Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

It takes a split-second of inattention, a slight change in working conditions, a forgetful co-worker, or a lax safety program for you to fall through an opening.

Painful injuries, head trauma, and disability are all possible outcomes of surviving a fall. If you don’t survive your family and friends are left to cope without you. If you are the forgetful co-worker who didn’t put the cover back on the floor or wall opening, you will have a lifetime of guilt if someone falls to their death.

What’s the Danger?

All types of floor and wall openings and are dangerous if not properly covered; a fall through any of them can lead to disabling injuries and death.

Example

A construction worker unknowingly entered a room with an unprotected floor opening and fell 14ft/4.2m, landing on a piece of steel. He died from his injuries.

How to Protect Yourself

Here are six ways to protect yourself and others from falls through floor openings:

1. Barricade openings in floors, roofs, and walls with guardrails or securely cover them so no one can accidentally step into them.
   • Guardrails must be installed according to standard guardrail heights.
   • Barricades must remain in place until the opening is permanently closed.
2. Covers for openings must be made of solid material that is able to support any load placed on it.
   • Many fatalities have occurred when someone stepped on foam board, roofing paper, or cardboard that was covering an opening.
3. Covers must be secured so they can’t be easily removed.
   • A loose sheet of plywood placed over a floor opening has led to many fatal falls.
4. Covers should go over the entire opening unless guardrails are installed.
   • If the cover doesn’t cover the entire opening, you could step on it and the cover could break or tip into the hole – taking you with it.
5. Hole covers must be color-coded or marked “HOLE” or “COVER” as a warning.
   • Without the markings, someone could pick up a piece of plywood, not realizing it’s safeguarding a hazard and leave the hole unprotected.
6. Report any uncovered openings to your supervisor.
   • If you can properly cover it – do so immediately. If you can’t, wait by hole (at a safe distance) and warn others until the hole is covered.

Final Word

Falls through openings are unnecessary tragedies. Always secure, guard and/or cover these deathtraps.

What’s at Stake?

How safety-conscious are you when you are off-the-job? You can do a lot to increase your safety just by paying attention to your attitude and habits. You may be relaxing, but you can still relax safely!

What’s the Danger?

Many of the same dangers in the workplace also exist away from the office… slips and falls at home, driving accidents, or not using personal protective equipment while playing sports. The danger is that we don’t apply the same seriousness to safety when we’re not at work.

How to Protect Yourself

Here’s a simple ‘4×4’ checklist – four things to remember in four different off-duty situations:

At home:

1. Do you keep all traffic pathways, inside and outside, clear of obstacles?
2. Does the stairway have a handrail? Do you always use it?
3. Do you keep your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in good operating condition?
4. Does everyone in the family know how to use the fire extinguishers?

In the garage or workshop:

1. Are toxic substances such as cleaning products, paints, herbicides and car products kept locked up and out of the reach of children?
2. Are they all still in their original containers with instructions for safe handling?
3. Are all sharp, powered or other dangerous tools secured and out of the reach of children?
4. Do you always use the correct tool for the job, avoiding makeshift replacements? Do you use a stepladder to reach awkward places instead of standing on a kitchen chair?

In your car:

1. Do you always make sure everyone is buckled up in their safety belts and shoulder harnesses before driving away?
2. Do you keep your car in good mechanical repair to avoid breakdowns or accidents caused by faulty equipment?
3. Do you walk around your vehicle before backing up?
4. Do you remain alert and aware as you are driving?

Out for fun:

1. Do you wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as eye goggles, helmets, life jackets, shin-pads or gloves for your favorite sports?
2. Do you make sure your equipment is well-maintained and in good condition?
3. Do you avoid using drugs or alcohol especially when you are involved in activities which require concentration and alertness – such as driving?

Final Word

Remember to practice these simple safe habits both on and off-the-job. Safety awareness is a 24/7/365 mindset. There’s no clocking out!

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

If a chemical splashed onto your skin or into your eye, could you get to a safety shower or eyewash station quickly?

The time to consider that question is now, not when you are faced with an emergency. You need to know where this equipment is located, the shortest route to reach it and how to use it effectively.

What’s the Danger?

When a corrosive chemical makes contact with your skin or your eyes, it begins to damage the tissue. The effect on your skin can be painful, disfiguring and possibly fatal. The effect in your eyes can be pain, temporary or partial loss of vision, or permanent blindness.

Rinsing away the chemical can halt the progressive damage. This is where the safety shower and eyewash station come into the picture. If you get there fast enough and rinse well enough for a long enough time, you can greatly reduce the damage to your skin and eyes.

Example

A worker was attempting to remove an end plug from a pipe containing a 100 percent concentration of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid under pressure. He applied sufficient pressure with a wrench to break the pipe, which had been corroded by the acid.

As the acid spewed out of the pipe, it knocked off the victim’s protective head and face shield and he received acid burns to his face.

For some reason, the victim didn’t get to the safety shower right away, nor did he stay in it long enough. His face was severely damaged by the acid, he’d inhaled acid vapor and the toxic fluoride from the acid was absorbed into his body. At the hospital, he went into cardiac arrest and died.

How to Protect Yourself

So back to the question—could you reach the safety shower or eyewash station quickly from the area where you are handling chemicals? Is the path clear? Could you find your way if you were temporarily blinded?

