OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE

Saving your ass 2
Occupational Health/Hygiene
Occupational Health: This can be defined as the protection and promotion of the well being of workers.
Industrial Hygiene: This is the application of the principles of the hygiene to the health and welfare of people and the protection from danger. This is also concerned with the prevention of diseases among employees. It is also involved with the environment and conditions in which people work and the human relationship within industry. The more important function is the rehabilitation of the sick and injured.
Among the common causes and contributory factors of ill health in the industry are;
. Poor factory conditions such as inadequate ventilation, faulty heating, noise, vibration, inadequate lightning.
. Fatigue and boredom
. Exposure to poisonous substances and the inhalation of toxic gases and dust

Therefore to prevent sickness and accidents and to promote health, the conditions under which people work have to be studied. Individually you need to observe and make complains to your supervisors if the conditions where you work is in bad shape. Remember your HEALTH IS YOUR OWN SAFETY.
For your safety in office, the following rules or regulations need to be observed:
Office Employees are part of the site safety and health process, therefore to start your day off safely you need to dress for success;
. Wear loose, comfortable clothing to allow free movement of hips and to maintain natural spine curves.
. Avoid open-toed shoe and sandals whenever possible.
. Wear comfortable footwear with low heel to reduce back strains and to prevent slips and fall.

In this edition of saving your ass, hazards experienced in the office will be discussed. These hazards are better explained as;
. Slips, Trips and Falls
. Office Layout
. Furniture Safety
. "House Keeping"
. Computer Work Station
. Good posture for health and safety
. Taking Exercise
. Easy Reach
. Office Chair
. Material Handling
. Lighting
. Electric Safety
. Heat Generating Equipment
. Chemical Safety

Slips, Trips and Falls: This is the number one office injury. They may arise as a result of;
. Elevated surfaces
. Standing  on chairs
. Falling out of chairs
. Falling down stairs
. Preventing yourself from these accidents will be;
. Keep aisles clear
. Walk like a duck on slippery surfaces
. Use the handrail on stairs
. Report deficient conditions to facilities maintenance
. Hold onto  chair arms when attempting to sit
. Approved step stools and ladders only in an office complex
. Putting on the right shoes to work
. Always walk don't run

Office layout: This is usually established with the assistance and approval of the facilities maintenance and the EHS. There must always be an emergency exits and passage ways your office. Furniture and equipment must be arranged as far as possible to prevent;
. Chairs and equipment from jutting into walk ways
. Obstructing the views around corners or partitions
. Drawers from opening into walk ways or door ways

Furniture Safety: this area deals with the chairs and tables sed by employees. The following must be noted;
. Chairs should remain squarely on the floor
. Close drawers when not in use
. Caster on all chairs should be secured and all parts of the chairs should be sturdy and should not present a hazard to the user
. Avoid over loading filing cabinets, and distribute the weight of materials stored in the cabinet to avoid tipping
. Furniture should be selected and maintained without sharp edges, points or burrs.

Housekeeping: This refers to putting of things in their proper place. An effective housekeeping could be;
. Storage or placement of objects in aisles, below knee level, or on other "office-type" floor surfaces.
. Overflowing, heavy wastebaskets
. Dust accumulations
. Maintaining condition of office and work area
. Orderly arrangement in all areas, especially storage.
. Storage must be 18" or more below sprinkler heads

Computer Work Station: Consideration for the computer work station must be noticed. Therefore the setting of a computer work station should be illustrated as;
. How will the computer be used?
. How long will the computer be used?
. What kind of computer will be used?
. What furniture (both chairs and table) should be used?
. Where will the computer be used?
The computer work station can also be applicable for people who work all day on the internet. Other points that should be considered are your sitting position which helps in your POSTURE, and how your BREAK should be taken after sitting for long. This two important  takes us to the next sub subject

Good posture: A good posture on a sitting position is essential for your health and safety. To attain a good posture for your self you should know that;
. Seated posture puts lot of strain on your body
. Exaggerated curves are bad for your health
. Try as much as possible to maintain or build strength.

Taking exercise: For sound health in your work place, stretching or a simple exercise will be required. This is called taking a "BREAK". There are two types of exercises that can be carried out during a "BREAK", these are;
. Aerobic exercise
. Micro breaks
The micro break is a short break to restore, relax, re-nourish the brain. This is achieved by taking a gently stretch.

Each Reach Zone: This is the zone where one carries his or her activities for the day. For a comfortable or easy reach zone, there are items that should be at your reach;
. Computer system
. Telephone
. Calculator
. Pen
Any other items should be left in the drawer to make youe table look presentable for your customers when they come visiting. But remember not to overload your drawer.

