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Have you heard the story about the lifeguard in Florida who was fired because he saved a swimmer's life?! Mark Graban writes an interesting post on his Lean Blog about the incident. In his post Lifeguard Saves Swimmer, Gets Fired, Graban compares the shocking response to the lifeguard's laudable action to possible consequences of overly strict rules in the Lean work place: A lifeguard, Tomas Lopez, was "hastily" (and incorrectly) fired by a supervisor after saving a swimmer in distress… because the swimmer was outside of Lopez's assigned zone. Are you kidding me? The lifeguard wasn't fired due to a bad policy… he was fired because a supervisor misinterpreted (or didn't understand) a policy. That's just common sense that Lopez should have saved the swimmer. It sounds like the supervisor didn't even know the proper rules and regulations… firing Lopez because they thought he violated some rule. We can't put rules, procedures, and "standardized work" in the Lean parlance ahead of common sense and judgment. Can you image the uproar of Lopez had just sat there because saving that swimmer "wasn't my job"? We need to be careful that our standardized work, especially in healthcare settings, aren't overly restrictive or violate common sense. Maybe this lifeguard story is a good illustration of what could go wrong…

Every time you step onto a construction site, there are countless hazards that you can come across in just a matter of seconds. That is why construction safety is not something that should be taken without serious diligence and precaution. Whether you are working on a commercial or residential site, or if you are working on a road, demolition, excavation or any other type of construction workplace, taking safety into consideration must be your first priority. Here is a comprehensive look into construction safety and why it can mean the difference between life and death if not given proper attention. Causes of Injury In 2012, 4,383 people were killed on construction sites. The math on that shows that nearly 12 deaths occur every single day around the nation. That number is incredibly high, especially when you consider the prevention that you can take to avoid death or serious injury. Of that number of people who were fatally injured in 2012, their deaths most commonly fell into one of four categories. This includes falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions, or being caught in between two objects. Falls made up for nearly 36% of all deaths, which is the most of the four categories. Second was being struck by an object, 10%, followed by electrocution and caught in between objects, 9% and 2% respectively. You will notice that that doesn't add up to quite 100%, but keep in mind that the remaining injuries that result in death are caused by other factors. But nearly 56% of all total injuries come from one of these four construction incidents. It is estimated that by being more prepared and cautious in the workplace, over 400 construction workers could prevent injury on an annual basis. While some workplace issues are still likely to occur, there is no denying that the potential of these four categories should be the first thing considered on a construction site. Importance Of Prevention The reasons that construction sites should be concerned with their safety

Your facility probably has many written safety procedures-hazard communication or emergency response, for example-but do you have a comprehensive health and safety management system (HSMS)? OSHA mandates many kinds of safety plans, but there is no federal mandate regarding a health and safety system that covers all other safety plans (though some states do require one). This system governs how safety works in your facility and gets everyone involved. If OSHA doesn't require an HSMS system in your state, then why bother implementing one? While a safety system does require a lot of work, the benefits are numerous. Not only will employee morale improve, the number and severity of injuries will be reduced and production may actually increase. Safety, it turns out, is good for business. OSHA also recognizes businesses that have used effective HSMS to achieve lower-than-average injury and illness rates through their Voluntary Protection Programs. Data suggests companies that have developed these kinds of safety systems have seen positive results. According to OSHA: "Companies in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, VPP, all of whom have implemented comprehensive safety and health management systems, experience lost workday incidence rates that are 60% to 80% lower than their industry counterparts. They also experience reduced absenteeism and turnover, improved productivity, and lower Workers' Compensation costs. Safety and health management works and adds to the company's bottom line profits." Getting a health and safety system started at your workplace takes a lot of legwork, so let's take a look at how to begin and how to get everyone from management to employees on the work floor involved. Management Leadership Business-Meeting-1 For a health and safety system to be effective, it can't just be left entirely up to a safety manager. Management needs to set the tone for the program and demonstrate their commitment to it by providing necessary polic

Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA is a body created in the year 1970 by the American Congress in order to protect the workers from being harmed or injured in the workplace. This entity implements rules and standards that will enforce health and safety of the workers. With this, working in companies that are OSHA compliant can give you that sense of security. But what are these standards and how they are implemented? OSHA Regulations There are two kinds of regulations being handled by OSHA and these are health standards and safety. The former deals with toxins exposure and the outcomes of other hazards while, the latter deals accident prevention. Some of the rules being implemented by this organization were actually adopted from private agencies. OSHA was supported by other bodies such as the NIOSH or National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the creation of the laws. OSHA compliance can be very advantageous since it boosts workers productivity knowing that the company can provide better care. With this, employers must devote time to come up with a safer work area. OSHA - Protection to Workers Employees have the right to work in a safe workplace regardless of the industry they work in. Hence, if you think that the company you are working with has violated the rules you have the option to file a complaint at to OSHA. With your report, they can conduct inspection on your workplace to determine whether your employer is OSHA compliant. In essence, OSHA gives employees the following rights: Request OSHA to inspect the work area - This can be done if your employer has violated the laws on operating heavy machineries such as forklifts and failed to provide an area such as eyewash facilities for employees who are working with corrosive substances. Even the failure to comply with the safety floor markings is subject to OSHA's investigation. Practice their rights - OSHA safeguard the right of workers so that they can exercise the

In the past decade, cell phone usage while driving has sprang up as a major driving safety issue in the United States and many other developed countries. Originally, teens were the primary target of anti-texting and driving campaigns, but now that cell phone usage is standard amongst a multitude of demographics, the issue has become more broad and is impacting a larger population. According to OSHA's page on Distracted Driving: The human toll is tragic. DOT reports that in 2009, more than 5,400 people died in crashes linked to distraction and thousands more were injured. "Texting while driving" has become such a prominent hazard that 30 states now ban text messaging for all drivers. OSHA - Distracted Driving From checking Facebook, to making phone calls, to checking in with friends and loved ones via text, cell phones have become distracting in the workplace as well, and many companies have, in recent years, implemented cell phone policies on usage to help to maintain productivity. Just like with regular driving, however, cell phones also present a safety risk to workers on the job, especially when machinery and vehicles are being used. In this blog post, we're going to cover various aspects of cell phone workplace safety with regard to work sites. Cell Phone Workplace Safety and Transportation Many of the most problematic workplace instances of cell phone distraction, just like in the rest of the world, come from those who are constantly driving. In your company, this might mean that a delivery truck driver gets distracted and hurts a worker on their way in or out of your warehouse, or it could mean that they injure a civilian or damage someone's property while out on a delivery. Either case you want to avoid, and with damage or injuries to outside parties, you have even less coverage (no worker's compensation, etc.) than if you had an incident contained to workers and company property. The best way to void these distractions are to set hard rul

When it comes to safety, we all want to do our best and keep our workers out of harm's way. However, wanting and doing are two different things, and governing safety bodies like OSHA are there to make sure that the "doing" part gets done. In fact, OSHA can come inspect a factory or workfloor without notice. While they aren't trying to trick you, they do want to make sure that people who aren't following the rules are caught a bit off guard so that anything that needs fixed can get done before someone gets hurt. In general, if you're doing what you're supposed to and following the rules (and keeping on top of recent updates) you've got nothing to worry about. However, here are a few things you can do to make sure that your visit goes over smoothly and that you get a stellar review from the organization. Do Your Own Inspections One of the easiest ways to prepare is to do your own inspection or have someone come in and do one for you. The point is that it can be easier to catch things and have a unique perspective when actually walking through and putting yourself in the mindset of someone outside of the company, whose sole concern is safety. This kind of thoroughness will trump looking through a safety checklist and thinking "yep, did that one" every time. The other great thing about a mock inspection is that it will condition/get your workers used to having a third party evaluate them and watch them at work, which brings us to… Prepare Your Employees One problem that can come up throughout the course of an OSHA evaluation is employee behavior. Sometimes, being watched can be nervewracking, and for others it can be insulting to have someone glancing in their direction and scribbling something down on a clipboard. In your mock inspections, you can let people know that it's nothing to worry about and that in the event someone does come in to observe, they can just continue working as normal because they're doing everything right already. Ev

