Friday 24 July 2015

HOUSEHOLD SAFETY- How safe is your Kitchen for children?

A home is a place where the family comes back to rest, bond and stay. Its a haven made specifically for all members of the family to relax and feel safe. However , how safe can a home be especially with little and young children around? An accident or injury can occur in any part of your home. Some safety hazards are obvious — such as a toy truck left lying at the top of the stairs. Others are not so easily identified — such as a stairway railing that has become loose.
The following check list will help you identify the hazards in the home and take necessary actions to mitigate on any accident.

Kitchen
  • Put all knives, forks, scissors, and other sharp tools in a lockable drawer.
  • Position all chairs and step stools away from the stove.
  • While cooking, place all pot handles on the stove turned inward or placed on back burners where kids can't reach.
  • Store all glass objects and appliances with sharp blades stored out of reach of children.
  • Unplugged all electrical appliances when not in use and keep the cords out of reach for children.
  • Tightly close all vitamin or medicine bottles and stored in a high cabinet.
  • Store all matches and lighters in a lockable drawer or out of reach for children.
  • Keep the cabinet under the sink free of cleaning supplies, bug sprays, dishwasher detergent, and dish washing liquids.store them in a safe place away from children.
  • Do not keep alcohol and bottles within children reach.
  • Remove any plastic garbage bags and sandwich bags to avoid suffocation from children using them as playing tools.
  • All cords or wires from wall telephones or cable TV should be placed or installed at a height higher for the children.
  • Always install a working fire extinguisher and teach/educate all family members on how to use it.
  • The child's highchair should have a safety belt with a strap between the legs for safety.
  •  Child proof latches should be installed on all cabinet doors in the house.
There are so many much more that has to be installed or checked in the kitchen, of importance is to provide a first aid box with neccessary essential and endevour to train some family members or the house help in basic first aid.

I trust this information will go a long way to assist us check and remain vigilant in making out kitchen safe.
Feel free to add more point in the comment section.
Your contribution is highly valued.

Am looking forward to hearing from you.

Have a safe and productive day.

Love
Jael

Thursday 23 July 2015

Eye Protection during welding

                             
Eye protection during welding is an essential part of the welding process. Before anyone plans on undertaking a welding assignment, it is paramount to understand the risks involved as well as prepare for mitigation. Arc welding results in burns that are caused by the sparks while oxy-fuel welding yield flames.
In both cases, a welding helmet and safety googles should be worn for protection. Below are some of the main factors that must be put into consideration when planning on a welding job.
  • Review and plan the area where the welding will take place. Note that considerations of fire and explosion are particularly important, and a welding permit may be required.
  • Make sure the immediate area is free of any tripping hazards; welders have no peripheral vision with the helmet down.
  • Isolate the area with curtains to absorb radiation if workers other than the welder will be in the area.
  • Identify and cover any highly reflective surfaces.
  • Wear the appropriate eye protection selected on the basis of type of welding and visual requirements of the task. If using a helmet, be sure to wear safety glasses with sideshields under the helmet.
  • Others in the area should also wear eye protection, especially if chipping hammers are used.
  • Keep eye protection in good condition.
  • Wear clothing and gloves that protect against UV radiation.
  • Anyone experiencing a flash burn should seek medical treatment to avoid infection, which increases the potential for permanent injury.
  • Educate welders and other personnel on the hazards of welding and the importance of seeking treatment for flash burns.
 We will talk about ear protection in our next post.


Have a safe and productive day.


Love


Jael

Monday 20 April 2015

11 MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS FOR WORK PLACE SAFETY

The joy of every employee when they leave their houses to get to work is to accomplish the assigned duties and get back to their families and friends safely.
 This is the most important goal at the back of each one of us. Its therefore most unfortunate and sad when some are caught up in work place accidents and get injured or even in the worst scenario, die!

The 11 Commandments below emphasizes again the need to take personal responsibility over your safety and that of others around you.

1.  All Accidents are preventable, take your time to learn your work, be very conversant with your environment and the tools or machines you are exposed to in the course of your work.
2.  Everyone is responsible for their own Safety and the safety of others around them. This can be achieved by doing the following things:
  •  Wear Personal Protective Equipments(PPE) and Safety Wear at all times in your work place.
  •  Use the right tools and machines for the right job or purpose, when a wrong machine is used in a certain job, chances are that and accident will occur and the operator and other people will be at risk.
  •   Take Safety ideas with you at Home, teach them to your children and friend, spilled fluids should be cleaned by anyone immediately. They should not think it's someone's else responsibility.
  •   Look out for new and transferred colleagues who may not be doing the right thing and talk to them, you could also speak out and help another colleague who may not know how to use a certain tool or machine.
 
3.  Follow company rules , regulations and procedures diligently as outlined in a Safety handbook.

4. Assess any risks, stop and think over it and communicate to the relevant authority or office for mitigation.
5   Always be proactive about Safety and your surrounding.

6.  If for some reason you are not properly trained to handle a particular task, do not try to take it up.
Wait for proper training of use of tools and machines before you can handle the task! it will save your life.
7.  Before you embark on manual work and lifting, assess the work load and manage the lifts. Don't carry more than your body can handle, wear chemical PPE.

