November 2005

INDEX

1. SAFETY NEWS

2. HEALTH CARE

3. ENVIRONMENTAL

4. ROAD SAFETY

5. OFF THE JOB SAFETY

6. QUALITY

SAFETY NEWS

The safety topic for this month is:

PROTECTION OF FEET

Who has not had a foot injury before? Can you remember how painful it was / and, if it was a serious injury, how you battled to get around? And how long it took to heal?

Perhaps you stubbed your toe as a child, or stepped on a piece of broken glass, or on a rusted nail. Do you remember how sore it was?

At work we also can experience foot injuries if we do not wear proper footwear that will protect our feet and toes. Certainly open toed shoes, sandals, beach thongs, shoes with very thin, soft skipper soles, etc. are not adequate protection against protruding metal sections, sharp corners, molten plastic, heavy moulds, etc.

The Company has a basic rule that all employees must wear closed shoes that will protect their feet in the work situation. Do not disobey this rule, as you may not receive compensation in the event of an injury.

Health care

Q When is a blood pressure reading considered “high”?

A When your blood pressure stays at 140/90 (or above) over a period of time – usually two or three readings over three days – you have “high blood pressure” or “hypertension”. It’s necessary to measure your blood pressure several times over several days because many things can raise your blood pressure temporarily. A normal blood pressure is 120/80.

Q What will happen if I leave my high blood pressure undiagnosed and untreated?

A High blood pressure is a sign that the heart is working harder than normal. This puts the heart and all the arteries under a lot of strain. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction (heart attack), diabetes, valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathies (diseases of the heart muscle).

Q Do only nervous or stressed people get hypertension?

A No. You can have a calm personality, feel great and still have hypertension. Only 50% of the people who have it know they have it. Generally, there are no symptoms.

Editor’s Note : Work with your doctor to keep your blood pressure under 140/90.

HYPERTENSION RISK FACTORS

• Being overweight
• Too much alcohol
• Too much sodium (salt)
• Too little calcium (e.g. nonfat dairy) and potassium (e.g. fruits, vegetables)
• Smoking
• Race (especially black Africans)
• Family history
• Some medications
• Stress

ENVIRONMENTAL

How much water can you save? These are estimates of the amount of water you can save each day by taking a few simple measures.

WATER POEM

Splash

When the sky gets dark and grey
With heavy clouds above
And the rain starts dropping fast
I’ll hear the sounds I love

‘Splish’ goes the dropping rain
It’s falling from the sky
‘Splosh’ go the little droplets
Falling in my eye

‘Splash’ go my stamping feet
I’m splashing in a puddle
I am so happy when it rains
I’ll give the clouds a cuddle

But sometimes we don’t get the rain
To fill the dams to the top
And that is why I do believe
We shouldn’t waste a drop!

ROAD SAFETY

EMERGENCIES

Know what to do in emergencies and hazardous situations.

If you have a blowout, don’t break too hard. Keep control of your car by coasting to a stop. Move to the side of the road – signaling your intention.

If forced off the roadway at high speed, you must recover control of your car. Keep a firm hold of the wheel, slow down your car and then get back on the road.

If your brakes fail, use your hand brake and steer into the curb if necessary to stop.

If your car skids, steer into the skid and pump the brake with your foot. Between each jab you can steer.

If you drive at high speed in a heavy rain your car can hydroplane – in other words, the front wheels actually leave the road and climb upon a tough film of rain. Under there conditions, slow down if you have new tyres, come to a safe stop if treads are worn.

Night driving requires extra skill and care, for more than one-half of all fatalities occur at night. Drive slower after dark, obey road markers, and be alert for unlighted vehicles or obstacles.

OFF THE JOB

Things children really want

• “Stop talking on the phone and talk to me.”
• “Keep your promises better.”
• “Put your seat belt on, and I’ll do the same for my children.”
• “Think about when you were a child and don’t yell so much”
• “Say ‘I love you’ once in a while – not just when I’m leaving for school.”
• “Give me things to look forward to.”
• “Treat me like you treat your customers.”
• “Say, ‘It would help if you do it this way,’ instead of ‘You are doing it wrong’.”
• “Give me more free time. Don’t fill my life up every minute of the day.”
• “Let the house be peaceful.”

QUALITY

WHAT IS ISO 9000?

The core of the ISO 9000 Quality Systems Standard consists of four international standards that provide guidance in the development and implementation of an effective quality management system. Not specific to any particular product. These standards are applicable to manufacturing and service industries alike.

A quality management system refers to the activities you carry out within your organization to satisfy the quality related expectations of your customers. To ensure that you have a quality management system in place, customers or regulatory agencies may insist that your organization demonstrate that your quality management system conforms to the ISO 9001 quality system model. Then the customer “second party” or an independent “third party” registrar comes into your organization to “audit” or verify that you have such a system in place. When a registrar finds your organization fulfills the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, your organization becomes “registered” and receives a certificate that is accepted by many of your customs. Companies not concerned with becoming registered may, nevertheless, want to comply with ISO 9001.

ARCHIVE:

January 2005