MedCab: 24 Hours Ambulance Services and Emergency Medical help in Alambagh, Lucknow MedCab provides 24 hours ambulance services and medical help in Alambagh, Lucknow. Alambagh is an important city in the Indian history of independence from British rule. Alambagh is situated approximately 6 km from the Lucknow airport. For better connectivity to the rest of Lucknow and ease of travelling, it also has the Alambagh Bus Stand and Alambagh Metro Station. It is a significant commercial and residential area in Lucknow. Alambagh is home to the famous Alambagh Palace, also known as the Kothi Alamara. The palace was commissioned to be developed in the 1850s by the Nawab of Awadh for his wife Alam Ara, but soon became a part of the activities of the Indian Independence struggle against British rule. The Alambagh Palace was particularly important during the Sepoy mutiny of 1857. This makes Alambagh Palace is a significant monument in the history of Indian independence, much like the other heritage sites in Lucknow. The Alambagh metro station provides quick connectivity to the Charbagh railway station. The Lucknow airport is also at a short distance from Alambagh making Alambagh an ideal location for stay during a trip to Lucknow. Besides being a prime residential area with good hotels for tourists, farmers from nearby villages also come to Alambagh daily for wholesale of their vegetables. In close proximity to Alambagh is the Aminabad market. Besides this, the Eco Garden of Alambagh is also an important tourist attraction. It is a well-maintained garden with beautiful architecture such as the dome shaped buildings.

There are many areas in life in which we employ little tactics to help improve safety. For instance, we wear our seat belts to help stay safe while traveling in a vehicle and we also make sure our shoes are tied so we don't trip and fall while out and about. These safety actions are almost automatic as many people don't even have to think about doing them, they just happen out of pure habit. Not only do these little safety practices help to keep us safe, but they also add to the safety as others as well. For instance, if a person working in a warehouse is walking around with untied shoes, he or she could slip and fall and essentially bump into and take down another employee as well. Safety practices when done correctly really have an impact on almost everyone, especially in the workplace. There are many different small safety practices or items that can be done or utilized to help greatly improve the safety for everyone. It is important to remember that safety isn't always expensive. Sometimes safety is just about keeping a shoe tied, or hair pulled back. Here are some safety tips that won't break the safety bank: · Training - This one is my favorite. The truth is, we can add all the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) we want but it won't really mean much unless the employees have been properly trained about safety. Employee training should always be the first line of defense against workplace hazards. Furthermore, training is cheap and can often times be 100% handled right in house. · Add Some Gloves - It is estimated that nearly 25% of workplace injuries involve the hands and fingers. Avoid this type of injury through the utilization of proper safety gloves. Gloves are effective as they provide a barrier between the hand and harmful elements such as chemicals, high temperatures, and items which may cause cuts or lacerations. Gloves are very cost-effective and are often an easy practice to implement. · Goggles aren't just for Swimming - I

Workplaces today are extremely safe compared to what people had to endure generations ago. This is in large part because of the increased focus employers have put on workplace safety. Employers made this effort for a variety of reasons including regulatory pressure, the best interests of their employees, and of course, the fact that a safe workplace is a more profitable workplace. Despite all the great strides that have been made, many workplaces are still quite hazardous. The following 10 workplace safety mistakes illustrate just how far many industries still have to go. They can also help spur ideas for where improvements can be made in your facility. 1. Using Ladders Improperly One of the most common and most dangerous workplace safety mistakes is failing to use a ladder properly. People make many ladder-related mistakes in the workplace, all of which can be devastating. The following are just a few of the more common examples: Unsteady Ladders - If you don't take the time to properly steady the ladder when setting it up, it could easily slide out while you're on it, causing serious injuries. Leaning from Ladders - When working on a ladder, you should never reach off to the left or right as that can throw the center of balance off, which could cause the ladder to fall. Using Objects as a Ladder - Using scaffolding, chairs, stools, or other objects to reach high areas can be dangerous. These things aren't meant for climbing the same way a ladder is. Climbing too High on Ladders - One should never step onto the upper rungs of a ladder. Depending on how the ladder is placed, even several rungs down can be unstable. 2. Lack of Visual Communication The noise in many workplaces can be quite deafening at times, which can make it difficult to communicate. When it comes to safety, communication is essential. This is why it is so important to have visual communication options in any loud workplace. Visual communication can come in many forms including

