http://www.nfpa.org/research/fire-statistics
One can see fire statistics, statistical reports, major causes, etc by clicking through different links. Very much useful to caution the people.
Aug 22, 2013
Aug 21, 2013
Person dies after long hours of work
An intern died after reportedly spending long hours of work. Legislations specify certain number of hours of work per day, per week, etc and limits on overtime hours also. However, these rules are mostly applied to factory workers and I am not sure whether they are applied to supervisors and blue collared employees in the same organization.
This leads to spending long hours at work place by these people, either by force, or even if there is no requirement, may be to learn the work, or to get attention of higher authorities. This type of work is not possible forever. If somebody joins as trainee/apprentice and even for regular employees, managements of any establishment should strictly enforce working hours, instead of being a passive onlooker. Only then, these types of incidents can be avoided at the work place. It is all in work culture which is guided by safety culture of the organization.
610 kg Saudi man forklifted to hospital
This may be an exceptional case. But, people should not draw inspiration to use forklift for personal movement. Forklifts are for material handling. A number of persons got injured while riding on forklift. If the person standing on the forks near mast does not remove his hand, he may get finger amputation during mast movement.
Remember the injury to Imran Khan, famous cricketer and politician in Pakistan who fell down and got injured due to imbalance while standing on a forklift.
610 kg Saudi man forklifted to hospital
LINK
Remember the injury to Imran Khan, famous cricketer and politician in Pakistan who fell down and got injured due to imbalance while standing on a forklift.
610 kg Saudi man forklifted to hospital
LINK
Aug 20, 2013
Stress management
In the childhood, we do not know what we are doing, though we are pleasurable (or nuisance) to others by our deeds. Later as we grow, we may not remember what enjoyed or suffered at that age. In the childhood, we are influenced / disciplined by others.
The day we start realizing what we want, we put lot of efforts voluntarily to reach the goal. This leads to stress when we are controlled by others also, like, parents, teachers, friends, bosses, etc.
We put so much effort to get good work/job, and once we get work, we become eligible to have a life partner. So much advice pours in from all directions, and one day, we marry some one.
By the time we understand each other and settles in the married life, offspring will lead to pleasure initially associated with stress on their studies and future. All along with this, we will have constant work pressure. Any headache from work place also will lead to troubled life at home as we find it difficult to put a stop or zip the thoughts of work. Though, people preach we should balance work and family life, our craving for excellence in both will not lead to any happiness anywhere.
To climb up the steps in work place, we do more work and a performer will always get more work and any drop will wipe out all hard work done all long till that time. So continuous stress will be there on us from work place activity.
Family pressure to take care of spouse and children and sometimes unnecessary fears, only compound our stress.
Experts advise to visit religious places, do exercise, take breaks from routine life, change food habits, develop hobbies like book reading, social service, etc but nothing will relieve stress permanently and bring happiness. Whatever we do, we keep on thinking about work and family in the mind.
We have to take stress part of life and live with it. If we observe others, for a given task, stress levels are not same in all persons. Again, with age and experience, our stress levels will change.
Something stressful today may not be causing same level of stress tomorrow. Many suicides can be stopped, if persons with suicidal tendency do not take hasty decisions. Just leave the so called problem to its fate. May be solutions can be found in a day or two. Sometimes, the problem on its own disappears. Other times, it may persists, but we may get some more time to solve. At the most, we may loose something, like, money, reputation, etc. But, definitely, we will get much more later by our hard work. At this point of time, i.e. after lapse of time, when we look back, we may laugh at our own rash decisions/thoughts.
Just sit back and think about future. After all hard work, at the end of our active work life, what we want. We might have lost all our valuable time (read personal happiness), by the time we reached the fag end of our work life. The way we left our parents, in pursuit of our goals, our children also will leave us. May be spouse also, will leave us forever, or will stay with the children and we have to spend lonely life.
With all money and so called higher prestigious positions we reached, nothing will be useful when we are at say 55 or 60 years. In the young age, while spending long hours at work, we would have missed many lunches. But, when we reach certain age, even if we get time, we can't eat because of the health problems.
Finally, our hard earned money will be useful to family members and others. May be we derive satisfaction that they are happy. But, they too will be unhappy and you will not get any appreciation for your efforts, because their ambitions are much higher as their start point is more than yours.
A disciplined life, without too much ambition, will make us to live with peace of mind. Though, people advise to dream to achieve, our dreams should be in line with our limitations. Building castles in the air will not help us, unless we don't mind with the results and be happy with whatever we get.
The day we start realizing what we want, we put lot of efforts voluntarily to reach the goal. This leads to stress when we are controlled by others also, like, parents, teachers, friends, bosses, etc.
We put so much effort to get good work/job, and once we get work, we become eligible to have a life partner. So much advice pours in from all directions, and one day, we marry some one.