And what would be waiting for you when you get there? Do you know how to turn it on— with a push button, overhead pull bar or other kind of control?

If a chemical is spilled or splashed onto your skin or into your eyes, you must immediately start rinsing the affected area keeping at it for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, someone must call for emergency medical help. You might need assistance in keeping your eyes open, removing contaminated clothing or standing under the stream of the shower. So it is important that you also know how to help someone else in such as emergency.

Consider these additional tips for working safely with chemicals:

• Know the hazards. Get the necessary training on the dangers of chemicals and how to protect yourself.
• Read the safety data sheets (SDSs) for any chemical you handle in the workplace. Also read labels, which have similar information, including what to do in an emergency.
• Use the recommended personal protective equipment to protect yourself from chemical exposure, such as aprons, boots, gloves, goggles and face shields.
• Follow all the recommended procedures for moving, storing and opening chemicals containers. Measure and mix only as directed and keep containers closed and labeled.

Final Word

Do your part to keep safety showers and eyewash stations working so they will be available in emergencies. Report any defects, damaged signage and blocked access so the problems can be corrected promptly.

Question: How do you turn a good safety program into a great safety program?

Answer: I recently read an article where Nancy Mugavero, OSHA Region V Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) manager, shared the 10 elements of a stellar safety program.

10. Employee Engagement -Participation

Work to employee strengths when it comes to building a solid safety program, Mugavero said. You must create a safety culture where workers feel comfortable participating. Build trust by engaging employees in all aspects by asking for concerns, opinions and solutions.

9. Worksite Hazard Analysis

Conduct a wall-to-wall worksite hazard analysis. Make sure industrial hygiene monitoring is included.  Review each operation and/or task and create a job safety analysis (JSA).

8. Employee Involvement – Trust

For all identified hazards, create a tracking system that assigns responsibility to a party along with a due date, and ensure the issue has been addressed.

7. Hazard Prevention and Controls – Hierarchy of Controls

When hazards are identified, prevention and control must be implemented. The hierarchy of controls begins with engineering controls in which the hazard is designed out of the equipment, chemical or operation. As a last resort, personal protective equipment should be relied upon to minimize worker exposure.

6. Employee Involvement – Buy In

Workers that buy into a company’s safety program will feel comfortable participating in it and be mindful of the process at all times. They will report hazards, incidents and accidents.

5. Meaningful Safety and Health Training

Make training relevant to your employees. Define training requirements for all employees by either job title or task, operation, department or required training.

Also, diversify training through using a variety of methods such as PowerPoint, video, hands-on training, etc.

4. Employee Involvement – Sustainability

The more workers are involved with a safety program, the more sustainable it will be. Create teams or committees to foster a sense of belonging and accountability. Involved workers will spread the word.

3. Management Commitment – Resources

Management must commit resources whether it is time, training, access to safety and health professionals or the capital to correct and improve a process.

2. Management Commitment – Visibility

Management must show visible participation in health and safety efforts. This includes attending safety training and/or presenting, participating on safety and health teams and complying with all health and safety rules.

1. Employee Involvement

To drive the point home, the number one key to a stellar program is worker involvement. To make a successful safety and health management program, employees must participate, trust in management, have buy in and have ownership/champion to sustain the program.

Being prepared for an emergency is part of your employers and your responsibility. For help developing your emergency response planning, Ready.gov offers the following guidance.

1. Identify Objectives: Review preparedness and response planning performance objectives for your company or site’s program. Objectives may include regulatory compliance, hazard prevention/deterrence, risk mitigation, emergency response and business continuity.
2. Perform a Risk Assessment: Review hazard or threat scenarios identified during a risk assessment.
3. Identify Response Resources: Identify the availability and capabilities of resources to help stabilize the situation including people, systems and equipment within your facility, as well as external sources.
4. Create Incident Management Team: This requires response plan knowledge, role specific training, and an effective synergy between team members and external responders.
5. Evaluate Applicable Regulations: Determine which response planning regulations pertain to your facility and how you can ensure compliance within your site-specific plan.
6. Develop Protective Action Response Procedures: Evaluate and include life protective action procedures such as evacuation, shelter, shelter-in-place, lockdown.
7. Establish Hazard-Specific Response Procedures: Depending upon the response planning structure and required content, hazard-specific information may be either included within the response plan or created as a separate stand-alone plan.
8. Coordinate with public emergency services: Work with public emergency services such as fire, police, HAZMAT teams and emergency medical services to share knowledge of your facility and its hazards, understand their capabilities to stabilize an emergency, and determine their response time to your facility that would be needed to stabilize incidents at your facility.
9. Emergency Response Training: Training is essential so that everyone on site knows what to do in an emergency or disruption of business operations. Training should include, but not limited to:
   • Response plan familiarization
   • Individual roles and responsibilities
   • Plan review training whenever a substantial change or revision is made to the plan that affects organization, procedures, roles and responsibilities, or response capability.
   • Refresher courses, as necessary

10. Response Drills and Exercises: Corporate preparedness drills and exercises, which may include fire and evacuation drills, should be designed to test response plan components and participants’ knowledge of expectations and required duties to deploy response strategies and tactics, and restore operations.

