School has started, fall is here and winter is just around the corner. Now is a great time to take a look at your families disaster/emergency preparedness. While a natural or man-made disaster can strike at any time, winter storms happen every year, but continue to catch many of us off guard and unprepared. If our households and families have supplies and a plan in place, it doesn't matter how an emergency situation happens - you will be prepared.
This is a big list. If you haven't already started, it may seem daunting at first. But it's important and it's for you and your families' safety, so make the commitment to start checking items off the list. If you tackle a couple of these each week you can be sure that your family is prepared before the first snowflake falls.
1. Do you believe the community you live in is relatively well prepared for a disaster?
Not the government emergency agencies or responders people tend to rely on but: Neighbors / People you work with
2. Do you believe the members of your household are relatively well prepared for a disaster?
3. Have you discussed disaster preparedness with members of your household?
All possibilities: fire, flood, volcano, winter storms, power outage, security, etc….
4. Do you have a 72 hour disaster supplies kit?
Food, water, clothing, important documents and other things you would need if an evacuation order was issued. Consider adding other items that may provide comfort (small toy or soft cloth) or even entertainment (travel game or deck of cards). With only seconds available to take with you – is all of this located in a single place in your house? Government Officials provide building inspections & may sign the building “UNSAFE - DO NOT ENTER.” You may never be able to re-enter your home if deemed unsafe by government officials and enforced by government officials.
5. Do you have at least the minimum disaster supplies on hand to sustain each member of your household for 72 hours?
One gallon of water per person per day, battery operated radio and flashlights, extra batteries, first aid kit.
6. Do you have a 72 hour disaster kit for each car?
Will the kit support all individuals who normally ride in the vehicle? Food, water, clothing, etc. for 3 days?
7. Are all members of your household current in first aid and CPR?
Current within the last 12 months?
8. Do you have operational smoke detectors on every level of your residence, in particular outside bedrooms and have they been tested and cleaned within the last six months?
Ports on smoke detectors collect household dust and render them inoperable - 33% of smoke detectors across America do not work right now.
9. Do you have a charged ABC type Fire Extinguisher in the home and has every member of your household been trained to use it?
Call 9-1-1. Decision – Will the extinguisher make a difference? Approach & PASS - Pull pin, Aim nozzle at base of flames, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side.
10. Does everyone in your household, old enough to do so, know how to safely turn off all utilities?
Gas, Water, Electricity
11. Have you safeguarded your most important records from fire and water?
Is it water proof? Consider a bank safety deposit box.
12. Have the members of your household discussed where to meet outside the home in the following situations?
If there is a fire? If you cannot return home following a wide scale disaster, have reasonable locations for both inside and outside the community been identified?
13. Have members of your household practiced a fire drill within the past year?
Upstairs bedroom window, escape ladder, gathering point, notification method
14. Do you have an out of area phone contact?
Present day phone systems actually make long distance more reliable. Contact should be at least between west and east sides of the Cascade mountain range and preferably in another state. Agreement in advance to contact another person out of state to check in– this may take several calls however - is a great method to communicate with loved ones.
Pay telephone systems have numerous contact points and backup systems making landlines more survivable and reliable than cell phones or even home phones during emergencies.
15. Do you have a local disaster buddy?
Preplan a neighbor or relative that you can make an agreement with. Figure out in advance what actions will be taken for: children, elderly persons, pets, etc.
During an emergency, people are often quick to respond to needs of their neighbors … Preplanning and agreements make this response organized and anticipated.
16. For those of you with school age children or grandchildren, do you know if their school or child care center has a disaster plan, and do you know what the plan says?
It is a dangerous assumption to believe there is a plan in place. Review the school handbook or call the school administrator and ask if there an emergency or disaster response plan in place? Will the teachers stay beyond contract hours if you can’t get there for 2 or 3 days? Will bus drivers just drop off children at normal stops, or is there a method in place to assure children will be protected?
17. Is there a good reason why you should not take action on the first sixteen questions?
18. Would you like to see a neighborhood disaster preparedness program started in your neighborhood?
Many communities have programs in place. If not, telephone local Emergency Managers to encourage, expect, require that community preparedness programs are established.
How are you preparing? Are there considerations that should be added to this list? Share your thoughts and comments.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
So, What are you doing tomorrow or on Thursday?
Important Reminder...
The Washington State's 58th Annual Governor's Industrial Safety & Health Conference starts tomorrow in Tacoma at the Convention & Trade Center.
Evergreen is excited to be involved in this Conference in a variety of capacities.
We will be hosting a vendor booth featuring our brand new display, great information on our various training programs, and lots of fun give away prizes - come meet our instructors.
New to the conference this year, ESC's certified instructors will be providing Sidecar and Trike Demonstrations during both days of the conference.
Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, will be a featured panelist during the Natural Gas Industry Session discussing Ladders and Scaffolding.
Eric Tofte, Director of Training & Consultation, session Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Complacency Can Kill will cover safety around mobile equipment during the Mining, Tunneling and Aggregate Industry Session.
As their ad says...Safety & Health: Together, We Make It Happen. Attend one of the largest safety & health conferences in the nation...featuring dozens of workshops, the latest technology and product exhibits...something for every business, including yours!
Share your comments: Do you plan to attend the conference this year? Have you attended in the past? What aspect of the conference is most valuable to you?
The Washington State's 58th Annual Governor's Industrial Safety & Health Conference starts tomorrow in Tacoma at the Convention & Trade Center.
Evergreen is excited to be involved in this Conference in a variety of capacities.
We will be hosting a vendor booth featuring our brand new display, great information on our various training programs, and lots of fun give away prizes - come meet our instructors.
New to the conference this year, ESC's certified instructors will be providing Sidecar and Trike Demonstrations during both days of the conference.
Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, will be a featured panelist during the Natural Gas Industry Session discussing Ladders and Scaffolding.
Eric Tofte, Director of Training & Consultation, session Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Complacency Can Kill will cover safety around mobile equipment during the Mining, Tunneling and Aggregate Industry Session.
As their ad says...Safety & Health: Together, We Make It Happen. Attend one of the largest safety & health conferences in the nation...featuring dozens of workshops, the latest technology and product exhibits...something for every business, including yours!
Share your comments: Do you plan to attend the conference this year? Have you attended in the past? What aspect of the conference is most valuable to you?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Safety & Health Solutions Newsletter - November Edition
Evergreen Safety Council produces a monthly newsletter covering a variety of safety topics. Each month we will provide a link here to the online PDF.
If you would prefer to sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail, please click here. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.
If you would prefer to sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail, please click here. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Scenario-Based Training
More and more, contractors are recognizing the value of scenario-based training. We’re talking hands-on training, using actual tools, equipment, and work sites. Experienced workers get to show off their knowledge in demonstrations to the trainees, who in turn participate in their own training.
“Hands-on training is by far the most effective form of training,” says Rick McCourt, safety and compliance director at Sukut Construction Inc. in Santa Ana, CA. Since McCourt took his post at Sukut, a large grading contractor, his training and incentive programs have helped reduce injuries by 50%. “We’ve had a consistent downward trend in accident frequency and severity,” says McCourt.
“We’ve been doing scenario-based training for eight years,” says Creamer’s Construction Safety Director Lucky Abernathy. “We involve the trainees in the training. We’ll have four guys rig the trench box, and then we show guys how to signal the excavator operator. Or we’ll have a crew put wooden shoring together and shore an excavation.
“We try to break it down into smaller groups,” he adds. “That way the employees who don’t get a chance to participate get to watch their peers work.” Creamer uses scenario-based training for trenching and shoring, traffic controls, defensive driving, confined-space training, fall protection, and small-tool safety.
At Sukut, McCourt says it’s important for contractors to know that mass grading is really an excavation activity. Mass grading should receive the same respect—with regard to hazards and safety—that is accorded to trenching. “That’s a point a lot of people miss,” says McCourt.
Sukut recently held a three-station safety-training course. In a trailer, a trainer used actual slings and wire rope to teach proper rigging methods—how to rig a pipe, what worn-out rigging looks like, and so forth. Outside, McCourt offered training in abrasive sandblasting. His session included the necessary precautions and communications for sandblasting near another construction crew.
The third teacher provided forklift training. Federal OSHA and California OSHA both have a certification requirement for forklift operators. Employees must demonstrate proficiency in such tasks as reading a load chart, lifting the load, and carrying it safely. “If you’re lifting a load and something goes south, people can get hurt,” says McCourt.
(Taken in part from the Grading & Contractors September/October 2007 newsletter. Article by Daniel C. Brown)
It is always interesting to find out what kinds of training different businesses and industries offer to their employees. What does your company offer? Can you think of other types of training that would improve your or your coworkers' safety?
“Hands-on training is by far the most effective form of training,” says Rick McCourt, safety and compliance director at Sukut Construction Inc. in Santa Ana, CA. Since McCourt took his post at Sukut, a large grading contractor, his training and incentive programs have helped reduce injuries by 50%. “We’ve had a consistent downward trend in accident frequency and severity,” says McCourt.
“We’ve been doing scenario-based training for eight years,” says Creamer’s Construction Safety Director Lucky Abernathy. “We involve the trainees in the training. We’ll have four guys rig the trench box, and then we show guys how to signal the excavator operator. Or we’ll have a crew put wooden shoring together and shore an excavation.
