HSE People - Health and Safety Community

These past few days have been horrific across the U.S. The stunning tragedy at Fort Hood claiming the lives of 13 people along with many injured, and then today’s workplace shooting in Orlando. All that seems to come to mind is, what is wrong with people today and why is it that signs of danger get ignored until it is too late?

In Fort Hood, Texas on Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m. suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, gunned down the very soldiers who he was there to help. 13 have died and 30 are seriously wounded. So what made this man crack to the point of violence and were there any signs that could have been an indication of what was to come?

It was reported by several individuals that Hasan was frequently expressing anger about his upcoming deployment. He was also involved in many office arguments about his disapproval of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. His final and most explosive outburst took the lives of his fellow soldiers and he now lies in a hospital bed breathing on a ventilator. Now don’t get me wrong, not foreseeing the future is nobody’s fault in this tragic situation. But being aware and alert to possible dangers is important to everyone. Unfortunately, it seems that our soldiers can’t even feel safe on their own base. It’s hard enough to have to become mentally prepared for the dangers of war without having to worry about your safety at home.

As if that wasn’t enough horror for one week, another shooting occured in Orlando, Florida at the office of Reynolds, Smith and Hills. This shooting left Otis Beckford, 26, dead and five others injured. This incident reportedly occured due to the anger of disgruntled former employee, Jason Rodriguez. Rodriguez is currently in police custody facing a charge of first-degree murder.

With two fatal episodes of workplace violence taking place within two days, one has to wonder – could anything have been done to prevent such tragedies? From 1992 to 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) found that 11,613 workplace homicides took place. Many have even indicated that this type of violence is expected to grow due to the stress of the economy and job market. Employers need to take the extra time to ensure their employees’ safety by taking extra security precautions as well as training efforts.

Here are some helpful tips on creating a safer work environment to avoid workplace violence:

- Do thorough background checks on employees.

Many employers currently do this, but some have become more lax due to financial reasons. If you find out that a potential employee has a violent past, it may be in everyone’s best interest if you pass.

- Provide proper training.

All employees should be administered not only training for the physical hazards of their jobs, but the emotional ones as well. There is a reason companies have a Human Resources department. Take advantage of all of the recommended HR training, such as Violence in the Workplace at www.safetyskills.com.

- Create an open-door policy and protocols for safety concerns.

Make sure that employees feel safe when coming to a supervisor about a possible safety issue. All discussions should be respected and stay confidential. Create a protocol for reporting a concern for violence and follow-up on the matter with discretion.

- Have a no tolerance policy.

Never condone or forgive a violent matter of any kind in your workplace. It doesn’t matter how minor the incident or if it was a joke gone awry. This needs to be embedded into the minds of your staff that your number one concern is their safety.

- Get security.

Get some type of security in your workplace. This can mean an actual security guard, a monitoring system or a personal keycode system that can be removed upon the termination of an employee. The harder it is for a disgruntled employee to get into the building, the less likely they will try.

Submitted at the request of Kevin Forbes - HSE People

It is twelve (12) months today since the accident that nearly claimed my life and turned me into The Sixty Dollar Man (not sure what the Titanium is worth?).

The journey thus far has been long and arduous. Whilst my left elbow and hand function quite well, the left shoulder has, at best, ten percent (10%) function.

Many people ask me "does that not upset you". The honest answer is, "Of Course" - followed up very quickly by the "what might have beens". In my case I can still sit at the dinner table with my wife and hold both the knife and fork etc. There had been a very real chance that they might have had to remove the left arm.

On Wednesday October 28th I presented the Keynote Address at the Safety Institute of Australia's lead conference in Sydney. The Title of the Presentation was "Oh &#*& , Where'd that come from". Just read this small excerpt from within that Address.

"............Now I  shall return to the situation that has brought us together this morning. The fact that I was bitten so badly by the car that collided with me. When we were last here I was describing the Surgery. As a result, my left arm and shoulder are now heavily reinforced by surgical Titanium. 

