What Is Health and Safety?

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We’re all busy these days, in many cases too busy to give every important task the time and attention it needs. Thankfully, technology has evolved to the point that it can manage many of these tasks for us. Not surprisingly, home security is following suit.

Many busy homeowners are finding automated home security to be an affordable, convenient, and effective way to protect their homes and families, just as someone seeking counseling may find e-therapy more convenient than in-person sessions. You know what home security looks like now, but watch for more of these emerging trends.

Self-Contained Security Systems

In the past, you had to go to different vendors for the locks on your doors, your alarm system, and your security camera. Today, companies like Honeywell and Interlogix are putting all those functions into one self-contained security solution.

This one centralized system leaves no area of your home unprotected. Lights and thermostats are programmed automatically to make your home comfortable and make intruders think twice about breaking in. Cameras and sensors are programmed to catch — and report — breaches as they happen. And, of course, many of these systems send alerts that speed up response time.

More Flexible Security Options

Not all homes are equal, but for a long time all home security options were. They identified certain noises or irregularities and were difficult or impossible to customize to your residence. Today’s systems have made security more personalized — and more effective.

If you want to leave the garage door open but lock the front door, you can do that.  Same thing with lights — you can turn on the living room lights at sunset and the porch lights at nightfall. You can even customize the sensors in your home so that indoor pets or contractors working on your home won’t trip the system by accident.

Security on the Go

Mobile devices have already enabled people to order lunch, find the nearest gym, pay a bill, and send important files from wherever they’re sitting or standing. Since mobile devices let people live life on the go, they’ve become great tools for keeping your home safe on the go as well.

A mobile app lets you adjust the settings on your lights or thermostat and check in on your home. It also alerts you when it detects a potential problem with your settings. This alert feature is especially useful in case the worst happens; if there’s a break-in or a fire, you’re notified immediately, as are the proper authorities.

People may be doing more things outside the home, but they still want to keep that home safe. Look for new security solutions that make it easier to protect yourself and your home without all the time, money, and worry.

Byline: Michelle is an aspiring writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.

There are lots of metal buildings these days. Everywhere you turn your head too you will see one or more of these buildings. What is not so clear, however, is how these buildings are put up and the implications they pose on steel builders.

Metal workers come up with these structures by installing and placing steel and iron columns, girders and a number of other constructive materials. However, due to the nature of their work, safety conditions are off the highest priority because metal workers are at the risk of suffering various kinds of injuries.

Types of Injury

Common injuries that metal workers are susceptible to include:
- Eye injuries
- Respiratory disease
- Concussions
- Dental injuries
- Amputees
- Fractures
- Burns
Other typical injuries include:
- Eye wounds
- Hearing loss
- Hand lacerations
- Injuries to soft tissue

How To Avoid These Injuries

Personal Protective Equipment

Commonly abbreviated as PPE, personal protective equipment is one of the many things that are required by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). The equipment has been designed to help employees reduce their exposure to various hazards to manageable levels. Employees have a right to decide whether they need PPE within the work environment or not. Those working in metal buildings invariably implement and carry out this practice.

Glasses and Gloves

As a metal worker, you have to wear protective gloves. These should be fitting and designed using the best materials. You should also protect your eyes using eye wear. Safety goggles and glasses are particularly useful in this case.

Safety Tips

OSHA recommends a number of safety tips that any metal worker should embrace before embarking on their job. These include:
- Wearing gloves anytime you need to move metal
- Using a brush to get rid of metal shavings
- Using sharp tools carefully while performing serious metal work

The Impact of Injuries in the Metal Work Industry

The cost and number of injuries experienced in the metal works industry has really increased over the past few years. Concerns over these continued injuries led to increased engagement by groups interested in the safety of people working in the metal manufacturing industry.

How to Reduce Injuries

Anyway, it has been noted that most of the injuries metal workers sustain are very preventable. Just ensure that you do some research on how injuries can be prevented. These tips you gather should then be followed to the latter and you will notice a considerable reduction in the risk that you will get injured while on the job.