What a nightmare!

Let’s start with the obvious hazard – a blocked emergency exit. Blocked by conveyors, carts, trash, and cardboard boxes.

Speaking of cardboard boxes, in the event of a fire not only would workers be trapped but they would be trapped with ready supply of fuel for the fire to consume.

If a violent incident were to occur and employees and customers made the decision to run from the building, they would be trapped in this back room – an easy target for someone with a gun or other weapon.

Additionally, this door opens inward. Most exit route doors must be unlocked, unblocked, and must swing out in the direction of travel.

https://i.redd.it/6a7sqqv31jk11.jpg

Supervisors and managers are responsible for keeping exit ways and exit doors clear of debris, objects, materials, tools, and anything else that prevents safe and efficient egress in an emergency.

Trash and used boxes need to be disposed of frequently and properly. Is there a place to recycle the cardboard boxes? Is there a dumpster close by? If so, is it being emptied on a regular basis?

It is doubtful regular inspections are taking place – and if they are taking place, someone is either grossly underqualified or simply doesn’t bother enforcing the rules.

This image shows a complete disregard for life safety, fire and building codes, safety regulations, and the general well-being of employees and customers.

Employees must take responsibility for their safety – and report this and other safety violations and hazards. If a supervisor won’t listen and act, then the employee may consider moving their complaint up the ladder. This could mean filing a complaint with the fire marshal or safety regulatory agency.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Excavations and trenches more than 4-5 ft/1.2-1.5 m deep (depending on your federal, state, and provincial regulations) require a protective system is in place to protect workers from cave-ins.

If a protective system isn’t in place – don’t enter the excavation. Look out for your safety and the safety of your co-workers and don’t become another buried body of an excavation cave-in.

 What’s the Danger?

Danny Meggison was an experienced trench worker, but while working in 9-foot (2.7m) deep unprotected trench – a wall of dirt collapsed. He was buried alive under more than a ton of dirt.  He left his eight-year-old son without a father.

You think you can survive a trench collapse by holding your breath, digging yourself out, or climbing out…but you can’t. Thousands of workers who believed the same thing never made it home.

Considering one square yard of dirt weighs about 3000 pounds or1360 kg, suffocation or massive internal injuries will likely be what the coroner lists as your cause of death.

How to Protect Yourself

Know the Hazards

You should always know the potential hazards of any job you do, and excavation work is no different. Start by always taking time to read any posted permits or warning information.

Engulfment

• A cave-in is a likely outcome in excavation work, in fact, unless a trench or excavation is made of solid rock, you can assume that a cave-in will occur at some point. That’s exactly why you must never get into a trench or excavation that hasn’t been sloped, shored, or protected by a trench box or shield.
• Rushing water is another engulfment hazard. Water can undermine the strength of the soil and cause a collapse so it’s important to report all leaks, rushing or standing water to your supervisor or competent person immediately.

Electrocution

• When a worker encounters underground utility lines that haven’t been shut off a serious shock or electrocution is possible.

Explosions

• Damaged natural gas lines and build-ups of other hazardous gases can cause a flammable and toxic atmosphere.
• In both cases remember, underground wires, cables, and gas lines must be located prior to digging.
• It’s also good practice to hand-dig as you get close to located and marked underground lines and pipes.

Toxic Gases

• Stay out of the trench until a competent person has tested the air in the trench and says it’s safe to enter.
• Low oxygen levels and toxic gas can quickly render you unconscious or kill you immediately (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health).
• Be informed on what gases could be in the air, i.e. natural gas, carbon dioxide from equipment (nearby or in the trench), or deadly hydrogen sulfide.
  • Know these hazards and know them well.
    • Smell
    • Taste
    • Toxic effects
    • Symptoms of exposure
  • If you suspect something isn’t right – immediately exit the trench and report it to your supervisor, competent person, or safety person.

Protective Measures

• Trenches should be inspected daily before any work is performed, at the start of each shift, and following rain and other soil disturbances.
• A stairway or ladder must be in trench as a safe means of entering and exiting; and don’t enter an excavation that doesn’t offer a protective system such as:
• Sloping – cutting back the trench wall at an angle away from excavation to prevent soil collapse.
• Shoring – supporting the walls of the trench by installing wood or metal cross-braces to prevent the soil from caving in.
• Shielding – using trench boxes placed in the excavation to protect you in a cave-in.

Final Word

Don’t become entrenched in poor excavation practices. They could lead to your premature burial.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Overexertion injuries among healthcare workers is consistently two to five times greater than the rate of the general workforce. The single greatest cause for these injuries is manual patient handling such as manual lifting, moving and repositioning of hospitalized patients, home-health care patients, and nursing home residents.

These overexertion injuries can cause musculoskeletal injuries such as herniated discs, joint and tendon inflammation and ligament or muscle strains.  Many healthcare workers sustain reoccurring, short-term and long-term issues including arthritis and chronic back pain.

What’s the Danger?

Manually handling any heavy item is risky, but humans are often an awkward shape, move independently and can be unpredictable.  And a patient’s sudden movements can cause even the best planned maneuver to go wrong, resulting in staff and patient injury.

How to Protect Yourself

6 easy ways to keep you and the patient safe while moving them.

