The Safety Guy

Why Do People Play Games With Their Cars?

2012-01-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

We were coming home from dinner last night, taking a local road that bypasses most of the heavily traveled roads. I noticed a car far ahead of us in the distance.

After a few miles, we got closer, and I noticed the car ahead was going perhaps five miles per hour below the speed limit. I did not tailgate them, but when a straight section of road began, I started to pass. I bet you can guess what happened next.

They spec up to match my speed. I have no idea whether the driver was a man or woman, but I can attest to the fact they were a moron. Wait, it gets better.

When I realized I was not going to pass the other car, I took my foot off the gas to slow down and move behind it.. What did they do? They slammed on their brakes, preventing me from moving behind their car. The speed limit in this area is 45, I did not look but suspect we were doing less than 20.

Then the games really began. I carefully kept some distance while the moron alternately sped up and hit the brakes. They were trying to get me to pass again, but I wasn't going to bite. They kept up this behavior until we got close to where I intended to turn. At that point a hand came out of the driver's window and I was saluted with a single finger.

Whether the cause was alcohol, drugs or stupidity I will never know. My wife's car is very small, and for some reason seems to bring out the idiots when we are out in it. Regardless of the reason, it never ceases to amaze me how people are willing to play games with a deadly weapon. Morons...

Stay safe out there!

First National Test of Emergency Alert System Scheduled for November 9, 2011

2011-11-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Background

The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, or EAS, will take place at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on November 9, 2011. The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the system in alerting the public.

Will the test involve mobile communications devices?

No. The test will involve only those communications service providers "broadcast radio and television, cable television, satellite radio and television and wireline video services" that participate in the EAS.

What exactly is the EAS?

The Emergency Alert System is a media communications-based alerting system that is designed to transmit emergency alerts and warnings to the American public at the national, Tribal, state and local levels. EAS participants broadcast alerts and warnings regarding weather threats, child abductions and other types of emergencies. EAS alerts are transmitted over television and radio broadcast, satellite television and satellite radio, cable television and wireline video services.

When is the EAS used and when would a national EAS alert be sent?

The EAS is often used by state and local emergency managers to alert the public about emergencies and weather events. The system provides the ability to send messages regionally or nationally, though it has never been tested at these levels. A major disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami could require the use of the system to send life-saving information to the public.

Why do we need a nationwide test?

Although local and state components of the EAS are tested on a weekly and monthly basis, there has never been an end-to-end nationwide test of the system. We need to know that the system will work as intended should public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States. Only a complete, top-down test of the EAS can provide an appropriate diagnosis of the system's performance.

How will the nationwide EAS test be conducted?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct the nationwide test on November 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. eastern standard time. The alert will be transmitted throughout the country and will be monitored by the EAS participants. After the test has been completed, the EAS participants will report back to the FCC on the results of the test.

What will people see and hear during the test?

Although the nationwide EAS test may resemble the periodic monthly EAS tests that most consumers are familiar with, there will be some differences in what consumers may see or hear, which is one reason for conducting a nationwide EAS test. During the test, the public will hear a message indicating "this is a test". The audio message will be the same for everyone, however due to limitations of the EAS, the video test message may not be the same and may not indicate "this is a test". This is due to the use of a "live" national code ??" the same code that would be used in an actual emergency. Also, the background image that appears on video screens may indicate "this is a test" but in some cases there may be no image at all. FEMA and the FCC are working with organizations representing the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as EAS participants , to prepare that community for the nationwide test. In addition, FEMA and the FCC are working with EAS participants to explore whether there are solutions to address this limitation.

How long will the test last?

We anticipate that the test will last approximately 30 seconds.

Why is the nationwide test being conducted at this particular date and time?

In order to minimize disruption and confusion during the EAS test, it is being conducted on November 9 because this date is near the end of hurricane season and before the severe winter weather season begins. The 2 p.m. EST broadcast will minimize disruption during rush hours while ensuring that the test occurs during working hours across the country.

- From the Emergency Email Network

Lasers - A Dangerous Game

2011-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Laser devices that create a very bright, focused beam of light have become less expensive over the years. What was once a laboratory research device can now be purchased inexpensively at retail stores. Although going out at night and shining a laser beam around may seem like a harmless activity, if that light is pointed accidentally or deliberately at an aircraft, the consequences could be terrible.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated that in 2011, incidents of aircraft being targets of laser beams will exceed previous years, already in the thousands, by 35 percent. There is a growing concern for what is becoming an epidemic of laser targeting. And the federal government takes it seriously; conviction for targeting an aircraft with a laser can result in fines and jail time.

It may seem harmless to point a low-powered laser into the sky, or even directly at an aircraft. But it is not, and here is why:

- Laser light is very focused and bright, which is the whole purpose of laser design. Even at a distance, lasers shined into the eye can cause temporary blindness, headaches, loss of night vision, and disorientation to pilots.

- Laser light is often green or red in color. These happen to be the same colors used on wingtip navigation lights used for collision avoidance on aircraft (and boats). The sudden red or green beam in a cockpit can make a pilot react suddenly, because a light that bright normally means another aircraft is extremely close and a collision is about to happen. A pilot reacting to a laser targeting may lose control of the aircraft trying to avoid a threat that is not there.

- If no other effects occur, a pilot can temporarily lose sight of the instrument panel, radio controls and other interior features. Many aircraft exposed to lasers are near airports, and are either approaching or departing the airport. This is a busy time for a pilot, with many responsibilities to manage. Losing the ability to see, even for a short time, can be devastating.

Do not play with lasers outdoors at night, and do not ever shine a laser into the sky, even if an aircraft is not seen. Laser light can travel a significant distance, and you should never assume there is no risk. The government is prosecuting people caught using lasers on aircraft, please don't allow yourself to be one of them.

FBI Warns of Scams Related to Natural Disasters

2011-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC) recently issued this alert warning of fraud related to charitable solicitations following natural disasters. With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the US East Coast, it seems a good time to put the reminder here.

Prepared by the
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
March 11, 2011
TIPS ON AVOIDING FRAUDULENT CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES
Recently several natural disasters, including tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes, have devastated lives and property. In the wake of these events that have caused emotional distress and great monetary loss to numerous victims, individuals across the nation often feel a desire to help these victims, frequently through monetary donations.

These disasters prompt individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

- Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
- Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
- Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
- To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
- Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
- Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

To obtain more information on charitable contribution schemes and other types of online schemes, visit www.LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com.

If you believe you have been a victim of a charity related scheme, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud by telephone at (866) 720-5721, or by fax at (225) 334-4707, or by e-mail at disaster@leo.gov. You can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.

National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) was originally established by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or man-made disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI, participate in the NCDF, allowing it to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to relief fraud.

Cargill Announces Huge Ground Turkey Recall

2011-08-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

Cargill has announced a massive recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey sold in dozens of U.S. states.

The press release from Cargill can be found here.

The latest news reports indicate one person has died and nearly 100 have become ill from bacteria in the contaminated meat.

This is one of the largest recalls of its kind. Customers who may have contaminated turkey should check the press information or contact Cargill for assistance.

When The Winds Blow...

2011-08-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

It must be hurricane season again. Officially the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 to November 30 each year. Things don't start to heat up, literally, until late July.

Now it is early August, and Emily has formed east of the Windward Islands. Emily is the fifth named storm so far this year, and potentially the first to strengthen to hurricane and threaten the US mainland. Don was a weak storm that might have helped reduce the drought in Texas, but fizzled.

Tropical depressions, low pressure systems with little organization, are given numbers. Once the storm develops a core and minimum sustained winds, it becomes a tropical storm and is given a name which it keeps until it's done. Storm names follow the English alphabet from A to Z, with Greek letters beyond that if needed.

Interested parties can follow the US hurricane season at National Hurricane Center. There is a wide range of information about hurricanes, awareness, and storm preparation. Check it out, and check it regularly.

Checklist - Check!

2011-07-08T13:10:00.001-07:00

I watched the final space shuttle launch this morning. I find it hard to understand how our U.S. space program appears to have come to an end without somewhere else to go. But that is not the topic for today.

Before each launch, there is a constant radio traffic of checklist items. I am sure NASA has the ultimate in checklists for the space shuttle, arguably one of the most complicated machines ever invented by man. People not used to using checklists might argue that the shuttle may need checklists to keep it all straight, but the same people might argue they have no use for checklists in their uncluttered lives.

Wanna bet?

Checklists guard against complacency. Checklists provide a structure to procedures to prevent omissions and errors. Checklists can save a life, be it yours or mine or someone else.

If you have people working on machinery, or performing a task with inherent risk, then develop a checklist for the job or task and have your people learn it and use it. Preferably, have them develop it and periodically review it to be certain it is current and complete. Never let someone argue that they have the experience to do a job without a checklist. In time, they will forget something. Hopefully the result is only a product defect. Worst case is they could be injured or killed.

Also develop checklists for new equipment you bring into your business. Make sure they are complete and correct before people start working with the equipment. You don't want to have to change the checklist later because someone gets hurt.

Checklist - check!

Rip Current Awareness Week

2011-06-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

June 5-11 is Rip Current Awareness Week. Rip currents take lives every year, in many cases unnecessarily. There are a few simple rules to remember if you are caught in a rip current:

- Don't panic!
- Rip currents occur in very narrow areas where the shoreline surf is returning to the sea. If you can tread water, allow yourself to be pulled away from shore. The current will dissipate and you can return to shore.
- if you can swim, move parallel to shore and you will quickly leave the rip current channel. DO NOT try to swim against a rip current. You will tire quickly; most rip current drownings occur from swimmers trying to swim against the current.

The National Weather Service has an excellent resource page on rip currents you can find here.

Stay safe out there!

As We Bid Goodbye to Endeavour

2011-05-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

The space shuttle Endeavor is scheduled to return to earth early Wednesday morning June 1, 2011. This is the final voyage of Endeavor as the space shuttle program winds down to its inevitable end. As with any voyage into an unknown frontier, several astronauts gave their lives to further knowledge of space. Many items and technologies we take for granted today are a direct result of the space program over the last 50 years.

NASA has put together an excellent video of Endeavor's final pre-launch and launch. Turn up your speakers, the sound track is excellent.

The video can be found at Shuttle Comes Alive - The Power of Launch.

Bedbugs, Bedbugs Everywhere

2011-05-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted in a while. I had to have some back surgery. Yes, I probably lifted something incorrectly. Yes, I am being very careful not to do it again!

There has been a lot of press lately about the explosion of bedbug problems in large cities. Unfortunately the little critters are not only difficult to get rid of, they are portable and travel well. So now the bedbug problem is coming to smaller towns and cities as people travel in our mobile society.

Your home is not exempt from bedbugs. If you travel somewhere that has an infestation, you can bring them home on your person or in your luggage. Companies that make insecticides know this and now a growing number of do-it-yourself products are on the market.

Before you buy a bunch of spray cans to do battle with the little critters, you might want to read this article from Scientific American. You may be inclined to hire a professional to do the job correctly.

Remember that all insecticides have some chemicals that can be hazardous to you, your family and your pets if used incorrectly. So if you feel you must do the job yourself, read all product instructions carefully, wash your skin and clothing when you are done, and keep family members and pets away from treated areas as directed.

Bedbugs may be coming to areas near you. Be aware, and take care!

Asleep at the Switch

2011-04-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

There has been a rash of sleeping air traffic controllers recently. Most appear innocent enough, a controller doing their best to stay awake and failing to do so. At least one decided they were going to catch a nap regardless of the consequences. There may be little argument that the controllers failed to perform their jobs, which is to direct air traffic into their airport regardless of the time of day. But what else failed?

Humans live and die by circadian rhythms. Cycles of day and night control our lives, our health and even our mental stability. Whether anyone can truly adapt to working at night and sleeping during the day is a subject of much debate, but why risk having only one tired controller at an airport during the night when an airport has operations 24 hours per day?

In today's world of excessive government spending and waste, it is easy to forget that safety might cost a bit more. Having multiple controllers at open airports during night shifts may be a simple way to prevent any more occurrences of napping controllers. If they both nod off at the same time may be an issue for future discussions, but the odds are greatly reduced.

There is a lesson here for any company trying to cut costs. One of the hardest tasks is trying to differentiate between critical and non-critical tasks. Don't sacrifice the critical tasks for economic reasons. The long-term costs may be much higher than you can ever anticipate in the short term.

Analysis of the Japan Mega-Earthquake

2011-03-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Our thoughts are with the people of Japan, New Zealand, Haiti and Chile as they all continue or begin to recover from their recent earthquakes and tsunamis. The scale of devastation in Japan is only beginning to show, and entire communities may have been wiped from the map. Very sobering stuff.

If you are interested in the science of plate tectonics, as I am, Scientific American published a very good article about the science of the Japan event. You can find it at Scientific American: Guest Blog: Japan Earthquake, by Chris Rowan.

I agree with his comments about the potential for a major seismic event on our Pacific Northwest coast, and the devastation that will be caused by an earthquake/tsunami similar to the Japan event. Most of our Northwest cities have no tsunami protection, there are no routine evacuation drills and people are generally unaware of the potential risk. Our seismic building codes are almost non-existent and emergency services will not be prepared for an event similar to what just occurred in Japan. Civic leaders should take what just happened as a wake-up call and start looking at the situation.

NASA and the U.S. Space Program

2011-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

If you have any interest in the U.S. space program, and want to look at amazing videos of NASA space programs, visit NASA Tech. Words don't express my amazement over what this site holds. Enjoy.

54 People Stricken at a Gunnison Colorado Ice Rink - "The Gas Smell is Normal"?

2011-02-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

Article reported here.

54 people were stricken by what is described as carbon monoxide during a hockey tournament in Gunnison, CO. Despite some inaccuracies in the reporting (carbon monoxide does not "leak" from anywhere, it is a byproduct of combustion) there was a clear description of a horrible safety program at this location:

- A witness described a "gas" smell throughout the facility, and particularly in the locker rooms. There was no evacuation of the facility when this was reported.

- Witnesses reported players were lying down on the ice because they were ill. No one ordered the building to be evacuated or made any contact to emergency services.

- People were reporting headaches from the time they entered the facility.

- A witness reported that a referee told them the gas "was good for their brain". It is unconscionable that an official would make such a statement.

- Emergency services were called only after a player passed out in the locker room area.

Wow, there is one poor safety program in place at this facility. And a lot of people in denial, too. Regardless of the reason for the carbon monoxide or gas leak or whatever the cause, these warning signs should not have been ignored.

Safety programs must clearly state that any unusual situation should be investigated immediately, and people should not be put at risk while the investigation is underway. There is nothing, not even common sense, that can justify continued use of this facility based on the witness statements.

This place needs a safety overhaul, and quickly, before someone loses their life the next time.

FDIC Fraud Alert - Personal Information Scam

2011-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Summary: E-mails fraudulently claiming to be from the FDIC are attempting to get recipients to click on a link, which may ask them to provide sensitive personal information. These e-mails falsely indicate that FDIC deposit insurance is suspended until the requested customer information is provided.