8.  Don't take short Cuts, take your time and finish the work safely. Life is important to you.

9. Practice good house keeping in the offices, yards, warehouses and any other work place. Do not leave rubbish of any kind on the floors or spilled fluids. Keep the ares free of any congestion for easy movements.

10. Be prepared at all times, identify the locations where fist Aid boxes have been placed and learn the use of its content. Get trained in emergency rescue, Trauma bag, First Aid and administering CPR. Learn how to use a fire extinguisher and other tools in case need arises.

11. Remain Calm and call for help. You also need to be attentive to the instruction of the emergency rescue personnel on location so that you and your colleagues can be moved to a safe location in case of an emergency or accident.


If we try and follow the commandments above even a little bit, then we will have safe working environments and when all has been said and done, returning home safe and sound to your friends and family must be VERY IMPORTANT to you.

Think Safety, Save Lives!

Have a safe and very productive time at work.



Love
Jael Omunyangoli

Thursday 16 April 2015

KENYAN LAWS ON HEALTH AND SAFETY AT THE WORK PLACE



It is the responsibility of every employer to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all employees at the workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act, No. 15 of 2007  which was revised in 2010, provides for the safety, health and welfare of workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces.
Does the employer have any obligations towards your safety? YES.
Section 6 stipulates clearly the responsibility of the employer as shown below:
  • Provide and maintain a working environment for every person employed that is safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for the employees’ welfare at work.
  • Inform all employees of any risks from new technologies and imminent danger.
  • Ensure that every person employed participates in the application and review of safety and health measures.
  • requirements of safety and health provisions in this Act.
  • Send a copy of each risk assessment report to the area occupational safety and health officer.
  • Take immediate steps to stop any operation or activity where there is an imminent and serious danger to safety and health and to evacuate all persons employed as appropriate.
  • Register their workplace unless such workplace is exempted from registration under this Act.
  •  Carry out appropriate risk assessments in relation to the safety and health of employees and, on the basis of these results, adopt preventive and protective measures to ensure that under all conditions of their intended use, all chemicals, machinery, equipment, tools and process under the control of the employer are safe and without risk to health and comply with the
  • Provide and maintain the plant and systems and procedures of work that are safe and without risks to health.
  • Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
  • Provide for information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the safety and health at work of every person employed.
  • Maintain the workplace in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and provide and maintain necessary means of access to and egress (outlet) from it that are safe and without risks to health.
Do I as an employee have any obligations? YES
The responsibility of the employee includes the following as outlined in section 13:
  • Ensure their own safety and health and that of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at the workplace.
  • Co-operate with their employer or any other person in the discharge of any duty or requirement imposed on the employer or that other person by this Act or any regulation made hereunder.
  • At all times wear or use any protective equipment or clothing provided by the employer for the purpose of preventing risks to their safety and health.
  • Comply with the safety and health procedures, requirements and instructions given by a person having authority over them for their own or any other person’s safety.
  • Report to the supervisor any situation which they have reason to believe would present a hazard and which they cannot correct.
  • Report to their supervisor any accident or injury that arises in the course of or in connection with his/her work.
  • With regard to any duty or requirement imposed on their employer, to co-operate with the employer or other relevant person to enable that duty or requirement to be performed.
In our next post, i will  teach you how to make good use of the available PPE , your rights to training so that you can be well prepared to handle emergency and disasters at work place and in our enviroments.


Have a safe and productive day.

 Think safety , Save lives!


Love 
Jael Omunyangoli

Tuesday 14 April 2015

SAFETY AT THE WORK PLACE; IT'S A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!

            Many a times, we have encountered a number of cases and causalities that have occurred at our places of work. This may be either in the Industrial, Mining, Agriculture, Construction , Manufacturing and even the Medical sector. Some of this accidents happened due to either negligence or failure to wear the correct Protective or safety equipment and apparel.
           A research that was conducted in a number of the industries revealed that a good number of workers do not have the prerequisite training and knowledge of the proper use of the available PPE. Although just a small percentage admitted to having worn out or no PPE and protective wear at all, majority were not using them at all. Familiarity and negligence we cited as the major causes of this accidents.
           In a bid to save as many lives as possible as well as reduce the high cost of medication and compensation to injured workers, employers have the duty to ensure ALL workers without exception are educated on the dangers they expose themselves to on a daily basis and the proper use of PPE and safety wear.
        When used properly according to the directions, PPE offer excellent protection to both the worker using them directly and the others who may be affected indirectly.
PPE and Safety education covers a wide range of products and areas this should be done in schools, colleges and homes as well.
         Below are some of the PPE and safety wear for different parts of the body and their effective usage.

Helmets for the head for falling objects
Hearing buds for the ears in noisy environments
Safety Goggles for welding and other works with dangerous rays
Reflectors for visibility and working in areas that require clear identification
Safety and steel Shoes for protection of the feet.
First Aid Box for emergence should it arise.
Gloves for hand protection form harmful materials and liquids
Respiratory Inhalers for organ protection


If we take our safety need as an individual responsibility or duty, we will enjoy our work and return home safe!

Looking forward to our next post on why we need to protect ourselves from the many hazards available at our work places and homes.


Have a safe and productive time all the way!

I Care, do you? Keep Safe.


Love ,
Jael Omunyangoli