Safety

It is important for you to report all incidents, accidents and near misses immediately.  All near misses, first aids, property damage incidents and injuries should be reported immediately to your foreman.  Once the foreman is aware of the incident they should contact Trevor Atherton at 812-483-8049, Rick Jordan at 812-305-1801, Kent Kafka at 317-480-6252 or Gary Plummer at 618-708-3196 within 30 minutes.  Once the Safety Department has been notified the Area Manager should also be notified.  It is to the employee’s benefit if the employee reports these incidents immediately.   The employee can receive the medical care that is required to prevent increased severity of the injury and decrease pain and suffering. 

One example of this is an eye injury, if an employee feels like they have gotten something in their eye it needs to be reported immediately so they can get the appropriate first aid care to remove the debris.  This is an incident that if not taken care of immediately can cause more damage to the eye by the employee rubbing their eye or the debris becoming imbedded in the eye.  Another example would be lacerations that could become infected.  It is imperative that the laceration be cleaned out and antibiotics applied to prevent infection.  Another reason to report is that worker’s compensation requires the employee report the incident within the work shift that the injury occurs.  Also, when incidents and near misses are reported, procedures or policies can be put in place to keep employees from being injured in the future from the same types of incidents.  If incidents are not reported immediately, disciplinary action will be taken.  Report a slip or trip to the ground even if you don’t believe you are hurt, that way if you wake up the next morning with a bad back or swollen hand, it was reported on the day it happened. 

OSHA requires each contractor to use the OSHA 300 log to record each injury or illness during the year that meet the OSHA definition of a recordable, restricted duty, or lost time accident.  At the end of the year the employer is required to fill out the OSHA 300A log.  This log is required to be posted on each jobsite from February 1^st thru April 30^th of each year.  If OSHA conducts an inspection at your site during this time frame, and the log is not onsite, it results in an OSHA violation and a fine.  As long as you have this log in the back of your safety manual you will be covered.

Report all incidents to your foreman or safety department immediately!

Knives are a tool we use every day.  When used correctly they are a very valuable tool, but when used incorrectly they become a very serious hazard.  Up to one-third of all hand tool injuries occur while using utility knives and it only takes a second of inattention to become severely injured.  The following are a list of safety rules to prevent injuries when using a utility knife:

• Before beginning a task with a utility knife determine the correct blade for the task at hand by asking the following questions:  Is this the appropriate blade for the task?  What is the best type of blade edge for the task?  Is the handle of the knife large enough to have a secure grip?  Is the knife designed to reduce bending your wrist?
• Always cut away from you body if possible.  To prevent laceration to yourself or others. 
• Be aware of where the knife will go if it accidentally slips.  Keep your other hand and fingers above the blade when cutting.  That way if the blade slips it will not lacerate your hand.
• When not in use, store the knife with the blade retracted.  Do not leave a knife with the blade exposed on work surface, tool pouch or anywhere else.
• Stay focused on the task at hand.  Do not be distracted by others working or talking around you.
• Always use a sharp knife.  Sharper blades require less force and give you better control.  Some people think that a dull blade may be safer, but this is false.
• Always secure material on a solid surface before cutting.  Do not try to cut materials while you are holding them.
• Only use knives for their intended purpose, cutting, and use the right knife for the job.
• Extend the blade only as far as needed to cut through the material.  This will reduce the risk of breaking the blade.
• If you drop your knife do not try to catch it.  Let it come to a complete stop before picking up.
• Only hold the knife by the handle.
• Hand knives to others handle first, with the cutting edge away from you palm with the blade retracted.
• Never throw knives to other employees.
• Do not distract or startle someone who is using a knife.
• Never point a knife at another employee.
• Never chop or strike objects to try and cut them with a knife.
• Clean your knife regularly and periodically lubricate.
• Cut resistant or Kevlar gloves and safety glasses are required at all times while using utility knives.
• A safety straight edge should be used whenever possible to reduce the risk of lacerations while using a utility knife.

With the start of summer and increased temperatures, it is important to know what you can do to reduce the risk of a heat related illness and what to do if one occurs.  Heat related illnesses are progressive conditions caused by overexposure to heat.  If they are recognized in the early stages, they can usually be reversed.  If they are not caught early, they may progress to life threatening conditions.

Measures to Prevent Heat Stress

• Engineering controls include general ventilation, personal cooling devices or protective clothing.
• Work practice controls include drinking plenty of water.  It is recommended that you drink one glass of water (8 ounces) every 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the heat and humidity.
• Alternating work and rest periods with more rest periods in cool areas can help workers avoid heat stress.  If possible heavy work should be scheduled during the cooler part of the day.
• Acclimatization to the heat through short exposures followed by longer periods of work in the hot environment can reduce heat stress.
• Read medication labels to know how they cause the body to react to the sun and heat.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs, as they can increase the effects of heat.
• Employees shall be educated so they are aware of the need to replace fluids and salt lost through sweat and can recognize dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, heat cramps, salt deficiency, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Types of Heat Illness

Heat Cramps: Severe muscle spasms that often begin suddenly in the hands, calves or feet.  Painful and disabling.  The muscles become hard, tense and difficult to relax.  They are caused by salt depletion as sweat losses are replaced by water alone.  Heat cramps result from over exertion and heavy sweating.

Heat Exhaustion: Causes excessive fluid loss from heavy sweating, leading to increased fatigue, weakness, anxiety, drenching sweats, low blood pressure, faintness and sometimes collapse.  Heat exhaustion results from prolonged exposure to extreme heat for many hours.  The over heating is due to the electrolytic fluid loss that reduces blood volume, which lowers blood pressure and the pulse.

Heat Stroke: A life threatening condition caused by over exertion and over exposure to extreme heat environments.  Heat stroke is imminent when the core body temperature approaches 106 F.  Any higher may result in coma or even death.  The symptoms are dizziness, weakness, emotional instability, nausea/vomiting, confusion, delirium, blurred vision, convulsions, collapse and unconsciousness.  The skin is flushed, hot to the touch, and at first may be covered with sweat that soon dries.  Be aware of these warning signs.

First Aid Measures

Heat Cramps: Try eating salty foods such as cracker or peanuts.

Heat Stroke: Move the victim to a cool place.  Remove heavy clothing; light clothing can be left in place.

Immediately cool the victim by any available means.  This can be accomplished by placing ice packs at areas with abundant blood supply (neck, armpits, and groin).  Wet towels or sheets are also effective.  The cloths should be kept wet with cool water.  Continue to cool the victim until their temperature drops to 102 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent hyperthermia.  Keep the victim’s head and shoulders slightly elevated.  Seek medical attention immediately.  All heat stroke victims need hospitalization.  Care for seizures if they occur.  Do not use aspirin or acetaminophen.

Heat exhaustion:  Move the victim to a cool place.  Keep the victim lying down with legs straight and elevated 8 to 12 inches.  Cool the victim by applying cold packs or wet towels or cloths.  Fan the victim.  Give the victim cold water if he or she is fully conscious.  If no improvement is noted within 30 minutes, seek medical attention.

If any employee goes home due to what may be a heat related illness or is displaying symptoms of a heat related illness, notify the Safety Department immediately.