---------------------

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports from consumers who received an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The e-mail informs the recipient that "in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local governments…" the FDIC has withdrawn deposit insurance from the recipient's account "due to account activity that violates the Patriot Act." It further states deposit insurance will remain suspended until identity and account information can be verified using a system called "IDVerify." If consumers go to the link provided in the e-mail, it is suspected they will be asked for personal or confidential information, or malicious software may be loaded onto the recipient's computer.

This e-mail is fraudulent. It was not sent by the FDIC. It is an attempt to obtain personal information from consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT access the link provided within the body of the e-mail and should NOT under any circumstances provide any personal information through this media.

The FDIC is attempting to identify the source of the e-mails and disrupt the transmission. Until this is achieved, consumers are asked to report any similar attempts to obtain this information to the FDIC by sending information to alert@fdic.gov.

For your reference, FDIC Special Alerts may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at FDIC Special Alert Home Page. To learn how to automatically receive FDIC Special Alerts through e-mail, please visit FDIC Email Subscriptions.

There is Quite a Lesson Here...

2011-01-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

A friend sent me this link, because the website contains an interesting video on Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic. You can find the four-part video series here.

But the real eye-opener for me was the October 2009 newsletter. Read it carefully and then read it again. Don't be put off by the title of the newsletter, thinking it won't be of interest to you.

Here is the link to the newsletter.

Laser Safety

2010-12-31T09:53:00.001-08:00

Did you get a new toy laser for a present this year? Did you get a real laser if you were a really good boy or girl?

Lasers are now cheap and easy to obtain, but there is some caution advised when using them. Using them incorrectly can at minimum be a nuisance to others, and at worst could lead to accidents or death. They also can adversely affect your pets, so don't use them as a pet toy. And if you point them at others or at aircraft, you can be prosecuted.

A good site to review safety and all other things lasers is Sam's Laser FAQ - Laser Safety. Check it out, and be nice using that laser...

Heinrich's Axioms of Industrial Safety

2010-12-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

Extracts from H.W. Heinrich, "Industrial Accident Prevention", 3rd edition, 1950, McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc.:

1. The occurrence of an injury invariably results from a completed sequence of factors-the last one of these being the accident itself. The accident in turn is invariably caused or permitted by the unsafe act of a person and/or a mechanical or physical hazard.

2. The unsafe acts of persons are responsible for a majority of accidents.

3. The person who suffers a disabling injury caused by an unsafe act, in the average case has had over 300 narrow escapes from serious injury as a result of committing the very same unsafe act. Likewise, persons are exposed to mechanical hazards hundreds of times before they suffer injury.

4. The severity of an injury is largely fortuitous-the occurrence of the accident that results in injury is largely preventable.

5. The four basic motives or reasons for the occurrence of unsafe acts provide a guide to the selection of appropriate corrective measures.

6. Four basic methods are available for preventing accidents -engineering revision, persuasion and appeal, personnel adjustment, and discipline.

7. Methods of most value in accident prevention are analogous with the methods required for the control of the quality, cost, and quantity of production.

8. Management has the best opportunity and ability to initiate the work of prevention, therefore it should assume the responsibility.

9. The supervisor or foreman is the key man in industrial accident prevention. His application of the art of supervision to the control of worker performance is the factor of greatest influence in successful accident prevention.

10. The humanitarian incentive for preventing accidental injury is supplemented by two powerful economic factors: (1) the safe establishment is efficient productively and the unsafe establishment is inefficient; (2) the direct employer cost of industrial injuries for compensation claims and for medical treatment is but one-fifth of the total cost which the employer must pay.

These ten items are the essence of a good safety program. If you know nothing about safety program development and execution, follow these axioms carefully and you will be better off than a lot of companies who preach but do not practice. Stay safe!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

I wish everyone who comes here a happy and safe Holiday season, however you celebrate it.

Stay safe, and protect those you love.

This Is NOT Exactly What It Was Designed For...

2010-11-20T04:07:00.000-08:00

According to CNN, a Massachusetts man lost consciousness when he began choking on a raisin while driving. As a result he was involved in a three-car accident. When his airbag deployed it dislodged the raisin and he regained consciousness.

There were no serious injuries in the accident, fortunately.

The driver could not be reached for comment. His fiancee stated that he was afraid to eat without someone else being present.

I guess raisins are going to come with a warning label to not eat them while driving...

Seeking Change

2010-11-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, time goes fast when you are having fun. The blog gets ignored sometimes, but since it is such a money maker (yuk) it is the first thing I think of.

Anyway, the current debacle called a mid-term election cycle is over, thank goodness. I am not going to comment on the behavior of many of our candidates, I will let their actions speak for themselves.

A theme I heard over and over is "change". We will change this, we will change that. What does this have to do with safety, since that is what I tend to write about?

Change comes from within. Many people look to others, perhaps an elected official or a corporate superior, to provide change in their lives. As a small business owner or employee, you need to look at change from how you can impact it and not wait for others to provide it.

You need to look at safety procedures and make sure they are relevant for the jobs you do. You need to look at your own behaviors and make sure they are not contrary to the safety concepts and procedures that are used by your company. And, most important, if the policies and the actions do not agree, you need to change one or the other. Because there is nothing more dangerous than a procedure no one believes in, or a policy no one agrees with.

So perhaps it is time for you to change. Change the rules or the actions to provide a safe environment for your employees and your visitors. Don't wait for the next election, no one is going to help you there...

Texting and Driving - Teenager Perspective

2010-09-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

State Farm Insurance issued a press release on September 20 regarding a survey of nearly 700 teenagers. The survey reviewed the teens' perspectives on the hazards of texting while driving, and the relative hazards of texting versus drinking while driving.

In a 14 to 17 year old age group, 36 percent of the teens strongly agreed that if they texted regularly while driving they could one day be killed. In the same group, 55 percent felt they could suffer a fatal accident some day if drinking and driving.

Teens who have never texted while driving showed over a 20 percent higher agreement that texting could cause an accident than for teens who admitted they were already texting while driving.

It appears many teens still believe there is less negative consequence to picking up a cell phone while driving versus drinking. Let me state that the use of cell phones while driving in the US is not just a teen issue, it is a pandemic which most of us have been guilty of at one time or another. It takes a conscious decision to leave the cell phone in your pocket or on the seat when it rings or you feel you need to call someone.

Take a minute and review your driving habits. If you find you spend a lot of time fiddling with your phone, your GPS, your lunch or your makeup, make yourself a pledge to stop doing all that and concentrate on driving. We may all save some lives each year if we get back to the task of driving and not treating our cars as our living rooms.

More Honors for the "Miracle on the Hudson" crew

2010-09-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Jeppesen makes aviation approach charts for pilots flying instrument approaches into airports. They do a lot of other stuff too for marine and GPS systems, but my focus today is an honor they just bestowed on the crew from US Airways 1549 who successfully ditched in the Hudson River in New York City after a massive bird strike on takeoff disabled the aircraft. The flight crew brought the aircraft safely into the water with no loss of life and very few injuries of any type.

This whole event is a testament to crew resource management, careful training and use of checklists and other safety procedures. There is no training that can be given pilots on how to successfully ditch a commercial aircraft in any body of water. But the pilots have years of training and safety procedures that include possible speeds to maintain, use of communications to resource expertise on the ground if there is time (which there was precious little of) and crew resource management, where each pilot was responsible for specific parts of the flight.

In the back the flight attendants were responsible for getting the passengers ready for a ditching. I think it was a nice touch that Jeppesen recognized all of the crew on the approach chart. You normally only hear about the pilots, yet the entire crew was responsible for getting the passengers on the ground (or water, in this case) safely.

This accident is not something that should only be reviewed by pilots, and ignored by everyone else. This is a classic example of making sure people have adequate training, clear procedures and the skills to be safe. This is what any good safety program is about, why not take a look at yours?

A link to the chart is here.

Link to the Egg Safety Center Recall List

2010-08-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

Thought I would post a link to the Egg Safety Center list of recalled egg brands:

Egg Safety Center recall list

Current investigation seems to lead to the chicken feed as a probable source of the salmonella contamination.

Check your eggs if you buy them!

Blogs, Blawgs, Blouchs and Such...

2010-08-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

I just saw a reference today to a law blog, or "blawg". Cute...

Then my feeble brain kicked on and the thoughts of different types of blogs began:

Medical - "Blouch"

Family car - "Bledan" or the new "Blossover"

Accidents - "Blikes!"

Supermarket - "Blupercenter"

Male friends with style - "Blingman"

Discussions of your favorite citrus - "Blimey"

Large SUVs evolved from the military - "Bummers"

Bathroom design - "Bloo" or "Bloilet"

Bad bathroom aim - "Blop"

On the fine art of kissing - "Bliss"

Bad food - "Blecchhh"

Life after the wedding - "Bled"

The aftermath of the Gulf Disaster - "Boilover"

Over taxation - "Blevy" (like BLEVE, Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion from too much pressure when heat is applied...oh, never mind)

The lumber industry - "Blogging" Hmm, they could have trademarked it...

Fans of rare meats - "Bloody"

Subtle citrus discussions - "Sublime"

Dairy management - "Budder" Parkay!

Old girlfriends with an attitude - oh wait, there is already a word for that..

Stay safe, and smile!

Heat Dangers!

2010-08-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

More children have died this year after being left in hot cars than in the last several years. Although most of us will dismiss this news with "I would never do this to my child" many of the parents who have suffered this way did not do it deliberately. Sure, there are reports of children being left in cars while a parent is somewhere shopping or drinking in a bar, but most of these cases are parents who for one reason or another have a child in their car outside of a normal routine.

Many parents are overworked and lack adequate sleep. Take an overtired parent, a different routine and new child safety seats which face backwards so the child cannot be seen by the parent in the front seat and you have a potential recipe for disaster.

What can parents do to avoid this tragedy? There is no one specific answer, but some suggestions are:

- Put a note on your dashboard when a child is in the back seat, if carrying a child there is not a normal part of your routine.

- If you carry a briefcase or a bag, for example a working parent on their way to work, put the bag in the back seat on the floor behind the driver's seat. Put it well out of your reach so you need to open the back door or at least turn and look into the back seat as a reminder your child is there.

- Simply make it a habit to look into the back seat carefully to insure there is no one there, and audibly state "I am looking in the back seat". Pilots will read aloud checklists for that reason, you are less likely to believe you saw or read something simply from memory. The act of speaking a reminder to yourself out loud uses a different part of the brain and may keep you from believing you already looked and did not.

- Keep in mind that in temperatures above the 90's in the direct sun, a car interior with the windows closed can reach dangerous conditions in as little as 15 minutes. Never leave a child in the car even for a moment in hot weather. Never leave your car running with the child inside. The car could stall, or worse some cars will lock the doors after a few minutes and if you do not have another key you will not be able to get back in.

Do whatever you need to do to get your brain off of automatic and check for your children. We all have gone into automatic in our lives, but this is one time not to rely on what you believe you saw or did.

Stay safe!

Do You Know?

2010-07-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Do you know:

How much water depth it takes to float your car off the road in a flood?

What to do if you are in your car and a tornado approaches?

Where to go if caught in a severe thunderstorm and lightning is striking around you?

What to do if you are in your home and family members begin to complain of headaches?

What to do if a pan of cooking oil catches fire on your stove and you don't have a fire extinguisher handy (shame on you!)?

What to do if a family member comes in from outside summer heat complaining of nausea and has skin that is hot to the touch?

You should know the answer to these things. They happen every day somewhere around us. And knowing the answers may save your life or the lives of those you love. If you read this blog you are on the internet, all the answers are there for you to find easily. I just don't want to give you the answers, I want to "teach you to fish" rather than handing you a fish dinner. Take a few minutes and find out how to help yourself and your family, it's far more rewarding than updating your social network.

The Never Ending Scam Saga...

2010-07-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

I know this is a safety discussion site, but in my mind dealing with scammers is a safety issue. People get scammed every day, many of them small businesses who are targeted by people with offers carefully worded to appear legitimate.

Since I had a website on the internet for a number of years I get scam documents regularly. I have some filters set up to catch most of them, but now and then a new one gets through.

The latest variation is the "I want to buy some of your products" scam. The scammers are not specific about what products they want, but if you reply to them asking what products they will glean something specific out of your message. Apparently this scam is big in the publishing area, since I found several warnings about it on publishing sites. They are trying to get you to ship them something that they will not be paying for, but will resell and pocket the funds.

Once the scammer has their claws into you, they will place an order with a fraudulent credit card. You have already shipped the products, whatever they may be, and you are out product and shipping costs, perhaps even bank charges for the bounced bill.

This stuff really ticks me off. I understand the 3-card Monty and scam artists have been around for as long as their have been people (and playing cards for the Monty!) but now businesses have to absorb the costs of lost products because they must accept credit cards to compete in their business area.

From doing some research on this, I came up with a short list of items to look for to try and determine if a purchase offer is legitimate:

- If a buyer asks you to tell them what products you sell, run away. Why would they contact you if they did not know what you could sell them?

- Credit card payments will always be a problem. If you can, process the card while preparing the order for shipping. You might catch a fraudulent charge before the shipment leaves your hands.

- The more urgent the request to ship, the more wary you should be. There are businesses that require quick shipment, but if they are legitimate they should be prepared to wire you the excess shipment charges, since rapid shipment is expensive. A fraudulent buyer will push for quick shipment so the product leaves your control before the funds can be verified.

- Frankly, in today's world, I would not ship anything C.O.D. Might as well open your doors and hand stuff out for free...

- There is software available for a reasonable cost that will allow you to search addresses and IP addresses for their origination. Many of these scams come from Asia, India and Russia and you might just not want to do business with requests coming from these areas.

There are so many legitimate small businesses out there trying to make a living day to day. I feel sorry for those that get caught in these scams, often through no fault of their own. More and more time is being wasted by small business owners trying to keep the wolves outside their doors. It is sad, really, that so much wasted energy is not being used for something good.

Hey "Today" show - Read my Blog!

2010-07-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Today show this morning ran a segment on heat stress. Hmm. Maybe they should be reading this blog, I beat them by a week. But they have a much nicer website than this blog, and Dr. Nancy Snyderman is very good at communicating medical issues to the general public.

Stay safe!

Recognizing Heat Stress

2010-06-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

Yep, it's been a while since I posted, it's summer and I am busy. But the summer heat reminded me to post a caution about heat stress management.

If you have to work or play for extended periods of time in the heat, be careful about hydration, covering your skin to prevent sunburn, and take breaks as often as possible.

If you feel lightheaded or dizzy, stop what you are doing and go indoors if possible to cool off. If you cannot move indoors, seek shade and drink fluids to prevent dehydration. Don't overdo the sports drinks, they have way too much sodium in them for most people working in the heat. Drink perhaps one of those for every three servings of normal water, which will keep the electrolytes up without putting you in electrolyte shock.

If someone outside with you suffers the extreme condition of heat stroke, in which the body temperature starts rising rapidly, the person STOPS sweating and can often fall into unconsciousness, seek medical help immediately. As long as a person is sweating, they are not suffering heat stroke. That does not mean they may feel well, but normal precautions about seeking shade or a cool area and re-hydrating still apply. DO NOT try to give liquids to someone who is only partially conscious - call for help.