Tips & Tricks for Efficiently Tracking Lean Projects Recently, we wrote about a couple of problems facing many Lean practitioners. These were problems that hindered their learning process and often caused overconfidence. Amongst the advice to help combat these problems arose the need for detailed tracking and note taking with regards to practice and progress. Being able to accurately track not only the effects but also the process of a Lean project is critical to ongoing success, and is a key to stimulating growth amongst not only the receiving end of your project objectives, but also amongst the employees and Lean practitioners themselves. To start off, let's take a look at the current state of Lean project tracking for many Lean practitioners. A recent LinkedIn discussion posed the very question of project tracking, and sought to understand a few different distinct metrics. In addition to measuring the effectiveness of any program when it comes to completion, tracking can also be about measuring the scope of your projects, so that you can accurately project what the effects will be before you actually reach the stage at which you expect them. Part of this "scope" involves tracking exactly who is involved with your project, who is affected, and how they are progressing in their respective tasks. Where we are now First of all, it's important to evaluate the current methods that are prevalent in Lean record keeping. The LinkedIn discussion starter, self-identified as Ian R., mentions in his opening post that, when he last posed the question about a year ago, the consensus was that most practitioners were simply using excel spreadsheets for their tracking needs. While there's nothing wrong with relying on Excel for the basics, other users were quick to offer up some slicker alternatives, signaling a sharp (and welcomed, in our book) departure from some of the more basic methods. Unsurprisingly, there exist several specialist software applications whose n

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is a government body tasked with regulating safety for workers, primarily in physical labor occupations, across the United States. They set the rules for transporting materials and chemicals, operating machinery, and other such guidelines to keep workers safe and to give them a voice when conditions might not otherwise be up to par. OSHA is your friend as a business owner, but there are certain situations in which interaction with OSHA can be a bit nerve-wracking for a company's management. OSHA Investigations OSHA investigations usually stem from serious injuries, fatalities, and large-scale catastrophes that occur in the workplace. Especially in the case of fatalities, OSHA is there for both the worker and for the company. For the employee and their family, and by extension the safety of other employees, OSHA will look into the circumstances surrounding the death or injury and determine if the company or its policies were fully or partially to blame for the incident. On the other hand, as long as you have adhered to OSHA guidelines, the investigation can help protect you from legal action if it is concluded that your company was not at fault. Re-opening OSHA Safety Sign Guide A Guide to OSHA Safety Signs This Guide to OSHA Safety Signs walks you through the recent updates to OSHA and ANSI sign requirements. You'll learn the required components of OSHA safety signs, including tips for formatting and posting your signs. Get Free OSHA Safety Sign Guide However, OSHA does have the right to re-open an investigation, even if it had previously reached a conclusion and closed it. This can be a bit worrying for management who have already been told that they were in the clear. However, the re-opened investigation must be concluded within six months of the original incident, so there is a fairly small statute of limitations on this re-opening period. For example, in June of 2013, a veteran mechanic worki

In the video below, we take a GoPro camera ride along with a tower climber as he scales to the top of a 1768 foot tall antenna. The worker slowly climbs on increasingly smaller and precarious looking ladder rungs, all while toting a 30 pound tool bag behind him, occasionally assisted by his climbing partner. The video, aptly titled "The most dangerous job in the world," is stirring up a lot of controversy, especially because it has simply shed light on a profession most people didn't even know existed. Tower climbers are often hired by cell phone companies to adjust antennas and mechanisms located at the top of their cell towers; they are often required to climb thousands of feet into the air. However, the even scarier part is that in many cases, they do not even use any sort of safety cable. In the video, a voice over remarks that OSHA regulations allow for this type of "free climbing" method. As it turns out, most experts are confused as to where the video makers got that idea, as there's nothing to be found in the OSHA guidelines that condones such procedure. In fact, to the contrary, OSHA has published findings highlighting the lethality of this particular profession and method, noting that AT&T alone has had 15 cell tower workers die from falls since data started being collected in 2003. What's even worse is that sanctions against cell companies have been nearly non-existent, and not once has OSHA gone after the larger providers, despite their high mortality rates. Part of this may be due to a loophole (indeed perhaps the very same one that the video cites as "allowing" for such a dangerous climb) that won't hold companies liable for the unsafe behavior of independent contractors if they don't have knowledge of it. In short, a contractor, knowing full well their workers will be free climbing, can simply not communicate to a cell company as such which in turn gives them plausible deniability. Why Should You Care As A Business Owner? ​No

