50+ Poisoning Prevention Tips

Poisoning is now the leading cause of death from injuries in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Health Statistics. In this recent report, it was noted that in 2008, the number of poisoning deaths exceeded the number of motor vehicle traffic deaths for the first time since at least 1980.   A poison is any substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person or in the wrong amount.
These tips are brought to you by members of the National Poison Prevention Week Council. The Council has been helping to prevent poisonings for 50 years and is made up of representatives from industry, government, non-profit and health organizations to educate the public about the prevention of unintentional poisonings and accidental exposures in and around the home. These tips are intended for educational
purposes and we encourage you to reproduce and share them with others. Together we can reduce poisonings that can cause death and injuries in the United States.

Poisoning prevention is in your hands. The following tips can help you protect yourself and your loved ones:

General Safety Tips

• Use National Poison Prevention Week as a time to raise awareness in your community about ways to prevent unintentional poisonings.
• Use National Poison Prevention Week as the time to inspect your entire home for any medicines or household products, such as detergents, cleaning products, pesticides, and fertilizers that may not be stored properly and correct the situation immediately. Always store medicines and household products up high, away and out of sight from children.
• Install safety latches on cabinets used for medicines and household products.
• Ensure children can’t use chairs or stack items to climb to products stored out of their reach.
• Re-close medicines and other household products if interrupted during use. Many incidents happen when adults are distracted when using these products (e.g., by the telephone or the doorbell).
• Buy products in child-resistant packaging whenever possible. But remember, child-resistant is not childproof, and is designed to keep children away from the product for a short time before a parent notices.
• Once purchased, use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after each use.
• If you think someone has been poisoned, call Poison Help,1-800-222-1222, to reach your local poison center. This national toll-free number works anywhere in the U.S. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Keep the toll-free Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, near your phone, or program 1-800-222-1222 into your home and mobile phone.
• When you leave your children in a babysitter’s care, ensure he/she knows about the Poison Help number – 1-800-222-1222.
• Read medicine and product labels before each use and follow directions exactly.
• Teach children to always ask an adult before eating, drinking or touching anything.

Medicine Safety Tips

• Ask babysitters, visitors, and houseguests to keep purses, briefcases or bags that contain medicines up high, away and out of sight from your children. The same rule applies when your children are visiting a friend or relative’s home.
• Buy products in child-resistant packaging whenever possible. But remember, child-resistant is not childproof, and is designed to keep children away from the product for a short time before a parent notices.
• Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after use.
• If you think someone has been poisoned, call 1-800-222-1222 to reach your local poison center. This national toll-free number works anywhere in the U.S. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Keep the poison center toll-free number near your phone, or program 1-800-222-1222 into your home and mobile phone.
• Read medicine and product labels before each use and follow directions exactly.
• Tell children what medicine is and why you must be the one to give it to them.
• Never call medicine “candy” to get a child to take it.
• Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside.
• Always turn the light on when giving or taking medicine. Check the dosage every time.
• Put on your glasses to read the label when you need to take a medicine so that you know you have the correct amount of the right medicine.
• Avoid taking medicine in front of children.
• Never take more than the prescribed amount of medicine.
• Never “borrow” a friend’s medicine or take old medicines.
• Tell your doctor what other medicines you are taking so you can avoid harmful or dangerous drug interactions. This includes prescriptions, over-the-counter medicine, vitamins and herbal products.
• Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically, and safely dispose of medicines that are expired or no longer needed.
• Always relock the safety cap on a medicine bottle. If the medicine has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or you cannot twist any more.
• Don’t remove medicine from a child-resistant package and put it in another type of easy to open container.
• Read the labels of prescription and over-the-counter medicine carefully to make sure you are not taking more than one product at a time with the same active ingredient.
• Use only the measuring device (dosing cup, dosing syringe, or dropper) that is included with your medicine. If a measuring device is not included or you do not receive one, ask for one from your pharmacist. Don’t substitute another item, such as a kitchen spoon.
• If you don’t understand the instructions on the medicine label, or how to use the dosing device (dosing cup, dosing syringe, or dropper), talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using the medicine.
• Never share or sell your prescription medicines.
• Monitor the use of medicines prescribed for children and teenagers, such as medicines for attention deficit disorder, or ADD.
• Keep medicines in their original bottles or containers whenever possible. If you transfer medicines to another container, such as a pill minder or organizer, store them in a place that is too high for a child to reach or see, since these containers are often not child-resistant. If possible, ensure the storage location has a safety latch.
• Some medicines are dangerous when mixed with alcohol. Consult your doctor or pharmacist before drinking alcohol if you are taking a prescription or over-the-counter medicine.
• Talk to your doctor before taking any vitamins or herbal supplements. They can interact with your medicine.