Stay cool, stay hydrated and stay safe this summer!

"Matter of Trust" organization looking for hair/fur/nylon donations

2010-05-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Matter of Trust

From their site:

Anyone and Everyone: salons, groomers, individuals can sign up to donate hair and fur clippings and nylons for our Oil Spill Booms. Our Excess Access program sign up is free, fast and helps us to coordinate the masses of donations.

Thousands of pounds of hair and nylons are coming in by UPS and FED EX from every State in the US and from Canada, Brazil, France, UK... Booms are being made all along the Gulf Coast near beaches and marshes. What a community feeling! We all get it. We shampoo because hair collects oil!

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain OTC Infants’ and Children's Products

2010-05-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain OTC Infants’ and Children's Products

Fort Washington, PA (April 30, 2010) – McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling all lots that have not yet expired of certain over-the-counter (OTC) Children’s and Infants’ liquid products manufactured in the United States and distributed in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait. (SEE RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW).

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

The company is conducting a comprehensive quality assessment across its manufacturing operations and has identified corrective actions that will be implemented before new manufacturing is initiated at the plant where the recalled products were made.

Consumers can contact the company at 1-888-222-6036 and also at www.mcneilproductrecall.com. Parents and caregivers who are not sure about alternative pediatric health treatment options should talk to their doctor or pharmacist and are reminded to never give drug products to infants and children that are not intended for those age groups as this could result in serious harm.

For additional information, including affected NDC numbers, consumers should visit our website www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time). Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known OTC products.

###

Congratulations Oprah!

2010-04-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

For finally catching up with the safety community! Oprah has decided it is unsafe to use a cell phone while driving, and has changed her company policy.

So now the press is alive with all things Oprah, making it sound like she just invented fire or something equivalent. Am I sounding a bit cynical? Yep.

Safety consultants have been stating the obvious for years - that use of a mobile device while driving takes part of the brain's attention away from the task at hand. Cell phone use is often compared to being under the influence, with a similar lack of situational awareness and control.

So I guess now that Oprah says it is dangerous everyone will listen. Amazing how some personalities can exert such influence on many of us. Now maybe she can work on balancing the budget, or something like that.

Welcome to the club, Oprah!

Targeting Safety

2010-03-31T04:30:00.001-07:00

I wrote a safety newsletter with that title for my few clients for five years. Yes, I still have them. No, they are not on line any longer. I imposed a deadline on myself for getting out a newsletter each month. I enjoyed it, and learned a lot about safety by doing it.

But what does it mean? What should I be trying to target? Was it just another catchy title to get someone's attention? The answer to the last question is "You Betcha!". But there is more to it than that.

When I left the corporate world and started my small consulting company, I was locked in the same dilemma that all independent business people are in. "What will sell? Who will buy it? Have I lost my mind?" The answers quickly became "Not sure", "I am looking for them" and "You Betcha!".

But having worked in the safety arena for some time, I saw a recurring pattern in customers' comments. They were concerned that "safety" was an overwhelming issue, that the task of keeping their employees safe was time consuming, expensive and often very difficult to achieve. As I began to formulate a business plan to sell my own business, I saw that trying to solve any problem was like learning archery, first you aim for that very large target across the field, then you learn the skills to hit smaller and smaller parts of that target. That concept led to my newsletter theme "Targeting Safety".

And that's what all businesses should do. Look at your business and how your safety program is integrated into it. If you don't have a safety program, you just found your first target. If you do have one, do your employees know you have one? You may have found your first target. Getting LWC rates below one is a lofty goal, but unrealistic if your employees do not have a framework of safety concepts to use every day. They cannot work using instinct and stay safe.

So take a look around your business. Try to target the biggest problems you have in keeping a safe workplace. Don't try to solve everything you can at one time. Slowly make the target smaller and smaller over time and you will eventually be targeting a very small area of problems. Engage your employees and make them part of the program - give them ownership of the ongoing program or they will always look at it as your problem, not theirs. And always communicate what you are doing.

You will find your target accuracy will get better and better...

Driver Ed - The Large Letter "N"

2010-03-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

The ongoing saga of Toyota recalls is a classic example of a series of corporate decisions and possible errors in identifying a larger issue than originally thought. Only time will tell how this is all resolved, but that is not the topic of this post.

In my mind a much larger issue is the response of so many drivers who have had stuck accelerators. It seems the typical response is "The car kept going and I did not know what to do, and I could not stop it with my foot on the brake!". Seriously? Every transmission in the world today has a Neutral, or "N" position, which disengages the transmission from the engine. In the event the car is not doing what is supposed to do, like slowing down when we take our foot off the gas, all we have to do is put the transmission in "N" and apply the foot brake, or the emergency brake if the foot brake does not work, since they are independent. Putting the car into Neutral does not affect the power brakes or steering since the engine is still running.

A news report today said a driver of a Toyota Prius drove over 30 miles with a stuck accelerator until an officer stopped the car with his cruiser. Come on! Has everyone forgotten there is a large "N" on their transmission between the P and the D? What happened between driver's education and today? Is everyone too busy talking on their phones and programming their stereos and GPS units to pay attention to their automobiles? I can understand a stuck accelerator being an immediate issue if you are in heavy traffic and suddenly realize you can't stop when the car immediately in front of you slows down. It takes the brain a few seconds to realize there is an emergency and how to deal with it. But on a highway with room around you there is no excuse for a driver not being able to put the car in Neutral and pull over safely.

Perhaps it is time to get back to basics. Perhaps it is time for a driver's license to be considered a privilege and not a right. Driving for miles with a stuck accelerator? After the reports are filed, these people should be back with a driver ed instructor for some remedial training. Pilots have to do it, why should drivers not have to do it? We need to get some of these brain dead drivers off the road.

US Census scams

2010-03-03T08:47:00.001-08:00

I received this from the Emergency Email Network, thought I would pass it on:

SECURITY ALERT: U. S. Census Scam

Here are some tips to help you recognize fraudulent activity or unofficial data collections.

If you are contacted for any of the following reasons Do Not Participate.

It is NOT the U.S. Census Bureau.

Phishing:

'Phishing' is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as user names, passwords, social security numbers, bank account or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out by email and it often directs users to enter sensitive information at a fake web site whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.

Other Scams:

* The Census Bureau does NOT conduct the 2010 Census via the Internet
* The Census Bureau does not send emails about participating in the 2010 Census
* The Census Bureau never:
Asks for your full social security number
Asks for money or a donation
Sends requests on behalf of a political party
Requests PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

How to report scams and bogus Census web sites

If you believe you have been contacted as part of bogus or fraudulent activity falsely representing the Census Bureau:

* In Person Scam
Check for a valid Census ID badge
Ask for a SECOND form of ID
Call your regional office to verify you are in a survey
* Email Scams
If you think it is a bogus email, do not reply or click on any links within the email.
Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer
Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov.
After you forward the email to us, delete the message. You will not receive a confirmation email after forwarding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.
* Mail Scams
* Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service

Is your survey legitimate?

You may further verify if a collection activity is legitimate by calling your regional census office regarding mail surveys, and our National Processing Center for phone surveys. Other questions may be answered through our Are You In a Survey? page.

From the U. S. Census Bureau- Fraudulent Activity and Scams

The Census Bureau uses a workforce of trained federal employees to conduct a variety of household and business surveys by telephone, in-person interviews, through the mail, and in limited cases through the Internet. We understand your personal information is sensitive, and go to great lengths to protect the data we collect. Although we cannot stop or warn against all bogus or false collections of data.

Internet Etiquette

2010-02-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

OK, this has nothing to do with safety, except perhaps mental health. But the internet has spawned a range of stupid behaviors that I feel compelled to discuss. Since I own this blog, sometimes it's nice to get off topic a bit and pique the interest of my meager audience.

Most people send emails, some create web sites, and many use forums for chatting or collecting information on a topic, issue or hobby. And inevitably you see the same crap over and over.

In no particular order:

- Come on people, how hard is it to spell something correctly? I use Mozilla Firefox, and in forums if I misspell a word, or it thinks I have, it places a very visible red line under the word. It is doing it now as I type this blog entry. If you take that little device called a mouse and right click over the word, it offers several options for the spelling. If you have entered an unusual word and spelled it correctly, it even allows you to enter it in the Dictionary. So why force us to wade through your wasteland of badly spelled garbage because you are too lazy to take a minute and fix it?

- The word is "probably", not "prolly". The word is "that", not "dat". If you want to create a pause for effect, "..." is called an ellipsis, you don't need to type page long full stops. And if you are discussing that device that stops a car, truck or motorcycle it is a "brake", not a "break". Come on, give us a brake.............

- If you send an email that forwards something you have received to someone else, there is no reason to a) forward the entire address list that came with the message you received; b) quote all the ads, anti-virus alert messages at the bottom of each forwarded message; or c) forward every comment along with multiple copies of the message that every person before you sent on without taking the time to remove it. We all have a Delete button on our computer keyboards, why not take the time to use it?

- If a new member joins a forum, and asks a question about an issue that has been discussed before, why can't people just answer the question? Yes, it is repetitive. Yes, a good search might find the answer. But with all the garbage in all the forums, searching is not an exact science, and I have had trouble finding information in forums that I had already participated in, so why do we all want to trash someone because they ask again? It's prolly time to give dat a break, or brake, or whatever........

- Moderators are not enemies. They usually are volunteering to do something that most of us refuse to do. Most forums are not owned by the members, they are owned by someone paying good money to offer information to a group of people. They are not democratic republics, where people get a vote on the rules. If you can't play by a forum's rules, go somewhere else. But don't trash the forum, don't send viruses to the moderators computers, just go away. There are plenty of other places where you can find internet happiness.

- Almost every forum I have ever seen has a PM, or private message, function. If you want to pick a fight with someone why not send them a PM and trash each other that way? Why must the rest of us watch a couple of drama queens act like children shaking their fists at each other?

- Don't post something on the internet that you would not be prepared to say to someone in person. I have told people in forums something they said was stupid, because I would have told them that if I saw them. But going past correcting an error or telling someone you don't agree with them is behavior that exists simply because you are hiding behind your keyboard and feel like you can say whatever you want to people. There is no consequence to being rude anymore, and that is a shame, because when you used to be rude to someone in person you risked having their fist in your face. Rudeness seems to be growing everywhere, how hard is it to take a moment to be polite?

- Not everything you post needs to spout your political philosophy. We all have our opinions about politics, we don't continuously need to see yours in print. If a forum has a joke section, not all of your political jokes are funny, and just because you can post them there does not mean we need to see them over and over again.

I am sure I missed a behavior or two that are your pet peeve. Sorry. But the growing use of email and the internet seems to be breeding rudeness and insensitivity, and sometimes it grates on me. It prolly always will..................

"Miracle on the Hudson" - Animation of US 1549

2010-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

I came across two videos on YouTube concerning the aborted flight of US Airways 1549 which ended in the Hudson River in NY a year ago with no loss of life.

The two videos give a different animation perspective with different air traffic control feeds. The fact that these two pilots were able to bring this aircraft down safely with so little time is a testament to their training and professionalism.

The amazing result of this accident should confirm the value of proper training and re-training and proper use of crew resources.

Flight Reconstruction

Alternate Perspective

FDA Posts Expanded Tylenol Recall

2009-12-30T06:39:00.000-08:00

McNeil Consumer Healthcare has expanded a voluntary Tylenol recall to include all available product lots of Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive EZ Open cap.

An earlier November recall of a limited number of lots was due to a possible chemical contamination that creates a moldy or musty smell. The chemical may be a breakdown product of a preservative used in packaging materials.

Details of the recall are available here.

Information on recalls for a wide range of products is available through Recalls.gov.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T16:00:00.001-08:00

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Stay safe.

H1N1 Phishing Scam - Be Aware!

2009-12-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

The Centers for Disease Control CDC has issued a warning concerning a H1N1 phishing scam on their Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors site.

This new scam warns the reader than they must establish a profile with the federal government to track H1N1. This email purportedly comes from CDC, and appears official. If a reader clicks on the link they will be sent to a phishing web page where they will be asked for personal information.

Please help your friends and family by warning them about opening any web page that attempts to obtain personal information, whether appearing official or not. Many people feel an obligation to open information supposedly from our government, which is what these slugs are hoping for.

If you ever receive any email asking you to open a link and supply any information, the best and easiest insurance is to delete the email without clicking any links, then open a web browser and go directly to the company, bank, or government agency that "asked" for the information. If the request is legitimate (which they almost never are) the web site will contain the same information request, and you can deal directly with the company or entity.

In today's cyberworld the information thieves are getting better and better about masking their identity and making themselves appear legitimate. Frankly, I rarely even open attachments from friends and family anymore, because they too can contain malicious viruses, malware or trojans that can disable your computer or take control of it.

Wired Safety has a very good page on Scams and Fraud, as well as a wide array of other internet safety topics on their website. Take some time and review it.

Fire-Resisting Your Christmas Tree

2009-11-30T05:33:00.000-08:00

First, there is no such thing as "fire-proof" Christmas trees. There is no way you can make a bunch of wood and tree sap fire-proof. However, adding certain chemicals will result in a tree that is fire-resistant. If the tree is treated correctly and kept moist it will not expand a flame, but will simply smolder. Don't waste your money on any product that claims it will fire-proof your tree.

Here is a simple solution you can easily make at home that will improve the chances your tree will not go up in flames if it is exposed to an ignition source.

Instructions:

To begin, strip three inches of bark off the butt of the tree trunk, so the solution can enter the sides as well as the bottom.

In a separate container mix the following ingredients:

2 qts. hot water
1 pt. Karo syrup
2 oz. liquid bleach
Pinch Epsom salts
1/2 tsp. Borax
6 qts. boiling water
(some recipes also add 1 tsp. chelated iron, available from garden stores)

It's important to add the mixture to the Christmas tree stand - the hotter the better the initial time. (Breaking the cold sap down so the solution can work towards the top of the tree is important.) The remaining solution can be added cold as needed. Check the level daily and keep the tree stand reservoir full.

After a few days, cut a twig off to test. See if a match will burn the needles. Best to do this outside! :)

Have a safe Holiday season!

Massive Recall of Stork Craft Baby Cribs

2009-11-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 2.1 million Stork Craft baby cribs due to several suffocations that occurred when the crib sides collapsed.

The recall involves more than 1.2 million units sold in the US and nearly 1 million sold in Canada. Some were sold under the Fisher Price logo. Many were sold by WalMart and wholesale clubs.

The recall notice may be found HERE.

Many of the units being recalled are older units with parts that can become damaged or missing over time. In addition, some of the drop sides may have been installed upside down by the consumer, which can result in damaged parts. Stork Craft is offering a repair kit that will change the drop side of the crib to a fixed side to prevent the collapse.

For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to Stork Craft.

Travel Safely!

2009-11-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Dear holiday travelers -

Are you one of the millions of people traveling somewhere this holiday season?

Good luck.

With cars, airplanes, trucks and RVs aplenty, there are lots of opportunities for a holiday travel disaster. Do a little planning ahead of time to manage your travel risk:

- Plan your trip in advance. Don't rely on chance to find a hotel, motel or kindness of strangers to give you lodging. Depending on your travel circumstances and the cities you have to travel through, 300 miles per day is a safe average to use for drive planning. This allows time for detours, rest stops (very important) and fuel needs both for you and your car.