Safety and Health Management Systems

Effective safety and health performance typically involves a lot. You need to have more than a management system and plan. In fact, it is important to get everyone involved and committed to safety in the work place. You should also inculcate practices and knowledge at each and every level before integrating safety and health in your daily behaviour.

Overall, remember that health and safety tips are very important for people while they are working on steel buildings. Always wear protective clothing, goggles and gloves. You should also ensure that you are very careful while working on these kinds of buildings. In the long run, you will be better placed to ward off these very avoidable injuries.

Are you sitting comfortably? Judging by the statistics it’s more than likely you aren’t. Around 9.3 million sick days were called in thanks to back pain and related afflictions in 2008/09 alone. But fear not, if you believe your work really is making you ill follow these simple tips on maintaining good health and safety in the workplace.

Combat RSI. Repetitive strain injury can occur in just about any workplace, from manual work to something as innocent as the everyday handling of a phone hand set. Any job that involves repetitive actions can lead to the pain, tenderness, stiffness and overall feeling of weakness that comes hand in hand with RSI. The most common muscles affected by RSI tend to be in the arms, back and neck, but simple steps like swapping the average mousepad for a wrist support or replacing a handset with a neck-friendly headset can all ease the tension.

Keep Posture Perfect. For those working behind a VDU sitting long hours in the same position comes with the territory, but often the way we are sat at work can start take its toll on our health. It’s so easy to start off upright and gradually slip into a slouched position as tiredness creeps in, and this can put a strain on not only the muscles, but the spinal structure itself.

When sitting at desk make sure the greater part of your back is resting against the chair and your back and shoulders as straight as possible. If you get regular neck or headaches, or can’t rest your feet firmly on the floor, it’s worth asking your employer for a risk assessment of your work station.

Take Breaks. If most of your work involves standing or sitting in the same position for long periods of time it’s important to take regular breaks to move around. Wherever possible take time out to stretch out your muscles. Taking the odd minute here and there may not seem like much, but it can help to ease the strain on the neck, back and leg muscles. Moving around is also a great way to boost the circulation, preventing the risk of deep vein thrombosis and tension headaches.

Deal with Heavy Lifting. Lifting incorrectly is a fast-track route to back and neck injuries at work. Often the only advice given is to lift from the legs, but by keeping your body straight, holding the bulk close to your body, making sure you head stays raised and, most importantly, know when you need an extra hand.

 

It’s ultimately the responsibility of your employer to make sure the workplace meets the safety regulations of the government body Health and Safety Executive, so if there’s any part of your workstation you feel isn’t up to the standards for any reason, it pays to suggest it to your employer.

This post was provided by Jim Farlow – a boardroom and reception office furniture designer from the UK.

Behavioural based safety is the process that often goes against traditional health and safety approaches but this does not mean that it should be implemented as an instead of, but as an as well.  Behavioural safety training is based on the assumption that most accidents in the work place are not a result of health and safety regulation violations, unsafe equipment or dangerous conditions, but instead caused by unsafe actions, risky behaviour and poor decisions.

By analysing the activities that lead to accidents a trained health and safety consultant can analyse the employee’s behaviours at the root cause of accidents. There could be a variety of factors that affect people’s behaviour including; not fully acknowledging their behaviours towards risks, being put under pressure to complete tasks to a deadline or not being accountable for their actions. Observation is a key part of behavioural safety, aimed at fully understanding how the people in an organisation carry out their processes in the real world rather than how guidelines tell them they should be operating. It is important to do this discreetly as the very act of observation can affect people’s behaviour. Another key indicator of trends in people’s behaviour can be found in the accident log book, accidents that occur most often in a particular area or around an activity is a good place to start an investigation. The process of observation should be data driven with metrics for a number of factors such as risk, frequency and ease of implementing remedial action being taken in to account.

Once the behaviours have been observed a well trained and experienced health and safety consultant will be able to understand why people behave the way they do towards health and safety. From this stand point a strategy for changing the safety culture can begin to be applied.