1. Avoid manual patient handling whenever possible.

2. Plan patient maneuvers.

• Have a clear handling plan for every patient, even the mobile ones.
• You and your colleagues must read and follow the plan.
• Include details of the type of assistance the patient needs for different maneuvers including:
  • prompting for correct stand to sit technique;
  • assistance rolling over in bed;
  • the use of any aids or equipment;
  • how many staff are needed to perform the list;
  • any special instructions or guidance; and a
  • date when the plan is to be reviewed.

3. Train and update

Your employer must provide safe patient handling training sessions covering the mechanics and risks of lifting and moving patients; and

• How to use any equipment or aids; and
• How to help the patient to do as much as possible for themselves. For example,
  • Explain the procedure;
  • Don’t rush them;
  • Assist them into position (without lifting); and
  • Provide aids or equipment for them to use.
• Safe manual handling techniques such as:
  • Stand close to the patient to reduce the risk of overreaching and the patient falling; and
  • Check the patient is well positioned to be moved with minimal effort.

You should also be given time to practice and receive regular training updates.

4. Use lifting aids

• Lifting aids help the patient move themselves more easily and include:
  • A raised toilet seat;
  • Shower chairs; and the use of a
• Make sure the patient knows how to use them; and
• Prompt, guide and reassure them as needed.

5. Use lifting equipment

• Equipment can be by healthcare workers to help move patients; and
• Patients are often taught to use the equipment, so they can be independent.
• Equipment includes:
  • Mechanical lifting equipment.
  • Height adjustable beds.
  • Wheelchairs; and
  • Pivot, sliding, or lateral slide boards.
• Each piece of equipment or moving aid should only be used by trained people.

6. Report it

• Fill out an accident report if you suffer pain or injury while carrying out care for a patient.
• Report any defective equipment, especially mechanical hoist slings and sliding sheets; and
• Discuss with your supervisor if you feel a patient’s handling plan is no longer safe.

Final Word

Manual patient handling causes significant issues for healthcare workers, with many staff taking time off for illness, and leaving the sector early due to wear and tear on their bodies. A whole organization approach to minimizing or reducing manual patient handling is required to reduce injury to healthcare workers.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or CTS, is nerve damage in your hand that’s caused by repetitive motions, such as using tools or a computer keyboard.

It usually starts with numbness or a ‘pins and needles’ feeling, and you gradually lose your ability to grasp objects. As it gets worse, you experience steady burning pain and it becomes hard to do simple things like picking something up or buttoning a shirt.

What’s the Danger?

CTS occurs when the median nerve (a main nerve in your hand) is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the carpal tunnel of the wrist.

And while it can develop slowly, if you don’t fix it, the nerve damage could become permanent.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Stretch and warm-up before you start your task. Be sure to take frequent, short exercise breaks during the day. You need to be careful that you don’t injure yourself while doing these stretches so get guidance from your safety manager, supervisor, or employee health contact.
2. Try to arrange your tasks so that you can vary your hand and finger motions frequently.
3. Keep your hands and arms warm when you work. Sometimes just wearing a long-sleeved shirt is all that’s needed.
4. Keep yourself physically fit. CTS can be brought on by a lack of muscle tone in your shoulders, hands and arms combined with a job which requires repetitive motions.
5. Adjust your workstation so that your arms and hands remain level with the floor or in a “neutral” position. Keep your wrists straight, not bent at an angle.
6. At a computer, use specially designed rests which help your wrists stay in the neutral position and the rests also provide a cushion which pads your wrists.

If you suspect you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, see your doctor immediately. Treatment may include rest, change of tasks, medication, and braces worn during work or at night. As a last resort surgery may be performed to loosen the ligament band.

Final Word

Finally, if you suspect you have carpal tunnel syndrome, see your doctor immediately. Treatment may include rest, job rotation (or change of task), anti-inflammatory medication, and braces worn during work or at night. As a last resort surgery may be performed to loosen the ligament band.

Domestic violence often crosses over into the workplace and many domestic violence victims are in danger of being attacked, harassed, or stalked while at work. Would you know what to do if an employee came to you about violence they are experiencing at home? Does your organization have a plan? An organization’s response to and support of victims can help to keep the workplace safe and secure for everyone.

Incident Response Guide – Domestic Violence in the Workplace

If a perpetrator involved in a personal relationship with an employee, or another employee/perpetrator, commits an act of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking on a work site:

Step 1: Consult the employee/victim in a safe area and ascertain their immediate needs, which may range from helping them obtain medical attention and providing leave to referring them to community-based service providers.

Step 2: Re-assess the threat to ascertain the perpetrator’s likelihood to return to the work site, and whether additional precautions such as a protective order and security enhancements are necessary.

If the perpetrator is also an employee, refer the matter to the appropriate disciplinary channels and re-organize the workplace to deny further contact between the parties.

Major benefits of a workplace policy specific to domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking include the availability of procedures pertaining to employee/perpetrators, an investigation process, procedures to implement restrictions on the employee/perpetrator’s work contacts, disciplinary consequences, and treatment plan requirements.

Employee/perpetrators should be given proper process, and if the work site is unionized, the union should fulfill any duties of fair representation towards the employee/perpetrator and the employee/victim.