- Plan to check a bag on an airline flight. You and everyone else out there wants to travel with carry on luggage only. Well guess what? The overhead bins are full and now they want you to check your bag, which you were not prepared to have checked. Why not plan to check the bag, pack it accordingly, and only carry on your medications, identification and other small items that can fit easily under a seat? Mail or ship the presents ahead of time, or allow yourself an extra day on arrival for last minute shopping. It is a LOT less stressful to have a checked bag ready to go at home and not be scrambling around trying to keep a carry on bag from being checked.

- Rest frequently. We travel some with a RV, so we are used to stopping every couple of hours for a quick break to reduce the stress of towing a large vehicle with everyone out to get us. If you drive over the holidays, take a 10 minute break every couple of hours to stretch, walk around, get a beverage and chill a bit. You will arrive at your destination in much better shape and less likely to have an accident due to fatigue or stress.

- If you must take a pet, have them secured properly in the vehicle. Pets should not be allowed to wander around in a car, and in many states it is illegal to do so. And please don't drive with a pet on your lap. Think what will happen if your airbag goes off.

- Put the cellphones, text messaging, book reading, map reading, Monopoly playing and all other distractions aside and drive the car. PLEASE!

- If you arrive somewhere and intend to rent a car, take a minute and really inspect it. Tires look low? Have them checked. Windows dirty? Ask them to clean them again. Make sure the lights, brake lights (and the brakes), turn signals and the horn work before leaving the lot. If all is not well ask for another car. You are paying for a car in working order, insist on it.

- Don't drink and drive. Duh...

- Make sure you know where you are going. Sounds simple, but people get lost every year, usually after they must detour due to an accident. Take a good map along and a good navigator to read it (see not reading and driving above). Get a GPS with turn directions. Mine will continue to get me to the destination I programmed in no matter where I drive. So if I must detour it will continue to guide me. If you are using a GPS learn how to program a destination address, don't just turn it on. If you must reprogram it stop and do it, don't try to push buttons and drive, that's as dangerous as text messaging.

Travel safely, and Happy Holidays to all!

Veterans Benefits / Information Sites

2009-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

I received a rather long email which contains a wealth of web site links to all kinds of veterans benefits and information sites. As the preface says in the email, you have to ask for many benefits to get them.

If you know a US Veteran, please go to one of the links below and download the document. You may help someone more than you know, which is why I am posting the information here.

VA document in Word format

VA document in Adobe PDF format

Don't Take Sleeping and Breathing For Granted

2009-10-22T14:21:00.001-07:00

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is asking for screening of operators in several different transportation industries due to their assertion that sleep apnea may be contributing to accidents.

Sleep apnea is a condition where a person repeatedly stops breathing for short periods when sleeping. Due to the repeated disruptions, normal sleep patterns needed for restful sleep are interrupted and a person is chronically sleep-deprived. The risk occurs when such a person can "micro-sleep" or fall asleep for short periods during the day. Micro-sleep can occur without the person even being aware of it and may result in accidents or injuries.

According to several news sources, the NTSB sent letters to the agency that regulates bus and truck drivers and the US Coast Guard, asking for screening of drivers, commercial pilots, train engineers and merchant sailors for sleep apnea.

The NTSB states that 7 percent of the US population has sleep apnea, and their concern is that the operators noted above may have apnea and don't know it.

For more information on sleep apnea, visit The American Sleep Apnea Association.

The HARM Assessment for Violence

2009-09-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you work with other people, you may have already encountered a hostile or violent employee. I have experienced it and it is not a pleasant thing to go through. You should not place yourself in a position of getting injured by trying to confront such an employee yourself, but there is a technique I learned some years ago to at least assess the potential threat.

This technique is called the HARM Assessment. HARM is an acronym for Harassment, Aggression, Rage and Mayhem.

Here are some typical symptoms that you may see with each level. If you see an employee whose behavior appears to be escalating from a lower level to a higher one, you may wish to contact your supervision. As I stated, don't confront employees directly, you just need to let people know. Not everyone having a bad day is a candidate for violence, but a repeated escalating series of behaviors is consistent with someone who needs help.

Harassment – Inappropriate behavior that makes people feel uncomfortable or threatened

Slamming doors

Practical jokes

Telling lies about others

Glaring, aggressive attitude

Aggression – Hostile behavior that implies harm to someone

Shouting at employees/customers

Spreading damaging rumors

Vandalism of business or personal property

Rage – Intense behavior causing fear and likely physical or emotional harm

Pushing a customer or co-worker

Leaving hate messages

Verbal threats

Mayhem – Physical violence or violent destruction of property

Hitting anyone

Ransacking or destroying property

Shootings, stabbings or other attacks

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands Gently Down the Stream...

2009-09-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Along with all the media play about H1N1, the upcoming flu season in general and the growing aversion to germs of any kind is a new ad I just saw on TV.

The ad states that for proper hand washing, you should sing the "Happy Birthday to You" song twice.

Well, I am confused. I was told it was "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and before that it was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"!

This is going to create serious trauma among our younger generation, who now have the insurmountable task of trying to figure out what song they should be using when they wash their hands.

Seriously folks, the whole point here is that for younger folks (and some of us lazy old folks) washing your hands does not mean a shot of liquid soap on the palm of one hand, a cursory swipe at the other hand and a rinse. It means cleaning your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds using a good soap and warm water. The point of singing the songs, whichever you prefer, is that it teaches the kids what length of time they should be washing their hands.

So sing along with your children, and help teach them good hand washing techniques.

H1N1

2009-09-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing how a few letters and numbers can be recognized by so many people?

Of course, we are talking about the "swine flu" H1N1, a flu variant many experts believe could be the next pandemic. What has been interesting about H1N1 is the fact that it has struck younger, healthier people with often devastating effects. It is unpredictable, and therefore it deserves our respect and attention.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a H1N1 web site with a wealth of information on the virus and what is being done to control it. You can visit Situation Update for more information.

Stay informed, wash your hands, sneeze into your arm or elbow instead of your hands, and stay home if you don't feel well.

And I won't even post any tasteless jokes about having cravings for bacon or pork rinds...

Stay safe!

What's In a Name?

2009-08-17T07:58:00.001-07:00

For us humans, names may mean many things. Family, history, ethnicity or even lost loves.

Since this is a safety blog, I reference names like Andrew, Katrina, Camille and so on. Most of you immediately recognize the names of some very famous or infamous hurricanes. Those on the West Coast may recognize Northridge and San Andreas. I remember Xenia Ohio devastation from tornadoes while growing up in Ohio. These storms or natural disasters left unimaginable death and destruction. They also proved that we are resilient people who can come back from adversity.

Your author now lives in the southeast where many of these hurricanes hit or passed through. It is sobering to talk to people here who lived through some of these storms and what they experienced. I think I will try to be far away when any come through again, but circumstances may prevent that for many reasons.

If you live in any part of the world where weather or nature takes its toll, your best tools are awareness and preparedness. Get your critical "stuff" together before the crisis hits. Here are a few general suggestions for emergency preparedness:

- Have enough of your medications available to last one month.

- Know how to turn off your utilities in your home (electric, water, gas, propane, etc.)

- Have a bag ready for your pets with food and water. Also know where you can take your pet if you need to evacuate. Some shelters allow pets, some don't. One option is to call hotels in areas you can evacuate to and check on their pet policy. Don't leave them behind!

- Have enough food available that can be eaten without cooking for one week.

- If you are getting water supplies ready, plan for one gallon per person per day. If flooding occurs, don't use tap water again until advised safe by authorities, or at least boil it for 15 minutes first if you have to use it.

- NEVER cook inside using gas grills, camping stoves or gas heaters! Use them outside. People die every year doing this.

- Find the safest room in your house in advance, an inside bathroom or closet away from windows is best. Basements may or may not be safer depending on the house construction. Plus you don't want to be in a basement if your area floods.

- Have flashlights, batteries and a portable radio available at all times. A battery powered weather radio can keep you advised on storms.

- Keep some cash on hand. A major event can knock out roads and ATMs. With no computers, stores can't take your credit cards.

- Keep your cars filled up with fuel. Don't store a lot of gas in cans in your house, if you have a gas generator keep the gas in a separate garage or shed. Never re-fuel a running generator. Shut it down for a few minutes and let it cool a bit. Your refrigerator won't thaw that quickly.

- If the power is out, you might want to turn off your major appliances and heat/air conditioning. Often when the power comes back on it can surge and damage things. When you are aware the power is back on (leave one light on) you can slowly add back items in your house to prevent damage.

- If you are told to evacuate, go. There is nothing we own that is worth dying for.

- If someone in your home has disabilities that make it difficult to evacuate, notify local authorities well in advance, and get a commitment that they will assist you.

Your local government will have emergency service information available for the types of hazards in your area. Or check online, there are many sites offering emergency preparedness information.

Stay safe, and stay alive...

FDA MedWatch

2009-08-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) operates a database for reporting adverse reactions to:

* FDA-regulated drugs,
* biologics (including human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products)
* medical devices (including in vitro diagnostics)
* special nutritional products and cosmetics

If you or someone you love has had an adverse reaction to medications or medical devices relevant to the above list, consider reporting it on MedWatch. Your time may help others in the future.

You can visit the FDA MedWatch site at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm .

A direct link to the reporting database is https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm . There is a very large BEGIN button on the right of the page.

Look Out!

2009-07-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Please look out for:

motorcycles
bicycles
pedestrians
small children running in the street
joggers
walkers
other drivers not paying attention...

Let's all put down the cell phones, lunch, our makeup, books, maps, stereo adjustment, cigarettes, dogs and anything else that distracts us from simply driving a car. A car which is a loaded weapon in the hands of inattentive drivers.

Please drive, do all the rest when you get home. Please........

Do You Know Where You Gonna Go When the Hurricane Blow?

2009-07-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Apologies to Jimmy Buffett.

Yep, it's the North Atlantic hurricane season again. Over a month has gone by with nothing more than thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico. But don't get complacent, the statistical peak of the season is not until September 10. And late August and early September are consistent high activity times for hurricane development.

If you want to follow developing storms, or need more information on hurricane preparedness, visit the National Weather Service Hurricane Center at the Hurricane Center.

The Weather Channel web site also has a lot of hurricane resources and can be found at Weather.Com.

I know where I'm gonna go, do you?

13 Children Dead - How?

2009-06-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

So far this year in the US summer season, according to the Weather Channel, 13 children have lost their lives from being left in hot cars.

I find this statistic stunning, I cannot even imagine how that many people have been so careless as to leave children in closed cars in the hot sun. Numerous pets have also died, which is no less negligent.

But the idea that people would leave their kids in a car outside in the sun is just too difficult for me to imagine.

If you see a child in a locked car, call 911 immediately. It only takes a couple of minutes for temperatures inside to exceed 120 degrees. If all the doors are locked I would be tempted to break a couple of windows and deal with the consequences later. What actions you take are up to you, but at least call for help.

Stay safe out there!

It's Pool Time - Stay Safe!

2009-06-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is a lot more fun when you add a pool to the equation. Many of us have pools or access to them, but there are a number of things to keep in mind as you enjoy your summer dip:

- Monitor your children. It can be very exciting for kids to have access to a pool, but that excitement can lead to tragedy if they are not watched. Don't let smaller children get into the pool with older kids unless an adult is present - they may try to enter water well over their head to keep up with the older kids.

- No running. A slip and fall around a pool can lead to serious injury or even death if someone strikes their head.

- Keep the alcohol away from the pool. It is not necessary to drink around the pool to have a good time. Many accidents and deaths have occurred while people were under the influence.

- Keep breakable glassware or sharp objects such as knives or cutlery away from the pool. If you serve food set it up a safe distance away, and discourage people from taking it to the pool area.

- Wear plenty of sunscreen, and add more regularly.

- No one should be allowed to dive unless they have been instructed by a swim instructor, and the pool is designed specifically for diving. Spinal cord injuries occur every year to people who dive and hit their heads.

- Check your water chemistry before and after the pool party. Keep the water clean and treated to keep the swimmers safe.

Enjoy your summer, and stay safe!

Lead, Lag, or What the Heck Just Happened to My Safety Program?

2009-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

I was having a spirited conversation with a friend recently concerning leading vs. lagging indicators. I discussed this issue at length in my Consulting Solutions newsletter for March 2004, which you can find in my newsletter archives. End of shameless plug.

But the conversation leads me to want to re-visit the concept of leading vs. lagging indicators.

A leading indicator is any metric, observation or report that can anticipate a change in performance prior to the change, whether it relates to safety or any other concept. In the safety arena, leading indicators can be as simple as changes in housekeeping, increases in incident reports or as complex as changes in unsafe behaviors from behavior-based observation systems.

Lagging indicators are the opposite, and show performance changes after they have already occurred. These might include injury statistics, accident reports, results of injury investigations or any other metric. These metrics are usually noticed when they start increasing, and the trick becomes how to figure out what is causing them.

The third item in this post title "What the Heck Just Happened to My Safety Program?" is reserved for those companies who don't track any sort of metrics, whether they be leading or lagging, and therefore have no clue what is driving changes in employee safety behaviors and incidents. These are very scary companies for employees to work in, since they are typically relying on employee self-awareness and "nothing bad is happening, so I don't need to worry" mentality.

If anyone reads this who has some responsibility for managing their safety program, try to develop leading indicators for monitoring safety performance. Teach your employees to observe, teach them that "audit" is not a bad word if done correctly, with positive reinforcement of good behaviors and coaching to remove unsafe ones. Reinforce publicly, coach privately.

This is not that hard, and does not take a lot of time. If you develop a program your employees buy into, you can develop a culture that will move you to very low incident/injury rates. It works. Contact me if you want to discuss how to do it.

Just When You Think It Could Not Get Any Stranger...

2009-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

A guy was arrested in Tampa for trying to get home drunk.

But he was not arrested for DUI.

He was arrested after giving the car keys to his 12 year old son and telling him to drive home. The son then hit a pregnant woman in an intersection. Thankfully no one was injured.

The guy is now in jail. The son was released to his mother.

Hopefully this guy won't be driving for a while drunk or sober.

Unbelievable.

The Perils of the Road

2009-05-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Just took a little trip in the RV. Big, brightly colored, oversized and not particularly quick. Not particularly able to get out of my own way in a hurry.

I bet you can tell where this is going. We lost track of the number of people that cut us off to save one car length. The brain dead who came down on-ramps without even a glance and caused major braking on my part because they could not be inconvenienced in the least to speed up and merge at highway speeds. The morons who would pass us then cut in front and slow DOWN.

Enough of that, how was our trip? It was fine, thanks, but it would be nice if people could show some awareness and consideration for a large, slower vehicle that just won't stop on a dime even if hit with a cattle prod.

I feel so sorry for the truckers that have to drive the highways every day.

I thank my kind readers for putting up with my rant, it's unfortunate that those who need such a reminder will never read it. Sigh....

Turn Around - Don't Drown!