Throughout the behavioural safety training it should be kept in mind that for this approach to work, the management should be giving constructive feedback and positively reinforcing actions to staff, it is important to know that communication is the key to success. Staff should not feel that blame for accidents is being put on their behaviour, but should understand the health and safety of the entire workforce depends on the actions of the individual. By working together and tackling health and safety issues as a team, the culture towards health and safety can begin to be changed. The workplace culture is often the biggest factor in behaviours and attitudes in the work place. As we said at the start of this article behavioural safety should not be implemented as a one stop strategy. Ensuring a safe working environment is still vital but behavioural safety training should be considered as a useful tool in limiting accidents.

Vita Safety – Ian Hutchings, Managing Director

More information: www.vitasafety.com

Floor Mats are not just a way to improve the brand image of your office or workplace. They can actually serve quite a big health and safety function. Whether it’s reducing fatigue, preventing slips or stopping the transfer of static discharge, mats can play an important role in the health and safety of all employees.

Here we take a look at some of the mats available:-

Anti-Fatigue Mats

Anti-Fatigue mats are an important product for anyone who has to stand up for long periods of time. The body is not designed to stand still for long periods and is meant to be dynamic. This can have disastrous effects on the body and put pressure on the joints. The effects are even worse for those working in buildings or factories with hard floors. For example working on a concrete floor all day can often cause pain in the lower back and legs.

Anti-Fatigue floor mats work to alleviate this by allowing subtle movement of the leg and calf muscles. This in turn allows blood to flow easily back to the heart. This is called “dynamic ergonomics”. Anti-Fatigue mats are made of various materials including vinyl, rubber and PVC to name a few. These mats are usually found in plants and factories which often have concrete flooring, restaurants in food preparation areas and assembly line operations. They can often be combined with a safety matting function with bright yellow borders to help promote workplace safety.

Non-Slip Mats

As well as keeping the mat in one place, non-slip mats play a vital role in workplace safety. These are often placed in areas where being able to keep sure footed is paramount such as industrial and food preparation areas. They can also help to trap debris and moisture in the mat. These kinds of mats are extremely hard wearing.

Electrical Mats

Electrical matting is paramount to the safety of those working on live high voltage & low voltage switchboard apparatus. They should always be placed in areas where operators or maintenance staff are exposed to the risk of accidental electric shock. Electrical mats are made out of a special type of insulating rubber ranging in grade from 450 volt to the BS921 approved 650 volt grade. Placing electrical mats down conforms to BS EN 61111 2009 with regards to safe methods of work.

ESD & Grounding Mats

Static can be harmful to office equipment, especially computer equipment. When working on computer repairs and maintenance it is important the technician is properly grounded to stop the transference of static to computer chips, memory and the motherboard. ESD mats, matting and grounding mats help dissipate static.

In summary mats play an important part of keeping workers and employees safe.  Not only do they increase productivity and reduce the risk of injury but they are also known to increase employee morale too.

 

Author Bio

Neil Maycock writes articles for Floor Mats Direct

When shopping for your kitchen Appliances must choose safe kitchen Appliances. Smart house women always go for energy-efficient and safe kitchen appliances. When you purchase kitchen appliances for kitchen, you shouldn’t look for appliances at inexpensive prices but it must be safe.

Many manufacturers companies place indicators about the energy efficiency .This is a key factor to consider when purchasing these appliances for kitchen. This is very useful when you are going to buy refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Must Compare star or number ratings and choose from the most energy-efficient and safe ones for your beautiful kitchen.

Today’s modern kitchen combines technology, style, versatility and distinctive design to produce an inviting atmosphere that loves to cook and show your friends. Do not keep out-of-date appliance design for you kitchen but buy safe appliance.

The quality of the kitchen appliances is also significant as customers should always prefer high and best quality appliances for their kitchen to ensure high performance and complete safety to the users. Although expensive in price high quality kitchen appliances are worth their cost due to their long and sturdy performance and extreme durability. Instead of buying cheap and economical kitchen appliances with low performance and less durability it is always better to spend little more and opt for top quality appliances. It is never wise to compromise the quality of the appliances for the sake of money as kitchen appliances are regular used products that have to stand the toughest time to deliver smooth and consistent performance. Kitchen Appliances have become the vital need of modern kitchens. Most kitchens today include more than one cooking appliance. Some product of kitchen appliances are becoming more and more Energy Efficient, they are effective in reducing electricity bills.

