Proforma Safety Blog

Button Batteries Are Everywhere…Accessible to Children

Posted by proforma on April 30, 2011  |  No Comments

Batteries are becoming tinier, and more dangerous. A child that swallows a button battery can suffer chemical burns to his/her throat within two hours if the button becomes lodged. But children’s toys are required to have screw locked battery compartments to prevent
access, right? Right. But look around your home…remote controls, game controls, musical greeting cards, bathroom scales, hearing aids and watches have button batteries and are not required to meet those same requirements. Test your knowledge of button battery safety with this simple Consumer Product Safety Commission Quiz.

Safe Loading, Unloading When Using a Forklift

Posted by proforma on April 30, 2011  |  No Comments

forklift safety advisory.

When loading and unloading using a forklift, remember they behave differently when carrying a load!
- Do not overload the forklift
- Approach the load slowly & carefully
- Keep the mast in vertical position
- Space forks to distribute weight evenly
- Approach load & drop-off area at right angles
- After properly loaded, tilt mast back to stabilize the load
- Raise the load only enough to prevent dragging
- Position the mast vertically over the unloading spot
- Lower the load and reverse slowly, watch for rear swing, don’t drag the forks
- When unloading trailers - chock the wheels, set brakes and use jacks

Business Travel Has Health Risks, Says This Study

Posted by proforma on April 30, 2011  |  No Comments

With businesses becoming increasingly global, it seems more of our family and friends are traveling on business, with deleterious effects on their health. Those who travel extensively — 20 days per month — reported high rates of obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

A study recently published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine used data on more than 13,000 employees. As the amount of travel increased, so also did the rates of less than good health. Extensive travelers were 92 percent more likely to be obese, and 260 percent more likely to rate their health as fair to poor, compared to light travelers (one to six nights per month).

When An ‘Incredibly Good’ Deal Goes Bad

Posted by proforma on March 19, 2011  |  No Comments

When we’re purchasing electronics, appliances, toys, or other consumer items, we take for granted that the UL, ETL, CE or other “certification marks” are evidence that someone has tested the product and found it meets acceptable standards. These marks can be easily falsified, however, leading the uninformed and unaware to risk personal injury or loss. Welcome to the growing counterfeiting industry.

Not only consumer goods are faked; steel and electronic components, electrical parts and plumbing are just a few of the industrial applications being targeted. The major source of counterfeits is reputed to be China, but this is becoming a homegrown U.S. industry as well. In 2008, two Tomball, Texas residents pleaded guilty to selling substandard pipe couplings with a fake API monogram to oil and gas companies. (Read Hot Commodities on the ENG website.)

The implications for business extend beyond direct involvement in fraudulent manufacture; a compromised supply chain can introduce faulty components. The closer the supplier is to the end of the “supply chain,” the higher the liability. For example, installing a counterfeit product can result in your company being held liable for personal damages. (Read Counterfeits Can Kill.)

Underwriters Labs periodically issues Public Notices on counterfeit products that are being sold for consumer or industrial use that claim the UL certification. UL offers information to help with identifying counterfeit UL marks. Another registrar, Intertek Group, offers this informative brochure explaining the various certification marks and when they are used.

Fake designer clothing may not harm you, but a substandard power tool or electrical item can. In one tragic instance, a family traveling to Thailand bought an electrical cord locally for their son who had forgotten his Gameboy recharger. The faulty knockoff electrocuted the child. Recently Intertek warned consumers purchasing electrical goods online to be wary of counterfeits, citing examples of home appliances and laptop chargers without fuses that could result in fires.

When it comes to electronics, markets are awash in counterfeits with false marks. In some instances, the problem arises when the brand manufacturer doesn’t exercise appropriate process in choosing authorized manufacturing partners and unintentionally includes faulty components in its products.

In our eagerness to implement “green” programs to recycle tech products, we’ve created a new opportunity for counterfeiters who file off marks or other identifying information from components and send them back out into the market. Greenpeace estimates 50 -80 percent of the e-waste collected for recycling in the U.S. is exported to developing countries where lack of regulation is prevalent.

The U.S. and other countries have been pressuring countries like China to crack down on counterfeiters; China recently announced the arrest of 3,001 persons for counterfeiting medicines, electric appliances and mobile phones, some under the Nokia and Apple brand names.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has formed the Global Intellectual Property Center to address these thefts. A broad-based business coalition, the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP), now boasts 700 members.

The European Union (EU) is strengthening the CE mark (read details here) and is joining forces with the U.S. in launching a new website, the TransAtlantic IPR Portal, that will offer guidance to companies that want to conduct business in other countries.