2009-04-28T11:02:00.001-07:00

Severe flooding in Texas, and recent events in the upper Midwest, remind me of a common adage every time I see people driving through high water - "Turn Around, Don't Drown!"

It only takes a few inches of flowing water to float a car off the road. Every time there is flooding I expect to hear news reports of water rescues. People continue to believe that they can avoid being a drowning statistic and go right on driving through water levels where they can't even see the road. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid or lazy people are that they won't even consider going in a different direction to get where they want to go.

Don't become a flooding statistic. Turn Around - Don't Drown!

What a Novel Idea!

2009-04-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

A CEO says if you empower employees to learn more about how to manage their health, it improves your bottom line. What, this can work for safety too?

Forbes has an interesting article by Olympus Americas CEO F. Mark Gumz concerning how they manage health costs using employee education and cost management.

These same tools can improve your safety bottom line. Helping your employees understand and manage risk on and off the job can work wonders in reducing the rate and severity of injuries and lead to better employee-driven risk management and incident reductions.

As the article states near the end: "Employees appreciate an employer who cares about them and invests in them--and that appreciation brings both immediate and long-term rewards to the company."

If you manage your company and don't realize this, where have you been? In today's economy, why not do whatever you can to reduce your costs and perhaps keep a few more of your valuable employees instead of cutting them to reduce costs?

It's time for many of us to put the word "manage" back in management.

Watching for Bad Weather

2009-04-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

The previous post discussed getting a good weather radio to help keep on top of bad weather. Now that spring is here in North America, severe weather is coming with it. The clash of cold and warm air masses can spawn violent weather even quite early in the spring.

Tornadoes can statistically occur in any month of the year, but spring and early summer can create conditions that bring the threat over larger areas. Later in the summer the classic "tornado alley" storms from Oklahoma through Illinois occur, but summer storms can become cyclonic just about anywhere.

I am not attempting to teach anyone how to look for tornadoes. Use local weather resources if you live in areas where they are likely to form. I always cringe when the amateur video shows on TV show some nut who shot video of a tornado bearing down on their house. Though amazing, they are risking their lives. I wonder if their life is worth a couple of minutes of fame on an "amazing video" show?

What I do want to pass on to you is an amazing video from National Geographic showing both tornado and lightning imagery. It is worth the watch.

Also, if you are a storm junkie, read about the 25 deadliest U.S. tornadoes.

Stay safe out there! And if the storms turn violent, seek shelter. Let the pros shoot the videos.

Listening for Bad Weather

2009-03-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

March and April are statistically the months with the greatest potential for severe weather in the USA. Cold and warm air masses clash and can create some nasty situations. One of the best things you can own in your home is a weather alert radio.

There are a variety of radios available on the market, so I am reluctant to endorse or suggest any particular unit. But I can suggest some key features you should look for when shopping for a weather radio:

- It should have some source of alternative power, such as batteries, in case your power goes out.

- It should have the ability to choose from a variety of National Westher Service frequencies to be able to tune the best signal for your area.

- It should have some sort of alert tone or alarm that will signal when severe weather is threatening your area.

- You may wish to consider a desk-type unit, since many of these have external antennas you can extend to get a better signal.

Shop around, look for features you like, but please don't put off owning one. The first time you hear an alert tone and know what is happening you will consider the purchase a priceless one.

The Hidden Dangers of Head Injuries

2009-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Actress Natasha Richardson died today from head injuries sustained in a "minor" fall on a ski slope in Canada. After the fall she appeared to suffer no injuries, yet later developed a severe headache and eventually died.

Closed head injuries can be difficult to diagnose because the patient at first may experience no symptoms and appears to be uninjured.

Scientific American has an interesting article on what they refer to as "talk and die syndrome". It provides a lot of information about the dangers of these type of injuries. The article was published prior to her death; it refers to her critical condition at the time.

People who have been ambivalent about wearing head protection when biking or doing other sports, or who have not encouraged helmet use for their children, should take a serious look at this case as a very visible reminder of how easily minor injuries can become a tragedy. I am not an alarmist, I don't believe we should wrap ourselves in bubble wrap before going outdoors, but I look at safety equipment as one tool among many that allows us to participate in sports or outdoor activities and go home in good health at the end of the day.

Maytag Announces a Major Refrigerator Recall Due to Fire Hazard

2009-03-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Maytag has announced a major recall of several different refrigerator models due to potential fire hazard.

The recall states in part:

"The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

Side by Side Refrigerators Serial Numbers ENDING with AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR,AT, AV, AX, CA, CC, CE, CG, CJ, CL, ZB, ZD, ZF, ZH, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with ARS, CS, JC, JS, MS, MZ, PS

Top Freezer Refrigerators Serial Numbers ENDING with AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with AT, CT, MT, PT

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall."

The full CPSC press release complete with representative photos and contact information can be found here.

The Tortoise and the Hare

2009-03-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

You may know the fable, the hare challenges the tortoise to a race. The hare rushes out, but is constantly distracted by things along the way, while the tortoise plods along at a steady pace and eventually wins the race.

Patience, perseverance and steadiness. Great concepts for children to learn, which is why we learn so many of them growing up.

But these attributes can also apply to workplace safety programs. Being patient when investigating safety incidents, not being distracted by information or personnel that do not pertain to the situation, can help you find a more suitable solution or resolution than rushing to a decision or judgment.

Perseverance can help you keep looking for solutions to difficult safety issues when a clear solution does not seem to be apparent.

Taking the time to understand what happens in a safety incident, who is involved, what systems may have not worked correctly, and what policies or procedures are involved will give you a complete picture of the incident and will lead to more lasting, productive solutions.

Tortoise or the hare? Only you can decide, but I think the tortoise had the right idea...

Develop Your Own Safety Ad Agency

2009-02-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed how commercials fall into definite categories?

Some are testimonials, where a person who is or appears to be knowledgeable states that a product will provide a certain benefit because it provided them that benefit. This type is used a lot by diet and drug companies.

Some are educational, where the benefits of a product or service are clearly stated by defining their features and benefits. This type is often used by financial institutions. They may be boring to many, unless you have need for such services.

Some are comparative, where product A is compared to product B, and B is always found deficient by the extraordinary benefits of A. A lot of food is sold this way.

The last large group is comedy, where usually a stupid man is charmed or overwhelmed by the prodigious intellect of the woman who solves the problem every time with product A. I call these "stupid men" commercials, and they irritate the heck out of me, not because the woman are intelligent but because men allow themselves to be stereotyped this way since many of them act this way. Oops, blog hijack. Back on topic.

Ad agencies only have 30 seconds to a minute to get your attention, teach you about a product, and get some sort of emotional or intellectual connection to it that may cause you to go and buy it. They also have to satisfy their customer, who is actually selling product A, by showing their ads actually sell their products. I don't see how some of them can prove that with the crap being shown out there, but that is not the point of this post either.

As a safety professional, you only have a short time to catch the attention of your employees and change unsafe behaviors. Look to the ad agencies for what works for them.

Testimonials - having an employee show other employees how a safety procedure or equipment modification saved their skin is a winner; look for opportunities to use them.

Comparisons - show how using safe techniques can actually improve the work environment and efficiency vs. old, unsafe procedures in direct comparisons. Better yet, find the old behaviors being used and demonstrate the new one on the spot. Then train the new behavior, since a single viewing is not going to change anything.

Comedy - perhaps useful in limited doses. Being unsafe is not funny, but turning an incident into light comedy can both break tension and will also gain retention value as something employees will remember. But don't make light of deliberate safety infractions - these should never be tolerated, and employees should be told that.

Education - the cornerstone of good safety techniques. Teach them, then teach them again. Then review performance and coach the gaps in training that will occur. Don't look for fault, look for ways to improve safe behaviors.

You don't need to hire a fancy agency to develop your safety "ad campaign". Watch a few commercials, see how they get your attention, and you can use the same techniques to get your employees' attention.

Guidelines for Toy Safety - A Misguided Approach?

2009-02-07T04:48:00.000-08:00

The US Congress last year enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 which included regulations to amount of phthalates in toys in the US. After February 10, 2009 manufacturers had to limit the amount of phthalates, chemicals used as plastic softeners in many toys, to avoid exposures to younger children. Research has shown a connection between phthalates and certain abnormalities in younger children.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was charged with issuing guidelines to enforce the legislation. Their guidelines did not include existing toy inventories, and a lawsuit was issued to enforce the guidelines for all toys, whether new or in existing inventories. A New York District Court sided with the plaintiffs, and issued a ruling requiring all toys, whether new or existing, to meet the guidelines. There are also requirements for exports of new toys to other countries. The CPSC announcement concerning the February 10 toy restrictions can be found here.

What do these requirements mean?

For parents, they mean that they can now buy toys with the confidence that they contain minimal amounts of chemicals that some studies have shown may be linked to health problems in children. It also means that the costs of toys will most certainly rise, as manufacturers must change production methods to eliminate these chemicals, and also because the toy industry will have to withdraw millions of dollars of toy inventories from shelves simply because they might contain these products, if they were produced before February 10.

For these same parents, this information may also create confusion. Do all existing toys their children use need to be discarded? How can they tell if their toys contain these chemicals? Are there any guidelines on how to determine which of their toys are an issue? If these chemicals are that dangerous that all existing toys on store shelves must be removed if they contain these products, why aren't parents being told how to determine which toys they should be concerned about? The CPSC announcement above states there will be further guidance issued in the future - is this guidance for parents or manufacturers? Since these guidelines took effect 180 days from the date of the legislation, which was last August, has no one realized that there are a lot of toys sitting in peoples' homes that they might be concerned about?

For manufacturers, they may or may not be able to regain the lost revenues from having to withdraw these huge inventories of toys. They may or may not be able to retain their employees and remain in business in a time of economic turmoil, when toy sales have already been down due to the economy.

I understand the concern we all have for the health and welfare of our children. However, our watchdogs have a tendency to shotgun low-hanging fruit and create issues such as huge toy recalls and federal legislation to protect children when the resulting economic losses could have a greater negative impact on children than the intent of the legislation. Parents not being able to feed their children due to the downstream fallout of such laws should be weighed in consideration equally with the potential impact of such market changes.

I am not certain this is being done in a balanced way. Our litigious society is so eager to find fault and eliminate all risk that we are not using common sense in our approach to managing risk. We ask companies to provide us a risk-free society, at no cost to ourselves, and then continue to seek targets of opportunity without considering the effects these actions have on others in our society. Our society is not practicing risk management, we are practicing risk aversion.

Termination of 121.5 Monitoring for Emergency Transmitters

2009-01-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

The email I received below is tailored for the pilot community, because many civil aircraft still contain emergency locator transmitters that broadcast on 121.5 MHz. However, many boat ELTs also use this frequency, and many private ELTs used by hikers, etc. may also depending on their age. So I offer this information to anyone that may be affected by the change.

Personal ELTs that operate on 406 MHz are becoming relatively inexpensive, and as noted below are also registered to the user, providing the emergency responders a lot more information. In addition, many new ELTs have embedded GPS units (highly recommended if you are buying one) that give instant position information. Now may be a good time to upgrade that unit if you have an old one.

-------------------------------

Termination of Satellite Monitoring of 121.5 MHz ELT's. - ARE YOU READY?
Notice Number: NOTC1518

Termination of satellite monitoring of 121.5 MHz ELTs will happen in under a month. Are you ready?

On 1 February 2009, the International Cospas-Sarsat [1] Organization (U.S. included) will terminate processing of distress signals emitted by 121.5 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs). Pilots flying aircraft equipped with 121.5 MHz ELTs after that date will have to depend on pilots of over flying aircraft and or ground stations monitoring 121.5 to hear and report distress alert signals, transmitted from a possible crash site.

Currently only 12-15% of the registered aircraft in the United States are flying with 406 MHz ELTs. This means that there is at least an 85% chance that an aircraft in an accident will only transmit a 121.5 MHz signal, thus remaining silent to the satellites. It will be up to other pilots monitoring the 121.5 MHz frequency in the cockpit to alert Search and Rescue authorities to accidents involving 121.5. When you fly, look out for your fellow pilots and when possible monitor 121.5 MHz.

If a 121.5 MHz ELT is heard on guard, report to the nearest air traffic control tower, the time and location of when you first detect the ELT, when it is the loudest and when it drops off your radio. Listening and reporting may well be the difference that saves a life.

Protect yourself…

Cospas-Sarsat System (U.S. included) has been and will continue processing emergency signals transmitted by 406 MHz ELTs. These 5 Watt digital beacons transmit a much stronger signal, are more accurate, verifiable and traceable to the registered beacon owner (406 MHz ELTs must be registered by the owner in accordance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov). Registration allows the search and rescue authorities to contact the beacon owner, or his or her designated alternate by telephone to determine if a real emergency exists. Therefore, a simple telephone call often solves a 406 MHz alerts without launching costly and limited search and rescue resources, which would have to be done for a 121.5 MHz alert. For these reasons, the search and rescue community is encouraging aircraft owners to consider retrofit of 406 MHz ELTs or at a minimum, consider the purchase of a handheld 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) which can be carried in the cockpit while continuing to maintain a fixed 121.5 MHz ELT mounted in the aircraft’s tail. Protect yourself and your passengers and Get the Fix… Switch to 406.

Remember, after February 1, 2009, the world-wide Cospas-Sarsat satellite system will no longer process 121.5 MHz alert signals. Pilots involved in aircraft accidents in remote areas will have to depend on pilots of over flying aircraft and or ground stations to hear emergency ELT distress signals. For further information concerning the termination of 121.5 MHz data processing visit www.sarsat.noaa.gov or contact Switchto406@noaa.gov with any questions.

[1] The Cospas-Sarsat Organization provides a satellite based world-wide monitoring system that detects and locates distress signals transmitted by Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs). The system includes space and ground segments which process the signals received from the beacon source and forwards the distress alert data to the appropriate Rescue Coordination Center for action.

Address SARSAT inquiries to:

NOAA SARSAT
NSOF. E/SP3
4231 Suitland Road
Suitland, MD 20746
Phone: 301.817.4515
Toll free: 888.212.7283
Fax: 301.817.4565

Losing A Helmet - Comfort Over Safety?

2009-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was watching a football playoff game yesterday, and the announcer mentioned the fact that he was seeing a lot of players losing their helmets. He reflected that players appeared to be wearing their helmets more loosely than in the past.

That comment made me wonder why players were choosing to wear a major piece of their safety equipment in a manner not intended. For any helmet to work correctly it must be worn snugly against the skull. What you do not want is for the skull to impact the inner lining of the helmet. This creates an additional acceleration and then deceleration of the brain which can result in injury.

So why are players ignoring this fact? I don't know if they receive training on correct helmet use, but I assume they do. My guess is that as safety equipment for players improves, less players receive traumatic brain injuries. This tends to lead to complacency and the "it won't happen to me" syndrome.

This effect can occur in any company safety program. As rules, regulations and personal protective equipment improve, injury rates will decease and employee complacency can increase. This is when safety managers need to turn up both training and auditing. You have to keep reminding employees than injuries not yet seen can get them, and you need to followup in the field.

