safety

2020 Annual Safety Awards

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PCSC Members:
Since we were not able to host our Annual Safety Awards luncheon back in May due to COVID-19, we’ll be hosting a short, 30-minute awards ceremony via Zoom on Thursday, July 16, 2020, 11:30am-12:00pm. We’ll email out a link prior to the meeting.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU WON A SAFETY AWARD?
GET YOUR AWARD MAILED TO YOU!
We’ll be mailing the awards via USPS. Please complete this 2020 Safety Awards Request Form to confirm your mailing information by July 16th. Members who do not complete this form will not receive their award. If your organization blocks Google Forms, simply email me your confirmed mailing info.
 
Congratulations to all the 2020 safety award winners! We hope to see you all on Zoom on July 16th!

 

 

June 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for June 2020!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. Heat Stress: Warning Signs & Prevention. Joe Barney, Compliance & Training Officer from The Great Lakes Construction Co. stayed over with us to recap his presentation on how to prevent heat related illnesses & injuries at work! (7:23)
  2. Leading Through Changes at Work. Change is never easy but it is inevitable, especially in times of crisis! As non-essential businesses start to reopen, workers will be returning to some big changes. Join Mike & Nic as they discuss how to plan, lead, communicate & navigate through change. (24:18)
  3. [Safety Crash Course] HazCom & GHS Basics (Live). This is a live recording of the 2nd of 3 Safety Crash Course – Part 2 presentations at our monthly workplace safety luncheon on March 5, 2020. The topic was HazCom & GHS Basics and it was presented by Matt Mohler, Facilities Director, Delta Systems, Inc. Click here to view the power point. (18:45)
  4. [Safety Blast] Heat Stress Warning Signs, Prevention, & Remedies. Joe Barney, Compliance & Training Officer from The Great Lakes Construction Co. shares his insight on heat stress warning signs, prevention, and remedies! (2:22)
  5. June’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. Powered Industrial Trucks Training Requirements: June’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  7. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, Stitcher & You Tube! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. Get Outside campaign posters (11×17) & flyers (8.5×11) by Portage Parks have been downloaded well over 450 times! Follow links to download and print your own!
  2. Event Cancellations: All PCSC events have been cancelled through June 2020.
  3. FY21 Update: We’re still waiting on the state for more info on FY21 before making any decisions. Thank you for your patience!

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  1. Why Employers Should Promote Spending Time Outdoors. Research shows spending more time outdoors not only improves health but also focus, creativity & productivity! Should employers implement a #GetOutside campaign for their employees? We think so! Join Mike & Nic as they discuss this and more! For free employer related Get Outside articles, resources & campaign ideas, check out our For Employers campaign page. (15:25)
  2. Why You Should Spend More Time Outdoors. Andrea Metzler & Jennifer White of the Portage Park District, joined us to chat about the health benefits of spending time outdoors at least 120 minutes a week! This is an excerpt from e156, click here to listen to the full episode. (5:46)
  3. Park Rx. Andrea Metzler & Jennifer White share about the Portage Park District’s Park Rx program! Also, check out their new Remote Education Programs that were launched as a result of COVID-19. This is an excerpt from e156, click here to listen to the full episode. (4:11)

GET OUTSIDE CAMPAIGN:

Powered Industrial Trucks Training Requirements: June’s Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: What training is required when an operator is to operate different types of powered industrial trucks?

Answer: OSHA’s Powered Industrial Trucks Standard 1910.178(l)(i) states that “The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l).” 1910.178(l)(3) requires that operators receive training in the topics which are applicable to the safe operation of the truck in the employer’s workplace.

Therefore, an operator must be trained and evaluated in the safe operation for the type of truck that the operator will be assigned to operate in the employer’s workplace. For example, if an operator is assigned to operate a sit-down counterbalanced rider truck, then the operator must be trained and evaluated in the safe operation for that type of truck. If an operator is assigned to operate an operator-up counterbalanced front/side loader truck, or a rough terrain forklift, then the operator must be trained and evaluated in the safe operation for those types of trucks.

A sit-down counterbalanced rider truck, an operator-up counterbalanced front/side loader truck, and a rough terrain forklift are different types of trucks. Operators who have successfully completed training and evaluation as specified in 1910.178(l) (in a specific type of truck) would not need additional training when they are assigned to operate the same type of truck made by a different manufacturer. However, operators would need additional training if the applicable truck-related and workplace-related topics listed in 1910.178(l)(3) are different for that truck.

*Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

May 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for May 2020!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. [Safety Crash Course] Bloodborne Pathogens (Live). This is a live recording of the 1st of 3 Safety Crash Course – Part 2 presentations at our monthly workplace safety luncheon on March 5, 2020. The topic was Bloodborne Pathogens Basics and it was presented by Brenda Allen, Certified Trainer, Swift First Aid. (14:56)
  2. [Safety Talk] Thunderstorms & Lightening. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on what to do during thunderstorms & lightening! (3:25)
  3. [Safety Talk] Floods. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare for and what to do during a flood! (5:11)
  4. [Safety Talk] Power Outages. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare for and what to do during a power outage! (4:33)
  5. May’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. First Aid Response Times: May’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  7. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, Stitcher & You Tube! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. FY20 Refund Notice: Deadline to respond is June 1, 2020. Any unclaimed refunds will be adsorbed back into the PCSC to support future programming. Follow link for more info.
  2. Get Outside campaign posters (11×17) & flyers (8.5×11) by Portage Parks have been downloaded well over 300 times! Follow links to download and print your own!
  3. COVID-19 Program Updates: The latest program updates from the PCSC as a result of COVID-19. More info coming soon!
  4. Event Cancellations: All PCSC events have been cancelled through June 2020.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  1. Overcoming Loneliness During COVID-19. According to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, “loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!” As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we asked Jennifer Parmenter, Clinical Counseling Supervisor at Family & Community Services, Inc., in Kent, OH, to call in to give us some tips on how to overcome loneliness & avoid its deadly consequences! (56:32)
  2. How to Take Care of Your Mental Health During COVID-19. Jennifer Parmenter, Clinical Counseling Supervisor at Family & Community Services, Inc., in Kent, OH, called in to give us some tips on how to take care of ourselves and our mental health during the COVID-19 crisis! (28:37)
  3. Staying Active at Home During the Lockdown. Leslee Keegan of I’m Power Fitness Center in Ravenna, OH, called in to give us tips on how to stay active at home during the COVID-19 lockdown! Check out her Facebook page for more info today! (12:31)
  4. How Stress Affects Workplace Safety. Is stress really a safety concern? In this episode, Mike & Nic chat about stress before & during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it significantly impacts your workforce, even in regards to safety! (22:52)

GET OUTSIDE CAMPAIGN:

 

 

First Aid Response Times: May’s Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: What is OSHA’s current interpretation of the response times for first aid in response to life-threatening bleeding, including active shooter incidents?

Answer: OSHA’s current interpretations of the response times for first aid in response to life-threatening bleeding are addressed in letters of interpretation. These letters state in part:

In workplaces where serious accidents such as those involving falls, suffocation, electrocution, or amputation are possible, emergency medical services must be available within 3-4 minutes, if there is no employee on the site who is trained to render first aid…While the standards do not prescribe a number of minutes, OSHA has long interpreted the term “near proximity” to mean that emergency care must be available within no more than 3-4 minutes from the workplace, an interpretation that has been upheld by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and by federal courts…The basic purpose of these [first aid] standards is to assure that adequate first aid is available in the critical minutes between the occurrence of an injury and the availability of physician or hospital care for the injured employee… Medical literature establishes that, for serious injuries such as those involving stopped breathing, cardiac arrest, or uncontrolled bleeding, first aid treatment must be provided within the first few minutes to avoid permanent medical impairment or death…

These time limits are maximums. OSHA does not prohibit but encourages shorter response times when feasible. In order for OSHA standards to more comprehensively address response times to uncontrolled bleeding, it would entail a notice of proposed rulemaking and comment effort.

These recommendations are consistent with the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standard 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. This standard requires that emergency medical services ideally respond within one minute of turnout, that first responders take 4 minutes to get to the scene, and that other units should arrive within 8 minutes.

*Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

Refund Notice – FY20 Prepaid Lunches

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This message is for PCSC members who purchased FY20 Annual Prepaid Lunch Packages.
 
PCSC Members:
Due to the cancellation of our April, May & June luncheons, members who purchased FY20 Annual Prepaid Lunch Packages qualify for a refund of $45 per package purchased. To see the amount your company qualifies for, click here.
REFUND OPTIONS
Due to suggestions offered by a few of our members, the PCSC is offering 3 refund options:
  1. Refund (by check via USPS mail; please allow up to 60 days)
  2. Donate back to the Portage County Safety Council (to help support future safety programming)
  3. Donate to local food programs (to help those in need through programs such as Mobile Meals, Center of Hope, Kent Social Services, etc)
*Due to the uncertainty of how social distancing orders will affect our luncheons in FY21, we are not offering credits at this time. Thanks for understanding!
 
Please complete this online FY20 Refund Request Form to choose one the refund options above ASAP. If for any reason the link doesn’t work for you, please email us.
 
Deadline is Monday, June 1, 2020. Any refund amount not claimed by 6/1/20 will be donated back to the Portage County Safety Council in order to continue to support local safety programming. Exceptions may be made for members who were temporarily out of business due to the pandemic.
Thank you all for your continued support of your companies, employees, safety, the Portage County Safety Council and our communities at large! I hope all of you are well and your families are staying safe through all of this!