Step 3: Organize and offer access to counseling, information or other services to co-workers and others. Employees that witnessed or otherwise appear to be impacted by the incident should be offered services through Employee Assistance Programs, community-based service providers, or counselors.

Step 4: Security personnel or a designated employee should continue to monitor the situation for one to three months (or longer) to determine if the matter has escalated or been resolved.

https://www.workplacesrespond.org/resource-library/incident-prevention-response/

The Canadian Labour Congress states one in three workers have experienced domestic violence and over 80% of domestic violence victims report their work performance was negatively affected. A report from the Department of Justice Canada, Research and Statistics Division, estimates Canadian employers lose almost $80 million annually from the direct and indirect impact of domestic violence.

In the United States, one in every four women and one in 9 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Department of Labor reports that victims of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the U.S., resulting in a $1.8 billion loss in productivity for employers.

A study done by the Society for Human Resource Management, found 65% of companies don’t have a formal workplace domestic violence plan in place even though 16% of organizations have had a domestic violence incident in the past five years.

According to Workplaces Respond to Domestic & Sexual Violence, employer initiatives to prevent and respond to domestic and sexual violence and stalking in the workplace should cover:

1. Safety audits to prevent potential perpetrators’ access to the workplace and employees;
2. Threat assessments in collaboration with employees experiencing violence; and
3. Supportive responses in the aftermath of a violent incident.

1. Conduct a Security Audit

Work with law enforcement or a professional security company to determine safety and security issues. Check for the items below and other issues specific to your situation:

• Can non-employees enter the workplace without presenting identification, using an access code or access card, or interacting with security?

• Are employee work schedules, contact information and home addresses easy for anyone to access?
• Does the parking lot, and/or the path to the nearest public transportation, have adequate lighting?
• Are there areas of the workplace where employees are isolated or alone for long periods of time?
• Are there safety issues specific to workers who have responsibilities outside the formal workplace?

2. Employee-Centered Threat Assessments

Upon learning that an employee is facing a potential threat, you should immediately work with the threatened employee and HR to develop a safe and effective response guided by the employee’s needs.

To protect against the workplace impacts of domestic and sexual violence and stalking, workplaces can engage in threat assessments, which are a set of strategies or pathways that provide information about individuals who might pose a risk at a point in time.

Threat assessments can discern the:

• Exact nature and context of a threat and/or threatening behavior;
• Identified target (general or specific);
• Apparent motivation behind the threat, and
• A perpetrator’s background, including work history, criminal record, mental health history, and past behavior on the job.

Regular threat assessment is necessary because threat level is never fixed and can change over time. For this reason, constant threat assessment is a must.

• If an employee knows a potential perpetrator, the employee typically has the greatest insight into their behavior, which means they often can provide considerable guidance in protecting themselves and the workplace.
• If an employee does not know a potential perpetrator, supervisors, with the help of HR, should work with the threatened employee to assess the level of danger and take protective action.

Apply the following principles when working with an employee to assess a potential threat:

• Ask about and assess facts relevant to the threat. To preserve privacy, limit personal questions about the history between the victim and perpetrator to only those that help uncover the potential risk.
• Keep confidential any information provided by the victim whenever possible, only sharing specific facts with those who need to know to implement safety measures.
• Do not advise the employee about personal safety issues away from work. If the employee has a relationship with the perpetrator, do not tell the employee what to do about the relationship.
• Refer the employee to qualified local services for victims to ensure that the employee receives appropriate information and assistance, including safety planning.
• If your Employee Assistance Program offers help for domestic abuse victims, share the information with the employee. It’s a good idea to share this information with all employees.

3. Support the Employee

Don’t blame or hold a victim responsible for a perpetrator’s threats or violent actions. An employee who is facing a potential threat may also need workplace accommodations to address their own particular safety issues, such as a Protective Order, also known as a Restraining Order. Depending on the extent in which a potential threat has been directed towards a workplace, you may consider consulting with the affected employee and obtaining the order in the employer’s name or a no-trespass order covering the work site.

Other accommodations to consider include:

• Obtaining the affected employee’s permission to provide relevant details about the potential perpetrator (such as a picture, physical description, license plate number, or vehicle make/model) to security personnel, reception staff, and other employees.
• Relocating the affected employee to another work area or altering their work schedule until the direct threat is over.
• With the affected employee’s input and permission, remove the affected employee’s contact information from directories and websites.

Domestic violence often doesn’t stay confined to the home. Whether directly or indirectly, domestic violence effects the victim, co-workers, and the organization. Learn these warning signs and risk factors for domestic violence in the workplace and share the information with your managers and employees during workplace violence training.

Risk Factors

The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, which is a multi-disciplinary advisory committee of experts established in Ontario in 2003 to assist the Office of the Chief Coroner with the investigation and review of deaths involving domestic violence, has identified the following as the top risk factors for domestic homicide cases. In 80% of cases they reviewed seven or more risk factors were identified.

