Safety Currents Express

Click here to view this email in your browser. Safety Currents Express


	IN THIS ISSUE: · Carbon Monoxide: Looking at an Invisible Killer · OSHA Underreporting Injury Stats? · Scott's Corner · Coastal Launches March Madness Special! · Is Your First-Aid Know-How Up To Scratch? · Safety In A Big, Big World · Stress 102			March 4, 2008 Volume 6, Number 5

	CARBON MONOXIDE: LOOKING AT AN INVISIBLE KILLER Can you see the risks? It can’t be seen, touched, smelled or tasted. And it can kill in a matter of minutes, disrupting oxygen flow to vital body organs. It does so stealthily too, catching its victim unaware. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one sinister safety hazard. CO is a lethal gas, the byproduct of the incomplete burning of any natural gas or carbon-based material like gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal or wood. It also comes from cigarette smoke and vehicle fumes. CO threatens workers in or near internal combustion engines, boiler rooms, warehouses, petroleum refineries and blast furnaces. Steel, pulp-and-paper and confined-space personnel are also at risk, as well as taxi drivers, welders and garage mechanics. Farmers too, because of gasoline pressure washers. Everyone, actually, because of faulty and leaking heating systems. General guidelines can prevent CO poisoning: Keep the workplace well-ventilated. Install and maintain CO detector alarms. Avoid gas-powered equipment and use electrical devices. Test air quality regularly in high-risk areas, especially if there is work to be done there. Wear the proper PPE. Report CO poisoning symptoms: chest tightness, headache, fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness, vomiting, and confusion. Click here for more information.

	OSHA UNDERREPORTING INJURY STATS? An OHSA official reveals alleged anomalies A high-ranking OSHA official has claimed that the OSHA figures for workplace injuries are inaccurate due to underreporting. Bob Whitmore, chief of record-keeping requirements for OSHA, states that the true rate is actually two to three times higher than what is accounted for. Whitmore decided to come out and talk to the Charlotte Observer, saying that he wants to “hold people accountable for abusing workers.” He’s not authorized to speak for the company, and has risked his job in doing so. The situation wasn’t always like this, Whitmore says. When he started heading the record-keeping system in 1988, OSHA was strict about injury reports and fined companies who doctored the stats. Today, he says that the agency holds fewer inspections and issues fewer penalties. As a result, “the government has no clear picture of the hazards” in some of America’s most dangerous manufacturers.” A prominent manufacturer's group, National Association of Manufacturers, has disputed Whitmore’s allegations. Underreporting is rare and the stats are on the mark, says the group’s spokesperson, Hank Cox. Meanwhile, OSHA officials claim that the agency does check for underreporting cases but rarely finds any. See the actual story in the Charlotte Observer website.

	SCOTT'S CORNER Thinking safe behavior Thinking is self-talk or internal verbal behavior. I advise my audiences to tell themselves what they are doing when they are performing a safety-related behavior. For the safety-belt example, I recommend self-talk that acknowledges the behavior – "I'm buckling up for safety." When safe behavior is accomplished for positive consequences, it is beneficial to also verbalize the rationale for the behavior. What are your personal reasons for choosing safe behavior? For safety-belt use, you might say to yourself, "I'm buckling up to do the right thing for safety – to be a competent driver" or "I'm buckling up to set the safe example for other passengers in my vehicle, and for anyone else who might see me driving." It's possible, however, your safe behavior is not self-directed, but other-directed. In other words, you might be working safely because someone other than yourself is holding you accountable. For example, some might buckle up to avoid a fine, as suggested by the popular U.S. slogan: “Click it or ticket.” If your safe behavior is the other-directed, your self-talk should not include those external controls influencing your behavior. Until you can give a self-directed rationale, you should only tell yourself you are performing the behavior. Forget the external, other-directed reasons for your safe behavior. From the book, Leading People-Based Safety: Enriching Your Culture.			Click here or call 888-201-1150 to learn more about the next evolution in safety... People-Based Safety™. Click here to visit the People-Based Safety™ blog!

	COASTAL LAUNCHES MARCH MADNESS SPECIAL! Save up to 40% on DVDs, videos and CD-ROMs From now until 3/31/07, score big with Coastal's March Madness Special: 2-POINTER Purchase 4-10 DVDs or videos — only $295* each! Or, CD-ROMs — only $495 each! 3-POINTER Purchase 11-20 DVDs or videos — only $275 each! Or, CD-ROMs — only $475 each! SLAM DUNK Purchase 21+ DVDs or videos — only $250 each! Or, CD-ROMs — only $450 each! There's no limit to how much you can save! Click here or contact your account manager at 1-888-574-8531 for more information or to order. Offer expires 3/31/07. BONUS OFFER Order three 7-day FREE previews by 3/14/08 and get a "No Distracted Driving", long-sleeved t-shirt FREE! *Coastal's March Madness Special applies to Coastal-produced Safety & Environmental programs only. It is not valid on previous purchases or the purchase of People-Based Safety™ products. Limit one per customer.			Order three 7-day FREE previews by 3/14/08 and get a "No Distracted Driving", long-sleeved t-shirt FREE!

