Safetydude's Safety Tip of the Week

Summertime Heat Safety

In the summer the combination of high heat and high humidity can be very dangerous.  Everyone should follow these basic heat safety tips in order to avoid heat exposure and possible death. Try especially hard to make sure that at risk individuals follow theses tips religiously

People at risk:

  • The elderly
  • People with chronic illnesses (such as diabetes, heart and respiratory conditions) or people unable to move or change position by themselves 
  • Infants and preschool children 
  • People who exercise vigorously or are involved in strenuous outdoor work for prolonged periods 
  • People taking certain medications, for example, for mental health conditions 
  • Homeless or marginally housed persons 


Prevention Tips:

  •  Drink lots of water and natural fruit juices even if you don’t feel very thirsty. Avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee and cola.
  •  During the hottest hours of the day, stay inside. If possible stay inside an air-conditioned building. The hottest hours of the day are typically from mid morning to mid afternoon 
  •  If you must go outside, stay in the shade as much as possible and plan to go out early in the morning or evening when it is cooler and smog levels may not be as high as in the afternoon. Wear a hat.
  •  Go to air conditioned or cool places such as shopping malls, libraries, community centres or a friend’s place. 
  •  People who live in homes with no air conditioning should keep blinds closed from morning until the late afternoon to block extra direct heat from sunlight. Also, stay on the lowest level of your home. 
  •  Wear loose fitting, light clothing.
  •  Dress lightly and when sleeping use lightweight breathable covers.  
  •  Keep lights off or turned down low.  
  •  Take a cool bath or shower periodically or cool down with cool, wet towels.  
  •  Avoid heavy meals and using your oven.  
  • Avoid intense or moderately intense physical activity.  
  • Never leave a child in a parked car or asleep in direct sunlight.  
  • Use a fan. Don’t place the fan directly in front of a window because it may push hot air in. Try placing the fan so that it blows in the room and out the window instead.  
  • Fans alone may not provide enough cooling when the temperature is high.  
  • Consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding the side effects of your medications.  
  • Move your exercise routine to early morning or later in the evening – even swimming.  
  • Never ever leave anyone in the car while you run to do a quick errand. Not a pet, not a child, not anyone. It’s never safe. Cars can become overheated quickly and when overheated become like ovens. People can succumb to heat exposure and death very quickly in a hot car.  
  • Help your elderly pal to get to know the neighbors – isolated elderly adults are at a much higher risk of heat related health problems and death.  
  • Provide on-going education to all elderly individuals. Go over topics such as heat exposure related symptoms and where to call for help.  

 

 Signs & Symptoms

Heat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot. With heat stroke, body organs start to overheat. They will stop working if they get hot enough. If it is not treated, heat stroke can result in death.

  For a Heat Stroke

 These signs and symptoms can occur suddenly with little warning:

  • Very high temperature (104ºF or higher).  
  • Hot, dry, red skin. No sweating.  
  • Deep breathing and fast pulse. Then shallow breathing and weak pulse.  
  • Confusion. Hallucinations.  
  • Convulsions.  
  • Loss of consciousness.

       

For Heat Exhaustion

  • Normal, low, or only slightly elevated body temperature.
  • Cool, clammy, pale skin. Sweating.
  • Dry mouth. Thirsty
  • Fatigue. Weakness. Feeling dizzy.
  • Headache.
  • Nausea. Vomiting can occur.
  • Muscle cramps.
  • Weak or rapid pulse.

 

    Friends and relatives can help someone with heat illness by doing the following:
  • Call for help
  • Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
  • Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly
  • Remove extra clothing from the person
  • Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning.
  • Give the person sips of cool water not ice cold water

A Brampton company that recycles metal, was fined $150,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed.

On June 9, 2009, at the company's Brampton scrap yard, a machine made for shredding metal was shut down for maintenance. The shredder had a dome lid that could be opened for access to its interior. The dome lid was opened using a hydraulic system and secured in place with a pin. After maintenance work on the shredder, one worker removed the pin while a second worker activated the hydraulic controls so that the lid could close. The first worker went away and some time later the second worker was found trapped in the shredder, between the dome lid and base.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that during the shredder's maintenance, there were no guards or devices in place to prevent access to the shredder's pinch point. Additionally, the company did not have a procedure to ensure that the shredder was clear of equipment and workers before its lid was closed.

The Company  pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the shredder was equipped with a guard or other device to prevent access to its pinch point.

Picture of the Week

Admit it !  You've done this before

Last week, I experienced technical issues with posting the Picture of the Week.  Received several emails asking what happened to the Picture.  So for those fans of the picture of the week.... Here is what was going to be posted last week.

One of the most important parts of safe lifting is to pre plan your lift, ensuring the the pathway you take is safe.  

Wonder how much pre-planning this team did?