118 reported silica-related deaths in the construction industry.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) explains that a key component in preventing overexposure to silica and subsequent disease is to have a competent person for on a construction site who is capable of recognizing and evaluating situations where overexposure may be occurring, who knows how to evaluate the exposure potential, and who can make an initial recommendation on how to control that exposure.

The AIHA has released a white paper that provides the recommended skills and capabilities for “silica-competent persons.”

According to the white paper, silica-qualified person:

• Has a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing in an occupational health, safety, environmental, or engineering field (e.g., CIH, CSP, PE);
• Has extensive knowledge, training, and experience in hazards and control of silica hazards on the construction site through formal training and/or extensive, firsthand experience in anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of worker silica exposure; and
• Can make quantitative assessments of worker exposure and recommend detailed control measures.

Read the full article HERE >>

Summit Can Help

Summit’s Silica Safety Awareness program will teach your workers about the hazards of crystalline silica in order to avoid unnecessary illness and death.

Silica Safety Awareness >> 

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I2P2 and eLearning: How These Work Together

We all want to reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries and improve the associated financial burdens on U.S. workplaces, right?  Well Injury and Illness Prevention Programs are here to help.  Known by a variety of names, I2P2 programs are universal interventions that work to create higher productivity, greater efficiency, and decrease worker compensation costs, all while increasing employee morale and creating a positive brand image.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that approximately 3.3 million serious work-related injuries and about 4,300 fatalities occurred in 2009.  The human cost of preventable workplace injuries and deaths is incalculable   According to the 2010 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, the direct cost of the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses in 2008 amounted to $53.42 billion in U.S. workers compensation costs, more than one billion dollars per week.

Implementing an I2P2 program could help alleviate these costs and keep workers better protected on a day to day basis.

Something important to remember is that OSHA’s rule/standard is not going to fit each workplace perfectly; it is meant to give guidance and structure to allow for adaptation.  Each workplace is very specific to itself; it has its own hazards, it own processes, and its own workforce.  When executing your plan, make sure to keep all the necessary elements as recommended by OSHA, but apply them in a way that works best for your specific facility.

Want to know what is arguably the best way to deliver an I2P2 program to your company?  Online training – it is proven to be one of the most fast and cost-effective means of learning.  Delivering safety training via a browser based, interactive and self-paced curriculum is a cost-effective addition to any training program, as the original investment pays for itself through more efficient and flexible training, greater comprehension, and less time away from production for training.

According to Training Magazine, corporations save between 50-70% when replacing instructor-led training with electronic content delivery.  Business results are where you get your true return on investment.

The training needs to be effective at helping you prevent accidents and incidents and helping you meet your safety training goals. Implementing online learning for I2P2 should not be stressful, and in the long run should make completing important safety and compliance training easier.  Successful online training programs should be more than a PowerPoint™ presentation offered over the web; it should keep workers’ attention with interactive, state-of-the-art graphics, animation, and real video to engage the learner and reinforce learning through creative questions and exercises.  By selecting an online training vendor that is an expert in developing technically accurate EH&S training and delivery systems, who also offers helpful customer support, and following an implementation strategy, utilizing online learning in your work environment will have a positive effect on your I2P2 and overall safety program, leading to higher productivity and improved time to market.

Work on an I2P2 program for your company with Summit’s online training solution! >> 

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Repair the Impairments: Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace

Here are some not-so-fun facts for you:

60 percent of the world’s illegal drugs are consumed by American drug users.  Two million Americans use heroin, six million use cocaine, 18 million have alcohol abuse problems, and an estimated 23 million people use marijuana at least four times in a week, according to the American Council for Drug Education.  Of total drug users in the United States, 74.8 percent are employed and active in the workplace – this means that 12.9 million individuals actively use drugs in the workforce.

-  Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

As most employers are aware, drug and alcohol use is a chronic problem among employees in the workplace.  By some studies conducted of workplace accidents, 20 percent or more of employees at the typical workplace are impaired due to drug and alcohol usage on any given day. Post accident drug and alcohol tests confirm the significant numbers of fatalities and serious injuries that have been caused by such impairment. A recent federal court decision, EEOC v. United States Steel Corporation, et al., __ F. Supp. __, Civil Action No. 10-1284 (USDC W.D. Pa., Feb. 20, 2012) gives employers added support for random drug and alcohol testing to combat these safety risks.*

CASE - The case involved a U.S. Steel facility in Clairton, Pennsylvania which had established a random drug and alcohol testing program for its probationary employees at its coke production plant, with the goal being a “drug and alcohol free workplace.”  A probationary employee was selected for a random breath alcohol test which indicated the presence of alcohol.  The employee claimed that the positive test result was attributable to her diabetic condition.  She was terminated and filed a charge with the EEOC claiming she was discriminated against under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

VERDICT - The Court  found that the company had proved that the coke plant was an extremely dangerous workplace given the nature of the equipment, molten coke, and the various employee job duties in the vicinity of the operation. The Court also recognized that the drug and alcohol testing was related to legitimate safety concerns, including the obligation under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, to protect employees against hazards to their safety and health. The Court held “there is no question that maintaining workplace safety is a legitimate and vital business necessity.”  After an extensive analysis, the Court granted the company’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the lawsuit.