	IS YOUR FIRST-AID KNOW-HOW UP TO SCRATCH? The NSC on the basics of First-Aid delivery The National Safety Council has come up with a list of must-haves in a first-aid kit. Everyone ought to have ALL these supplies at home, in the car, and in the office. First aid manual Emergency telephone numbers List of allergies and medications for each family member Antibiotic ointment Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin Bandages and gauze of assorted sizes and roller gauze bandages CPR barrier devices Medical exam gloves Elastic wraps Adhesive tape Cold packs for icing injuries Thermometer, tweezers and small scissors The NSC has also laid down other first-aid guidelines in its Frequently-Asked Questions-About-First-Aid page of its website: www.nsc.org/issues/firstaid/firstaidfaq.htm It contains general tips on when to and not to call an ambulance and offers practical advice to deal with, treat or cure various emergency situations: choking, poisoning, cuts, bruises, and burns. The page also lists first-aid precautions, outlines the three steps in administering CPR and provides NSC info on further CPR training.

	SAFETY IN A BIG, BIG WORLD What are the global issues in workplace safety and health? “The global business environment changes on a daily basis,” says Kathy Seabrook CSP, RSP, CMIOSH, and SH&E professionals must grasp the “big picture,” if they are to have more impact on their organizations. And they can do that if they understand global trends on workplace health and safety, which Seabrook has identified in her ASSE website article. First is the need for pandemic preparedness. Diseases like bird flu can spread worldwide and affect organizations’ global network of clients, suppliers and customers. Accordingly, organizations must follow WHO guidelines to contain these risks. Second is the global ripple effect of safety incidents. For example, a Rotterdam company lost its market share because of a distribution depot explosion. In light of such situations, SH&E personnel are now informing management of the global safety risks, the guidelines for which are incorporated in annual sustainability or corporate responsibility reports, like those of Nike and Microsoft. Third are the safety issues due to new technologies and work set-ups like global travel, nightshifts and work-at-home employees. Fourth is the worldwide collaboration of safety initiatives. Various countries are now creating a platform for global research-sharing. For more detailed information on these and other trends, click here

	STRESS 102 Stress management may have just taken a new turn. In www.courant.com, Mildred Culp has listed several ways to cope with stressed colleagues to help keep them productive. Here are the key points of Culp’s article: Don’t pass judgment. Be factual and stick to comments on behavior, effect and solutions. Intervene if your colleague can’t handle the demands of the job. Offer help, but explain your objectives. Make sure your advice is sought, however. Be understanding, but never let your colleague just vent. Focus on solutions and open up the discussion with: “'I am so tired from all of this work that I haven't had time to have any fun. Do you feel the same way I do?” Anticipate a stressed co-worker’s actions with “does this mean that you're going to...?" You never know. A colleague might snap and do something nasty. Talk about other things like hobbies and current events. Expand a colleague’s social network if he’s not the gregarious type. Never presume to understand, criticize, belittle, say “suck it up,” or comment on job performance. Click here to read the full story.

Volume 6, Number 5 | © 2008 Coastal Training Technologies Corp.
500 Studio Drive | Virginia Beach, VA 23452 | 888-574-8531 | www.coastal.com

For FREE online previews visit www.coastal.com. To have your FREE 7-day previews shipped directly to your facility, simply call 888-574-8531 or email sales@coastal.com. Please be sure to give your name, facility name, address and phone number.

Please note: Safety Currents Express is a complimentary bimonthly newsletter updating you on the latest trends, news and information. All issues may be forwarded in their entirety via e-mail. Materials in this issue may only be reprinted with permission.

Click here to visit our Safety Training blog!

This email was sent to %%email%% because of your business relationship with Coastal Safety and Environmental.
Privacy Policy
Coastal does not sell or rent your email address to third parties. View our privacy policy here.
Forward to a Friend
Forward this email to a friend or colleague.
Subscribe
Did you receive this email from a friend? Click here to subscribe to Safety Currents Express.
Update Preferences or Change Email Format
Click here to modify your email preferences or opt out of a specific Coastal email list.
Unsubscribe
Click here to be removed from all email updates from Coastal Training Technologies.