1. 74% History of domestic violence
2. 72% Actual or pending separation
3. 56% Obsessive behavior displayed by perpetrator
4. 56% Perpetrator depressed
5. 51% Prior threats/attempts to commit suicide
6. 47% Escalation of violence
7. 45% Victim had intuitive sense of fear
8. 43% Prior threats to kill victim
9. 40% Perpetrator unemployed
10. 40% Prior attempts to isolate victim

Warning Signs

Recognize that a colleague may be involved in an abusive relationship. See the indications of abuse. Here are some warning signs to look for:

• Change in job performance: poor concentration, errors, slowness, inconsistent work quality.
• An unusual number of phone calls/text messages, strong reactions to those calls/text messages, and/or a reluctance to converse or respond to phone/text messages.
• Co-workers receive insensitive or insulting messages intended for the colleague experiencing abuse.
• Disruptive personal visits to workplace by present or former partner or spouse.
• Questions about whereabouts, company, and activities from a spouse or former spouse.
• Absenteeism or lateness for work.
• Requests for special accommodations such as requests to leave early or to change schedules.
• Reluctance to leave work.
• Obvious injuries such as bruises, black eyes, broken bones, hearing loss — these are often attributed to “falls,” “being clumsy,” or “accidents.”
• Clothing that is inappropriate for the season, such as long sleeves and turtlenecks — also wearing sunglasses and unusually heavy makeup.
• Minimization or denial of harassment or injuries.
• Isolation; unusually quiet and keeping away from others.
• Emotional distress or flatness, tearfulness, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
• Signs of anxiety and fear.
• Sensitivity about home life or hints of trouble at home — comments may include references to bad moods, anger, temper, and alcohol or drug abuse.
• Fear of job loss.
• Lack of access to money.

Warning Signs of Abusive Behavior

Someone who is behaving abusively at home may be “invisible” as an abuser at work. Perhaps they are an excellent worker, manager, professional and do not reveal overtly violent behavior in the work environment. Or they may display signs of an abusive temperament:

Is absent or late related to conflict at home.
Calls or contacts their partner repeatedly during work.
Bullies others at work.
Blames others for problems, especially their partner.
Denies problems.
Can’t take criticism and often acts defensively when challenged.
Acts like they are superior and of more value than others in their home.
Controls their partner or ex-partner’s activities.

1. On March 29th, 2009, Robert Stewart murdered 7 elderly residents and 1 nurse in the Carthage, NC retirement home where his wife was working. He reportedly shot out her car windows before starting the rampage inside the facility. At the time, she did not know that it was him as she reportedly hid in a bathroom.
2. Raina Johnson allegedly made threatening calls to her ex-girlfriend’s workplace when they broke up in early September 2007. Despite court orders for Johnson to stay away from her ex-partner after an earlier assault, she shot the victim outside a Safeway Supermarket in Washington, D.C. Shot in the neck at point blank range, the victim is paralyzed for life.
3. It was October 2007 in St. Louis, MO when Sara Speer arrived for work at the food factory where her estranged husband also worked. As the employer remotely opened the security fence to let her in, he then heard two shots. When he went outside to investigate, he found Ernest Speer smoking a cigarette who claimed that it was just back-fire from a truck. As her body and the weapon were later found at the workplace, the husband was convicted of her murder.

These three real-life cases of domestic violence escalating and culminating in violent incidents and death at work, are only a glimpse into the countless incidents and deaths occurring daily in workplaces in North America.

Employers

Protecting employees from harm is the foundation of every safety program and piece of safety legislation. Protecting employees from workplace violence must be part of your safety program. Further still, having a plan and program in place to help employees experiencing domestic violence should be, and in many cases must be, part of your safety program.

Employees

Notify your supervisor and/or HR if you are experiencing domestic abuse. Find out what programs they have in place to protect you and work together to put together a plan to keep you and others safe. If you have concerns for your privacy, job security, or other concerns, talk to your HR contact first. Remember, it is not your fault and you deserve to ask for and receive help.

Supervisor Response

How would you respond if one of your employees came to work with these bruises or other injuries? Does your organization have a policy and process in place for dealing with suspected and confirmed cases of domestic abuse?

The injuries taken on their own might be from an accident and have nothing to do with domestic violence – it can be hard to determine sometimes so it’s important to look for a pattern of signs and symptoms in addition to obvious physical injuries.

If an employee is in imminent danger or is requesting immediate assistance, call 911 and company security (if available) immediately. If an employee tells you that she (or he) is in an abusive relationship:

1. Communicate your concerns for the employee’s safety. Communicate that you are concerned for the safety of the employee’s children, if there are any.
2. Tell the employee that you believe her (or him) and that what is happening is wrong. No one deserves to be hurt. (The abuser may be blaming the victim by saying, “You made me do it, it’s your fault.”)
3. Tell the employee that the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help with counseling and safety planning, based on the wishes and needs of the employee. These services are free and confidential. If the employee chooses not to use the EAP, tell the employee that you are concerned for her (or his) safety and refer her (or him) to other community resources.
4. Be clear that your role is to try to help and not to judge. The employee needs to know that someone cares, will listen, and can help her (or him) find the right resources.
5. Managers can consult with the EAP, whose staff has expertise in counseling people who are living with domestic violence and can refer them to services.
6. Managers who are feeling confused or overwhelmed can discuss their concerns about the employee’s situation confidentially with the EAP. They can also consult with security staff if there is a concern about workplace safety, and with Human Resources regarding Earned Time or Paid Time Off, leaves, or performance issues. Do not discuss the employee’s situation with anyone else without permission from the employee.