How to increase strength and mobility safely If you've ever suffered a painful injury at work, you're not alone. Injuries occurring at the workplace are more common than you might think, and are not restricted to stuntmen and other daredevils. According to data compiled by Safe Work Australia in 2010, 40% of situations where compensation is paid out to employees involve joint pain or strains of joints. Think safety in the workplace top ten violationsExperiencing a workplace injury can be extremely frustrating, especially when your recovery period seems interminable. Many times, you might feel like you're ready to function as you did before only to come to the painful realization that you haven't quite recovered fully. Allowing sufficient time for rest and recovery is absolutely essential. Other than getting regular exercise involving lots of strengthening and stretching that can toughen the injured area without straining it, there are several rules you should observe when trying to heal. Manage your movement plan During your recovery, it is important that you not do anything that can aggravate the injury or strain the injured area. Have a doctor issue a Certificate of Capacity clearly and comprehensively detailing all tasks and movements you should be exempted from doing or that should be restricted upon your return to work. Take things slowly It can be immeasurably frustrating to not be able to do things that you were able to do with ease pre-injury. Instead of harping on what you cannot do, focus on what you can do. Remain positive and perform the tasks you can do as best you can. Seek the support of your co-workers for tasks that your injury makes difficult for you to undertake. Don't push through the pain Other than medication that has been prescribed by the doctor responsible for treating your injuries, avoid any other medication including painkillers or multi-medication. Such medication may have strong side effects, particularly in your vulnerab

The safety of employee's remains one of the top priorities of many businesses. Without clearly defined safety guidelines, the health and wellbeing of employees is at risk. In order to ensure that employers provide the protection necessary, OSHA provides the guidelines needed to develop a safety plan. Many states have enacted their own rules for safety plans; in fact at least 24 states have enacted their own state mandated safety plans. Furthermore, many businesses choose to turn their safety plans into one detailed safety manual that can be utilized by employees in nearly any work position. Reasons for an OSHA Safety Plan OSHA safety plans are written documents that outline the processes and procedures to help avoid health hazards and injuries, as well as identify the proper steps that should be taken if an accident does occur. This is especially important when it comes to hazardous work environments such as construction sites, factories, mining caves, and long shoring. For example, when a new construction project is being started, an OSHA safety plan will be implemented. First, the employer will need to thoroughly assess the project site for potential health hazards. Each hazard should be accounted for. Once the hazards have been identified, remedies should be sought or provided to either lessen or remove the hazard completely. When looking to reduce a hazard, steps such as providing personal protective equipment or using a special type of safety scaffolding for employees working at heights of more than 6 feet should be implemented.

Back pain and injuries account for some of the most reported and most serious common workplace injuries worldwide. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a country whose labor department doesn't dedicate pages of literature to both employers and employees solely on this topic. Loss of work days and productivity, lifelong injuries and disabilities, and short term discomfort are all common results of lower back-related incidents. According to an OSHA fact sheet, More than one million workers suffer back injuries each year, and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses. Further, one-fourth of all compensation indemnity claims involve back injuries, costing industry billions of dollars on top of the pain and suffering borne by employees. okstate.edu - OSHA Fact Sheet While employers have a responsibility to their workers to implement training programs that minimize injuries (and proactively improve the ergonomics of work-related tasks), employees also need to respect their own bodies and know their limits. This article will be broken up into several sections, each relating to specific aspect of lower back injuries in the workplace, with a primary focus on prevention. Anyone reading through should have a solid grasp on this all-too-common workplace plague by the end of their brief time here. Let's begin. Eliminate Back Injuries While we'll get to proper lifting technique and some employee-level suggestions in a minute, one of the best things employers can do is actually seek to eliminate lower back hazards from their workplace altogether; this is known as elimination - getting rid of risks period - and should be your first step in improving safety before moving on to prevention - mitigating risks that you and your workers have to live with in order for your business to function. Most lower back injuries are associated with lifting, and the most dangerous zones for humans are when lifted objects are below the knees or

