Blog - May 2015 Archives

Burns are a common injury in many workplaces that often occur simply from not wearing proper personal protective equipment. Each job comes along with specific risks, and may endanger workers with possible friction, heat, radiation, chemical or electrical burns. Below are several examples of possible workplace burn scenarios, as well as tips for what first aid measures should be taken:

During the summer season, people like to go swimming. If your facility offers a pool or other form of water recreation - such as a water park or hot tub - it is important you have the tools in place to keep your patrons safe.

When looking at water recreation safety, there are a few common incidents to prepare for.

Summer activities are ramping up and all of us here at MFASCO Health & Safety want you to be prepared for every adventure.  That is why we have created some helpful articles and videos that will educate, inform and remind all of us about some of the potential health & safety concerns you should prepare for this summer including:  

When the warm weather arrives so do the bugs. All kinds of insects are seeking food and we are included in their daily buffet. While we can’t prevent getting bitten or stung, we can take steps to reduce the potential for bites.  When we do get bit or stung by a bug, we should attend to them properly. Take a look at these top tips to prevent and treat bug bites.

A U.S. Department of Labor news release announced on May 1, 2015, that the organization has released a final rule creating new safety standards for construction workers in confined spaces. The announcement notes that confined spaces such as manholes, tanks and crawl spaces present life-threatening hazards. Asphyxiation is one common threat in such environments, and often cause not only a danger to the person working in a confined space, but also co-workers who are first to respond. These fatalities can be avoided by conducting thorough hazard assessments, providing appropriate personal protective equipment and following the updated rule regarding confined spaces. 

Whether you're a teacher hosting an outdoor activity during the final days of the school year or a camp counselor leading an all-day nature hike, preventing heat-related medical problems is crucial on hot summer days. These conditions include sunburn, heatstroke, dehydration, heat cramps and heat exhaustion, all of which can be dangerous if not properly addressed. When you're in charge of a group of kids, preparing for the torrid summer heat is imperative to health and safety.

Running a summer camp means taking responsibility for the health and safety of a large group of children. Combine kids' unpredictable behavior with the great outdoors and the act of preparing for all possible emergencies might seem daunting. There are ways to ensure a camp is ready to take responsibility for its campers.

As the summer temperatures rise, everyone should know the answer to the question, “What is heat illness”.  Our lives and health depend on it.  We have all been stuck in the heat at one time or another. Most of the time it is an inconvenience but if caught off guard, that inconvenience could be a life threatening occurrence. 

When a person's heart begins to beat in an uncoordinated manner, nothing can help except an electrical shock to bring the heart back into normal rhythm. This event is called Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and it happens to about a quarter of a million people every year. Workplace electrocution, low oxygen, overexertion and other factors can trigger SCA. OSHA says that "All worksites are potential candidates for AED programs.." In our five part series on workplace first-aid, this third article talks about AED's (Automated External Defibrillators) and their roll in the workplace.