By the time we understand each other and settles in the married life, offspring will lead to pleasure initially associated with stress on their studies and future. All along with this, we will have constant work pressure. Any headache from work place also will lead to troubled life at home as we find it difficult to put a stop or zip the thoughts of work. Though, people preach we should balance work and family life, our craving for excellence in both will not lead to any happiness anywhere.
To climb up the steps in work place, we do more work and a performer will always get more work and any drop will wipe out all hard work done all long till that time. So continuous stress will be there on us from work place activity.
Family pressure to take care of spouse and children and sometimes unnecessary fears, only compound our stress.
Experts advise to visit religious places, do exercise, take breaks from routine life, change food habits, develop hobbies like book reading, social service, etc but nothing will relieve stress permanently and bring happiness. Whatever we do, we keep on thinking about work and family in the mind.
We have to take stress part of life and live with it. If we observe others, for a given task, stress levels are not same in all persons. Again, with age and experience, our stress levels will change.
Something stressful today may not be causing same level of stress tomorrow. Many suicides can be stopped, if persons with suicidal tendency do not take hasty decisions. Just leave the so called problem to its fate. May be solutions can be found in a day or two. Sometimes, the problem on its own disappears. Other times, it may persists, but we may get some more time to solve. At the most, we may loose something, like, money, reputation, etc. But, definitely, we will get much more later by our hard work. At this point of time, i.e. after lapse of time, when we look back, we may laugh at our own rash decisions/thoughts.
Just sit back and think about future. After all hard work, at the end of our active work life, what we want. We might have lost all our valuable time (read personal happiness), by the time we reached the fag end of our work life. The way we left our parents, in pursuit of our goals, our children also will leave us. May be spouse also, will leave us forever, or will stay with the children and we have to spend lonely life.
With all money and so called higher prestigious positions we reached, nothing will be useful when we are at say 55 or 60 years. In the young age, while spending long hours at work, we would have missed many lunches. But, when we reach certain age, even if we get time, we can't eat because of the health problems.
Finally, our hard earned money will be useful to family members and others. May be we derive satisfaction that they are happy. But, they too will be unhappy and you will not get any appreciation for your efforts, because their ambitions are much higher as their start point is more than yours.
A disciplined life, without too much ambition, will make us to live with peace of mind. Though, people advise to dream to achieve, our dreams should be in line with our limitations. Building castles in the air will not help us, unless we don't mind with the results and be happy with whatever we get.
Aug 18, 2013
Understanding self may help to reduce violence
Greed and ambition are turning us to go to any length to get what we want. Short cuts are taken in the form of physical abuse in this regard. This is making us to be like beasts in the wild life.
If we sit quiet and think what is that we want, whether really we should have those and whether possession of the same will bring happiness forever, and if we compare with those already we possessed by similar desire, we find we are not having happiness and peace of mind.
Whatever we already possessed by various means would have brought only momentary or short living pleasures.
For these temporary gratifications, we go to any extent, if we are not in proper frame of mind. As the media reports we see, many killings are happening, to steal or to settle some issue.
All these to satisfy this body. But, do we really know what is our body and what is that inside. If we know, probably, violence may come down, because our beautiful body on outward appearance is actually containing parts which we may not like to see, if our skin is not present.
Imagine the world, where we don't have skin and have to live without skin. In such an imaginary condition, if it is real, whether we really try to behave the way what we are doing now. It is my belief that our mental state will become balanced and try to live without harming others. What we have to struggle is to satisfy our hunger and minimal needs.
Mahatma Gandhi said that this world is having enough to satisfy our needs but not the GREED.
If, one sees medical education videos available in youtube, like, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTbhWxEu27I, and similar ones, our thought process will change and definitely, it will be for a better world than what is today.
If we sit quiet and think what is that we want, whether really we should have those and whether possession of the same will bring happiness forever, and if we compare with those already we possessed by similar desire, we find we are not having happiness and peace of mind.
Whatever we already possessed by various means would have brought only momentary or short living pleasures.
For these temporary gratifications, we go to any extent, if we are not in proper frame of mind. As the media reports we see, many killings are happening, to steal or to settle some issue.
All these to satisfy this body. But, do we really know what is our body and what is that inside. If we know, probably, violence may come down, because our beautiful body on outward appearance is actually containing parts which we may not like to see, if our skin is not present.
Imagine the world, where we don't have skin and have to live without skin. In such an imaginary condition, if it is real, whether we really try to behave the way what we are doing now. It is my belief that our mental state will become balanced and try to live without harming others. What we have to struggle is to satisfy our hunger and minimal needs.
Mahatma Gandhi said that this world is having enough to satisfy our needs but not the GREED.
If, one sees medical education videos available in youtube, like, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTbhWxEu27I, and similar ones, our thought process will change and definitely, it will be for a better world than what is today.
Aug 17, 2013
Fire while working on a gas line
A fire erupted when persons were working in a hole (pit) on gas line. A person with minor burns on face and hands went to hospital. The flames caused damaged to electric lines above.
