When thinking about health and safety training in the workplace, it’s important to remember that everyone works in a very similar environment. This means that employees need to understand how to work within their own health and safety guidelines, but also how to work with others. This is why many employers offer a brief health and safety meeting after regular breaks so that staff can get together to discuss everything that encompasses their roles and responsibilities. These could be anything from general health and safety issues to training courses specific to a new role within an organisation. This meeting should be included in the employee induction pack.

Another part of health and safety is to ensure that all employees know the rules and regulations that apply in the workplace. This can include things like wearing protective clothing, ensuring that machinery is in good working order, using approved safety equipment, and so forth. Everyone needs to be aware of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to health and safety in the workplace. It’s important to provide training about the changes to the regulatory system that have taken place so that staff knows how to use them correctly and where to find information when they are needed.

The role of a health and safety manager has changed over the years. Prior, to this managers used to be involved with all safety matters. They would liaise with safety training, health and safety managers, employers, and the general public. Nowadays a lot of this role has been delegated to highly trained safety consultants who deal with health and safety in the workplace on a daily basis. Health and safety importance in 2022 is about delivering a sustainable safety culture that enables everyone to work safely and productively.

Health and safety training is something that should be considered at every level of an organisation from the ground up. Businesses should ensure that everyone is able to attend it as a minimum, and there should be designated staff that deal specifically with health and safety matters. Training needs to be constantly reviewed to ensure that the environment is kept safe for staff and clients alike. The health and safety committee of a business can also be asked to take control of this training if they feel that it’s necessary.

The future may be a dark one but businesses can still make sure that their staff and clients are as safe as possible. Ensuring that everyone is following safe working practices is a basic requirement for the health and safety of everyone. In order to do that businesses need to invest in a staff that is fully trained and capable of dealing with all scenarios that can arise. Health and safety aren’t just a job role for the military – it could be your doorstep!

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So it should come as no surprise that three of the most common workplace injuries involve hands in some way: lacerations or punctures, falls, and repetitive-use injuries.

Serious injuries to an employee’s hands and fingers, in particular, are unpleasant and costly. Furthermore, the cost of a hand injury is not solely paid by the employee who sustains it. If the damage is severe enough, the insurance company will be responsible for paying for care and treatment, family members will be responsible for caring for them at home, and coworkers will be expected to take up the slack at work. Even slight cuts can result in missed production and work time for hours, days, or weeks, not to mention the employee’s discomfort and irritation.

Fortunately, these forms of workplace hand and finger injuries are rather simple to avoid. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as Benjamin Franklin once said.

So, how can you safeguard your employees—and, by extension, your company—from possible hand and finger injuries? How can you ensure that workers are using the finest practises and protective equipment possible? 

What are the most effective methods for establishing and disseminating hand safety guidelines in the workplace?

If you adopt the preventive approach by implementing some or all of the following hand safety guidelines, both your workers and your business will be considerably better off than if you don’t (in which case you’ll eventually have to deal with hand injuries).

Properly Use the Proper PPE

Requiring staff to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of gloves is one of the more obvious ways to provide hand and finger protection, but there are a plethora of sorts and options—which ones should you choose? It depends on the industry, work climate, and sort of work your employees do, just like any other form of protective equipment. Industrial hand gloves, cut resistant gloves, chemically resistant gloves, and coated gloves are just a few of the hand PPE alternatives available. In some cases, protective eyewear, such as goggles or safety glasses, may be required.

Employees who use cutting tools or operate around sharp objects should be fully trained on the skills and equipment they’re utilising, in addition to wearing hand protection PPE. Workers should also be reminded to use and respect equipment safety features and machine guarding, as well as to select the appropriate tools for the work and operate them correctly.

Hand Safety Toolbox Talks

Toolbox lectures are a fantastic way to focus on specific aspects of workplace safety, and a hand protection toolbox talk should absolutely be on your schedule. Some of the dangers you’ll want to point out and discuss how to avoid include:

• Punctures and lacerations
• suffocates and crushes
• Overuse and muscle strain
• Surfaces and substances that are hazardous
• When carrying goods, hand slams or abrasions can occur.
• A slip or trip and fall can have a significant impact on your hands.
• Getting too close to machines or other potentially dangerous locations
• Use our “handy” hand safety toolbox discussion PDF guide for inspiration or a ready-made meeting plan to discuss hand dangers in the workplace. (Did you catch what we did there?)

Other Hand and Finger Safety Tips

• Keep the flooring and surfaces of your workspace clean and clear of dirt.
• Use tools that are made with safety in mind and made with high-quality, cutting-edge materials.
• Knives and other sharp things, in particular, should be stored properly.
• Use caution when handling tools.
• Spills should be cleaned up right away.
• To clean up shavings, dust, dirt, or anything else that could potentially tear the skin, use brooms, brushes, dustpans, or sweepers.
• Take pauses from repetitious work on a regular basis.
• Maintain equipment and machinery training and certification.
• Specify when employees should take off their jewellery, watches, and other valuables.

The post Promoting Hand Safety at Work: It’s All Hands on Deck first appeared on Verrolyne Training.

Should you be concerned about senior injuries that occur at home?

Every year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries, according to the CDC. Only about half of seniors tell their doctors about their falls.

A terrible fall or a house accident might have devastating consequences. Twenty-five percent of elder falls result in injuries to more than one body component (compared to an average sixteen percent among other age groups). Accidents might result in damaged bones or concussions. One in every five falls among women over the age of 55 necessitates hospitalisation.