Household Product Safety

• Keep cleaning products in their original container with their original label intact.
• Laundry product labels contain first aid information and are a valuable resource for consumers.
• Always close cleaning product containers immediately after use and put them away in a secure location after use.
• NEVER use food containers such as cups or bottles to store household and chemical products.
• Teach children that laundry and other cleaning products and their containers are not toys.
• Children are usually curious and explore all new things that they find in the home. Take care to keep laundry products out of reach of young children.
• Always remember to rinse and re-cap laundry containers before throwing away or recycling.
• Never use empty detergent containers for storage of any other materials.
• Remove children, pets, and toys before applying pesticides (inside or outside the home). Follow label directions to determine when children and pets can return to the area that
• has been treated.
• To protect children from exposure to mouse/rat/insect poison, use products with a tamper-resistant bait station.
• Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces to reduce possible exposure to lead and pesticide residues.
• Have your child tested for lead. Symptoms of lead poisoning may not be obvious right away, but behavior and learning problems can develop if high levels are left untreated.
• Wash children’s hands, toys, pacifiers and bottles often. Store food in a separate area than household cleaning products and chemicals. Mistaking one for the other could
• cause a serious poisoning.
• Never combine household cleaning products because some chemical mixtures may release irritating gases.
• Turn on fans and open windows when using household cleaners and chemicals.
• Make it a practice to check the spray nozzle on products before use to ensure that it is directed away from your face and other people.
• Wear protective clothing, including long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, shoes and gloves, when spraying pesticides and other chemicals. Pesticides can be absorbed
• through the skin and can be extremely poisonous, if not used in accordance with label directions.
• Stay away from areas that have recently been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.
• Don’t sniff chemical containers, whether you know what is inside or not.
• Keep batteries out of a child’s reach. Contact the poison center right away if a child swallows a battery or a battery is missing from a toy or other household item, no matter how
• small the battery. Properly dispose of old batteries after they have been removed from an appliance.
• Keep magnetic toys and other magnetic items away from small children. Call the poison center right away if you suspect a child has swallowed a magnet.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors near or in your home’s sleeping areas and on every level of the home.
• Know the name of all household plants in your home. Remove any poisonous plants from the house and yard.

Back Safety at Work

Practicing Back Safety at Work

Plan Ahead

Your body is most vulnerable when you have not moved for extended periods of time, such as when you get to your work site. Plan ahead for your workday by sleeping for eight hours and waking up refreshed. Take frequent breaks throughout the day, moving around the office to prevent fatigue. Your body is vulnerable when your system is malnourished, which includes lack of sleep. Practice a healthy lifestyle by eating healthful foods regularly; drinking lots of water, and getting one hour of moderate exercise per day.

Consider stretching and exercising before you go to work to reduce the strain on your back muscles. Minimize the amount of time you are on the floor carrying items, have the items delivered to your workspace or utilize a handcart or dolly, even for seemingly lightweight items. While the weight of the object is a factor, bending over excessively can cause back problems.