Employee Response

Show this photo during a safety meeting or training on workplace violence/domestic violence in the workplace. Ask attendees:

• What would you do if this woman was a co-worker and she came to work with these bruises?
• What would you say to her?
  • If she insisted she was okay, just clumsy, and she tripped and fell last night would you stop there?
  • Would you be able to notice other warning signs of domestic abuse?

Use this image and the suggested questions as a training tool to open discussion about domestic violence in the workplace, available resources, policies and procedures, and support. Be sensitive to the fact that some members of the meeting may be dealing with an abusive partner or family member.

Share with employees the process for reporting their concerns if they suspect a co-worker is experiencing domestic violence and share what services are available to employees who are in an abusive relationship.

Talk with employees about what to say and what not to say to a co-worker who might be in an abusive situation.

Say…

• I believe you.
• You are not alone.
• I care about you, and I know hard it is to talk about this.
• You don’t deserve to be hurt, you’ve done nothing wrong, this is not your fault.
• What is happening is wrong.
• You know best what your partner may do.
• It’s always best to have a plan in place. I can give you a number to call for help and advice.
• How can I help you?

Avoid Saying…

• Why don’t you just leave?
• Why did you return to your partner? What did you do to provoke your partner?
• Why did you wait so long to tell someone?
• .. Don’t use labels (“You’re crazy to stay with your partner.”).
• Don’t tell the person what to do. Don’t discuss the person’s information with anyone else without her (or his) permission.

What’s at Stake?

There are four generally agreed upon categories of workplace violence. Once you know what the categories of violence are you and your employer can practice ways to protect you, co-workers, and the public from harm.

1. Type 1 Criminal Intent: Violent acts by people who enter the workplace to commit a robbery or other crime; or current or former employees who enter the workplace with the intent to commit a crime.
2. Type 2 Customer/Client/Patients: Violence directed at employees by customers, clients, patients, students, inmates or any others to whom the employer provides a service
3. Type 3 Co-worker: Violence against co-workers, supervisors or managers by a current or former employee, supervisor or manager.
4. Type 4 Personal: Violence in the workplace by someone who does not work there, but who is known to, or has a personal relationship with, an employee (such as a domestic partner).

What’s the Danger?

Consider these four real-life examples of workplace violence…

• Two masked men walked into a food mart, killed the 44-year-old male co-owner by shooting him several times with a handgun, ripped away the cash drawer, and fled from the scene.
• A 27-year-old mechanic in an autobody shop was fatally shot in the chest by a customer after they argued about repairs.
• An ongoing argument between two delivery truck loaders at a furniture company distribution warehouse ended abruptly as one pulled a gun and shot the other to death.
• A 24-year-old woman who worked in a grocery store was taken hostage at gunpoint and then shot to death with multiple shotgun blasts by her 20-year-old ex-boyfriend

How to Protect Yourself

Start by learning how to recognize, avoid, and diffuse potentially violent situations. This comes from training provided by your employer and other sources of information.

Type 1 Criminal Intent Prevention Strategies

1. Cash control and safe handling procedures for cash.
2. Use of security cameras and security signs
3. Carry only minimal money and required identification into community settings.
4. Limit public access inside – i.e. don’t leave backdoors open or unlocked.
5. Well-lit establishments – both inside and outside.
6. Training on robbery response; safety equipment (alarms, panic buttons, safety controls on a safe or cash register); conflict management/dealing with aggressive or drunk people.
7. Avoid traveling alone into unfamiliar locations or situations whenever possible.

Type 2 Customer/Client/Patients Prevention Strategies

1. Learn to pick up on behavioral cues preceding violence.
2. Learn violence de-escalation techniques and other related interpersonal and communication skills, new requirements (in healthcare) for patient seclusion and restraint, and proper restraint and take-down techniques

Type 3 Co-worker Prevention Strategies

1. Immediately report threatening, harassing, bullying, stalking, and other types of menacing behaviors or actions.
2. Look out for co-workers who are the target of these behaviors and actions; support them and encourage them to report it.

Type 4 Personal Violence Prevention Strategies

1. Read your organization’s policy
2. Be familiar with intimate partner violence – the observable traits and cues, and methods for discerning it in coworkers.
3. Communicate with your manager and HR if you are experiencing domestic violence or other type of threats or abuse by a family member or friend. Your employer should be privy to this information, along with any restraining orders or orders of protection you have out on someone

Final Word

Recognize the warning signs, take the right preventative measures, and communicate with your employer to keep you and others safe from workplace violence.

What’s at Stake?

Unexpected emergencies occur every day in many facilities, including laboratories, offices, and residential buildings. It might be a fire, flood, earthquake, shooting, tornado, or hazardous chemical spill. If you don’t know what to do during an emergency the odds increase that you or others around you will be injured or killed.

Today we’ll review what you should do in an emergency, so you’re prepared for the unexpected.

What’s the Danger?

• Emergencies we may encounter include:
• Severe weather, such as heavy wind, flooding, tornados, or hurricanes
• Utility outages
• Fires
• Explosions
• Widespread infection
• Hazardous materials
• Earthquakes
• Workplace violence
• Terrorism

Any of these examples can injure or kill you, but if you know what to do in an emergency you increase your odds of making it through the situation safely.