I also happened to be hooked up to all sorts of machines and had cables and tubes running all over the place. That, in itself, is quite distressing. Probably the most important tube at that time was the one leading to my right foot. It was hooked up to a Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Unit, and was feeding me straight morphine. This little beast was designed to allow me to choose to top up the “juice” every six (6) minutes. There was a countdown timer on the screen. I can tell you I spent a lot of time learning to count backwards. Now you are not supposed to OD using a properly calibrated PCA device. There is one particular day I recall where Anne visited, and all I did was sit in chair…….tubes everywhere…..and rock myself gently in the chair….counting backwards from 360. That is a distressing memory.

The next ten days or so were a mixture of pain, awareness, fears, and questions – the PTSD had not arrived yet; I actually thought I had missed that boat. In the first week one of the highlights of my existence was being provided with a bed that was remotely adjustable, by me. Prior to that every time that Anne left, she would have to wind the bed up; in much the same way as you started a Model T Ford. 

When you are laying in a bed, unable to do almost anything, the ability to raise or lower your pillow actually becomes a benchmark on the road to recovery. I am sure in times of difficulty you may heard someone say something like “don't sweat the small stuff”. The meaning being that the little things are not worth getting upset about; it’s almost like having to wait for the big things. 

Well I am here to tell you that I have experienced the “big things” – and was right in the middle of them. There was very little I could do about them. What I had some control over was the little things. So an applied reality is, that in situations where the majority of our “control” has been removed, and I certainly was in that category, it is the “small stuff” that might show the way toward the “recovery”. So… do not automatically discard the “small stuff”…It needs to be given greater prominence in recovery. Sadly our health systems deliberately pay scant attention to this “small stuff”. 

In New South Wales it has recently been announced that all hospitals shall be directed toward the universal use of pre-packaged frozen foods. This decision rings alarm bells for me. I am reminded of a Kitchen Overseer who was in charge of catering at the Maitland Correctional Centre quite some time ago – this was a maximum security prison. He suggested, and this has been confirmed by every Custodial Officer I have ever met, that if the food is “ordinary”, or there is not enough of it “expect a bad day”. Now I am not saying that a prison and hospital are the same, although the French philosopher Michel Foucault might argue differently. They would both be defined by his nomenclature, as “Total Institutions”

The NSW Minister of Health may not consider the quality and volume of food as being a high priority. Indeed they had been quoted as saying that “the efficiencies we obtain shall release funds for other frontline health services”. Now we all know “efficiencies” means “cheap”….. and “front-line services” might translate to “operations, nurses, doctors etc”. So what we do is remove the “small stuff” to spend more on the “big stuff”. Make no mistake please, I am not saying that this is not a difficult area to manage. It is……….., and because these health systems are dealing with ourselves and our families they are always amongst the most emotive in our communities. 

It is often said though, that you are safer at home than in Hospital. Well of course you are! When you are in Hospital your health has been compromised by some illness, disease, accident etc. Let me put this another way. You are safer at home than in Hospital. Not because you are ill…because you are there. In the United States more people die as a result of their hospitalisation (not their illness, accident, disease, complications etc) than do from Motor Vehicle and Workplace Accidents, Suicides, Falls, Poisoning, and Drowning combined. These are what are called “preventable errors”. The Washington Post reported on April 8^th last year that between 2004 and 2006 there were almost a quarter of a million people (240,000) who died as a result of preventable errors. To put this into perspective this is around three percent (3%) of all admissions – that is a pretty big number! Remember these deaths are not the result of the circumstances etc that put you there. They are all determined to have been “preventable”. Now if we add in those persons whose illnesses etc are actually made worse due to their hospitalisations, and the preventable errors that become part of their treatment, that number well exceeds the millions. It has been estimated at over fifteen percent of all admission in the US , with an approximate worth of two hundred billion dollars+..............

Here is just one of the Comments from the Keynote Address:
"That was one the most powerful presentations I have ever seen. It has really made me think about Risk and Culture in a very different way. When I go back to Work and share this knowledge with my colleagues I know it will strike a chord for them as well. By the way would you consider coming to Canada to present this to the Board?"

Once again if my own story, background etc can add value to your own safety journey, or the journey of those around you, just let me know. I shall do ALL that I can to assist.

I have been asked if I shall place some of the "Keynote Address" on Youtube. An audio only version should happen in the next few weeks.

With my kindest regards

At this time I have to again thank all those Subscribers who have, over the last twelve (12) months, kapt in contact, shared their experiences, and just "chewed the fat". Some might consider it one of the "little things". Let me tell you these "little things" have, more than once, sustained me through some difficult times. Thankyou.

