Safety managers are reporting increased focus on training and zero tolerance for incidents, with some companies enforcing more stringent policies that include a rule that every new driver must pass a training course, followed by a number of hours paired with an experienced driver. If an incident occurs, the worker is removed from forklift operations (possibly with a demotion) for retraining and retesting. If the problem persists, the individual is removed from forklift operations entirely. Critical is to establish clear rules, describe what happens when a rule is violated, communicate them repeatedly in writing and verbal form, document accurately and enforce your decisions.

» Employees are told that the event will benefit the business;
» The company paid costs for the event, including drinks;
» Travel expenses may be covered;
» Employees are encouraged to entertain clients and buy them drinks; and
» The employee leaves the event by himself, although there may be of impairment.

Epidemiologist Christine Friedenreich, who led the study, recommends getting up to walk every hour from your office chair; sending fewer emails and walking to your colleague’s office. Or simply standing up more. These and other interesting facts are available in the full article here.

Whether we believe we need a refresher on the basics of kitchen safety, a reminder about basic kitchen safety practices is always helpful.

He spent two weeks in Intensive Care, during which time he was at risk of having his foot amputated. His foot has been connected to a vacuum pump to remove dead tissue, and it is expected that he will recover, albeit after a long recovery.

When replacing your incandescent bulbs with the new CLFs, the current advice is to
– Keep them out of reach of children. Some experts say these bulbs may not be the best choice for certain parts of your home, such as children’s bedrooms.
– Take every precaution when removing the bulbs. Make sure they’re cool; seal them in a glass jar, and dispose of them at a recycling location that handles hazardless household wastes. (Earlier advice to seal in a plastic bag has been discarded in favor of glass, since researchers found the mercury can leach through the plastic.)
– Ventilate the area, keeping pets and people safely away. Elemental mercury quickly vaporizes and the primary risk is inhalation, which is more dangerous than if it came in contact with your skin. Time estimates vary, but some experts say the mercury takes about an hour to disperse. (Why not err on the safe side.)
– Do not vacuum broken bulb pieces, which will only scatter the mercury particles. Use disposable rubber gloves, damp paper towels and cardboard to pick up the pieces.
– Don’t pour mercury down the sink, or wash any items that have been in contact with the mercury.
– If the break occurs on carpeting or similar absorbent surfaces, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises “. . .[T]hese contaminated items should be thrown away . . . Only cut and remove the affected portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.” If you’re interested in reading more of EPA’s advice, click here.

The fatigued pilot had operational control at the time of the collision, and as a result of initiating a turn late in a mild bend of the canal, failed to correct the sheering motions that began to occur. The board found that this pilot was distracted from conducting a radio call, which the second pilot should have conducted in accordance with guidelines. For details, click here.