How to Protect Yourself

Confusion and uncertainty are typical obstacles in an emergency and they happen from not knowing or recalling how to react or not recognizing the potential for danger

Knowing and practicing what to do before an emergency occurs is a key step to protecting yourself and others around you. In addition to participating in emergency drills held by your employer, take some time to see how well you can answer the following questions.

WHO

• Who are the qualified first aid personnel for your facility?
• Who on your crew knows CPR?
• Who in your area is trained to clean up a chemical spill?

WHAT

• What factors determine when you evacuate and when you shelter-in-place? Fire and explosions are examples of when to evacuate. You may be told to shelter-in-place during an earthquake, severe weather, or radiological, biological, or chemical release.
• What are the emergency exit routes from your work area? There must be at least two – and more than two are required if the number of employees, size of the building, or how the workplace is arranged will not allow for safe evacuation.
• What phone numbers do you call for various emergency agencies?
• What is the physical address of your work location?
• What are your duties in an emergency?
• What should an emergency kit contain? Do you have one in your car or at work?

WHERE

• Where should you assemble outdoors if you must evacuate?
• Where should you shelter-in-place if necessary?
• Where is the first aid equipment located?
• Where are the nearest telephones in your work area?
• Where is the fire extinguisher located? Do you know how to use it? If not, where and how will you get training?
• Where are the safety showers and eyewash stations in this work area? Do you know how to operate them?
• Where are the SDSs (Safety Data Sheets) for the chemicals used in your work area?

HOW

• How do you activate the alarm for a fire? For any other kind of emergency?
• How do you contact the fire department or a facility fire brigade?
• How would you give directions to an ambulance or other emergency service to reach your area?

Final Word

How did you do? Do you feel you’re ready for an emergency? If not, talk with your supervisor, safety contact, or floor warden to clear up any questions you have. Remember, if you wait for an emergency to learn how to protect yourself, it’s likely already too late.

What’s at Stake?

Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO) are bacteria and other microorganisms that can lead to an infection developing that does not respond to wide range of antibiotics. If the organism does not die off when treated with antibiotics or antimicrobials, they are said to be ‘resistant’. This means that if a person has an infection caused by one of these bacteria, then they are harder to treat and the antibiotics that do work are expensive and often cause nasty side effects. Each year in the US 23,000 people die from infections caused by MDROs.

There are increasing numbers of MDROs worldwide, increasing the risk of people developing one of the infections. The most common are: MRSA – Methicillin/oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; VRE – Vancomycin-resistant enterococci; ESBLs – Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (which are resistant to cephalosporins and monobactams); PRSP – Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae; Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR) TB is covered in HealthCare Wide Hazards Tuberculosis.

Also, these organisms are adapting constantly and becoming resistant to even the newer antibiotics.

What’s the Danger?

MDROs are widespread within the community with many people being ‘carriers’ of the MDRO. This means an MDRO has ‘colonized’ in the person. The person has no symptoms but can pass the MDRO onto other people.

The organisms only cause a problem if they are passed onto someone who is at risk of developing an infection – immunocompromised due to conditions such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and renal disease, having invasive procedures such as surgery, dialysis or urinary catheters, or being very old and infirm.

Hazards

• Frequent hospital admissions or treatments.
• Severity of illness.
• Not being aware of being a carrier of an MDRO.
• Spreading the MDRO to others.

How to Protect Yourself

4 easy ways to keep yourself safe from MDROs

1. Treat all body fluids from patients as though they have an MDRO
   • MDROs are so prevalent in the community, the chances are someone in your care, a colleague, a family member or you, is a carrier.
2. Follow Standard Precautions during all care interactions
   • Be meticulous about the 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene.
   • Wear gloves if there is, or a risk of there being:
     • Blood;
     • Body fluids;
     • Secretions or excretion.
   • Use gowns, masks, or eye protection if there is a risk of splashing of contaminated liquid or body fluids e.g. :
     • Wound irrigation or catheter insertion.
     • Use all PPE once per care event.
   • Do not wear same PPE between patients.
   • Do not wear same PPE for different procedures even if with same patient.
     • MDRO may be in one site and not another e.g. in wound but not on skin.
   • Remind colleagues to wash hands and follow standard procedures if necessary.
   • Educate patients and their visitors about the need for hand hygiene.
3. Use Contact Precautions
   • If a patient:
     • Has a history of being colonized with target MDROs;
     • Is infected with target MDROs.
   • Place patient in a single room-or with a group of others with same MDRO.
   • Give any ‘out of room’ treatments at the end of the day so full clean down of the environment can occur e.g.
     • Treatment room.
     • Operating theater.
   • Ensure patient uses a separate toilet and bathroom that is cleaned frequently.
   • Educate family and friends on what they need to do.
4. Know your patients
   • Check patient records to check if they have MDRO history.
   • Treat hard to manage infections as MDROs until laboratory tests confirm otherwise.

Final Word

MDROs are a significant threat to the health and well-being of the population. If resistance to antibiotics continues, there is a chance that, what were once simple infections to treat, will now become life threatening as there is no treatment for them. Evidence from across the world

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