Don't let your employees fall victim to the loose helmet syndrome. Help them wear their equipment and procedures correctly. Tell them to leave the shenanigans for the overpaid pros.

Now Will You Listen To The Flight Attendant?

2008-12-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

This week a Continental Airlines 737 skidded off a runway at Denver airport and burned. All passengers and crew survived the crash, which is pretty amazing given the severity of the crash, and the fact that the fire penetrated the passenger cabin.

The analysis of this crash will take time, but I for one will stand up and yell at the top of my lungs "These people survived because of a highly trained, skilled flight crew!".

Many of us travel by air, some frequently, some not. We often get our first glimpse of the flight crew as a smiling person trying to be gracious while we all shove, pack and wedge our way onto the aircraft with too much carry-on luggage and too little patience. We all sit and grab our magazines, try to make our last mobile phone call and chat with our fellow passengers while the crew stands in the aisles and gives the safety briefing. You know it, don't you? You don't need to listen to it again, do you? You know the door you used to enter the aircraft, and you will exit through that door if you must in an emergency, right?

If all those statements were true, then the flight attendants could hand you a card to read and go on their way. They stand there time and time again, giving the same briefing, because seeing the emergency procedures is more likely to be remembered versus reading a card. How many of you have ever taken the safety briefing card from the pocket in the seat in front of you and read it? Not many, I suspect.

Why do we read our magazines, chat with our neighbors, or make that last phone call instead of listening to the flight attendants? It's probably a combination of confidence and denial. Confidence that air travel is safe with a low accident risk, and denial that it will ever happen to us. Yes, air travel is safe. I feel safer in the air than driving to the airport, even after traveling for over two decades. But when is the next aircraft accident going to occur? When will you be one of the victims? Obviously you or I cannot answer those questions, so isn't it in our best interests to be as prepared as possible?

Think about these questions before your next flight, and then listen, really listen to the flight attendants the next time:

- Is the best exit for you to use in an emergency the door you used to enter the aircraft?

- Where is the emergency flotation device I can use if needed? How do I put it on?

- If I am flying along and suddenly a big yellow mask appears in front of my face, what am I supposed to do with it?

- How many different ways are there to get out of the aircraft in an emergency?

- How do I open the doors or window exits? (hint, now's a good time to read that briefing card in the seat pocket)

Crew members are highly trained, required to obtain recurrent training, and must always be alert for safety hazards and able to respond quickly and confidently in emergencies. They do this day after day, with little or no thanks from the public they serve. So the last questions you should consider are:

- Are the flight attendants there simply for me to complain to about how late our flight is? Should they consider me the center of their universe?

If you truly believe the answer to these last two questions is yes, perhaps you should be driving to your destination, and not wasting the crew's time...

Risk Management vs. Risk Aversion

2008-12-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

A lot of people in the safety field spend a lot of time dealing with the concept of risk management. However, some of their efforts are misguided. Why? Because they are attempting to eliminate risk, not manage it.

Although the concept of risk elimination or risk aversion is a noble one, I believe it has contributed to the state of total aversion to risk expected by the general public, and in many workplaces as well. People expect that a manufacturer or a business will remove all risk from their products or environment, and therefore they don't have any personal responsibility for their safety. I think it has also contributed to our litigious society, because any injury that occurs must be the fault of said manufacturer or business, not the fault of the person wandering around misusing products or ignoring obvious hazards.

I have wondered for a long time when US society went from one where risk was understood as a part of life and was managed as a part of life, to a society where no risk is acceptable in everyday life, and the average consumer expects the world around them to protect them from themselves. Where has it led? High speed dangerous behaviors in cars that are expected to prevent the occupants in all situations. Risky behaviors such as cell phone use, texting, reading books, eating, drinking and even some I won't mention here, because the car will protect them, or it will be someone else's fault if it goes wrong. It has created workplaces where employees walk past obvious hazards because it is "not their job" to fix them. It has created school systems where children are not permitted to play outdoors because some parent complained their child might suffer an injury. It has created a manufacturing environment where a single injury, often from misuse of a product, can lead to a recall that can bankrupt a smaller company.

And, before I am accused of implying it, I am not talking about melamine in pet or human foodstocks. I am not talking about collapsing baby cribs that have killed children. I am talking about people buying inappropriate toys for children that result in a choking death, and a product recall. I am talking about having to spend millions to modify airbags because parents refuse to put their children in the back seat. I am talking about tool recalls because someone thought they could safely use their electric saw to clean their pool.

Risk management should be a careful systematic approach where the most obvious risks are identified, mitigated if possible, trained for in all cases, and communicated to everyone that needs to know about them. Employee training should include understanding how to identify risks in the workplace, using cross-training to help others identify risks or risky behaviors, and giving the employees the power to take action to remove or mitigate the risks they see. Without that power and accountability, employees become risk averse, because then it is someone else's problem to figure it out and fix it. Businesses that have that mentality have a lot of employees who just work there, and a few people that are overworked there. Parents that have that mentality expect all the products they buy, regardless of use, to be designed to protect them from harm.

I hope the pendulum will swing the other way someday, not to make our lives more hazardous, but rather to a society where people are actively involved in making their lives and the lives of other safer and therefore enriched. Pie in the sky thinking, you say? I say, look up and hope to see some pies...

Let's Say Thanks!

2008-12-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

Want to send a holiday card to a service person overseas? Visit Let's Say Thanks.

Want to adopt a soldier, and send them a box of goodies from time to time, or an encouraging note? Visit Adopt A Soldier.

It's That Time Again Part 2 - Christmas Decoration Safety

2008-12-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

For many people, the Christmas season is a time for parties, decorations, lots of lights and electrical fires (yikes!).

Yep, all those lights and decorations can be a problem if not managed correctly.

Here are a few Christmas decoration reminders -

1. Before you use any lighting, inspect it carefully. Replace broken or burned out bulbs. Replace the entire string if there is wire damage of any kind, no matter how insignificant. Lighting is cheap, and electricity kills. Don't mess with it.

2. If putting lights on a real tree, make sure you keep the tree well watered for the entire season. Try to buy a fresh tree, many pre-cut trees were cut back in September and can be very dry by the time you get them. (I am not trying to hurt the many charities and organizations that sell trees, but they have to be cut earlier to get them to market in time).

3. There are chemical concoctions available on the internet to make trees fire-resistant. I don't believe any tree can be made "fireproof" despite many sites that claim their products or mixes will do so. Adding chemicals to a tree will help reduce the spread of a fire, but you should still eliminate ignition sources from the area of the tree.

4. Never use real candles on any indoor tree. Talk about asking for trouble. Duh.

5. The marketplace is rapidly bringing out new LED lighting for many holiday applications. They use much less electricity, and they create very little heat when they are on. These are excellent products for lighting applications. You should still do the wiring check on them, but there is really no "bulb" to break or get too hot.

6. Keep any other ignition sources away from holiday decorations. If you use a fireplace, it's probably not a good idea to cover the mantle with yards of pine branches for effect. One spark and you will get an effect you won't like!

7. Some plants, like poinsettias, can be dangerous for your pets. Check with your local gardening store if you are going to use live plants for decorations.

8. Extension cords, friends or foes? Yes, they make decorating much easier, but they can create problems. Don't run them where people can trip over them, don't run them under carpets or rugs, and don't put them anywhere that water can stand. For outside applications, use cords that are rated for outside, they are designed to be left out there. Don't grab the nearest indoor extension cord.

9. Follow the directions on lighting for how many strings you can attach end-to-end. There is a reason they tell you not to put more than 3 or 4 in a row. Unless you plan to toast marshmallows over your burning home, DON'T DO IT!

10. Check your ladders before you start climbing all over your house this year. Like many of us, that ladder has not had much exercise since last year, and some important parts may not work right (also like many of us). Do an inspection first.

Use some common sense, inspect everything first, and think safety when decorating this year, and you and your home will be around to celebrate again next year. Have a safe holiday season!

It's That Time Again - Turkey Frying Dangers

2008-11-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Since I blogged about the potential dangers of deep-frying turkeys last year, I will reference my post here. Last year's blog contains a link to Underwriters Laboratories, who have a good video of what happens when you dunk a frozen turkey into an overfilled turkey fryer.

Please be careful if you plan to fry a turkey or any other hunk of meat this holiday season. I started seeing the fryers show up in the home stores a couple of weeks ago, along with gallons and gallons of peanut oil. There is a recipe for disaster here if you do it wrong.

So, review last year's post, go to the UL site and watch the video.

Enjoy your holidays, and stay safe!

MP3 Earbuds and Cardiac Devices

2008-11-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

A new study of MP3 players was released at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. The news release concerning the study can be found here.

This study found that the earbuds commonly used with MP3 players popular today can affect implanted cardian devices. This is due to the fact that the earbuds, though small, contain powerful magnets to drive the small speakers. These magnets are powerful enough to affect the implanted devices if placed in their proximity.

Since magnets are used in some cases to control the implanted cardiac devices, this study is in itself not particularly surprising. What is important is that cardiac devices are becoming more common, and after a time I suspect their users can forget what impact other devices may have on them.

Some recommendations for those using implanted devices:

- Don't put MP3 earbuds in your shirt or jacket pockets near the implanted device.

- Don't hang them around your neck where they can come in proximity to the implant.

- Don't let others wearing earbuds rest their head on your chest near the implant.

On a positive note, other studies have found that the MP3 players themselves, as well as cellphones and other portable devices, do not appear to have detrimental effects on implanted cardiac devices in studies to date. These studies are ongoing, so check your news sources for updates as new information is developed.

Stay safe!

I was going to title this post "Turn that player down or it will stop your heart!" but thought better of it. As someone I know says "I am out of my mind at the moment, please leave a message..."

Lest We Forget...

2008-11-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

The election is over, for many a distraction or even a disruption to their jobs and lives. But at this time of celebration or regret, let us not forget those who are giving their lives in far-off places.

Whether or not you agree with the reasons we send soldiers anywhere in the world, don't fault the soldier. We all sleep in relative safety at night from terror and oppression because many have died to defend us. Argue the politics, honor the soldiers.

You have the right to argue about it because their lives won it for you over and over.

For SGT Dan and all the folks in B Co 40th EN BN, stay safe!

Having a Bad Day? Need Some Motivation?

2008-11-06T07:39:00.001-08:00

I am sure this link is wandering around the internet, but regardless I feel compelled to post it here.

As the note I received with this link said, "Your attitude determines your altitude". Well said.

Watch the video, and then go find someone to keep safe...

SONY Battery Recall

2008-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

PC Notebook Computer Batteries Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Lithium-Ion Batteries used in Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell Notebook Computers

Units: About 35,000 batteries (an additional 65,000 batteries were sold worldwide)

Battery Cell Manufacturer: Sony Energy Devices Corporation, of Japan

Hazard: These lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: There have been 19 reports of the batteries overheating, including 17 reports of flames/fire (10 resulting in minor property damage). Two consumers experienced minor burns.

Description: The recalled batteries were included with, and sold separately for use in, the following notebook computer models:

Computer Manufacturer	Units	Notebook Model	Battery Model
Hewlett-Packard	About 32,000	HP Pavilion: dv1000, dv8000 and zd8000 Compaq Presario: v2000 and v2400 HP Compaq: nc6110, nc6120, nc6140, nc6220, nc6230, nx4800, nx4820, nx6110, nx6120, nx9600	Recalled batteries will have a bar code label starting with A0, L0, L1 or GC
Toshiba	About 3,000	Satellite: A70/A75, P30/P5, M30X/M35X, M50/M55 Tecra: A3, A5, S2	n/a
Dell	About 150	Latitude: 110L Inspiron: 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, 5160	OU091

The battery model is located on the battery’s label.

Sold by: Computers with the recalled batteries were sold directly by Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell, through computer and electronics stores nationwide, and through various Web retailers for between $700 and $3000. The batteries were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.

* Hewlett-Packard – sold from December 2004 through June 2006

* Toshiba – sold from April 2005 to October 2005

* Dell – shipped between November 2004 and November 2005

Battery Cells Manufactured in: Japan

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer, and contact their computer manufacturer to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. After removing the recalled battery from their notebook computer, consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives. Consumers should only use batteries obtained from their computer manufacturer or an authorized reseller.

Consumer Contacts: For additional information, consumers should contact the manufacturer of their notebook computer:

* Hewlett-Packard Co. – http://www.hp.com/support/BatteryReplacement or call (800) 889-2031 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

* Toshiba – http://www.bxinfo.toshiba.com or call (800) 457-7777 anytime.

* Dell – http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com or call toll-free (866) 342-0011 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Media Contacts:

* Hewlett-Packard Co. - Mike Hockey at (281) 927-9379 or mike.hockey@hp.com

* Toshiba - Eric Paulsen at (949) 275-7957

* Dell - Jeremy Bolen at (512) 728-8329 or Jeremy_Bolen@dell.com

* Sony - Elizabeth Boukis at (408) 352-4593 or Elizabeth.boukis@am.sony.com

(Safety Guy note - the photos below are visible at the "Voluntary Recall" link I added above - I will leave them there to save some space here)

Photos (Hewlett-Packard)

Photos (Toshiba)

Photos (Dell)

---

Seeing Red?

2008-10-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is a safety blog, and we treat all subjects with respect and restraint...

Yeah, right.

A recent study reported by Scientific American indicates that men associate the color red with sexual arousal. They are now undertaking a similar study for women. The downside is that red may also affect written performance if associated with red ink used by teachers to correct homework.

So now I am wondering:

-- What effect does a flashing red stop light have on people? "She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me..."

-- Are fire extinguishers too sexy for people to handle safely? Should they all be painted a soothing light green?

-- Do four-way STOP sign intersections need soothing elevator music running to calm everyone down?

-- Are people afraid to get near flammable liquid cabinets for fear they will lose control?

-- Are false fire alarms simply a ploy to get near the fire trucks when they arrive?

-- Is there a conspiracy on the part of safety exit sign manufacturers? Is the word "EXIT" in red really a subliminal "EXCITE"?

-- Did they put glass over fire alarm pull boxes "Break glass, then pull down" simply to reduce aggression and remove anxiety during a fire?

These findings create all kinds of problems in the safety field, and I for one think it was irresponsible for the researchers to focus on red, a cornerstone of safety. What is next? Attacks on safety yellow? Having to repaint all the "YIELD" signs out there? Will hearing protection areas have to stop being blue, or instead a calming shade of "sea foam"? When will it end? When will it end?

What Wets Roads and Leaves?

2008-10-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

The answer is "Rain". It wets roads and this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, it wets the leaves, too. (Catchy title, eh?)

When the leaves start to come down, and then it rains, roads can become very slippery. VERY slippery. Also, if it is dark outside, the leaves can be very hard to see on a wet road.

Therefore, be particularly careful this time of year if it is raining. Wet roads can be hazardous enough, with the addition of fall leaves they can be downright deadly.

Stay safe out there! And use your headlights if it is raining, even during the day. Please?

Lights, Timers and Batteries

2008-10-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

For most of us in the USA, this time of year means another change in our clocks to return to Standard time for the winter. Daylight Savings Time starting in 2007 begins at 2:00 am on the second Sunday in March, and ends at 2:00 am on the first Sunday in November.