Consider adjusting your office so that everything is waist level, including your desk and computer. These are the items you use most, reducing the amount of time your back extends in either direction. Practice good posture and ensure your chair adjusts properly when using computer equipment or sitting in a meeting. Ergonomic equipment is desirable, but few employers are able to spend the extra money. Consider buying your own back-friendly chair at work if you sit for hours at a time. Prevent work-related back injuries by ensuring your working conditions are free of debris and slippery spots. Slips and fall injuries cause most back pain problems in America.

Use Assistive Equipment

Chances are your workplace has assistive equipment available for you to use, such as forklifts, handcarts, dollies, hoists, furniture pads, shoulder straps, and wheelbarrows. Use the equipment you have to reduce the strain on your back and hip muscles. If you do not have assistive equipment available and you perform the job often, ask your employer to buy the equipment for your office. Ask a colleague, coworker, or someone from the warehouse to help you move heavy office appliances or equipment. Get help move the materials if they weigh over 50 pounds.

Work Intelligently

When you are, lifting or moving objects, keep them as close to your body as possible, creating a low center of gravity. Do not twist your extremities when you lift or put down materials, turn your entire body at once. Improve back safety at work by lifting materials smoothly and using your legs rather than back muscles for strength. Rough jerking motions irritate your upper and lower disks, causing soreness the next day. If you need support when lifting, lean on a sturdy object and do not bend over. If the item is too heavy, kneel down and support the object on your knee before you lift it. Ask someone to help you if the item is too heavy.

Get Help

There is a difference between being lazy and working smart. Everyone is afraid of appearing weak in front of their employers, but practicing proper back prevention techniques is an intelligent move. If you miss work for one or two days, your employer may incur additional costs, such as hiring a temp worker or paying sick leave. If you have existed back conditions, abide by the restrictions posted by your doctor. An employer cannot legally require you to perform labor you are incapable of doing. By law, they must adjust your regimen or reassign your duties until you receive clearance.

If you encounter back problems on the job seek immediate medical attention and follow your company's policy on work-related injuries. When joining an employer, file a form with the company's Workers' Compensation Liaison requesting to see your private physician in case of work injuries. If you must see a "company approved" medical practitioner, seek a second opinion if the ruling is on the company's behalf.

22 Keys to Safe Forklift Operation

OSHA, most forklift accidents can be attributed to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training.

Many employees are injured when forklifts are inadvertently driven off loading docks or fall between docks and an unsecured trailer. Other workers are hurt when they are struck by a forklift, or when they fall while standing on elevated pallets and tines (something that they shouldn't be doing).

Most incidents also involve property damage, including damage to overhead sprinklers, racking, pipes, walls, and machinery.

You can prevent the accidents, injuries, and damage if you make sure forklift operators comply with these 22 keys to safe forklift operation.

1. Never drive trucks up to anyone standing in front of a bench or other fixed object. 
2. Don't let anyone stand or pass under the elevated portion of any truck, whether loaded or empty. 
3. Do not permit unauthorized personnel to ride on forklifts. A safe place to ride must be provided where riding of trucks is authorized. 
4. Never place arms or legs between the uprights of the mast or outside the running lines of the truck. 
5. When left unattended, lower the truck's forks, place controls in neutral, shut off power, and set the brakes. Block the wheels if the truck is parked on an incline. 
6. Maintain a safe distance from the edge of ramps or platforms while on any elevated dock, platform, or freight car. 
7. Make sure there is a sufficient amount of headroom under overhead installations, lights, pipes, or sprinkler systems. 
8. Use an overhead guard to protect against falling objects. 
9. Observe all traffic regulations. 
10. Yield to all emergency vehicles. 
11. Cross railroad tracks diagonally whenever possible.
12. Drivers must slow down and sound horn at cross-aisles where vision is obstructed. 
13. Ascend or descend grades slowly. 
14. When ascending or descending grades in excess of 10 percent, drive trucks with the load upgrade. 
15. Do not permit any stunt driving or horseplay. 
16. Require drivers to slow down for wet and slippery floors. 
17. Make sure dockboards and bridgeplates have been properly secured before they are driven over. 
18. Approach elevators slowly, and then enter them squarely after the elevator car is properly leveled. Once on the elevator, neutralize the controls, shut off the power, and set the brakes. 
19. With motorized hand trucks, enter elevators or other confined areas with the load-end forward. 
20. Only handle stable loads, and never exceed the loaded capacity of the truck. 
21. Take all defective or unsafe forklifts out of service. 
22. Never fill fuel tanks while the engine is running.

