Tag: First Aid

Detecting a Stroke

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A construction site is often a hectic place with an incredibly high level of activity. Workers and machines move about in a frenzy, with everyone focused on the task at hand. In this environment, it’s easy to miss the signs and symptoms of a serious health situation, like a stroke. Early detection is critical to saving a life.

A stoke happens quickly. Most neurologists agree that if a victim is treated within the first three hours of its onset, some effects of a stroke can be totally reversed.

The following are the most common symptoms of stroke. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Also, remember that not all of the symptoms occur every time; so don’t ignore any of the symptoms, even if they go away.

Symptoms may include:

  • Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body;
  • Sudden confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding;
  • Sudden problems with vision such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes;
  • Sudden dizziness or problems with balance or coordination;
  • Sudden problems with movement or walking; and
  • Sudden severe headaches with no other known cause.

The first three letters in the word stroke can help you determine if a person is having a stroke. Ask the individual to:

  • S – Smile
  • T – Talk – Get them to speak a simple sentence, coherently, such as “It is sunny out today.”
  • R – Raise both arms.

Another method for remembering what symptoms to look for is the word “FAST.” The letters remind you to look for:

  • Facial weakness – Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eyes drooped?
  • Arm weakness – Can the person raise both arms and hold them parallel?
  • Speech problems – Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
  • Time is critical – Contact your supervisor immediately and consider calling 911.

Also, if you ask the person to stick out their tongue and, when they do, it is ‘crooked’ or goes to one side or the other, there is a great likelihood that this person is having a stroke.

No matter the method you use to detect the signs and symptoms of a stroke, remember to seek medical attention – even if you are not sure. It’s always best to err on the side of safety.

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First Aid Basics

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Contractors are required to have at least one person on the worksite with first aid training. However, it is a good idea for everyone to have some basic knowledge of first aid.

All jobsites must have a readily-accessible first aid kit that meets ANSI standards (ANSI Z308.1-2015). Keep in mind that ANSI standards are minimum. You may need to supplement your kits with additional supplies and equipment to handle severe injuries, injuries to multiple patients, or CPR on two victims simultaneously.

To help ensure the safety of everyone on your jobsite:

  • Keep first aid kits in a place that is accessible to everyone. All employees should know the location of the kits. Never lock them up.
  • Inventory your first aid kits regularly to ensure emergency supplies are ready. Appoint someone to be responsible for checking and restocking the kits.
  • Make sure all employees know who the first aid responders are on their jobsite and how to contact them. There should be a first aid responder for each shift, including holidays.
  • Make sure the first aid responder is easy to identify. Usually a sticker on the safety helmet will suffice.
  • Provide at least one accessible phone that dials out to 911.
  • Keep a sufficient amount of PPE on hand.

Keep a bloodborne pathogen protection kit with your first aid kit. This kit should include Nitrile exam gloves, eye protection, an apron and CPR shield/mask.

When first aid is required:

  • Immediately send someone for your on-site first aid responder.
  • If necessary, have someone call 911.
  • Remove the hazard from the victim if it is safe to do so. Do not move the victim unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. – patient is in immediate danger).
  • Remain with the victim and give reassurance. Unless you absolutely need to signal or call for help, stay with the person at all times.
  • Once you’ve established that the victim is breathing and has a pulse, look for bleeding. Your first priority should be to stop any bleeding. Use direct pressure on a wound before trying any other method to manage the bleeding.
  • Make the person as comfortable as possible, but do not move the injured person’s head or prop it up on a pillow.
  • Do not give the victim food or drinks. It is appropriate to moisten their lips if they need it.
  • Do not allow the person to smoke.

These are just a few things each person should know about first aid. While most of us won’t be the designated first aid responder, there may be instances where you will need to step in until the first aid responder arrives.

Know First Aid Basics – It Could Save A Life

 

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Concrete and Cement Safety

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As with most products used in construction, there is always the potential for injury or illness when you don’t take the proper precautions. This is true with concrete and cement. Potential hazards for employees working with these products include:

  • Eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation from exposure to cement dust.
    • Eye contamination can cause redness, chemical burns and even blindness.
    • Skin irritation may be anything from contact dermatitis, allergic reactions, thickening or cracking of the skin to severe skin damage from chemical burns.
    • Silica exposure can lead to lung injuries including silicosis and lung cancer.
  • Overexertion and awkward postures.
  • Slips, trips and falls.
  • Chemical burns from wet cement.

There are steps you can take to prevent these job-related injuries.

  • Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment when working with concrete and cement. This would include:
    • Alkali-resistant gloves;
    • Long-sleeve shirts and full-length trousers (pull sleeves down over your gloves and tuck your pants inside your boots. Duct-tape at the top to keep mortar and concrete out of your boots and off your skin);
    • Waterproof boots high enough to prevent concrete from flowing in when you must stand in fresh concrete;
    • Suitable respirator protective equipment such as a P, N or R 95 respirator when you can’t avoid cement dust;
    • Suitable eye protection where mixing, pouring or other activities may endanger eyes (minimum – safety glasses with side shields or goggles. Under extremely dusty conditions use tight-fitting, unvented or indirectly vented goggles. Don’t wear contact lenses when handling cement or cement products.)
  • Where possible, wet cut rather than dry cut masonry products.
  • Mix dry cement in well-ventilated areas.
  • Do not ride on or work under concrete buckets.
  • When kneeling on fresh concrete, use a dry board or waterproof kneepads to protect knees from water that can soak through fabric.
  • Do not wear jewelry. Wet cement can collect under jewelry and cause skin irritation.
  • Remove wet, cement-contaminated clothing quickly and wash the skin immediately with large amounts of cool, clean water.
  • Don’t wash your hands with water from buckets used for cleaning tools.
  • Wash hands and face before eating, drinking, smoking or using the toilet, and before you leave the site to go home.
  • Change your shoes and clothes before getting into your vehicle to go home.
  • If you do come in contact with wet or dry cement:
    • Immediately wash the affected area with cold water. Wash the eyes with cold tap water for at least 15 minutes before going to the hospital.
    • Flush and cover open sores with suitable dressings.
    • Report chemical burns or cement-related dermatitis to your supervisor.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Think smart and stay safe.