Along with changing your clocks, keep in mind that other devices have clocks in them that you should be aware of, whether you change them or not. Your set-back thermostat has a clock, and if you forget to change it, you may be cold in the morning because the furnace will come on at the wrong time.

If you use cameras or video recorders, and need a time stamp on the device for whatever reason, they need to have the clock changed. Your home phones may have a clock - you may not look at it, but you might note when someone calls using the caller ID function, and an incorrect time might be confusing.

If you have a security system, you may need to change the clock for time stamp purposes, if your system logs in entry and exit codes.

If you use timers for security lighting or other reasons, make sure you update the clocks so your lights or other devices work at the correct time.

Most computers and cell phones update themselves. If you have one running, you may need to turn it off and back on for the update.

And, please don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! Do it when you change your clocks and you won't have to remember later, or try to remember if you did it at all.

Take a few minutes, turn the clocks back, change your batteries, and stay safe!

50 Ways to Stay Alive

2008-10-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

From a motorcycle forum I belong to - some are specific to riding, but most are relevant to anyone who drives anything on any kind of road. Please take time and read it.

I want to print this and pass it out at schools and Walmart parking lots...

1. Assume you're invisible.
To a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've made eye contact. Bikes don't register to the four-wheel mind.

2. Be considerate.
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or cutting him off, start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your grandma and smile.

3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the pub.
Sure, McDonalds is a 5-minute trip, but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree heat is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts.

4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Assume that car across the intersection will turn across your bow when the light goes green, with or without a turn signal.

5. Leave your ego at home.
The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

6. Pay attention.
Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard. That shock does feels squishy. Meanwhile, you could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture.
Never change direction without turning your head to make sure the coast really is clear.

8. Be patient.
Always take another second or three before you pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or into freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That extra look could save your butt.

9. Watch your closing speed.
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

10. Beware the verge and the merge.
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road: empty McDonalds bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it. Watch for troublesome debris on both sides of the road.

11. Left-turning cars remain a leading killer of motorcyclists.
Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart through the intersection. They're trying to beat the light, too.

12. Beware of cars running traffic lights.
The first few seconds after a signal light changes are the most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an intersection.

13. Check your mirrors.
Do it every time you change lanes, slow down or stop. Be ready to move if another vehicle is about to occupy the space you'd planned to use.

14. Mind the gap.
Remember Drivers Ed? One seconds worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential trouble.

15 Beware of boy racers.
They're quick and their drivers tend to be aggressive. Don't assume you've beaten one away from a light or outpaced it in traffic and change lanes without looking. You could end up as a civic hood ornament.

16. Excessive entrance speed hurts.
Its the leading cause of single-bike accidents on twisty roads and racetracks. In Slow, Out Fast is the old adage, and it still works. Dialing up corner speed is safer than scrubbing it off.

17. Don't trust that deer whistle.
Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.

18. Learn to use both brakes.
The front does most of your stopping, but a little rear brake on corner entry can calm a nervous chassis.

19. Keep the front brake covered always.
Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.

20. Look where you want to go.
Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage. The motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead of the problem.

21. Keep your eyes moving.
Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for potential trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long unless you're actually dealing with trouble.

22. Think before you act.
Careful whipping around that micro going 7 kph in a 30-kph zone or you could end up with your head in the drivers side door when he turns into the driveway right in front of you.

23. Raise your gaze.
Its too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to see trouble and change trajectory.

24. Get your mind right in the driveway.
Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40 mph, near an intersection or driveway. Yes, that could be your driveway.

25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign.
Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces a snap decision with no time to spot potential trouble.

26. Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic.
Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until its too late to do anything about it.

27 Don't saddle up more than you can handle.
If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound cruiser. If you're 5-foot-5, forget those towering adventure-tourers.

28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic.
And smacking a car that's swerving around some goofballs open door is just as painful.

29. Don't get in an intersection rut.
Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't.

30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group.
Riding over your head is a good way to end up in the ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again.

31. Give your eyes some time to adjust.
A minute or two of low light heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing. Otherwise, you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so

32. Master the slow U-turn.
Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn, using your body as a counterweight as you pivot around the rear wheel.

33. Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?
Don't panic. Use the rear brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch normally and smoothly to pull away.

34. If it looks slippery, assume it is.
A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter Flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe its nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head.

35. Bang! A blowout! Now what?
No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.

36. Drops on the face shield?
Its raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when its been rinsed by a downpour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness.

37. Emotions in check?
To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yourself before you wreck yourself. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.

38. Wear good gear.
Wear stuff that fits you and the weather If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders, you're dangerous. Its that simple.

39. Leave the iPod at home.
You wont hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care.

40. Learn to swerve.
Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes, then right back to your original trajectory. The bike will follow your eyes, so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice till its a reflex.

41. Be smooth at low speeds.
Take some angst out, especially of slow-speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome drive line lash.

42. Flashing is good for you.
Turn signals get your attention by flashing, right? So a few easy taps on the pedal or lever before stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.

43. Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets.
Put another vehicle between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

44. Tune your peripheral vision.
Pick a point near the center of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention, not your gaze. The more you can see without turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble.

45. All alone at a light that wont turn green?
Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire usually buried in the pavement beneath you and located by a round or square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still wont change, try putting your kickstand down, right on the wire. You should be on your way in seconds.

46. Everything is harder to see after dark.
Even You. Adjust your headlights, Carry a clear face shield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuter hours.

47. Don't troll next to or right behind Mr. Peterbilt.
If one of those 18 retreads blows up which they do with some regularity it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber, keep your distance.

48. Take the panic out of panic stops.
Develop an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again, and again.

49. Make your tires right.
None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take em for granted Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as general wear.

50. Take a deep breath.
Count to 10. Smile at the idiot. Forgetting some clowns 80-mph indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it.

Attributed to The Motorcyclist

Cold Weather Hazards for the Elderly

2008-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Did you know that an elderly person can freeze to death inside their home in temperatures most of us find tolerable? Unfortunately, it is true. As we age, our bodies' ability to regulate our internal temperature becomes less reliable. That is why we see elderly people going around wearing heavier clothing in mild weather. They are not eccentric (well, I am, but that's another issue) but they are cold. As a result, if their home temperature is too low, they can actually suffer hypothermia without even going outside.

If you have elderly relatives or friends, check on them as the weather gets colder. Many older people are also on fixed incomes, so as heating costs go up, they are forced to reduce their thermostats to save money. It's a deadly combination, and one that results in hypothermia and even death for some elderly every winter.

Check on your family and friends. Help them with their utility costs or invite them over to your home in cold weather to help them keep warm. You might even save a life with this simple gesture.

Also help them out with snow or ice removal, or drive them to the grocery or pharmacy if needed - a fall this time of year can be deadly as well for them.

Stay warm, stay safe!

Baby, It's (Getting) Cold Outside!

2008-09-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, congratulations! You made it through another season...

As the Earth slowly tilts away from the Sun, temperatures will slowly be falling. Now is the time for your fall safety checklist:

- Have you had your heating system inspected and/or cleaned yet?

- Are you checking your tire pressures in your vehicles regularly as the temperatures change? Most car tires drop 2-3 psi for every 10 degrees F drop in temperature, so it does not take much of a change to end up with under-inflated tires.

- Have you checked your car battery lately? Even if it is "maintenance free", you should check that the terminals are clean. Use a little baking soda and water to clean them if needed, but keep that out of the battery itself. Once clean, a little terminal spray or grease will keep them that way. If your battery is more than three years old, either have it tested or replace it, particularly if you live in colder climates. Starting power drops quickly for a battery in cold weather - make sure you have one in good shape when you really need it.

- Change the oil in your car. Clean oil will protect the engine better in cold weather.

- Check the tread on your tires, particularly if you will be driving in snow.

- Now is a good time to look at window caulking and the seals on your doors and windows. Although this is not a safety issue, keeping warm without drafts will make life more pleasant and less expensive.

- Check your ice scrapers and snow shovels, and replace them if the scraping edges are worn or chipped.

- And be sure to dress warmly as temperatures drop. Use layers that you can take off when the mornings are colder but temperatures warm later. And check on your elderly neighbors and make sure the above items get done for them as well.

Enjoy the fall, and stay safe!

Dress For The Slide

2008-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

I ride a motorcycle - some people think I am nuts, my wife thinks it's the other woman, and many others embrace the same hobby or lifestyle. Yes, there are risks. Yes, I work hard to manage those risks without becoming overpowered by them. And yes, I wear a lot of safety equipment when I ride.

I wear a full face helmet, full gloves, tear-resistant coat and pants and over the ankle boots. I also get some good-hearted ribbing from friends who think I am nuts to wear all that stuff when the weather is hot.

For me, wearing that equipment is part of the safety culture I worked in most of my adult life. I cannot explain it to others, but I do not feel comfortable riding without it. I feel naked without it, and find it distracting to ride without my gear on. Will it stop a speeding car barreling into my motorcycle? Of course not, that's not why I wear it. It does not make me bullet-proof, it would be silly to think so. So I also drive very defensively, I use a headlight and taillight modulator to make my bike more visible to other drivers, I wear bright and reflective colors and I assume everybody is out to get me.

I am a member of a motorcycle forum for owners of the type of bike I ride. Recently I read a comment there that really summed up for me why I wear what I wear. The comment was "I dress for the slide, not for the ride". In other words, you wear the protective equipment not for the normal day-to-day riding, but for the occasion where you are now sliding down the road on your safety gear, because something abnormal just happened.

That is what all personal protective gear should be about. Not for the day-to-day activities of our jobs or lives, but for that occasion where we are now sliding down the road because something just went wrong. At that point you don't have time to put the gear on, it's too late. So why do people go through their lives not dressing for the slide? Beats me, but I don't intend to be one of them.

Please dress for the slide, not for the ride; your life may depend on it some day. Stay safe out there.

After The Storm

2008-09-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

With Hurricane Ike barreling down on the Gulf Coast and Texas, many eyes are on the damage that will result. But for the Gulf Coast and many areas inland, after the storm can be just as dangerous as during it. Here are a few things to remember when serious weather of any type hits your area:

- Flooding can and will occur long after the storm has passed. In some areas not immediately threatened by severe weather, large amounts of rain will cause local and downstream flooding. Stay aware and don't get complacent just because you are not in the immediate impact area of violent weather.

- Don't drive on flooded roads. Please don't.

- High wind events such as hurricanes and tornadoes cause electrical lines to come down. Many of these lines still carry current, and can electrocute you even if you don't contact them directly, particularly if they contact water (and especially salt water). If you do not know where the power lines are, don't wade around in flood waters. Also you can be injured by debris in the floods that you cannot see. Also the water can be moving swiftly and can sweep you off your feet. Do you need any more reasons?

- Water supplies can be flooded by contaminated or sea water, such as local wells or municipal treatment plants. After major weather events, treat all water supplies as suspect unless it comes from a sealed new bottle, at least until local authorities can test the supply lines.

- If your home is flooded, do not light any gas appliances or turn on the electrical panel until they are inspected by a certified home inspector. Flooding can cause a lot of damage you cannot see, and you can be injured or killed as a result.

- Get any cuts or wounds treated properly and quickly to prevent infections.

- Don't drive on flooded roads. Please don't.

- If you have to evacuate an area due to flooding or other reasons, take the time in advance to get your medications and important papers together in one place. Don't think in the panic of the moment that you will remember what you need. Do it now.

- If you have to leave your home, and are not being escorted by emergency personnel, try to contact someone outside of the emergency area and let them know where you are going, how you plan to get there, and an estimate of when you plan to arrive. Ask them to contact emergency personnel if you do not get back to them after that estimated arrival. This might be your only chance to contact someone - as storms get worse, cell phone towers may come down, phone and power lines will be destroyed, and you may not get to talk to anyone until you are well outside of the emergency area. Make the contact now.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people who will be affected by this hurricane and all severe weather. Stay safe...

Hurricane Preparedness - Tongue In Cheek

2008-08-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

I am not making jokes about any current hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico or elsewhere that can impact people's lives - I am simply taking a more humorous look at some of the things people do when hurricanes are around from the perspective of a Florida resident I know. I think humor can be a positive thing in times of stress - please accept this post in the spirit it is offered.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Gulf of Mexico and making two basic meteorological hints:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1.
Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days

STEP 2.
Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3.
Drive to Indiana and remain there until Halloween. Unfortunately, statistics show that many people will not follow this sensible plan. They will foolishly stay here in Florida.

We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:
If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Indiana.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

EVACUATION ROUTE:
If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area).

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM.

In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies: 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes off, to be the wrong size for the flashlights. Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)

A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through a hurricane; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

----------------------------------------------------

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Gustav and all other serious weather around the world.

You Want ICE with that phone?

2008-08-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

All right, all you cell phone lovers, listen up. You have hundreds if not thousands of names in your phone contact list. How does anyone know who to call if they see you lying on the side of the road?

ICE - In Case of Emergency

Add that simple set of letters in front of the name of your spouse, partner or significant contact that you want notified in case of an emergency. This is not a formal system of notification, but law enforcement and other emergency personnel are beginning to look for such entries when they are assisting the public.

You should of course duplicate this information on your emergency contact card in your wallet - you do have one, don't you?

So, pick up your phones and put ICE on it!

Printing My Blogs

2008-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Some of my readers asked for a print option some time ago, which was nicely accomplished by using a HP Print widget. Unfortunately, I just received notice that HP is discontinuing this option for us bloggers.

Until I find a suitable replacement compatible with my blog, I have added a blog subscription option to the right side frame of this blog. It's not a bad idea to have one available anyway, so feel free to add a subscription to "The Safety Guy" if you wish.

Otherwise, check back and visit us regularly. I am continuing to search the news and web for safety news and issues for home and business safety. Thank you all for your support.

The Safety Guy

Death On The Bridge

2008-08-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

This week a tractor trailer plunged off the eastbound span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge during a late night accident. Other drivers were seriously injured; the driver of the truck was killed.

An investigation into the accident, with particular interest in why the "Jersey" wall barrier failed, will take some time. However, a contributing factor among many may be the late hour, and perhaps the fact that traffic was two-way at the time due to construction on the other bridge span. Could any of us have avoided being involved in this tragic accident if we had been there at the time? Perhaps not, but if we remain alert, we reduce the risks of driving at all times.

This accident, along with thousands of others that occur every day, they should remind everyone to continue to be vigilant as we drive. Turn off the cell phones, turn down the stereos, and try to eliminate all the other distractions that seem to occur more and more in cars today. We have navigation systems, we have satellite radios (including me), we have PDA and IPhone devices going, and on and on.

Nearly everyone alive today has been exposed to automobiles and trucks their entire lives. We consider them a critical part of our lifestyles, and would be lost without them. But I feel we have also lost our fear of them. Automobiles and all vehicles kill quickly and without mercy, and they do it every day.

We need to always remember that we are driving thousands of pounds of weapon that will kill and injure without any consideration of us or other victims if we don't pay attention to it at all times. Don't drive if you are over-tired, don't drive if you are under the influence of anything, and don't drive if you are angry at the world.