Seat Belts

Seat belts are another key to safe forklift operation. A significant number of forklift-related injuries and fatalities every year involve tipovers in which operators were not properly secured to their seat.

Although OSHA doesn't specifically require the use or installation of seat belts on forklifts, if a forklift is equipped with operator restraint devices, including seat belts, you must require operators to use them. Also note that 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(6) prohibits removing seat belts from powered industrial trucks.

Furthermore, OSHA says that if you have been notified by a forklift manufacturer, consensus standard, or industry association of forklift tipover hazards and made aware of an operator restraint system retrofit program, then the agency could cite you under Section 5(a)(1) if you haven't taken advantage of the program.

If you have forklifts that are not currently equipped with operator restraint systems, strongly consider contacting the manufacturer for advice on obtaining and installing such devices to prevent operator injuries in the event of a tipover.

Higher OSHA fines for employers who violate federal workplace laws

Employers who violate federal workplace laws could face higher proposed penalties later this year.

Under the new congressional budget, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been given the authority to boost penalties.

OSHA hasn’t increased citation fines since 1990.

Congress is analyzing the inflation index to determine a “catch-up” percentage, said Jeff Funke, director of OSHA’s Omaha-area office.

If the increase is based on the difference between the 2015 Consumer Price Index and the 1990 Consumer Price Index, penalties could get a hefty boost.

Thereafter, any penalty increases would be linked to the annual rate of inflation.

Some industry groups are predicting that OSHA fines could rise more than 80 percent and are advising employers to make sure their workplace practices are up to OSHA standards to avoid potential fines.

Using the 80 percent figure, serious citations would increase from a maximum of $7,000 to more than $12,600. The most serious violations, repeat and willful citations, would rise from the current maximum of $70,000 to $126,000.

The actual increase won’t be announced until July when it would appear as an interim ruling, Funke said.

Final approval is expected to occur in August.

OSHA regulators also can elect to reduce penalties based on an employer’s history or number of employees. Those allowable reductions would remain in place despite increased citation fines.

The agency allows a 60 percent reduction in penalties for enterprises with one to 25 employees; 30 percent for 26 to 100 employees; and 10 percent for 101 to 250 employees.

“The goal of OSHA is not to put employers out of business but ensure employees go home safe,” Funke said.

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month

The gift of sight is irreplaceable. Thousands of eye injuries occur in the workplace each year, which makes wearing proper eye protection so important. All it takes is a tiny sliver of metal, particle of dust or splash of chemical to cause significant and permanent eye damage. March, which is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, is a great time to review eye and face protection regulations with your employees.

OSHA’s eye and face protection standard (1910.133) states, “the employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.”

Whether on the job or working on projects around the house, remember to wear proper safety glasses, goggles or face shields. Follow employer guidelines or the safety instructions provided with the equipment, materials or tools you are using.

In addition:

• Make sure you have properly fitted protection. For example, if your safety glasses slip, or are crooked or too tight, adjust them.
• Keep your protective equipment clean to improve visibility. Wash it regularly with mild soap and water or eyeglass cleaner. Polish with a soft cloth or tissue.
• Use anti-dust and anti-fog sprays to help prevent buildup on your safety glasses.
• Store your protective equipment carefully to avoid damage when not in use. Any damage to lenses or shields can lessen the impact-resistance and result in inadequate protection.

