Construction Work-site Safety Tips For Winter

With winter weather already inconveniencing many outdoor work sites, it is important to maintain a safe workplace environment this season to help protect your employees.  Safe Site Medical, a provider of on-site medical services to the construction industry is well aware of the hazards at your workplace, so we would like to share a few tips from OSHA on how to prepare your work-site this winter.

Provide Engineering Controls to Combat Winter

• Radiant heaters may be used to warm workplaces like outdoor security stations
• Shield work areas from drafts or wind to reduce wind chill.

Implement Safe Winter Work Practices

• Schedule jobs that expose workers to the cold weather in the warmer part of the day
• Avoid exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible
• Limit the amount of time spent outdoors on extremely cold days
• Provide warm areas for use during break periods
• Provide warm liquids (no alcohol) to workers
• Monitor workers who are at risk of cold stress
• Monitor the weather conditions during a winter storm, having a reliable means of communicating with workers and being able to stop work or evacuate when necessary

Dress Properly for the Cold

• Dressing properly is extremely important to preventing cold stress. When cold environments or temperatures cannot be avoided, the following would help protect workers from cold stress:
• Wear at least three layers of loose fitting clothing. Layering provides better insulation.
• An inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic (polypropylene) to keep moisture away from the body. Thermal wear, wool, silk or polypropylene, inner layers of clothing that will hold more body heat than cotton.
• A middle layer of wool or synthetic to provide insulation even when wet.
• An outer wind and rain protection layer that allows some ventilation to prevent overheating. 
• Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities. Insulated coat/jacket (water resistant if necessary)
• Knit mask to cover face and mouth (if needed)
• Hat that will cover your ears as well. A hat will help keep your whole body warmer. Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.
• Insulated gloves (water resistant if necessary), to protect the hands
• Insulated and waterproof boots to protect the feet

Your Safe Site Medical Advantage

We help prevent OSHA Recordables & Lost-Work Time by reducing the need for Off-Site clinic treatments & unnecessary medications

We have a Specialized Team of Emergency Technicians, Paramedics, & Registered Nurses that are highly skilled in: 

• Follow-up Care 
• Case Management 
• First Aid & CPR Training

To learn more about on-site medical services for large construction projects please visit www.safesitemedical.com.

Safe Site Medical wishes everyone a happy and safe Independence Day Weekend.

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.  - History.com

June Has Work Place Safety Written All Over It

Celebrate and participate with Safe Site Medical during National Safety Month in June.  Safe Site Medical is an On-Site Medical Services Company Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. that partners with large-scale construction sites throughout the U.S. to help make work projects safer.

June is National Safety Month
The National Safety Council 
National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road and in our homes and communities.
Learn More

Safe and Sound Week
OSHA 
June 12-18, 2017
Raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces.
Learn More

Happy Memorial Day

Safe Site Medical wishes everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.  -  history.com

The Department of Homeland Security Declares 2015 the Year of Drug Related Overdose

"It’s the highest number of drug-related deaths our country has ever seen. In a single year, we’ve lost nearly as many Americans to drug overdose as we lost in battle in World War I. Almost as many as was lost in 12 years in Vietnam.

The Department of Homeland Security recently unveiled that there was an unprecedented number of drug overdoses and drug related deaths in 2015. In 2015, over 52,000 American deaths were due to drug overdose and the CDC ranks opiates which include heroin and painkillers as the primary cause of the carnage.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly:

"It’s the highest number of drug-related deaths our country has ever seen. It’s more deaths than the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1995. In a single year, we’ve lost nearly as many Americans to drug overdose as we lost in battle in World War I. Almost as many as was lost in 12 years in Vietnam.

"And that’s just overdose deaths. That number—as high as it is—says nothing about the long-term health damage to our citizens who survive, to say nothing about the human misery, the families ripped apart, and the extremes of crime and violence inherent in the illegal-drug enterprise.

With the widespread abuse of oxycontin, heroin and other opiates, employers need to be sure that employees are drug free and work-sites are safe for all.  Learn more about onsite medical services and keeping large scale construction projects safe with safesitemedical.com

Safe Site Medical Takes a Look at Global Work Site Safety in New Zealand

As an American safety company that provides on-site medical services to large-scale construction projects in North America, Safe Site Medical believes it is strategically important to carefully review the global landscape for construction news and workplace safety happenings. Safe Site Medical strives to be knowledgeable and up-to-date on not only U.S. workplace safety and OSHA standards but of our global partners standards as well.   In this post, we look at New Zealand and The Health and Safety at Work Act of 2016.

Safeguard Magazine recently released it's survey findings on what New Zealand workers think of The 2016 Health and Safety at Work Act, one year later.

Here are some of the survey results:

• 78% of respondents believe health and safety is taken seriously, a double-digit increase from the 67% who felt the same way last year.
• 72% of respondents agree that in their workplace, risks are discussed with other businesses which share the same site.
• Only 48% of respondents felt confident that the health of workers is taken seriously (compared to 78% who were confident about safety)
• Only 46% felt that organizations view health & safety as an opportunity to improve rather than just to comply with the law.
• Only 47% of respondents were confident that no one would be harmed or made unwell by the activities carried out at their workplace.

To read more about New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work Act of 2016 and the survey visit Scoop.

Be engaged and learn more about how American construction companies are utilizing onsite medical services to reduce OSHA recordables and keep work sites safe with Safe Site Medical.

10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue

The 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue is being held in San Diego, California this week from March 20 – 23, 2017.  This year's theme is “Managing Fatigue to Improve Safety, Wellness, and Effectiveness.”  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) states that fatigue is either a probable cause or contributing factor in 20 percent of their major transportation investigations. The NTSB has issued more than 200 safety recommendations to address the problem of fatigue in transportation.

Learn more about the 2017 workplace fatigue conference, keynote speakers and much more here.

To learn how to combat fatigue on construction work-sites and additional on-site medical services that can help keep construction projects safe visit safesitemedical.com.