So, as I have said many times before, put away the phones, put away the text messaging, turn down the radio and idle chatter, put away the maps, directions, books and newspapers you see people reading as they are driving, stop eating breakfast or lunch or dinner, stop putting on makeup and shaving and taking a shower, stop changing clothes, and start paying more attention. If you don't you may become another death on the bridge or the highway, or even worse cause the death of another including the ones you love who may be riding with you. I know I would find that a devastating burden to live with...

How About a Tune-Up Instead?

2008-07-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

A man in Milwaukee was arrested this week for shooting his lawnmower because it would not start. According to reports, he told police it was his lawnmower and his yard, so he could shoot it if he wanted.

Unfortunately, shooting firearms in many jurisdictions is illegal, as it turned out to be for him.

Lawnmowers that will not start can still hurt you. If you plan to work on yours instead of shooting it, make sure as a minimum you remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug before working on the mower. Also, if the mower has been running, the engine and other parts can be very hot and cause severe burns. Many people are treated for injuries every year for these two issues alone.

If your mower is running, make sure you clear the yard of branches or rocks prior to mowing. Also keep the kids away from a running mower, don't mow if people or pets are nearby (they can be hurt by flying objects ejected from the mower), and NEVER ride a mower with children or pets on your lap. It amazes me that people would even think for a minute this is a smart thing to do. If the child slips off your lap they can be injured or killed by the mower before you can react. Mowers are not toys - don't let your kids think they are.

Never let younger children push a mower around, whether running or not. They may try to do it when you are not around with devastating consequences.

Wear proper clothing and eye protection when you mow. Bathing suits and flip-flops are not proper mowing attire, yet you see it all the time in the summer.

And get your mower tuned up regularly so you don't have to shoot it...

Don't Get Ripped!

2008-07-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

With the Atlantic hurricane season underway, and Bertha churning away off Bermuda, there is a great concern on the entire Atlantic coast for rip currents. These dangerous currents can result in drowning for even experienced swimmers who get caught and don't realize what is happening.

The key to surviving rip currents is to be aware of conditions such as hurricanes or storms well offshore that create them, and avoid swimming in areas where the currents are prone to form. If you are caught in one, you need to swim parallel to the shoreline, which will quickly take you out of the strong current moving offshore. However, if you try to swim directly back to shore, you can quickly tire without making any headway.

Check out the excellent information on the United States Lifesaving Association website. There you will find information on how rip currents form, safety tips, survival information and even downloadable signs and graphics. There is good information there, take a look.

And don't get ripped!

Getting Hyper From Hypermilers?

2008-07-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

There is a new buzz word that has developed with the increase in gas prices - "hypermiler". This person goes to great lengths to increase gas mileage in the car they drive. Some of the methods used by some hypermilers may create safety issues for themselves or other drivers.

Allow me to elaborate, but first let me say that I drive a hybrid, I believe in increasing gas efficiency and decreasing pollution, but I also believe that any extremes can create as many problems as they solve. So please read with an open mind and don't send me hate emails.

- Turning off the ignition when going downhill. Some hypermilers apparently are turning off their ignition when rolling downhill to increase mileage. The downside is that most cars have ignition locks and partial if not fully hydraulic steering assist. If you shut off the engine you will lose the hydraulic steering, which may not be a problem with smaller cars, but should be recognized. The bigger problem is that if you turn the ignition key to OFF you could lock your steering wheel, such as when you needed to make an emergency maneuver to prevent running into someone. Now you are driving a car that is turned off with a locked steering wheel, which I don't see as a good thing.

- Drafting. Many hypermilers are drafting larger vehicles, which means traveling behind a larger truck or other vehicle to take advantage of supposedly lower wind resistance to improve mileage. First, I am not convinced that following at a distance any less than safe will significantly reduce your mileage. Second, if you draft a semi who is running empty, and they panic stop for something you cannot see ahead of them, you will become intimate with the back of their rig before you can stop. An empty semi truck has a great deal more tire per pound of vehicle on the road than you do in your small car, and can stop in a shorter distance on a dry road than you can. A variety of stopping distance comparisons may be found at Drive To Survive. I agree that the math shows the stopping distance for a car is normally a bit less than for a truck, but I wonder how many of us have a 0.75 second reaction time, particularly when everyone is chatting away on cell phones?

- Slow acceleration. A great idea, I think jackrabbit starts are one of the biggest gas wasters in this country. However, some hypermilers are taking it to extremes, moving ahead so slowly that they impede traffic. Like all extremes, this behavior creates unsafe reactions in other drivers who are trying to move around the delay.

- Driving below posted speeds. Once again, commendable at first glance, but some recent newspaper accounts have hypermilers quoted as driving 45 to 50 on interstates. In many states, if you drive more than 10 to 15 miles per hour below the posted speed limit, you are supposed to turn on your hazard flashers to alert drivers that you are going much more slowly than they are. As with the other hypermiler behaviors, the reactions of other drivers to an excessively slow vehicle can cause safety problems.

- Shutting off your car at every stop. My hybrid does this by design, but if you have a standard engine configuration, you better make sure you have a good battery and starter, because constant start/stop cycles will wear them out prematurely. If you are stuck in stopped traffic, shutting off the engine will safe you money rather than idling the engine. However, shutting down at every traffic light seems a bit excessive, and restarting many cars uses as much gas as you save by shutting down the engine.

As gas and living costs rise, people are seeking all kinds of ways to save money and reduce their expenses. Hypermiling as a concept is one way, by utilizing efficient driving techniques and moderating your speeds. But, extreme hypermiling should be avoided if it creates a safety hazard for you, your passengers, or other drivers.

The Perils of Drink and Beethoven

2008-07-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Boston Symphony was performing the annual Fourth of July celebration concert in their outdoor theater, and the highlight of the evening was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. There was an extended passage where the bass section had nothing to do, and they noticed a small pub directly across from the theater stage.

One of the bassists took some string from his pocket and they tied up their music to prevent it from blowing away in the breeze. Then off they went to the pub.

They were enjoying their second or third cold one when one of the bassists heard music wafting in the pub door. They realized in alarm that their key part in the Symphony was about to begin, so they threw money on the bar and sprinted back to the stage.

Just as they got back, the conductor looked over to them and signaled for their part to begin. Suddenly everyone realized it was now the bottom of the Ninth, the scores were tied, and the basses were loaded.

Don't drink and drive, and have a safe Fourth of July!

How Shocking, The Sequel...

2008-06-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is Lightning Safety Awareness Week (OK, there are some weeks I like, deal with it).

According to CNN, on the average 62 people are killed each year by lightning. Of those, 98 percent are outside, 89 percent are male, and 25 percent were either under a tree or on/near water.

Can you tree-loving water-baby males take a hint? Perhaps it is mostly males since we must walk on water a lot...I will pay for this one.

Lightning can strike someone over 20 miles away from the storm cloud where the lightning originates, especially when over flat terrain or water, where a person standing up may be the highest object for miles around.

If you are outside, or inside, and you feel your skin tingling or a feeling like electric static is building, crouch down and cover your head. Try to keep as little of your body in contact with the ground as possible, because lightning is looking for a way to ground. Stay away from trees, metal poles, overhead lights, water towers, etc. where the lightning may hit first, and then hit you on the way to ground. Best bet if storms are around is to get indoors and stay away from porches and windows.

If you are outside and you have a car available, get in the car and close the windows. You may be hot inside, but you will stay alive.

Use some caution around stormy weather and take precautions to avoid getting caught in a storm. Your life may depend on it.

How Shocking!

2008-06-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Many people take advantage of warmer weather to take care of those outside household chores. You might need to paint, clean gutters, chase squirrels or do other tasks that require you to use a ladder.

Many homes have overhead lines that supply electrical power to the home. My last house did. Many of you also have lightweight aluminum extension ladders you use around the house. Did you know that most overhead power lines are not insulated? They also can carry 240 or even 480 volts of electricity.

If you contact these overhead lines with an aluminum ladder, you create an instant conductor to ground, and you will become part of the circuit, and another electrocution statistic. Get the A1 sauce out, cause you are cooked.

Even more dangerous are the overhead lines that may run down the street or over your back yard. These supply lines can contain thousands of volts and high current or amps, and will kill you instantly if you contact them with your ladder. These kinds of accidents often occur when people are trimming trees along their property lines or doing other overhead work without looking for power lines. Keep in mind that if the tree you plan to trim is touching the power line, it can be energized as well and can electrocute you. If you have a tree near power lines that needs trimming, I would suggest hiring professionals to do it.

Many newer homes and subdivisions have their power lines underground. If you plan to do any digging around your property, contact your utility first and ask for a utility survey. They will mark your property where the underground utilities are located to reduce the chance of you digging into them. Remember that if you contact underground utilities, and have not had your property surveyed, you can be liable for any expenses that occur to fix them and in some cases the expenses of your neighbors and companies affected by the break. Not to mention that cutting into underground power lines can kill you. I guess it depends on what motivation you need to check for utilities first.

Overhead or underground, always check for utilities. Plan ahead, and if you are not sure get professionals involved. It's not worth your life to take shortcuts.

Now, who knows the correct way to place an extension ladder?

The ABC's of skin damage

2008-06-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ah summertime - hot sun, swimming pools, and sunburns. Unfortunately, if the sunburn is excessive or repeated, you can damage your skin and start to see the effects in skin changes and cancers.

Everyone has skin blemishes called moles, which are most often benign, but can mutate into cancerous forms.

There is a very easy checklist to help you remember when it might be time to go see your doctor:

A = Area

If the area the mole or blemish grows larger than the area of a pencil eraser, go see the doctor. The mole is changing and needs to be checked.

B = Border

If the border of the mole is ragged, uneven or is flaking, get it checked.

C = Color

If the color of the mole is not even, or contains reds or blues, get to the doctor.

Some use ABCD for the memory aid, where A = asymmetry, whether the mole is regular in shape from one side to the other, and D = diameter, using the same pencil eraser (greater than 6 mm) diameter. One place you can read more about melanoma and view pictures if you need to compare with your moles is here.

It is your choice to use whatever helps you, but don't ignore the symptoms either way. Melanoma is very treatable in the early stages, don't wait until it's too late.

Use your sunscreen and reapply it regularly, and don't assume waterproof sunscreen will stay on in the water. It won't.

Mobile Phone Safety

2008-06-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my safety tip - be careful who you let view your phone. I have to tell this story!

The Baltimore Sun reported this week that police in Annapolis MD stopped a man for a minor traffic violation. When asked where he was going, he replied that he was meeting his friend Jake. The officer checked the man's ID and discovered his license was suspended. While he was arresting the man for the suspended license, the man's mobile phone rang.

What did the caller ID say? "Jake the Weed Man". Yep.

The officer answered the phone, told Jake the man he was calling was not available at the moment but wanted to meet him. Jake gave the officer a message to meet at a local gas station. The officer and backup went there and promptly arrested Jake with a quantity of marijuana.

Two for the price of one. A good day for the Annapolis police force.

Put your mobile phone away when driving, please. It takes part of your brain attention away that should be kept on driving. There is my safety tip for the day.

Go Deck Somebody!

2008-06-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

As summer approaches for us here north of the equator, many will enjoy the nice weather on an outside deck or porch. Many of these are built of wood and are attached to the house. If you have not inspected your deck for safety lately, now would be an excellent time. Hundreds of people have been injured and dozens killed in the last decade from deck collapses. Many of these tragic incidents could have been avoided by knowing a few key safety tips:

- Never overload a deck with people or stuff. If you know you are going to have great parties, or want to put a hot tub or ski lift on your deck, have it inspected by a structural engineer first, and follow their recommendations carefully.

- Never attach any deck to a house or other structure with nails. The key fastenings that prevent deck collapses are where the deck is attached to the building. These should be either oversized galvanized lag bolts or even better are carriage bolts with nuts and washers if you can get inside the house where the deck attaches. Use oversized washers to prevent pulling the bolts into the wood. Install a ledger board on the house, then hang the deck joists off of the ledger. Don't try to hang deck joists directly off the side of the house.

- Use joist hangers for all structural members on the deck itself. Don't try to hold up deck joists by toenailing into the wood. This will not hold, and usually the joists will start to split, further weakening the connection.

- Many people use treated wood for decks. Along with the basic precautions of washing your hands and wearing gloves when handling treated wood, you also need to periodically use a wood sealer, preferably annually. Treated wood often uses injected salt water to preserve the wood, along with chemicals to prevent bug attacks. Rain water will slowly leach out the salt and the wood will rot if sealants are not used. A little historic trivia - when ship builders used to use wood for ships, they would cut the trees, strip the bark, and then put them in a saltwater bay or anchorage for a year or more. The salt water would slowly leach into the wood and would preserve it when the ship was built, particularly for the masts and other parts above the water line.

- Use galvanized hardware - standard carbon steel fittings will quickly rust outdoors, and will rust more quickly in contact with salt treated wood.

- Always use carriage bolts to secure joists to support posts, and use proper footings with post supports at the bottom. Don't build a deck and support it with posts put directly on the ground - it will settle and could collapse. Even an asphalt or concrete patio or driveway may not be substantial enough to support a full deck and everyone on it - put in footers.

- Follow local building codes for the rails and any pickets you use. Rail pickets must be spaced closely enough to prevent small children from crawling or falling through them. Rail posts should always be bolted to the deck ledgers.

- After you are done, inspect the deck regularly and keep it in good condition. Replace warping or soft decking or other parts. Use sealer regularly and periodically give all bolts a quick check for tightness.

There are many good sources of information on deck building on the internet, but one I enjoyed reading is on Do It Yourself. Give it a look, and have fun on your safe deck.

Lift With Your Head, Not With Your Back

2008-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

As I am sitting here with a heating pad on my back, nursing a pulled muscle, I am reminded of the masterful words of an old sage I knew - "You moron!". Actually, I am not sure what I did, except try to clean out my garage. But obviously, at one point I lifted with my back instead of my head.

Correct lifting techniques are learned, not bred. We are born with strong backs and we assume they will last for a lifetime of bad lifting habits. Not so, trust me on this.

Here are a few common lifting mistakes and some suggestions for each:

- Lifting heavy objects. Get some help, you moron. Exceeding the capacity of your lifting muscles is a recipe for disaster. Find someone to help you.

- Lifting from the floor. Get the box or object close to your body, keep your back straight, and lift with your legs, not your back.

- Reaching and lifting. Another recipe for disaster, never reach out and then try to lift anything heavier than a pencil at arm's length. Always move objects to where you are first, then lift them. Even a book lifted at a full arm's reach away from you can place excessive stress on your muscles and joints.

- Lifting objects repeatedly. Ergonomics is a discussion for another day, and as a subject can cause a wide range of responses. But suffice it to say that if you need to lift repeatedly, try to do it from a normal standing position, don't twist while lifting, and take regular breaks to allow the muscles rest time.

- Ignoring back pain. Every time you lift incorrectly, you do a bit of damage to your back and muscles. If you ignore pain symptoms, you may be ignoring a lifetime of discomfort. If your back hurts, it is trying to tell you something, listen to it. In my case, it told me to get out of the garage for a few days.

Go rest your back, get a good heating pad for sore muscles, and then get back here and read some more!