Some guidelines for selecting the Perfect kitchen appliances for your kitchen:

• You can read different reviews or feedback given by the clients who have been using these appliances. Based on these views, you can make a decision of the best appliances. You can get information about the different appliances, its price and features on websites. You should also collect information about the latest products that have arrived in the market and its features.
• The most significant factors which are to be considered while selecting the appliances are cooking method, energy use, accessories and price. Think and prepare a list about the appliances that you wish to purchase for your kitchen. You should also collect detailed information about the products and its features.
• Apart from price, another important aspect to be considered while purchasing a kitchen appliance is to check whether it is energy efficient.
• You should also take into consideration style and color of the appliance. Select an appliance which would complement well with your kitchen’s color and style.
• Before buying an appliance, you must check whether it is functioning properly. Enquire about the product, its functions, and compare it with the other models which are available in the market and purchase the best among them. Evaluate the appliance on the basis of your requirements.
• Find out the advantages of buying the appliance over the others which are available in the outlet. You must know the information about the warranty of the product and select it on the basis of the length of the warranty period offered.

The kitchen can become so much more fun with all the new modern kitchen appliances. Ultimately, your choice of appliances depends on the financial plan. Avail Chefs Coupon to save maximum money while shopping online.

About Author:  I am Ava Little. Shopping is my hobby and I always save money with Online Coupons while shopping online.

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the US. Construction workers experience physical ailments such as pain in the neck, arms, shoulders, and hands, as well as backaches on a daily basis. The average cost per workers’ compensation claim in the construction industry is $9,240.

The wear and tear of the construction industry is taking its toll on construction workers everywhere. What’s the solution? Stop problems before they start.

By making small changes in the way construction workers perform on the construction site, injury numbers can go down. As a construction worker, you can use the following tips to work ergonomically and prevent strain and injury on the job:

Use the correct tools

Using the same tool over and over again for a number of tasks can place unnecessary strain on your hands, arms, shoulders, and back. For instance, if you use an electric drill for every task, your hand may soon feel numb because of the vibrations.

Even using tools like hammers, screwdrivers, and pliers repeatedly could leave you at risk for long-term carpal tunnel syndrome.

If at all possible, use lighter tools for smaller tasks that won’t require as much force or strain in the upper body.

Take care in heavy lifting

Construction workers are often educated about the proper way to lift heavy materials on the job. But then why are the majority of back problems not prevented on a construction site?

Change that now.

Make sure to always bend your knees when you lift instead of straining with your back. It also helps to place one foot in front of the other for balance and avoid turning or twisting from side to side, which will put unnecessary pressure on your lower back.

Take a seat

If you operate a forklift regularly, then you are in luck. Sitting down from time to time on the job will reduce strain on your ligaments and ease pressure placed on your lower back.

When working on other tasks, try to sit instead of squat, which will cause wear and tear on your knees over time. Using a stool for daily tasks could even make a difference in protecting your core, lower back, and knee joints.

Keep your arms in a neutral posture

If you find yourself flexing your wrist over and over again, this will greatly increase your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Try to keep your arms close to your body in a neutral position to reduce strain on your torso and back when working.

If you experience symptoms like swelling, pain, or tingling, it could signify an overuse injury. Make sure to alert your construction foreman so that you can rest that part of your body until fully recovered.

The above tips are simple enough to remember but easy to forget when you’re on a construction site. But construction workers must try in order to reduce the risk of injury. Most construction workers don’t give a second thought to how often they use certain parts of their body. Taking the time to rest, change tools, or sit will change your workday for the better.

About the author: Sylvia is an online writer who enjoys writing construction-related health articles to prevent injuries of all kinds, including truck forklift mishaps.

Mining of elements began very early, probably since the dawn of human civilization. The period of the Copper Age, then the Bronze Age and the Iron Age are all testimony to the endeavor of humans to dig into the earth and extract minerals as and when they required. Since then mining has undergone a sea change but the basic process has more or less remained the same.