As countries, governments and industry associations increase their efforts to combat counterfeiting, consumers are warned to avoid the obvious — if it looks incredibly cheap, it probably is counterfeit. (Caveat: counterfeiters are now selling their products at high prices to “fool” buyers into thinking they’re legitimate products.) If there’s no certification mark; if the mark is on the packaging only, or it’s lacking a bar code, avoid buying the item. Lack of contact information or appropriate documentation may also indicate a counterfeit. Beware of brokers; buy goods only from authorized dealers or brand owners. Many manufacturers are now using digital certificates and signatures to authenticate component parts.

Pinkies Down to Avoid RPIs

Posted by proforma on March 18, 2011  |  No Comments

A student group at Harvard has produced a very simple and effective tutorial that demonstrates finger and hand placement when typing to avoid repetitive strain injury (RPI). Among many useful points: don’t use one hand to perform key combinations, such as Shift + Letter, or Alt + Key. Keep your arms and hands warm. And keep those pinkies and thumbs down. Simple illustrations accompany their advice. Visit their site here.

SaferProducts.gov Offers Immediate Access to CPSC Safety Complaint Database

Posted by proforma on March 14, 2011  |  No Comments

Want to find out if a product you’re buying has any consumer complaints? The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has launched a safety complaints database at www.saferproducts.gov. Whereas in the past, safety complaints submitted to the CPSC were only accessible by request through the Freedom of Information Act, the new database system will make the requested information available immediately — including by smart phone. Consumers can log their own complaints, and manufacturers can respond to these complaints as well.

Before the Season Opens, Are Your Recreational Boaters Informed and Prepared?

Posted by proforma on March 9, 2011  |  No Comments

As warm weather is just around the corner, it’s time to think about the coming months of boating, swimming and other water-based activities. If you own a boat, every member of your family should be trained on safe boating and safety hazards associated with swimming, paddling, snorkeling, jetskiing or other water sport.

One of the best sites we’ve ever seen for kids is the National Safe Boating Council’s Sidekicks site. The volume of interactive, fun activities is impressive and useful. Another United States Coast Guard site offers several good videos here.

For adults, the Boating Safety Resource Center lists locations where boat owners can take courses.

The power of persistent advocacy is evident in the number of people who now buckle up when driving a car. We need to emphasize the same when boating. Depressingly, life jacket wear rates among all boaters (adults and youth) have been declining since 1999. Read the 2010 study for details.

We also need to be persistent in pursuing drunk boating. We haven’t been able to convince people that drinking and driving on the water is worse than on land, with nearly half of boating deaths involve alcohol. Read Drinking While Boating - Don’t Do It! You can support “dry” boating and obtain more information at Operation Dry Water’s Facebook site.

OSHA Releases Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Posted by proforma on March 1, 2011  |  No Comments

OSHA has released its new Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry, intended to clarify what kind of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) employers must provide free to workers, such as goggles, face shields, earplugs, earmuffs and respirators.

Heating Water at the Office: Do You Know Your Microwave?

Posted by proforma on February 25, 2011  |  No Comments

Can simply heating a cup of water in a microwave pose a hazard? Yes, when the water becomes superheated and boiling bubbles can’t form. Superheated water can “explode” due to the buildup of energy when the cup is moved, or a spoon of sugar, coffee, or other substance is poured in. Here are the facts:

Water can overheat above the boiling point when it cannot release thermal heat through the gas bubbles that would cool it. (How Everything Works) The situation becomes worse if the water is in a clean cup or glass container, because boiling can be hindered by the lack of “nucleation sites” to form the bubbles. (Richard Barton, New Scientist). Adding a soluble powder to the water can produce an explosion of steam bubbles.

The simple solution is to put something in the water such as a stirrer, a wooden spoon, or a tea bag. Don’t use water that has been already heated or sat out overnight. And avoid excessive time heating water in the microwave. Learn how long it takes to boil a liquid in your microwave, and don’t heat it to that point. Sounds simple enough, but we use microwaves in offices and public areas where we are not familiar with the heating capacity of the unit and may not have access to the manufacturer’s user manual. But even reading the manual may not help (“do not overheat liquids”).

Taking time to explain the potential for danger — and posting the recommended settings for heating water near your office microwave — can avoid unpleasant surprises. For additional information, see the FDA’s consumer advisory on microwaves.

Which Regulations Help Or Hinder?

Posted by proforma on February 3, 2011  |  No Comments

Do you have an opinion about government regulations hindering job growth? House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa wants to hear from you, and has launched this website where you can submit your thoughts.