Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)

Individuals who are infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) may not show symptoms and may not know they are infectious. For this reason, all human blood and body fluids should be considered as if infectious, and all precautions should be taken to avoid contact. This simple rule is known as "universal precautions."

In the workplace, bloodborne pathogens (BBP) may be transmitted when blood or other infectious body fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (your eyes, nose, mouth); non-intact skin (due to cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, paper cuts); or by handling or touching contaminated materials or surfaces. Bloodborne pathogens are also transmitted by "injection" under the skin via an contaminated sharp object puncturing or cutting the skin causing a wound.

Hepatitis B Virus versus Human Immunodeficiency Virus:
- Hepatitis B Virus is more persistent than HIV and is able to survive for at least one week in dried blood on environmental surfaces. However, HIV will not survive for more than a few minutes when exposed to room temperature air, and will usually die within seconds.
- A teaspoon of infected blood may contain over one billion HBV particles, while a teaspoon of infected HIV blood contains about 15 HIV particles.
- Hepatitis B Virus usually has mild symptoms which makes diagnosis difficult. HIV infections usually are not diagnosed for years and symptoms may not appear for many months or years.
- Hepatitis B can be prevented with a vaccine. At the present time there is no preventive vaccine for HIV.
- No cure is presently available for HBV or HIV.

If you administer first aid to an injured person in the workplace and there is a potential for contacting any body fluids, you should adhere to the following "universal precaution" guidelines:
- Wear impervious gloves when there is a chance of exposure to blood or body fluids.
- Wear a face shield to protect your entire face, and safety goggles to provide the most complete eye protection.
- Use resuscitation devices when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Report all BBP exposures, or potential exposures to your supervisor immediately.
- Immediately wash your hands and affected areas with soap and warm water.
- Flush your eyes, nose or other mucous membrane areas with water, if exposed.
- Wash down areas which body fluids may have been contacted with the use of a mild solution of household water and bleach (10:1).

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

Overview
Nearly 350,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. Currently, the chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) without the aid of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) are one in twenty.

However, with an AED, chances of survival improve to one in three. The use of AEDs could save 100,000 lives per year!

What is SCA?
The heart normally has a rhythmic beat which causes the blood to move in a consistent, predictable way. When someone has an SCA event, the heart begins to pump irregularly and ineffectively. This is called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is not to be confused with the heart attack where blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. With VF, the blood stops circulating adequately, breathing stops, and eventually the victim will die.

Another SCA event is ventricular tachycardia (VT), when the heart muscles start to “quiver” instead of working together to push blood through the system.

CPR alone does not replace defibrillation in an SCA incident. CPR can only assist the victim for a short time until medical help arrives. However, medical assistance can be many minutes away. According to the American Heart Association, the chances of survival decrease 10 percent with each passing minute that the heart beat is not returned to normal. Very few people have survived SCA after 10 minutes with no medical treatment.

Unfortunately, we don’t know why SCAs occur, nor how to prevent them. We do know, however, how to fix them if they occur—AEDs.

What is an AED?
You’ve seen full-sized defibrillators on television. When the doctor shouts “Clear” and shocks the victim, they are using a defibrillator. The AED works the same—it shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm to restore a pulse.

Manufacturers have developed lighter, smaller, battery-operated, computer-controlled models which nearly anyone can use.

Signs and symptoms of SCA
Symptoms of SCA are very sudden and dramatic. Typically, the victim will collapse, and show no sign of a pulse. At this point, emergency medical help must be summoned, and the AED used.

The victim’s chest is bared, all visible jewelry or medicine patches are removed, and the electrode pads are attached. Once the electrical pads are attached, the AED is turned on. Many AEDs will prompt the operator through the necessary steps to use it. If the AED does not sense a shockable event, no shock is given. Others will function automatically, applying a shock to the victim after sounding a warning alarm.

Laws and liability
In May 2000, Congress passed the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act to establish a national standard that provides Good Samaritan immunity for cardiac arrest care providers, trainers, and owners of property where AEDs are kept.