There are basically two types of mining:

• Open-cast or surface mining
• Underground mining

Surface mining – in this type of mining the minerals or rocks that are to be mined are exposed at the surface or very close to the surface. To extract the materials, earlier the miners used to dig an open-pit on the surface and then dig out the materials. But nowadays, giant earthmovers remove the top soil and the rocks and the material is extracted.

There are many types of surface mining processes. They are:

Strip mining process – as the name suggests the surface of the earth is stripped. In this process the soil and rocks that lie above is removed generally by heavy machinery and then the material is extracted. This type is possible only when the targeted materials are relatively near the surface. The mineral generally extracted is coal or some kinds of sedimentary rocks.

Placer mining process – in this process alluvial deposits in sand or gravel are extracted. This process does not involve the usage of any sort of heavy materials and can be considered relatively easy when compared to others. Generally gold and other gemstones are mined in this process.

Mountain top process – this process involves blasting of the top of mountains expose the coal below it. This process is relatively new.

Hydraulic mining process – in this process high pressure water jets are used to dislodge rocks and minerals. During earlier times gold was found in an easier way by this method. However, this process has been discontinued due to environmental concerns.

Dredging process – it is the process of underwater excavation by deepening a water body. In this method sediments and other substances are removed from harbors, rivers and other water bodies and minerals are extracted.

Open pit process – the easiest and the cheapest way to mine materials that are close to the surface, large open holes are dug in the ground. Sometimes, explosives are used to get large blocks of rocks out of the way.

 

Regarding underground mining there are five processes. They are:

Slope mining process – a type of underground mining, slopes are made into the ground and the desired material is accessed. This is done when the minerals are located far enough and surface mining cannot be employed to reach it. Generally, coal is mined in this way.

Hard rock process – here tunnels deep in the ground are dug sometimes with dynamite or large drills. The tunnels are supported by pillars through which miners can move about. Tin, lead, copper, silver, gold etc are mined with this process. This is typically the mine that comes to our minds when we think of it.

Drift mining process – this process is carried out when the material is situated sideways of a mountain. The materials are easier to access and the mouth is made slightly lower than the resource area so as to allow gravity to pull down the materials easily. Generally, coal or iron ore is mined through this process.

Shaft process – the deepest form of underground mining, this is done by excavating a vertical passageway deep down. The materials to be extracted are situated deep inside and elevators are used to take the miners up and down. It is kept in mind that the tunnels are made airy for miners to work without any problems. Generally, coal is mined in this process.

Borehole process – using a drill a deep hole is dug and a high pressure water-jet is used to force the materials up the hole. Sand, galena, gold etc are mined by this process.

The mining processes are interesting and the advancement in machinery has brought revolutionary changes in the mining process and safety of the miners. Many more innovations are carried on in this field.

James Wattson is a mining engineer and writes informative articles about mining safety and procedure, how ever in these days he is also busy dealing with various health and safety projects and this also reflects in his recent articles about TAE40110 , Training and Assessment , how to manage traffic in site and many more.

There are a lot of courses these days that might interest you in taking up career in that profession. What is required is the right kind that will give you an edge over the others and prepare CV or résumé better than the others.

If you consider the course of Occupational Health and Safety, you will choose the right thing. OHS is all about maintaining and ensuring that health and safety conditions remain at workplace and that there is no illness or injury to the employees.

There are some points that need to be cleared before one should get into this course:

Who is this course for?

This course is for those who wish to work in an environment where there is a responsibility in maintaining health and safety concerns. This may also be ideal for those who wish to be employed as trainers, assessors, human resource practitioners, safety officers or work as an OHS officer.

What will one learn?

The course will cover wide ranging areas like:

• Identifying hazards
• Assessing and also controlling the risks
• Contributing to OHS in the place of work
• Managing and consulting on the issues of OH&S
• Building business relationships
• Developing teams and individuals
• A valuable qualification that could be used in a wide ranging new employment opportunities

What is the structure of the course?