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Safety Tips for Working Alone

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Some construction jobs require an employee to work in an isolated environment for a period of time. Doing a job alone can be more hazardous than doing the same job in the company of others. If you’re injured, ill or trapped, there’s no one nearby to help or call for assistance. It’s a good idea to assess the situation and see if it’s possible to reschedule the job, so others can be present or close by. This is especially true if the project requires an employee to work at heights, operate hazardous equipment or materials, enter confined spaces or enter areas with insufficient lighting.

Supervisors should also:

  • Assess whether the worker might be more vulnerable than others. Consider age, disabilities and medical suitability of the individual.
  • Assess the worker’s levels of training and experience.
  • Make sure they know where their lone workers will be and have a system in place to touch base with and monitor them.

If you are working alone, consider these safety tips:

  • Talk to your supervisor and colleagues about your job, the hazards and how to minimize risks.
  • Ensure that others on your crew know where you will be working and when.
  • Have a check-in system in place. This could include:
    • Prearranged intervals of regular phone contact. Be sure your mobile phone is fully charged, or you have another communications tool in the event there’s no phone coverage.
    • Periodic visits to the site by a coworker or supervisor, so they can visually check on you.
    • Use of a “man down” or personal monitoring device that recognizes when a worker has stopped moving.
    • Arranging to call someone at the end of your shift to let them know you are OK.
  • Have a first aid kit, and know how to use it.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher on-site at all times, and know how to use it.

Establish an emergency plan in case an accident occurs, and make sure everyone on the site understands it and knows what their responsibilities are. Consider publishing these helpful tips in your company’s health and safety policy statement.

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New Season/New Jobsite – Keep it Safe

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Safety is one of the key factors to consider as we begin planning for a new construction season. It’s important to have a plan to minimize the possibility of dangerous situations. Remember, it’s everyone’s responsibility to follow company rules and immediately report dangerous situations to the appropriate supervisor.

As we move into a new construction season, consider these sugestions to ensure jobsite safety:

  • Consider creating and using a jobsite inspection checklist.
  • Identify jobsite hazards such as overhead power lines, trenches, traffic bottlenecks, material and chemical storage areas.
  • Review the location of first aid kits, fire extinguishers and nearby medical facilities to use in case of an emergency.
  • Review the emergency contact plan, update it as necessary and identify the location of emergency telephone numbers.
  • Make sure everyone understands how internal traffic should flow through the jobsite, including those on foot.
  • Identify and communicate where employees, subcontractors and suppliers should park their vehicles.
  • Review the Hazard Communication Program, clearly identify the location of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and ensure containers are clearly marked.
  • Document that you have provided proper training to all employees prior to, or as they arrive, on the job.
  • Inform employees that the company will not tolerate safety infractions, and supervisors will follow the company’s safety policy, with progressive disciplinary action for safety violations.
  • Notify suppliers and subcontractors that the company will hold them accountable for safety infractions.

Planning ahead for safety will help avoid unnecessary delays and work stoppages. It’s more difficult to adjust or add safety guidelines once a job has begun.

Safety should be a vital component of each aspect of the construction process. A job is off to a good start when safety is a priority from the beginning.

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Struck-By Injuries

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Falls, electrocutions, struck-by and caught-between accidents account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry. In fact, over 90 percent of all construction fatalities involve one of these four hazards. Thirty-three percent are attributed to falls, 22 percent to struck-by accidents, 18 percent to caught-between accidents and 17 percent to electrical shock. This has led OSHA in recent years to focus on these four hazards, especially when conducting onsite inspections. These hazards are often referred to in the construction industry as the “Focus Four Hazards” or the “Big Four.”

With this Toolbox Talk, we will single out the “struck-by” accidents and the hazards associated with them. It is important to know and understand how these accidents occur and what safeguards need to be in place. On a construction site, the potential is there to be struck from several angles. One of the more common struck-by hazards is being struck or run over by vehicles or equipment, especially those with obstructed rear views.

In order to prevent struck-by incidents involving vehicular traffic and construction equipment, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommends:

  • Implementing policies that require workers on foot to maintain a safe clearance from mobile equipment.
  • Requiring equipment operators to operate equipment only when pedestrians are in plain sight.
  • Instructing workers on foot to approach construction equipment only when the operator recognizes their need to approach and assures them that it is okay to approach.
  • Requiring all workers to wear high-visibility clothing at all times while on the job site.

Construction vehicles and equipment are not the only potential sources of struck-by hazards. There are many occasions when workers are exposed to overhead hazards such as tools, materials and other objects that can be dropped or released and strike a worker. Two practices to put in place that will help to avoid these types of injuries are:

  • Pre-planning routes for suspended loads to ensure that no employee is required to work directly below a load. This is a practice that should always be used. Some have even chosen to hoist materials via crane or derrick before a shift begins to minimize the number of personnel working in the area.
  • Using toeboards and screens to prevent objects from falling on individuals at a lower level.

Safety is recognizing potential hazards, and putting controls in place to avoid injuries. If we follow some basic precautions, we can prevent struck-by injuries from occurring.

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