A legal trend is starting to appear which suggests that failing to provide AEDs to respond to an SCA incident may be deemed as negligent.

Training Tips
Review the employee handout, and the user’s guide which comes with the AED. Point out the location of AEDs in your facility.

Review with the employees the signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack. Explain that in either case, early contact with emergency medical personnel is critical.

Explain how to summon emergency medical help, and the identities of the emergency medical responders at your facility. Explain to the participants how the company trains first aid responders to use the AEDs.

Where To Go For More Information
29 CFR 1910.151—First Aid.
OSHA CPL 2-2.53—Guidelines for first aid programs.
AED User’s Guide
Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA)
Airline Passenger Safety Act
Applicable state regulations

This information was provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Effects of Alcohol

This information briefly summarizes some of the some of the effects of a person that is hung over. Direct effects of alcohol vary with the individuals. In general, a person will excrete approximately one alcohol drink per hour. Consider the following:
An employee is out until 1:00 a.m. and has consumed 12 or more beers. They show up to work at 7:00 a.m. This employee is likely to have at least six alcohol drinks in his system at the time of starting the work. At this rate, the employee will start work intoxicated and eventually drift into a hangover and will probably be working in a very dangerous state during most of the workday.

ISSUES OF A HANGOVER
The following are some points to consider:
• A person with a hangover may have lower levels of alcohol in their system and may be “legally sober”.
• Any levels of alcohol in the system can affect the central nervous system, which will affect JUDGMENT and MOTOR SKILLS.
(Judgment and Motor Skills are critical components of working safely on a construction site.)

HANGOVER EFFECTS

A- Employees that are hung over are impaired from low sugar levels, dehydration and may still be legally intoxicated.
• Symptoms / Effects:
• Impaired judgment
• Decreased motor skills
• Potential for dizzy spells, etc.

B – Employees no longer under the influence of alcohol but still feeling hung over still have an effect:
• Symptoms / Effects:
• Impaired judgment
• Decreased motor skills
• Dizziness
• Increased potential to lose consciousness

This information is provided by Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Air Contaminants

Overview
An air contaminant is any substance that is accidentally or unintentionally introduced into the air, having the effect of rendering the air toxic or harmful to some degree.

Who is covered?
29 CFR 1910.1000 Air contaminants protects employees from occupational exposure to air contaminants. The regulation applies to all workers who may be subjected to workplace air contaminants.

§1910.1000 lists various substances along with permissible exposure limits (PELs) for an eight-hour period. Your employer has a responsibility to notify you of potential hazards in the workplace, including air contaminants.

What must my employer do?
Your employer:
• Is responsible for controlling sources of air contamination by using engineering controls, or, if necessary, by using personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Must let you know what air contaminants are in the workplace and how you can protect yourself from them.

• Will discuss any necessary PPE with you and demonstrate proper use, cleaning, and storage of the equipment.

Must periodically test the air in the facility for the presence of air contaminants. You, or your representative, have a right to see the results of those tests.

If your employer chooses to use PPE in addition to engineering and work practice controls, the PPE must be provided free of charge.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Welding & Cutting Safety

Everyone involved in welding operations must take necessary precautions to prevent fires, explosions, or personal injuries. Even for small or routine jobs, you should always follow established safety procedures and resist the temptation to take shortcuts.

As with any job activity, you will have hazards involved. Some common welding dangers you should be aware of include fumes, gases, radiation, electric shock, fire and explosion, lead poisoning, metal splatter and sparks, noise, and slips, trips and falls. While these are a lot of hazards, OSHA allows a lot of ways to control or eliminate them in order to protect you:

• Ventilation—Exhaust hoods at the arc, fans, and open spaces all help to reduce the concentration of hazardous fumes, gases, and dusts, and prevent the accumulation of flammable gases, vapors, and dusts that could cause fire. Know the symptoms of fumes and gases and get out of the area if they develop. Perform atmospheric tests.

• Respirators—When ventilation and plume avoidance don't give enough protection or when welding creates an oxygen-deficient area, wear a respirator.