Social networking is growing more popular every day, LinkedIn, Facebook, Bebo, Twitter and others, have fast became a part of our every day lives. The ability to network and connect with like minded people all over the world is not only a great way to socialise and keep in touch with friends; it is also a very powerful business and marketing tool.

Lots of small companies and even some larger ones are releasing the power of the web and using it as a way of generating interest in their business. Lots of companies now recruit on social networking sites and the chances are if you don’t have an online presence you are probably missing out.

All of the above are reasons why people join such sites. www.oilandgaspeople.com hopes to take it a step further. We believe social networking could be used to improve safety within the oil and gas industry. In terms of safety, some countries are much further ahead than others, some companies have strict policies in place, and others have next to none. The standard varies from country to country and from individual to individual.

It comes down to training, knowledge and education. We see the same accidents occurring time and time again. Often those involved will say they ‘didn’t know’ or ‘weren’t aware’ Accidents and incidents that probably would have been avoided, if only we had managed to learn from other peoples lessons and mistakes.

Let’s use the powers of social networking to share lessons learned and to educate others in the industry. Wouldn’t it be great to have a massive resource of people from all aspects of the oil industry? A bank of knowledge and information that can be tapped at any time! From every day tasks to huge projects, you can bet someone has done it before. They may know a better way, a product you wasn’t aware of or a procedure that could save you time, money and improve safety.

The industry is ever changing, ever developing and pushing the barriers of new technology every day. It’s impossible to keep track with everything. Let’s use social networking to expand our knowledge, share our experiences and to improve safety across the board.

www.oilandgaspeople.com is not just another oil and gas jobs site. It has been created by oil and gas people, for oil and gas people! As part of the site and to prove our commitment to the industry, we are proud to announce the launch of www.oilandgascommunity.com a brand new social networking site for anyone working in oil and gas.

It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, we are confident you will have something to bring to the table. We are going to be developing the site over the coming months and hope to include lots of pages with information, lessons learned, new technology, industry news etc, etc…

People can post requests for help and information on the forums. Join groups of like minded people, create events, chat instantly with other members, share information through blogs and build a profile advertising their company.

If you work in health and safety our sister site www.hsepeople.com will also be very relevant to you. HSE people is a well established community site that will give people an insight into the potential of www.oilandgascommunity.com

Hope to see you all there soon.

Kevin Forbes
www.oilandgaspeople.com
www.oilandgascommunity.com
www.hsepeople.com
 

Our Manual Handling Risk Assessor and Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessor have just been accredited by The Ergonomics Society!  They are one-day courses and applicable to any industry.  The next courses are 4th December and 15th October respectively.  Well done Diane

The UK's new offshore safety chief has warned the industry there is no room for complacency.

Steve Walker, who has just replaced Ian Whewekk as head of the Health and Safety Executives (HSE) offshore division, said he wants the regulator to be respected.

Meeting Industry at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen yesterday for the first "time in his new position, Walker said: ' Ian has left me an excellent legacy. Under his watch the industry did improve in its leadership of offshore health and safety... but one of my top priorities is to make sure the industry is not complacent with its current safety standards.

"I want the industry to deliver on its commitments to maintain safety."

Walker said he wants the HSE to be an efficient and effective regulator and hopes it will be respected by the industry. However, he raised concerns about spikes in the number of hydrocarbon releases and major accidents in the first quarter of this year.

Walker, who has been with the HSE for more than 30 years and in the offshore division since 2004 was responsible for running the organisation's recent and largely positive KP3 review into offshore safety.

"We gave the industry a pretty good message when the review was published in July but the Industry still has to keep its eye on the ball.

"I recognise the challenges in keeping aging installations fit for purpose at a time when industry is looking at the technical and cost demands of developing existing fields, especially in the context of the economic climate and the energy debate," he said.

Robert Paterson, the health and safety director of industry group Oil and Gas UK, said: "Over the last 21 years the industry has made huge progress in putting in place multiple barriers on its offshore installations to prevent escalation of dangerous occurrences and to reduce their impact.

