One change we are making here at Safety Briefs is taking more mailbag questions for Luke, one of our fall protection experts. Feel free to email us your safety questions. If we don’t know the answers, we can find someone who does!

Those of us from Safety Briefs wish you a Safe and Healthy 2010!

Technorati Tags: fall protection advice, workplace safety

I took the excerpt below from Tim Garnder’s post (with his kind permission). Although I usually read his posts on the safety community we both belong to, he also writes a personal blog, Safety By Choice.

“For the next several years we used his [the safety manager's] expertise to create an environment where everyone was their own safety manager, teams cultivated experts in safety systems and investigation processes, and we experienced the best performance for similar facilities in our company….Everyone has to accept the fact that ultimately, they are their own safety manager. You [the safety manager] are just there to help them be the best safety manager they can be.”

I was intrigued by the positive results Tim and his team got at the company he worked for by upholding to the philosophy that EVERYONE is a safety manager and the actual safety manager – they were there just to help out. He said it took a lot of work upfront, but eventually people got it and it made a huge difference.

How are you being your own safety manager? How can your safety manager better support you?

Technorati Tags: ppe, workplace safety

Congrats to our May winner:  Sandra T, California

And thanks also to Safety Glasses Inc for providing us with Harley Davidson Safety Glasses every month.

Technorati Tags: harley davidson safety glasses

The number of U.S. human cases of Swine Flu Infection (this is lab confirmed results) is highest in New York City (51 cases) and second highest in Texas (16) as of late this morning. On the pandemic scale the Swine Flu is now at phase 4 (out of 6). The CDC web site said, “During a flu pandemic, people should consider wearing a face mask if they are sick with the flu, live with someone who has the flu or need to be in a crowded place.” The site also says, “… more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with the virus may be emerging in the U.S.”

The CDC’s SNS (Division of the Strategic National Stockpile) has been sending antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states to help them respond to the outbreak.

N95 Respirators provide a minimum 95% efficiency against non-oil particulates and are approved by NIOSH. They are one way to protect yourself if you’re in a higher risk situation or to protect others if you are ill.

For more information of what you can do to stay healthy, visit the CDC website.