As most falls do not result in major injuries, being unable to get back up can lead to pressure sores and hypothermia while they wait for help.

Furthermore, the senior may develop a fear of falling again. This worry may induce your loved one to cut back on their daily activities, weakening them and increasing their risks of becoming hurt.

The good news is that by making modest changes to your elderly loved one’s home environment, you can easily prevent the most common senior home accidents.

“I took the opportunity to tidy my mother’s home when she collapsed and injured her wrist. She’s considerably more at ease now, and I’m more relaxed knowing there’s less of a chance.

Who is the most vulnerable to home accidents?

A combination of risk factors causes the majority of at-home elder accidents. The more risk factors a senior has, the more likely they are to be hurt at home. The following are the most common causes of injury at home:

• Lower body weakness
• Difficulties with walking and balance
• Use of medicines, such as tranquilizers, sedatives, or antidepressants (some over-the-counter medicines can affect balance and how steady you are on your feet)
• Vision problems
• Foot pain
• Poor footwear
• Home hazards or dangers
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Calcium deficiency
• A history of previous falls

The 9 Most Common (and Avoidable) Senior Home Accidents

The following nine injury types are most common for seniors living at home:

1. Falls
2. Burns
3. Choking
4. Medication overdose or improper medication
5. Bedsores
6. Infections
7. Lacerations
8. Sprains
9. Joint dislocation

Make Your Senior’s Home Environment Safer in 5 Minutes

In as little as five minutes, you can make a home safer for senior citizens. Here are some suggestions for making your older loved one’s house safer and assisting them in navigating their surroundings with ease:

Kitchen:

Set up induction cooktops.

Invest in a one-cup boiler.

• Install a stove with an automatic shut off
• Purchase a cooktop fire-suppressor and quickly instal it using magnets
• Purchase a jar opener and safety can opener
• Place the things they use most often on the lower shelves (about waist high) (about waist high)
• Label containers and storage areas clearly

Sitting Room/Lounge:

• Tripping hazards, such as carpets, clutter, or electric lines, should be removed.
• Check to see if the senior and their walker/wheelchair can get around the room without difficulty (if not, rearrange the furniture to allow easy navigation)
• Invest in a chair raiser.
• Replace the carpet with non-slip cushioned flooring.

Bedroom:

• Increase the height of their bed with risers;
•  ensure that drawer knobs are simple to reach; 
• and light the walk from their bed to the bathroom with a lamp nearby (ideally with two-way switches that glow in the dark)

“From my father’s bed to the bathroom, we strung lightbulbs along the way. It’s the best present we’ve ever given him!” he exclaims.

Bathroom:

• Install grab bars in and around your tub or shower, as well as next to the toilet (if there are grab bars already, make sure they are tight and in good condition)
• Install a toilet seat that is higher.
• Place non-slip mats with anti-skid backing on the floor (or replace the bathroom tiles with a non-slip surface)
• Showers and bathtubs with walk-in doors should be installed.

Stairs:

• Remove any things that may have fallen onto the stairs; 
• check for upturned carpet edges; 
• instal railings on both sides of the stairs (or tighten existing railings);
•  repair or replace damaged or worn carpet; repair uneven or broken steps; and consider stairlift possibilities.

Floors:

• Remove potential tripping hazards (upturned carpet edges, clutter, electric cables, etc.) 
• avoid repeating carpet patterns (they may produce optical illusions)

In General:

• Install anti-slip ramps to make crossing thresholds between rooms easier.
• More or brighter light bulbs should be used in their home (preferably, lighting that replicates sunshine because it is the most effective and can boost moods).
• Throughout the house, instal smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

“It’s amazing how much of a difference a few minor adjustments can make! My grandmother’s microwave was placed on the counter, and we purchased a walker with a tray for her to deliver her food to the table. It’s a lot safer, and it allows her more freedom.”

Simple Changes a Senior Can Make to Reduce the Risk of an Accident

Your older loved one should take the following precautions to avoid injuries:

• Wear comfortable shoes;
•  get out of bed and chairs slowly to avoid becoming dizzy;
•  ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medications to see if any of them may cause dizziness or sleepiness;
•  ask their doctor about taking vitamin D supplements;
•  exercise to strengthen their lower body and improve balance; 
• avoid leaving items on the floor or stairs; have a ‘grabber’ that they can use to pick up items; 
• have a ‘grabber’ that they can use to pick up items; 
• Instead of using the oven or stove to cook or heat food, use the microwave (if the microwave is easily accessible)
• Learn what to do if they fall or have an accident Do not dry clothes on heaters Clean lint from the clothes dryer once a month (or ask a friend or family member to do it for them) 
• Fill the bathtub with cold water first Use the back burners on the stove top and turn the panhandles away from the front of the cooker

“Last year, while trying to pick up a sweatshirt off the floor, my father slipped. We bought him a new ‘grabber,’ which he now utilises all the time! He can easily pick things up without falling.”

“My great aunt was adamant about cooking her food herself. It used to be fine, but her arthritis was progressing and making it more difficult for her to perform tasks with her hands. We gently warned her about the dangers after she received a minor burn. She now cooks using an air fryer and enjoys the health benefits as well!”

Today, make your senior’s home safer.

You may start putting the above suggestions into action right now to make your senior loved one’s house as secure as possible.

If you need a caregiver or a professional to assist your senior loved one in navigating their home safely,

The post Make Your Home Safer: Simple Ways to Avoid Common Senior Mistakes first appeared on Verrolyne Training.