The GHS and You - 5 Big Changes April 10, 2014 by Tony Ferraro If your workplace handles chemicals, particularly as the initial producer or as a distributor to clients, it's time to familiarize yourself with the global harmonization system (GHS) of classification and labeling chemicals, or the GHS, for short. What is the GHS? The GHS, first proposed to the United Nations in 1992, is an attempt at bringing some uniformity to the chemical labeling procedures of the developed world. Member nations, based upon their own time-frames, signed on to promise to convert to the GHS method of labeling chemical substances by a certain date. The idea was and still remains to make international business and production easier by having chemical labeling procedures that wouldn't slow down import and export, and would be easy for everyone involved to understand. This also greatly reduces transport costs as materials aren't having to be re-labeled or re-inspected as they cross borders. Last, but certainly not least, the GHS protects workers by ensuring the risks of handling any given material are clearly stated in an easy to understand manner from the beginning. According the UN's publishing of a GHS guide, the following are succinct statements of the GHS' most important goals: Defining health, physical and environmental hazards of chemicals: Creating classification processes that use available data on chemicals for comparison with the defined hazard criteria; and Communicating hazard information, as well as protective measures, on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). OSHA.gov - GHS What does this mean for me? In the United States, the time-frame for adoption is staggered over several stages. On March 2012, the final rule for how workplaces should adopt their policies was published, and employees were required to be trained on these new procedures by December 1, 2013. Interestingly enough, the adoption of the standard by product manufacturers is not required until Ju

The first priority for earning money to every blogger is Google AdSense. Before knowing how high CPC keywords can make you earn better with Google AdSense you should know what Google AdSense is. AdSense is a Google initiative that runs ads that are based on CPC that is Cost per Click in your blogs and websites. If your blog or website is completely obeyed to the rules and regulations of Adsense privacy policy, Google Adsense will give you permission to run its ads on your website. Thus you can earn decent money. Once you place the Google ad code on your website your website will display Google ads. When your visitor clicks your ads, you will earn money. But low CPC keywords with high search volume will give good traffic with low earnings.

Today construction is synonymous with progress and development and hence it is a very common sight to see a number of construction works going on in different regions around the world. Especially in cities where large numbers of sky rises are seen, a lot of activity in the area surrounding the construction site is evident. But to maintain a safety circle around such areas where constructions take place, it is important to cordon off the area so that the public is not inconvenienced by the work going on there. Moreover, in cities, the roads are usually filled with traffic and such construction sites do cause plenty of problems to the smooth movement of vehicles. This is the reason why there are stringent rules in place regarding cordoning off areas, such as construction sites that can be hazardous to the traffic as well as the public on the road. This is why warning tapes are important in construction sites as they help to maintain the precautions needed for safety and protection to the public as well as the traffic on the road. Moreover, with the right kind of messaged printed on them they can be used as a very effective barricade. A variety of safety equipment should be put in place in any constriction site irrespective of the type and size of construction it is. Some of the equipment is meant for the workers involved in the construction while some of the others are to protect the people in the vicinity of the construction site. One such tool that is of utmost importance and mandatory to any construction site is the warning tapes. These tapes also known as danger tapes help in the protection of trespassers, the people walking nearby and the traffic that passes by the site. High visibility, weather friendly and brightly colored, the warning tapes have helped to alleviate the occurrence of accidents and disasters around the construction sites to a great extent. The warning tapes are made of a variety of materials and are available in a standardized set of colors.

Even though pipe marking is an essential practice when it comes to safety in any facility with exposed pipes, this practice is often undervalued and sometimes even overlooked by employers. Why? Well, it could be due to a lack of time to pipe mark or it may even be that they don't have the correct supplies to engage in pipe marking, however in many cases, it is often both of those reasons combined with a lack of knowledge concerning appropriate pipe marking. Why is Pipe Marking so Important? ANSI Makes it Easy! Instead of having each and every industrial work environment utilize different methods and rules for pipe marking, ANSI has made it quite simple by providing a set of pipe marking standards which should be in place within every facility which features exposed piping. Let's break down these standards into some smaller, bite size pieces. Color Coding: The color coding of pipes just makes visual acuity of pipes and their contents a little less complicated. According to ANSI the following colors should be used to indicate the contents. Workplace Organization Guide