JULY-2015 Topic 17 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

TEST BEFORE YOU TOUCH

Electrical hazards on the job can be avoided by following approved NFPA 70E and OSHA guidelines.
Attention to safety is the important first step to an effective safety program.
Skilled employees, trained in electrical safety procedures, should make sure they understand and follow
safety precautions. Those not trained to recognize and avoid electrical hazards, or not under the
supervision of those qualified in electrical safety procedures, should avoid contact with electrical
equipment and systems.
Understand the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and the hazards involved.
Identify all possible energy sources that could pose on-the-job hazards.
Know safety requirements and follow them.
Calculate the energy potential.
Select the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Remember, PPE must be worn until the
electrical system is in a safe condition.
Complete a detailed job plan and communicate it to all coworkers.
Before working on or around electrical systems or equipment, identify the load circuits and disconnect.
Remember, in some cases, turning power off may cause other hazards. Such hazards and additional
guidance should be addressed in your work plan.
Use lock-out/tag-out procedures.
Verify that the equipment or system has been de-energized by testing.
Make sure your test equipment is working, both before and after you use it.
If at any time the job becomes more hazardous than anticipated, stop and revise the plans.
Above all, never assume that the equipment or system is de-energized. Remember to always TEST BEFORE
YOU TOUCH.

JULY-2015 Topic 18 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

ANGER: JUST ONE LETTER SHORT OF DANGER

If you have angry workers in your department or you yourself are angry, you may end up reporting more
injuries on the job. A recent study by the Annals of Family Medicine found that high levels of anger
increase the risk of injury. Angry people are more likely to sustain injuries serious enough to require
emergency medical care, and the risk is higher for men than women.
The study, in the Annals of Family Medicine, found that nearly 32% of all the patients reported being
irritable just before they were injured, 18% reported being angry and 13% reported being hostile.
Anger more than quadrupled a person's odds of being injured, while being hostile increased those odds
sixfold. For men, Vinson says, the link was particularly clear. Another study that followed 100 drivers for
two weeks linked episodes of anger with "near accidents". Two additional studies found that angry people
were more likely to have car crashes or sustain football injuries.
There is little doubt that anger can be a contributing factor in workplace injuries, but what do you do about
it? Here are some tips:
Consciously determine to be calm. Don't react, think! Remember your goals and respond appropriately.
Choose to remain calm!
Communicate. When someone upsets you, tell them. Calmly talk to them about how you feel about their
words or actions. Learn to express yourself better -- clear and composed. Choose to!
Remove yourself. Get away from the scene until you can respond without anger. Your success will not
happen overnight. Take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Remember to relax. Relaxation exercises
or music can be helpful. Keep in mind you can reach out to someone you trust for help. Choose to!
Frequently take time for yourself. Do something you enjoy like walking in the park, swimming, reading the
Bible, or seeing a feel-good movie. Do something nice for someone you admire. It's okay to feel good
about yourself. Choose to!
Look for the positives. Don't dwell on the negatives. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Don't worry about
things that are out of your personal control. This is difficult, but an attitute and behavior that can be
learned.

JULY-2015 Topic 19 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

FLU
Influenza or "The Flu" is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. In
2009-2010, a new and very different flu virus (called 2009 H1N1) spread worldwide causing the first flu
pandemic in more than 40 years. Flu is unpredictable, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) expects the 2009 H1N1 virus to spread this upcoming season along with other seasonal flu viruses.
The CDC urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza:
Take time to get a flu vaccine.
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine protects against the viruses that research
suggests will be most common.
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the seasonal vaccine
is available.
People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with
chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk
people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated.
People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.
Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based
hand rub.* This is especially important after you go out in public and do things such as:
Touch shopping carts
Touch staircase hand rails
Shake hands
Utilize common areas or items such as restrooms or hand tools.
Wash your hands or utilize hand sanitizer before and after eating or smoking.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