The course is structured in a scientific and professional way. There are a total of 9 units that are to be covered on the whole:

• Contributing to a systematic approach to OHS
• Implementing OHS consultation
• Identifying hazards and assessing risks
• OHS risk control
• Emergency procedures
• Assisting compliance with OHS and other relevant laws
• Establishing networks
• Analysis of research information and presenting them
• Developing teams and individuals

The units that are to be studied are:

• BSBOHS402B The implementation of the OHS process is to be contributed
• BSBOHS401B  The implementation of a systematic approach to managing OHS is to be contributed
• BSBOHS407A A safe workplace is to be monitored
• BSBOHS403B Identification of the hazards and the assessment of the risks of OHS
• BSBOHA405B The implementation of the emergency procedures is to contributed
• BSBOHS404B The implementation of strategies to control OHS risk is to be contributed
• BSBCMM401A how to make presentation
• BSBOHS408A Assisting with compliance of OHS and relevant laws
• FNSPIM401A Planning and rehabilitating and returning to work and health strategies
• BSBOHS405B Contributing to implement emergency procedures

What happens after finishing this course?

After finishing this course you should be prepared in these circumstances:

• In systematically managing OHS you would be able to ensure legal compliance of OHS
• Making use of developed of processes and tools you would be able to identify hazards and risks
• Undertaking of basic accident analysis
• Regarding OHS risk controls you would be able to contribute to the implementation of it
• Be able to monitor effectively the various risk controls
• Ensure that people in the organization are informed about OHS and they have the opportunity effectively participate in the processes of OHS
• Making preparations, deliverance and reviewing a presentation to the audience that is targeted

So, all in all this course is for the professionals to make a difference to the safety of workplace environment.

Dan has been associated with health and safety field for several years, now he loves to share his experience through his article about Fire safety consultancy,Generic coal induction, health and safety courses and many more.

Contact lenses are one of the greatest medical inventions of the 20^th century. People wear contact lenses for several reasons. One of them is freedom from glasses which can mar the appearance of a person. In the last couple of years, there have been a number of advancements in technology for developing contact lens; the following are some of them.

Scleral and Limbal Lenses

Scleral and Limbal lenses are an alternative for hard lenses that were launched during the 1950s. These lenses last for a longer period when compared to soft lenses and are more durable. Scleral and Limbal lenses are prescribed for people who suffer from astigmatism or high myopia.

Although the lenses have a low tolerance and take some time to get used to in dusty environments, they offer outstanding visual sharpness. To retain eye health, the firm plastic of the lenses aids in the transmission of necessary gases and oxygen. Contact lenses with large diameters are one of the recent advancements in hard lenses. They are fast becoming a favorite when compared to the regular soft lenses, as they offer more comfort.

Multifocal Contact Lenses

Multifocal contact lenses are used by people for reading and distant vision problems. Presbyopia is a vision condition affecting people during old age where the simplest tasks such as reading a newspaper or telephone book can become a hassle. The condition can be treated only if it gets timely attention in the form of regular eye checkups.

Presbyopia can be corrected with contact lenses that are bi-focal or multifocal. These lenses are ideal as they will enable you to read newspapers and view objects at a distance. For this reason, multifocal lenses should be prescribed only by a qualified eye doctor. The prescription will have to be analyzed thoroughly so that you experience superior vision and comfort.

It will be difficult to adjust to the vision at first and will require a number of visits to the eye doctor. Some of the latest multifocal lenses are disposable and softer than regular contact lenses. Earlier, bi-focal lenses were expensive and could not be afforded by everyone. However, today, they are produced by a number of companies and are not as costly as before.

Corneal Refractive Therapy

Corneal Refractive Therapy is one of the latest advancements in contact lens technology. Also referred to as Ortho-K or Orthokeratology, this is a temporary solution to wearing glasses. Before you retire for the night, you can fit a special lens which can be removed when you wake up the next day.

Research has shown that patients can go up to 24 hours without using glasses or contacts when they use Ortho-K. However, this should not be recommended as a permanent solution for visual problems. These lenses solve the problem of changing your eye power prescription on an annual basis. In some cases, astigmatism and myopia have been significantly reversed with the help of Corneal Refractive Therapy. This is an alternative to other surgical methods such as LASIK to correct vision problems.

Lily is an expert associated with Next Optical, an online store for Glass Frames.The store has a huge collection of the latest high quality sunglasses, daily contact lenses and Designer Glasses