ATV Safety Tips

Like other activities involving high speeds and heavy machinery, riding an ATV can be risky. To help stay safe, follow common sense safety tips. Take knowledge to the extreme and learn more about these important tips for safer riding:

  • Get trained
  • Wear a helmet
  • No children on adult ATVs
  • Don’t ride tandem
  • Don’t ride on pavement
  • Don’t ride under the influence

via ATVSafety.gov Safety Tips.

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Ergonomics is the scientific study of people at work. The goal of ergonomics is to reduce stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. This is accomplished by designing tasks, work spaces, controls, displays, tools, lighting, and equipment to fit the employee´s physical capabilities and limitations.

via CDC – Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

The amount of sleep a person needs depends on many factors, including age. For example, in general:

  • Infants require about 16 hours a day
  • Teenagers need about 9 hours on average
  • Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day
  • Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual

However, experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven’t had enough sleep.

via Sleep Deprivation Effects and How Much Sleep We Need: Babies, Teens, and Adults.

Driving is a Privilege not a Right

Driving is a privilege. A driver’s license gives you a certain level of freedom, but it also gives you an enormous amount of responsibility. When behind the wheel this responsibility comes in many forms:

•       Wearing safety belt

•       Driving sober

•       Focusing on the road

•       Driving defensively

A lot of responsibility comes with a driver’s license. You have to drive safely, obey the traffic laws, and respect the rights of other drivers. Not only should you concentrate on your own driving, you should also be well aware of the other vehicles around you. Driving safely also includes how and where you park your car. Passengers in your car put their safety in your hands and expect you to drive safe as well.

Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

HOW TO REDUCE, PREVENT, AND COPE WITH STRESS

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming and your career and family responsibilities will always be demanding.

But managing stress is all about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems.

via Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress.

Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls at Work

What can you do to avoid falling at work?

It is important remembering that safety is everybody business. However, it is employers’ responsibility to provide safe work environment for all employees. Employees can improve their own safety too.

You can reduce the risk of slipping on wet flooring by:

  • taking your time and paying attention to where you are going
  • adjusting your stride to a pace that is suitable for the walking surface and the tasks you are doing
  • walking with the feet pointed slightly outward
  • making wide turns at corners

You can reduce the risk of tripping by:

  • always using installed light sources that provide sufficient light for your tasks
  • using a flashlight if you enter a dark room where there is no light
  • ensuring that things you are carrying or pushing do not prevent you from seeing any obstructions, spills, etc.

via Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls : OSH Answers.

Children Poisonings: The Reality

Every day, over 300 children in the United States ages 0 to 19 are treated in an emergency department, and two children die, as a result of being poisoned. It’s not just chemicals in your home marked with clear warning labels that can be dangerous to children.

Prevention Tips

  • Lock them up. Keep medicines and toxic products, such cleaning solutions, in their original packaging where children can’t see or get them.
  • Know the number. Put the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home and program it into your cell phone. Call the poison control center if you think a child has been poisoned but they are awake and alert; they can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and your child has collapsed or is not breathing.
  • Read the label. Follow label directions and read all warnings when giving medicines to children.
  • Don’t keep it if you don’t need it. Safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs and over the counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements. To dispose of medicines, mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter and throw them away. You can also turn them in at a local take-back program or during National Drug Take-Back events.

via CDC – Injury – Safe Child – Poisoning.

Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise Induced Hearing Loss is serious. Some 30 million people are at risk in the workplace, in recreational settings, and at home. In fact, it is the second most self reported work-related illness or injury. Already, 22 million American adults ages 20 to 69 have permanently damaged their hearing from exposure to loud sounds.

via Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Have WISE EARS! for Life! [NIDCD Health Information].