SOURCE - www.upstreamonline.com

Halloween is one of the most beloved holidays by children, but also one of the most dangerous. Everyone has heard of the many real-life horror stories that could have been avoided if the proper safety precautions were taken. To ensure that trick-or-treaters experience the fun of Halloween without injury, SafetySkills™ has decided to offer its Halloween Safety course to the public at no charge at www.safetyskills.com/halloweensafety.

                                                                                                                                        

“Halloween is the kids’ holiday, dressing up like their favorite characters, running around with their friends in search of as much candy as they can get their hands on,” said Trey Greene, CEO of noodleStream.com. “But kids also need to learn the safe way to have a great Halloween because the sad truth is that bad things can happen. As a father, I wanted to help other parents and childcare professionals get all the information they needed to protect their children so that they can have a fun and safe Halloween.”

 

This Halloween Safety course provides parents and childcare professionals with information about safe trick-or-treating, decorating, cooking and even costumes. Along with everything you need to know about Halloween safety, SafetySkills™ is providing printable Halloween Safety coloring sheets that go with the online course free on their website.

 

“I think the video was clear, to the point and covered many great topics,” said Kim Estes, Child Safety Expert of PEACE of Mind. “I was happy to see a non-scary, simple safety video to help give us all a gentle reminder that safety counts!”

 

New Powerful Recruitment Solution Is Set To Energise The Oil & Gas Industry

www.oilandgaspeople.com - aims to fundamentally change the oil and gas recruitment process by providing an accurate snap-shot of current vacancies, the workforce and its availability.

Oilandgaspeople.com provides a central point where recruiters can advertise the latest job vacancies and candidates upload their CVs. The site, which goes live on 7th September 2009, will fast-track and facilitate the process of matching the right person to the right job benefiting the recruiter, the candidate, and the employer.

Having worked in the industry for over six years, oilandgaspeople.com developer, Kevin Forbes, used his experience of the sector and his frustrations with existing recruitment methods to devise and deliver a new alternative that aims to save time and money and increase candidate matching success.

He says: “I found the system of using numerous job sites to search for vacancies fragmented and frustrating. I would regularly spend hours at a time searching for positions which became even more difficult when I was working offshore or abroad with limited internet access. “I decided to take the issue into my own hands with a website to present my CV and background to potential employers and agencies directly. As I saw immediate impact I expanded on the idea and www.oilandgaspeople.com is the end result.

“The launch of www.oilandgaspeople.com is good news for the industry during the economic downturn – it is a cost effective solution for recruiters at a time when reducing costs is of the utmost importance and it will also help those looking for work as they benefit from an efficient, free recruitment service.”

Oilandgaspeople.com is a cost effective means of advertising for recruiters. There is up to a 75% cost saving over traditional oil job sites and if a match is not made, there is no fee to pay. When a new position is advertised, the site automatically matches candidates to the job, referring to the high quality, accurate and current candidate information it holds.

Recruiters then review candidate profiles, shortlist suitable candidates and ascertain who then wishes to be put forward for the job. For candidates, using the site is completely free. They build their own profile on the website and their personal details remain secure, only to be released when they agree to a recruiter recommending them for a position.

An additional feature of Oilandgaspeople is the Oil and Gas Community, where site members can chat in the forums; create events, form groups and network with other oil and gas people from all over the world.

Kevin Forbes is also behind the website www.hsepeople.com which was launched earlier this year, giving health and safety professionals from around the world the opportunity to network and exchange information.

For more information, please contact Kevin Forbes:

Email: info@oilandgaspeople.com
Web: www.oilandgaspeople.com

How well would your business fair if the unexpected occurred today? September is National Preparedness Month and employers are encouraged to make a plan to avoid issues that could affect their businesses in the event of a disaster. Unfortunately, due to the current economic strains companies are enduring, many businesses are cutting corners on safety.

 

“Any disaster, no matter how severe or minor, can result in huge costs to a business,” said Trey Greene, CEO of noodleStream.com. “Making simple preparation strategies can save thousands. Training employees how to respond in the event of a fire, severe weather or a workplace injury will not only protect your business, but save lives.”

 

The number of preventable accidents reported in the news is escalating at an alarming rate. These incidents are making everyone a little more nervous including government agencies. Despite the new safety legislations being proposed to Congress, some feel that simple changes made by individuals can make a big difference in safety.