JULY-2015 Topic 20 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA

Frostbite and hypothermia are cold-related emergencies that may quickly become life or limb threatening.
Signals of frostbite include
lack of feeling in the affected area;
skin that appears waxy, is cold to the touch, or is discolored (flushed, white or gray, yellow or blue).
What to do for frostbite
1.Move the person to a warm place.
2.Handle the area gently; never rub the affected area.
3.Warm gently by soaking the affected area in warm water (100105 degrees F) until it appears red and
feels warm.
4.Loosely bandage the area with dry, sterile dressings.
5.If the persons fingers or toes are frostbitten, place dry, sterile gauze between them to keep them
separated.
6.Avoid breaking any blisters.
7.Do not allow the affected area to refreeze.
8.Seek professional medical care as soon as possible.
Hypothermia is another cold-related emergencies. Hypothermia may quickly become life threatening.
Hypothermia is caused by the cooling of the body caused by the failure of the bodys warming system. The
goals of first aid are to restore normal body temperature and to care for any conditions while waiting for
emergency personnel.
Signals of hypothermia include
shivering
numbness
glassy stare
apathy
weakness
impaired judgment
loss of consciousness.
What to do for hypothermia
1.CALL the local emergency number.
2.Gently move the person to a warm place.
3.Monitor breathing and circulation.
4.Give rescue breathing and CPR if needed.
5.Remove any wet clothing and dry the person.
6.Warm the person slowly by wrapping in blankets or by putting dry clothing on the person. Hot water
bottles and chemical hot packs may be used when first wrapped in a towel or blanket before applying. Do
not warm the person too quickly, such as by immersing him or her in warm water. Rapid warming may
cause dangerous heart arrhythmias. Warm the core first (trunk, abdomen), not the extremities (hands,
feet). This is important to mention because most people will try to warm hands and feet first and that can
cause shock

JULY-2015 Topic 21 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

HOW TO USE EMERGENCY EYE WASH

THE FIRST 10 SECONDS ARE CRITICAL:
Toxic Substances, when coming in contact with the eye, immediately begin to damage sensitive eye tissue.
The longer they remain in contact, the greater the damage to the eye. Besides tissue damage, acids and
alkali can change the pH in the eye itself. When the pH of the eye begins to get out of the narrow tolerable
range, severe eye damage, including blindness, may result. Therefore, it is imperative to begin flushing as
quickly as possible after the eye comes in contact with a harmful substance.
When irritating or corrosive foreign substances get into the eye, the eyelids involuntarily clamp shut.
Therefore, the person requiring the use of an eyewash device frequently needs assistance to find his/her
way to the device.
This is best accomplished by two persons, each taking an arm of the injured person, and quickly leading
him/her to the nearest eyewash device. The helpers then activate the eyewash device and position the
water stream so that the injured person can flush the eye from the inside corner to the outside corner.
It is important to remember this so that the harmful substance is not flushed into the other eye. As
mentioned before, since eyelids involuntary clamp shut when irritated, the victim can use his hands to hold
open the eyelids to allow emergency eye flushing. ANSI guidelines suggest a full 15 minutes of flushing
before seeking further medical help.
PREVENTION IS THE KEY TO EYE SAFETY It must be remembered that the first line of defense against toxic chemicals and eye irritants is proper eye
and face protection coupled with proper handling techniques. Ensure you are wearing goggles when
handling liquid chemicals that can splash up on you and a face shield when changing batteries or propane
for forklifts.

JULY-2015 Topic 22 of 31

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

PROPER FIT OF HEARING PROTECTION - NRR

Most of us take our sense of hearing for granted-we assume that we hear what everyone else hears. Loss
of hearing may not be realized until a friend or spouse screams in frustration, "Why don't you ever listen to
me!!" This is because hearing loss is usually gradual. Normally, it doesn't hurt, so we don't know it's
happening
Yet our ability to hear when we want to is precious and must be protected.
The critical sound level when hearing protection should be worn is 85 decibels (dBA), established for an 8hour time weighted average. The louder and longer your exposure, whether at work, at home, or during
recreation, the more likely your hearing will be damaged. If you want to have a sense of "how loud is
loud," the following examples, along with their decibel rating, will give you an idea:
Decibels
30-40 quiet pleasant sounds, a bird chirping
40-50 quiet to normal office sounds
50-60 normal conversation
70-90 heavy machinery, electric motors, garbage disposal, city traffic
100-120 jack hammer, power saw, motorcycle, lawn mower, rock music
140+ nearly jet engine, gun shot (this level causes pain)
Many disposable or reusable plugs are available and reduce noise by about 30-33 decibels. This is the
Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) you see on the box. However, since the NRR is established in a laboratory
with perfectly fitted plugs, experts recommend that the true rating is generally about 7 decibels less than
indicated. Hearing protectors of the ear muff type are usually closer to the actual NRR.
The key to effectively protecting your hearing is to properly wear your ear protection. Too often earplugs
are seen just barely pushed in. Ensure you wear you earplugs as they were intended. Roll up the foam
plugs and make sure you insert them all the way in your ear canal. Its for your hearing . . . and your
protection.