“We try to break it down into smaller groups,” he adds. “That way the employees who don’t get a chance to participate get to watch their peers work.” Creamer uses scenario-based training for trenching and shoring, traffic controls, defensive driving, confined-space training, fall protection, and small-tool safety.
At Sukut, McCourt says it’s important for contractors to know that mass grading is really an excavation activity. Mass grading should receive the same respect—with regard to hazards and safety—that is accorded to trenching. “That’s a point a lot of people miss,” says McCourt.
Sukut recently held a three-station safety-training course. In a trailer, a trainer used actual slings and wire rope to teach proper rigging methods—how to rig a pipe, what worn-out rigging looks like, and so forth. Outside, McCourt offered training in abrasive sandblasting. His session included the necessary precautions and communications for sandblasting near another construction crew.
The third teacher provided forklift training. Federal OSHA and California OSHA both have a certification requirement for forklift operators. Employees must demonstrate proficiency in such tasks as reading a load chart, lifting the load, and carrying it safely. “If you’re lifting a load and something goes south, people can get hurt,” says McCourt.
(Taken in part from the Grading & Contractors September/October 2007 newsletter. Article by Daniel C. Brown)
It is always interesting to find out what kinds of training different businesses and industries offer to their employees. What does your company offer? Can you think of other types of training that would improve your or your coworkers' safety?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Distracted Drivers Are a Safety Hazard on King County Highways
During Wednesday morning’s commute an off duty trooper observed an erratically driven BMW passenger car in the northbound lanes of SR-167 in Auburn. The off duty trooper reported the vehicle as he was certain the driver was impaired as he was watching him for over 3 miles drift in and out of his lane, driving on the shoulder, and at times taking up 2 lanes of travel. It turned out that the driver hadn’t had a drop of alcohol, but instead was reading the daily newspaper while driving to his destination. The 53 year-old Puyallup resident was issued a $550 negligent driving infraction for his actions and disregard for the safety of the motoring public.
In June of 2009, a concerned citizen called 9-1-1 to report a possible D.U.I. driver traveling on SR-164 in King County. During the 9-1-1 call the reporting party describes how the vehicle was swerving over the center line, the fog line, and nearly hitting concrete jersey barriers while it was fluctuating speeds. Air and ground troopers coordinated a response and stopped the vehicle in Enumclaw. During the contact it was determined that the driver wasn’t impaired but rather texting on her cell phone. (Video of 9-1-1 call available upon request)
These are just 2 examples of many distracted driving cases that occur on King County highways every day. Talking on the cell phone and texting while driving continues to be the most observed driver distraction. A recent Virginia Tech study indicated that drivers who text while driving heavy vehicles or trucks are 23.2 percent more likely to cause a collision than non distracted drivers. In a separate study conducted in 2006, psychologists from the University of Utah concluded that “motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.”
According to the September 2009 edition of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Facts, in 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report. While these numbers are alarming, NHTSA recognizes that distracted driving is highly under reported and that these statistics do not accurately indicate how big of a problem distracted driving really is.
Currently Washington State law prohibits texting while driving and talking with the cell phone to your ear, and is punishable by a $124 infraction. Other driver distractions are taken on a case by case basis and may be punishable by a $550 fine for negligent driving.
For more information contact: Trooper Dan McDonald at 425-766-0812 or visit http://www.wsp.wa.gov
In June of 2009, a concerned citizen called 9-1-1 to report a possible D.U.I. driver traveling on SR-164 in King County. During the 9-1-1 call the reporting party describes how the vehicle was swerving over the center line, the fog line, and nearly hitting concrete jersey barriers while it was fluctuating speeds. Air and ground troopers coordinated a response and stopped the vehicle in Enumclaw. During the contact it was determined that the driver wasn’t impaired but rather texting on her cell phone. (Video of 9-1-1 call available upon request)
These are just 2 examples of many distracted driving cases that occur on King County highways every day. Talking on the cell phone and texting while driving continues to be the most observed driver distraction. A recent Virginia Tech study indicated that drivers who text while driving heavy vehicles or trucks are 23.2 percent more likely to cause a collision than non distracted drivers. In a separate study conducted in 2006, psychologists from the University of Utah concluded that “motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.”
According to the September 2009 edition of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Facts, in 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report. While these numbers are alarming, NHTSA recognizes that distracted driving is highly under reported and that these statistics do not accurately indicate how big of a problem distracted driving really is.
Currently Washington State law prohibits texting while driving and talking with the cell phone to your ear, and is punishable by a $124 infraction. Other driver distractions are taken on a case by case basis and may be punishable by a $550 fine for negligent driving.
For more information contact: Trooper Dan McDonald at 425-766-0812 or visit http://www.wsp.wa.gov
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