CONCLUSION - This decision is meaningful as it provides strong support for employer efforts to maintain workplace safety by eliminating injuries due to drug and alcohol impairment. Workplaces are encouraged to establish a Drug Free Workplace Program that upper management can rely on to provide help in a professional and consistent manner for employees who are suspected or confirmed of abusing substances.  Employers should consider the efficacy of such programs as a means of reducing such injuries and a means to prove to OSHA that they are taking all reasonable means to eliminate accidents caused by such impairment. For these programs to work, managers and supervisors should be educated in how to recognize and deal with substance abuse issues, and employees should be offered more direct assistance to educational programs or referrals to community services. Employers must also determine whether there are any state law restrictions on such programs and tailor such programs to comply accordingly.

Summit Can Help

Summit has several drug and alcohol related programs to help your company with your Drug Free Workplace Program.

Browse titles now! >> 

*Mark A. Lies, II, is a partner with the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, 131 South Dearborn Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 460-5877, mlies@seyfarth.com. He specializes in occupational safety and health and related employment law and civil litigation.

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Blended Learning or Classroom Training – Are Both Equally Effective?

Everyday, managers and supervisors make critical decisions when choosing their training materials. Choices are determined by a multitude of different elements including cost, consistency, and time efficiency. Upper management has to decide the who, what, where, when and how of adult educational training. For successful implementation of a training program, it is important to make sure your content fits your worker when choosing your training materials. Taking into consideration the age, learning level, skill and previous experience of your students can make all the difference in providing an effective program. Each dollar you spend in training should result in a positive reimbursement for production output and employee productivity.

A few months ago, HSI posted a question on their blog about blended learning and classroom training and whether or not they are both equally effective.  Summit has also been asked this question and has responded by offering both types of training services to offer convenient and effective training options.

What is blended learning?

The North American Council for Online Learning defines it this way:

“Blended learning means many things to many people, even within our relatively small online learning community. It is referred to as both blended and hybrid learning, with little or no difference in the meaning of the terms among most educators. In general terms, blended learning combines online delivery of educational content with the best features of classroom interaction and live instruction to personalize learning, allow thoughtful reflection, and differentiate instruction from student to student across a diverse group of learners.”

For HSI, ASHI & MEDIC First Aid’s blended learning courses, as well as Summit’s blending learning options, combine the best elements of online training with Instructor-led in-class skills sessions.

Blended learning is the perfect training solution for:

• Students who want the convenience of learning online
• Employers who need to minimize employee time away from the work station
• Training Centers seeking additional revenue by increasing student volume

Read the full Blog post from HSI here >>

Good training content is a very important asset regarding workplace safety; it affects a multitude of different elements including cost, consistency, and time efficiency. More importantly, the elements of understanding how a worker learns and quality course content are essential in your training choice. Apply adult learning studies when reviewing training programs to purchase, taking into consideration the age, learning level, skill and previous experience of your students. Understand that it is important to make sure your content fits your worker when choosing your training materials. Bottom line: make sure you evaluate your training content in depth before purchasing.  The difference between a good training program and a mediocre training program can be the difference between a worker getting home to his family and a fatal injury.

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Get Ready for GHS in 2013

The year 2013 will be a year of action for safety professionals in the areas of chemical safety and GHS compliance.  Why?  Because it is the year to get GHS in gear in your workplace.  It has been almost a year since OSHA formally solidified its alignment with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) in the Federal Register and to transition away from the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).  The revised HCS went into effect in May and we are now less than a year away from its first GHS related compliance deadline, December 1, 2013.

By December 1, 2013, employers with employees exposed to hazardous chemicals must have trained those employees on GHS formatted chemical label elements and GHS formatted safety data sheets. For those safety professionals uninitiated with GHS, or with many employees to train, this deadline will be sneaking up on them very fast.

The first deadline should be the easiest  to meet, however, it is still important to have the proper training preparations, as well as recordkeeping, associated with the new GHS training.  It is likely that once December 1 comes and goes, OSHA will crack down on verifying that companies have completed their training on this important first deadline.  As part of GHS adoption, covered employers, manufacturers, and distributors will likely need to extensively update their hazard programs, including the way they label secondary containers.