 

“Our entire emergency management team has a role to play when it comes to preparing for and responding to the next disaster,” said W. Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator. “One of the most important parts of the team is the public. The more prepared the public is now, by getting an emergency response kit, making an emergency plan and getting a skill, like CPR, the stronger our emergency response team will be.”

There are few families that have impacted the American people as much as the Kennedys. Through politics, activism, fashion, controversy and tragedy, one thing that everyone can agree upon is that this family name will be remembered. The latest tragic end has fallen upon Senator Edward M. Kennedy who died at the age of 77 on August 25th.

Kennedy spent over 3 decades of his life in the U.S. Senate and among his many contributions (over 2,500 bills), one of his passions was creating a safer workplace for American workers.

One of the most well-known rights Kennedy fought to give workers was the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This act gave all workers the ability to take unpaid leave to care for themselves or family members in case of a medical illness or for maternity leave without fear of termination. Over 60 million Americans have been able to take advantage of this act thanks in part to Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy also worked to provide Americans with the right to paid sick leave by introducing the Healthy Families Act, which would ensure 7 days of paid sick leave to be used for workers’ health maintenance as well as their family members. He also saw the need for the Working Families Flexibility Act in order to allow employees the ability to meet the needs of both family and work through a flexible job arrangement.

He even made a point throughout his career to address the financial discrimination that hits women where it hurts, their wallets. Women currently earn 78 cents to every $1 earned by a man. When the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama, Kennedy was a leader in its passing.

Another group Kennedy fought for are those in the mining industry, with his MINER Act legislation passed in 2006. Despite the new law being passed, Kennedy felt more needed to be done and he continued to call for safety investigations across the country concerning these workers.

He also worked tirelessly to pass the Protecting America’s Worker’s Act, which would expand the coverage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. “Enacting of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 was a major step in guaranteeing the basic right of workers to be safe on the job.  Since the law was signed, however, we have not substantially amended it to improve worker protections,” said Kennedy.

Although this bill has not yet become law, even after his death it will live on through the efforts of his fellow senators. He will be missed.

Summer is coming to a close and parents are busy getting their children prepared for going back to school. This is usually the time of year where young children are experiencing a mix of emotions ranging between excitement and nervousness, but now it’s their parents that have something to worry about. Experts say that the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, could make a comeback when kids head back to school.

Here are a list of things that you can do to reduce risk of infection.

1. Do your research.

Learn about the H1N1 virus and what precautions you should be taking yourself. The Center for Disease Control (CDC.gov) is a great resource on the latest information about health threats. You can also take SafetySkills free Flu Symptoms and Prevention Strategies course. This free online course includes vital information about swine flu and how to protect yourself from infection. After taking this course, recommend it to other parents and your children’s daycare or school staff members.

2. Be clean.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people do not perform simple cleansing chores that could save them and their family members from getting sick.

• Use proper cleaning supplies in your kitchen and bathrooms, but don’t over do it with the bleach. That will cause a whole new health problem.
• Take out the trash in a timely fashion. This will prevent insect infestation and mold, plus it’s not the best smell to have in your home.
• Always use anti-bacterial soap and carry anti-bacterial gel (such as Purell) in your purse, car, etc.
• Keep tissues available in every room of your home.
• Make washing hands fun for kids – have them sing their ABC’s while washing to ensure that they have done it long enough, they’ll love it!
• Use anti-bacterial sprays around the house, like Febreeze. It really does help.

3. Ask your child’s teacher and daycare center administrator what they are doing to prevent the spread of infection.

As a parent, I know that I feel guilty enough about leaving my child at her pre-school everyday without needing to worry about if she is going to come home with a dangerous case of the flu. Having a good relationship with your child’s teachers and caregivers is extremely important for many reasons, but especially when it comes to being aware of how they are protecting your child. If you do not feel satisfied with their approach, give them a recommendation of what you would like for them to use or consider moving your child to another daycare or school that fits your criteria.

4. Use common sense.

Obviously if your child is sick, do not send your child to school. This spreads illness and it turns into an endless cycle of misery. If your child appears to have more than just a case of the sniffles, make an appointment with your pediatrician. Remember to keep your house as clean as possible when anyone in the household is sick to reduce the chances of others in the home coming down with it.

If anyone has any helpful tips to give other parents or child caregivers, please leave a comment below. Thanks.