National Fall Prevention Stand-Down is May 2-6

The purpose of the National Fall Prevention Stand-Down is to raise awareness of preventing fall hazards in construction. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 337 of the 874 construction fatalities recorded in 2014 (BLS preliminary data). Those deaths were preventable. Fall prevention safety standards were among the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards, during fiscal year 2014.

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2016 Stand-Down Goals

Last year's Stand-Down was a tremendous success, reaching more than 2.5 million workers. This year, OSHA's goal is to reach 5 million workers. If we meet this goal, we will have touched more than half of the construction workers in the country.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone who wants to prevent falls in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. In past years, participants included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. Military, other government participants, unions, employer's trade associations, institutes, worker interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers.

Partners

OSHA is partnering with key groups to assist with this effort, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), OSHA approved State Plans, State consultation programs, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council, the National Construction Safety Executives (NCSE), the U.S. Air Force, and the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers.

What is a Safety Stand-Down?

A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. This Stand-Down focuses on "Fall Hazards" and reinforcing the importance of "Fall Prevention".

How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down 

Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime during the May 2-6, 2016. 

The Great Multi-Tasking Lie

• ​Many people think they are good multitaskers, but that is actually a myth, especially when it comes to cell phone use while driving. This infographic from the National Safety Council will show you why.
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  Multitasking is a myth

  
  
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The under-reporting of cell phone involvement in fatal crashes

• Why cell phone distracted driving is severely under-reported

  
  
  

  ​We know cell phone-related car crash deaths are a problem. We just don't know how big the problem is. NSC partnered with Nationwide Insurance to produce a white paper and an infographic, which show how the number of crashes may be greater than we think.
   

• There is no simple way to know whether a cell phone was involved in a crash
• Drivers in crashes aren't admitting to cell phone use of may even be killed
• It is difficult to obtain cell phone records
• Witnesses' memories and statements can be inaccurate

• Key Causes of Under-Reporting

Hands free is not risk free

• Hands-free devices: A false sense of security

  
  
  

  ​Think using a hands-free device while driving makes you safer? Think again. You may be surprised at how this NSC infographic shows the cell phone conversation is distracting. In order to stay safe, you need your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and your mind on driving.

• Hands-free is not risk-free

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

• Employers can play a leading role in ending to distracted driving by putting cell phone policies in place. This infographic from the National Safety Council will show you how.
  
  

• Reduce the risk of the #1 cause of workplace death

  
  
  

  ​Did you know the leading cause of workplace death is car crashes? NSC estimates aquarter of crashes involve cell phones. Learn more about this workplace danger in this infographic and how employers can take the lead by putting cell phone policies in place.

Driving Down Distraction

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.