Regardless of how employers plan to handle the training, it is a good idea for employers to get the training done sooner rather than later, as others are already having updated labels and safety data sheets enter the marketplace –  meaning your employees are likely to see the updated formats before the December 1 deadline and need to understand how they funtion.  Read more >> 

Here is a GHS related to do list, including action items for 2013*:

• Designate GHS Transition Leader
• Get Educated on GHS
• Inventory Chemicals (Physical Inventory)
• Check Inventory Against Safety Data Sheet Library
• Acquire Missing MSDSs
• Safely Dispose of Chemicals No Longer in Use/Needed
• Archive MSDSs No Longer Used
• Train Employees on GHS Label Elements and SDS Format
  • December 1, 2013 Deadline
  • Track Training (Recordkeeping)
• Prepare for SDS Churn
  • Compare incoming safety data sheets to existing ones – note hazards
• Get Secondary Container Labeling Strategy
  • Re-label Secondary Containers
• Train Employees On Any New Hazards
• Update Written HazCom Program
• Meet SARA/EPCRA Reporting Obligations
• Stay Current on GHS

*Source: ”Chemical Safety and OSHA GHS Compliance in 2013: A Call to Action and a GHS Checklist.” MSDSonline EH&S Compliance Made Simple. MSDSonline Environmental Health Safety Blog, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

Here is the timeline for all effective dates and requirements, as well as who they apply to for the entire GHS transition*:

- Dec 1, 2013 Train employees on the new label elements and SDS format.
Applies to: All Employers

- June 1, 2015 Compliance with all modified provisions of this final rule, except:
Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers

- Dec 1, 2015 The Distributor shall not ship containers labeled by the chemical manufacturer or importer unless it is a GHS label
Applies to: Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers

- June 1, 2016 Update alternative workplace labeling and hazard communication program as necessary, and provide additional employee training for newly identified physical or health hazards.
Applies to: All Employers

- Data Transition Period Comply with either 29 CFR 1910.1200 (this final standard), or the current standard, or both. All chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers

Source: OSHA

Trained, well-informed employees are more productive.

No matter where you are in the process of complying with GHS, Summit can help you meet compliance deadlines.  The first effective completion date is December 1, 2013… Get ready with Summit.

Check out Summit’s GHS Resource Page! >>

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Summit has What YOU Need for GHS

Ensure your GHS compliance is on track…. and  Summit has the tools that will help you do just that.

Existing fines and penalties for non-compliance with HCS and WHMIS extend to GHS alignment with these same standards. In the United States, that means that HCS violations, which already rank #3 on OSHA’s Top Ten Violations List, could see even more action. And WHMIS penalties of up to $1 million in fines and two years in prison will remain a serious consideration for anyone with obligations under Canada’s hazard communication standard.

GHS adoption affects everyone in the chemical life-cycle  with special responsibilities for chemical manufacturers and employers that handle, use and store hazardous materials.  Ultimately, employers have a responsibility to keep their employees safe. For that reason, and to ensure full compliance, companies should stay ahead of GHS adoption by aligning their policies and health and safety management with GHS principles at the earliest opportunity.  Read more >>

No matter where you are in the process of complying with GHS, Summit can help you meet compliance deadlines.  The first effective completion date is December 1, 2013… Get ready with Summit.

Check out Summit’s GHS Resource Page! >>

 

800.842.0466 www.safetyontheweb.com

eLearning | DVD | Streaming | Onsite

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Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Online GHS Compliance Training Course Specifically for USA Based Companies from Summit Training Source

Grand Rapids, MI- To help US-based companies meet and understand the critical new standard for universal handling instructions for hazardous chemicals, Summit Training Source would like to announce the release of their newest online training program, “GHS: USA Compliance”.  This program will teach your workers in the U.S. the specific transitions they must make in order to comply with the new regulations

More than ever, we live in a global economy, and much of that world economy is built around the use of chemicals.  In the United States alone, 650,000 chemicals in the workplace are classified as hazardous, and from their production, to their use and transport, they pose a risk to workers and the environment.  The challenge is to keep these workers well-informed and safe.  Summit’s new online program, “GHS: USA Compliance”,  is a five lesson, interactive program that ensures that your workers will stay in compliance with GHS regulations and understand how these changes specifically affect US-based companies by covering:

• Introduction to GHS
• Classification
• GHS Labels
• Safety Data Sheets
• Best Safety Practices

Summit’s online training courses are an effective multi-media presentation, combining expert content with video, Press Contact:animations, audio and true interactivity.  Summit’s online training software suite, Summit Trainingweb® includes a complete LMS, and courses are fully customizable using Summit’s cost effective eMaximizer software.

Sara Wesche

Marketing Director

saraw@safetyontheweb.com

800.842.0466 x210

www.safetyontheweb.com