• Personal protective equipment (PPE)—This includes flame-resistant aprons; leggings and high boots; ankle-length safety shoes worn under your pant legs; shoulder cape and skull cap; ear plugs or ear muffs; insulated gloves; safety helmets; goggles; helmets; and shields. Use ANSI-approved filter lenses and plates. Protect those nearby by putting up shields.

• Electrical precautions—Do not arc weld while standing on damp surfaces or in damp clothing. Properly ground, install, and operate equipment. Do not use defective equipment. Use well-insulated electrode holders and cables. Insulate yourself from both the work and the metal electrode and holder. Don't wrap a welding cable around your body. Wear dry gloves and rubber-soled shoes. Do not use damaged or bare cables and connectors.

• Fire protection—Wear flame-resistant clothing. Have someone be your fire watcher when you weld. Move all combustible material at least 35 feet from the work area and try to move away from combustible materials, or cover them with fire resistant material. Don't weld in atmospheres containing dangerously reactive or flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or dust. Clean and purge containers which may have held combustible material before applying heat. Get a hot work permit and follow its safety precautions.

• Confined space precautions—Assess limited work spaces and slipping hazards, and evaluate hazardous atmospheres and interior surfaces for flammability, combustibility, or toxic fumes that could result from welding processes.

• Clothing—Wear wool, leather, or cotton treated clothing to reduce flammability for gas shielded arc welding. Long sleeves and pants without cuffs/front pockets are recommended to avoid catching sparks.

• Don't get too close to the fume or plume or weld on lead-painted surfaces.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Hand Protection

Overview
We all use our hands a great deal without really thinking about it. Because we use our hands so much at work, for a variety of tasks, they can become injured.
To demonstrate the need for effective hand protection, look at the following statistics.
• There are about 500,000 work-related injuries occurring to hands, fingers, and arms each year.
• About one-quarter of all work-related injuries are to the fingers and hands.
• Injuries to fingers and thumbs are second on the list of most injured parts of the body.

Types of hazards
A few of the types of injuries our hands are prone to suffer include:
• Mechanical hazards which cause cuts, punctures, scrapes, or crushing.
• Extreme heat or cold.
• Electrical shock or burns.
• Skin irritation from chemicals or germs.

What must my employer do?
Your employer must assess the workplace to determine what hazards can be eliminated through engineering controls such as machine guards and improved workstation design. If hazards remain after attempting to eliminate hand hazards, then your employer will provide hand protection.
Your employer must train you on the need for and use of PPE for your hands. Training should include:
• Information on when PPE is needed.
• An explanation on what protective hand wear is required, and where to obtain it.
• How to put on, take off, adjust, and wear PPE.
• The limitations of the PPE.
• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

What must I do?
For your safety, it is crucial that you understand and follow your company’s procedures for hand protection. If you have any questions regarding how to protect your hands from injury on the job, ask your supervisor.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Muddy Conditions

With the change from winter to spring usually means the change from dry ground to muddy conditions.  Slip and fall accidents are much more likely to happen during these times. Unfortunately we are unable to  control the weather, so we must adapt to conditions daily. Simple steps taken can be the difference in  preventing an accident. 1. Keep boots free of mud. Employee should clean boots of mud once they reach the house or unit they  are to work in. This may have to be done every time you leave and return. No employee should access  top plates or roofs if their boots are muddy. 2. Keep ladders free of mud. If you are using a ladder in mud, tracking mud up the rungs of the ladders  creates a very slippery and dangerous condition. Employees should use the bottom rung to scrap mud  from there boots. If mud does accumulate, you may need to take a rag or towel and clean the rungs. 3. Walk in areas were stone driveways/paths have been provided. If a stone path is not provided,  you may want to use some plywood or planks to create a walkway to the work area. 4. Store material/lumber close to the house to minimize having to walk in the mud to reach piles or stacks. 5. Move slowly – don’t be in a rush. Carrying material or equipment through mud could cause you to slip.  Several strains and sprains have been cause as the result of a slip.

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