Office chairs: This is the most essential factor to having a good posture at work. Before starting your day at work place, make sure the following adjustment is done;
. Check the seat height, depth, angle. Tilt the chair if needed
. Check the back height. Adjust if its not in proper position
. Check the arm rest height
. Lumbar support
One should not forget to dust off the chair before sitting.

Material Handling: This with how often you lift objects from one position to another. Always ask for assistance if objects are haevy for you to prevent back pains, accidents and above all damages to this delicate objects. For a suitable material handling, you should;
. Not lift over 35 pounds of object on occasional basis
. Obtain assistance through the facilities maintenance dept
. Avoid lifting objects that are too heavy for you!
. Plan how you will lift an object
. Stand on your feet apart alongside the object to be lifted
. Use the "sit down" position for maintaining the natural arch of the spine
. Tuck your chin
. Get a good grip on the object
. Keep the object close to you
. Center the weight over your feet
. Avoid twisting

Lighting: Lights are a important aspect for our daily activities. Therefore it is necessary you carry out the following instructions;
. Area that are not lit adequately or are lit too much can cause headache, strain and eye fatigue. Always dim it fit to adjust the intensity of these light to suit you
. Color lights can cause eye fatigue
. Take visual "BREAKS" every 30 minutes
. Get a regular eye exams. Let your eye Doc know if you work with the computer
. Use adjustable task lighting for task that require illumination

Electric safety: Negligence to electric power can lead to loss of life, destruction of office and insecurity. Therefore you should;
. Shut off electric equipment not in use
. Electric cord should be visually inspected on a periodic basis to identify frayed and worn out cords
. Maintain electric cords in walkway areas and passage ways
. Avoid extension cords in office areas.
. Combustible materials like papers should not be stored in close proximity to electric outlets and connections
. Don't overload outlets and surge protector

Heat generating equipment: often referred to as HGE, they include coffee pot, toaster oven, micro wave, mug warmer heaters, cooling fans, soldering iron, heat gun, etc. These HGEs contribute to any fire outbreak experienced both at work place and in the homes. To save your self and other properties in the office, you should;
. Ensure 18" or more of clearance from other combustibles
. Plug into outlet directly
. Heaters need tip-over protection
. Above all shut off any electrical appliances when not in use

Chemical safety: A chemical can be toxic and therefore act as a sorce of injury to you. Before you use chemicals in the office, you should:
. Know the chemical to use
. Read the label and hazard warnings
. Read the material safety data sheet (MSDS), on file in the environment health safety, (EHS)
. Handle and store the material properly in accordance with the MSDS.

Always remember your health is your own safety. LEARN TO SAVE YOUR ASS TODAY!

Saving your ass

Fire fighting is the removal of the elements of fire in the tetrahydron; which includes the Oxygen, Fuel, Chain reaction and Heat.
It is important to know how to save yourself from fire out break.
How do you save yourself?
EVACUATION PLANNING-OFF-THE-JOB
. Let the famiy know and practice the exist room
EVACUATION PLANNING-ON-THE-JOB
. Know the way out from your work area.
. Know the location of the closest manual fire alarm station.
. Know the location of the closest fire extinguisher.

What action is there to take?
WHEN THE FIRE ALARM SOUNDS
. Feel the door.
. Immediately evacuate.
. Crawl to a saver position.
. Assist a physically impaired person.
. Never re-enter the building.
. Report incident to authorities
HOW TO SURVIVE A BUILDING ON FIRE
. Crawl if there is smoke.
. Feel the doors before opening.
. Go to the nearest exist.
. Always use the stairs, do not use the elevator.
. Use a fire extinguisher if the fire is easy to fight.
. If you are on fire STOP, DROP and ROLL.
WHAT IF YOU GET TRAPPED IN THE BUILDING?
. Close the doors.
. Seal the cracks.
. Open the window if it is safe.
. Signal for help.
. Don't jump from a high building except you are told to do so from the proper authorities.
WHAT IF I AM PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED
. Learn about fire safety.
. Plan ahead for fire emergencies.
. Be aware of your own capabilities and limitation.
WHAT IF I AM TRAINED TO FIGHT FIRE
. Attack the fire using the available extinguisher.
. Choose the appropriate extinguisher for the class of fire.
. Approach the fire without personal risk and only if it is not out of control.
. Approach the fire from the upwind side; upwind is the side where the wind is blowing from.
. Apply the extinguisher agent using the PASS- technique
. If more than one person is available with fire extinguisher, then fight the fire together.
. If the fire is out of control BACK OUT.
. Back away fromt the immediate fire area if the fire is extinguished.
. Do not re-enter the building for any possible reason except is save to enter.
. Obtain a full fire extinguisher.
. Give information to fire fighters when they arrive.
. Report used fire extinguisher to the appropraite authority for recharge and replacement.

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Learn to save your ass today!