WorkPro

10095 Brick Church Road • Cambridge, Ohio 43725 • 740-439-8191

"Providing Health Care for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses"

Providing Health Care for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

June 2003

Avoiding Heat Related Emergencies

Working in hot environments can be more than merely uncomfortable, it can present significant hazards. When the body is unable to cool itself through sweating, serious heat illnesses may occur. The most severe heat-induced illnesses are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If left untreated, heat exhaustion could progress to heat stroke and possible death.

SIGNS / TREATMENTS OF HEAT RELATED EMERGENCIES
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion	Symptoms of Heat Stroke
Headache	Dry, pale skin
Dizziness	Mood Changes
Weakness	Hot, red skin
Mood Changes	Seizures
Upset stomach	Unconsciousness
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Pale, clammy skin	Treatment
	Call 911 immediately
Treatment	Move victim to a cool, shaded area
Move victim to a cool, shaded area to rest	Loosen & remove any heavy clothing
Loosen & remove any heavy clothing	Drink cool water if able
Drink cool water (about a cup every 15 minutes)	Fan the victim or wipe the brow with a wet cloth
Call 911 if person doesn’t feel better in a few minutes	Place ice packs under the armpits and on groin area

How to protect yourself and co-workers?

1. Learn the signs and symptoms and know how to respond.

2. Perform the heaviest work during the coolest part of the day.

3. Use the buddy system, with people working in pairs.

4. Drink plenty of cool water, about a cup every 15 minutes.

5. Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing, such as cotton.

6. Take frequent, short breaks in cool, shaded areas and allow the body to cool down.

7. Avoid alcohol or beverages with caffeine. (These make the body lose water and increase the risk of heat illness.)

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Lunch on us. . . .

If the next issue of the WorkPro Newsletter lists your office, YOU WIN! What? Lunch for your office from us. We will coordinate the day to best fit everyone’s schedule and then bring you lunch. We’ll pick an office per issue from our mailing list. If your office isn’t on the list, call us at (740) 439-8191 and we’ll add you.

The Winner this quarter is Ace TV Rentals. Congratulations! !

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How can a business control costs???

The obvious answer is to look at production costs, salaries, benefits, training, insurance premiums, to name a few, but what about the hidden costs that rob a company of it profits. What might this be…Musculosketal Disorders (MSD’s)

MSDs can affect the bottom line and never go away by themselves. What are they? MSDs are injuries and illnesses that affect muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints or spinal discs and can be caused by repetition, forceful exertions, awkward postures, contact stress or vibration.

MSDs usually call attention to themselves when an injury occurs, and the cost to “fix” the worker is now larger. Sometimes it is less expensive to survey risk factors and correct them, than to treat an injured employee. Find out how WorkPro’s Industrial Rehab Services can help “fix” an injured employee to control business costs. Contact Dana Beach for more information at (740) 439-2979.

Hearing. . . .

Hearing protection is one of the hardest pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to enforce. The problem is that the consequences of being around loud noises are delayed. If employees noticed a loss in hearing every time they worked around noisy equipment, we would not have to remind them to wear their hearing protection. Training is the foundation of a good hearing protection program.

Training should include:

· A review of how the ear works, and how noise levels affect hearing.

· Examples of typical equipment and their related sound levels.

· A review of how the hearing protection is properly fit and used, including hygiene.

· Yearly training classes.

Let’s protect our workers’ hearing so that when they retire they will be able to hear their grandchildren’s voices.

For more information about the Hearing Conservation Program, contact WorkPro at (740) 439-8191.

BWC Drug Free Workplace Training…

If you have enrolled in the BWC Drug Free Workplace program, partnership with WorkPro to fulfill all your requirements. WorkPro offers employee education and supervisor training. The employee education fulfills the one-hour and the two-hour education requirements by providing information on substance abuse issues and your company policy. The supervisor training fulfills the two-hour and the four-hour training. The purpose of this training gives supervisors the educational tools needed to discern subtle behaviors that may warrant a reasonable suspicion determination. This session also meets DOT requirements for supervisor training.

In addition to the training, WorkPro can manage your drug and alcohol-testing program, from the pre-employment testing, reasonable suspicion, post accident and random generation. WorkPro will also provide you with quarterly and annual reports to maintain your compliance.

For more information contact Tina at (740) 439-8189 or e-mail at tnico@seormc.org.