It is reported that the crew searched for nearby shutoff valve to stop the fire. It appears that the crew did not do their job hazard analysis properly. Whether any safety permit is taken also is not clear.
This work, ie. working on a gas line that too in a pit is nothing but a confined space work and also working on line filled with gas.
One should have stopped gas flow and evacuated the line with inert gas before start of work. For safety, slip plate also should be inserted on either ends of the gas line to avoid passing or accidental flow. Emergency plan also should be in place which prepares the persons involved what to do in real emergency situation.
Searching for shutoff valve only indicates poor planning.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/north/10011420876346/gas-main-break-leads-to-manhole-fire-in-bedford/
It is reported that the crew searched for nearby shutoff valve to stop the fire. It appears that the crew did not do their job hazard analysis properly. Whether any safety permit is taken also is not clear.
This work, ie. working on a gas line that too in a pit is nothing but a confined space work and also working on line filled with gas.
One should have stopped gas flow and evacuated the line with inert gas before start of work. For safety, slip plate also should be inserted on either ends of the gas line to avoid passing or accidental flow. Emergency plan also should be in place which prepares the persons involved what to do in real emergency situation.
Searching for shutoff valve only indicates poor planning.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/north/10011420876346/gas-main-break-leads-to-manhole-fire-in-bedford/
Aug 14, 2013
Hazards in the job of trainers?
Recently, I delivered a talk in a safety training programme. After the lecture, I went out of the training hall, and tried to talk to my office for vehicle pickup to my workplace. One of the participants came to me and advised me to remove portable microphone, which was given to me before the talk. My phone conversation was audible in the training hall.
This is a lesson for me. I should have switched off the mic and handed over to the program coordinator. I forgot this. The other side is whatever I utter also will be audible and any loose talk (which may happen) would have put me in shame, if not in trouble.
This is a lesson for me. I should have switched off the mic and handed over to the program coordinator. I forgot this. The other side is whatever I utter also will be audible and any loose talk (which may happen) would have put me in shame, if not in trouble.
Aug 12, 2013
Picture This! Shocking Video Debunks Workplace 'Accidents' » SafetySmart
Picture This! Shocking Video Debunks Workplace 'Accidents' » SafetySmart
In the video, a woman carrying hot water slips on a smooth surface having some spillage and the hot water splash on her body causes scalds.
The video in the above link is old and seen earlier also. However, it is important to note that many do not care about smooth slippery surfaces that are because of surface finish, spillage of liquids, etc. Use of improper shoe, or presence of congested areas, etc add to the hazard. Many even question about considering such surfaces as hazard.
Pray God that nobody should undergo such punishment.
In the video, a woman carrying hot water slips on a smooth surface having some spillage and the hot water splash on her body causes scalds.
The video in the above link is old and seen earlier also. However, it is important to note that many do not care about smooth slippery surfaces that are because of surface finish, spillage of liquids, etc. Use of improper shoe, or presence of congested areas, etc add to the hazard. Many even question about considering such surfaces as hazard.
Pray God that nobody should undergo such punishment.
Aug 11, 2013
Dangers of hydro fluoric acid HF
Recently, I had an interaction with some persons in a training programme. During the discussion, a person narrated his experience with HF handling three decades ago.
The person was asked to take a plastic bottle from one place to another. He held the bottle at the top and it crumbled and in the process, he had splashing of some contents on his thumb. Not knowing what it is, he washed and continued his work. Later, in the evening he had swelling and pain for which he consulted the doctor.
On enquiry, it came out that the bottle contained some HF.
After a week of exposure to HF, the injured could see the bone of the thumb and it took a long time for recovery.
Though, I could not make out the injury from the normal appearing thumb, but the pain underwent is visible, when he narrated the incident to the audience.
Search from internet shows incidents, wherein, innocent persons just washed off the spillage with some water and continued their work, but were found dead in the sleep.
As per standard practice, in case of any chemical splash, remove the clothing and wash the affected organs for atleast 15 minutes and consult the doctor. Even after 15 minutes wash, only about 95% of the chemical is removed and thus care is very much required. One should not ignore the advice by experts.
The person was asked to take a plastic bottle from one place to another. He held the bottle at the top and it crumbled and in the process, he had splashing of some contents on his thumb. Not knowing what it is, he washed and continued his work. Later, in the evening he had swelling and pain for which he consulted the doctor.
On enquiry, it came out that the bottle contained some HF.
After a week of exposure to HF, the injured could see the bone of the thumb and it took a long time for recovery.
Though, I could not make out the injury from the normal appearing thumb, but the pain underwent is visible, when he narrated the incident to the audience.
Search from internet shows incidents, wherein, innocent persons just washed off the spillage with some water and continued their work, but were found dead in the sleep.
As per standard practice, in case of any chemical splash, remove the clothing and wash the affected organs for atleast 15 minutes and consult the doctor. Even after 15 minutes wash, only about 95% of the chemical is removed and thus care is very much required. One should not ignore the advice by experts.
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