Typical eye injuries occur by rubbed or abraded foreign matter, such as metal chips, dirt particles and splinters, or by striking the eye. Surface wounds, such as abrasions, scratches and foreign bodies (splinters and chips), are among the most common types of injuries to the eyes. Other hazards include, but are not limited to chemicals, adhesives, 

radiation, tools and equipment. The highest categories contributing to eye injuries are related to household, workplace and sports. 

On-the-job eye protection 

You may be exposed to several hazards at the same time. The right equipment can protect your eyes against irritation and injury. Ask your supervisor or industrial hygienist to help you select the right eye protection. 

If you need prescription eyeglasses, make sure your goggles or spectacles have prescription eyeglass lenses or wear extra protection over your prescription eyeglasses. Contact lenses do not provide protection from on-the-job eye hazards. If you wear contact lenses, be extra cautious around gases, vapors, fumes and dust. Wear eye protection 

equipment in addition to contact lenses. Follow the specific management policies on contact lenses in your workplace. 

• Spectacles – Semi/flat-folded sideshield. Provides primary protection against impact and optical radiation. Sideshield spectacles are recommended. 

 • Goggles – There are many different kinds of goggles that vary in appearance and protection. 

o Flexible fitting, regular ventilation. Cushions the face, protects eyes at sides, top and bottom. 

o Flexible fitting, hooded ventilation. Protects against impact, sparks, chemical splashes and dust. 

o Cushioned fit, rigid body. Protects against impact, sparks, chemical splashes, irritating mists and dust. 

o Welding goggles, eyecup type, filter lenses. Protects against glare, sparks and welding flash. 

o Chipping goggles, eyecup type, clear safety lenses. Protects against hot sparks and nuisance dust. 

• Face Shield – Plastic or mesh window. Designed to protect the whole face; must be supplemented with safety glasses. 

• Welding Helmet – Stationary window or lift-front window. Protects from welding, soldering and brazing. Must be supplemented with safety glasses. 

Off-the-job eye protection

Four out of ten accidents that cause blindness happen at home. Off-the-job eye injuries 

happen because of: 

 • Do-it-yourself work on cars and homes. 

• Cooking accidents. 

• Chemical splashes from pesticides, fertilizers, drain cleaners and cleaning sprays. 

• Sports injuries while playing tennis, racquetball, baseball, etc. 

• Yard work from cutting grass, trimming trees/bushes and using a weed wacker. 

Wear the right protection for the job you are doing 

• Choose sunglasses that offer protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. 

• Wear eye protection while doing repair jobs and working with chemicals at home. 

• Wear eye protection when playing ball sports. 

• Wear eye protection over contact lenses and prescription eyeglasses. 

What to do in case of an emergency 

Chemical Splash 

• Don’t squeeze eyes shut. Hold them open with thumb and index finger. 

• Flood eyes with cool, clean water for 15-20 minutes. 

• Get medical help as soon as possible. If you can, have the chemical container and its label available for evaluation. 

• Do not use another chemical to neutralize the spilled chemical. 

Flying Particles 

• Do not try to remove anything embedded in the eye. You could cause further damage. 

• Do not pull or squeeze the eye. 

• Cover both eyes to prevent movement. 

• Get medical help as soon as possible. 

Radiation Injuries, Burns 

• If the eyes are exposed to intense heat, flames, lasers or welding radiation, apply ice packs to relieve the pain. 

• Get medical attention as soon as possible. 

Blows to the Eyes 

• Apply ice packs to control swelling and relieve the pain. 

• Cover both eyes to prevent movement. 

• Get medical attention as soon as possible. 

Eyestrain 

• Glare, poor lighting and long periods spent at video display terminals (VDT) can cause eye fatigue, soreness and headaches. 

• Improve the job-site lighting. 

• Give eyes adequate rest.