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 CELL PHONE BAN COMING TO BC in 2010
BC will soon have a cell phone ban in place. The ban will take effect on January 1st 2010 and tickets can begin being issues on February 1st 2010.
Read more about what is and is not considered acceptable check out the following resources
Amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act of BC (Bill 15) click here Global BC Article from October 21, 2009 click here
HIDDEN DANGER IN THE SAGO PALM
A note from a Fransen Team Member: The plant is called a Sago Palm and its highly poisonous to both pets and humans. A chemical in the plant called cycasin is toxic and often causes permanent liver damage as well as neurological damage if enough of the poison is absorbed by the body. The seeds are the most poisonous part of the plant and the effects on humans are seizures, coma and death.
Of course you and I wouldn’t just yank off a chunk of this plant and gnaw on it but the seeds are colorful so if you have kids and Sago palm in your yard educate them on the danger or get rid of the plant. Fortunately our dog was one of the lucky ones. I later discovered that our dog vomited the plant in the yard soon after swallowing it, and after 2 days in the vet on IV, and having a ball of charcoal inserted in his stomach, a test revealed that his liver was recovering and he came home. Sadly only few people are aware of how dangerous this plant, many have lost their dogs, and even many veterinarians are unaware. This plant doesn’t carry a warning label and is becoming popular in Walmart and Home Depot so spread the word.
DEFIBRILLATOR AT FRANSEN RICHMOND
The Board recently decided to purchase an Automatic Defibrillator (AED) for the Richmond office. Last week, 5 Fransen employees were trained in how to use the machine. An AED is used to help the heart return to normal rhythm during a heart attach. An AED would be used in conjunction with CPR.
The permanent location of the defibrillator is at the reception desk and it can only be used by those who have been trained in its operation. The first step if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack is to call ANY first aid attendant. They will assess teh situation and determine if the AED is required. The four AED trained team members are Kevin Peets, Marie Atienza, Jason Meyer and Apollonia Fan.
EXAMPLE NEAR MISS
Even the highest levels of the Canadian Military have a near miss from time to time.
Here is an example of a real life near miss in the skies above Canada http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/08/07/near-miss-flight080709.html
PAUL “EAGLE EYES” ROUSSONThe Joint Safety Committee encourages everyone to be on the lookout for hazards. Before and during a task, always stop and think about what could go wrong, what are the right tools for the job, and what do you have to do to make it safe. Once you have finished your initial assessment, consider how to reduce the risks & make the situation safe.
ANSWER: PAUL “EAGLE EYES” ROUSSON - was on a client site and noticed this transformer. He thought something wasn’t right and upon further investigation he realized that there was a socket wrench left connected to the transformer. The risk existed that it could fall and hit a worker during maintenance causing serious injury or even cause an electrical fault if it fell off and made contact with another terminal. Paul reported it to his site contact and the client took appropriate steps to remove the hazard. Paul has demonstrated that he is thinking safety – not only to us at Fransen but also to our client. Well done Paul! HAZARD AWARENESSFOR AN UNPLANNED OR UNFORESEEN EVENT TO TAKE PLACE THERE HAS TO BE POTENTIAL.
« Hazard: a condition or change in circumstances that presents a potential for injury, illness or property damage. « Accident: an unfortunate event often the result of carelessness, complacency or lack of knowledge. An unforeseen and unexplained event usually resulting in an unfavorable outcome. « Key words in these definitions: Unplanned, Unforeseen, Unfortunate, Unfavorable, and most important POTENTIAL. « Not recognizing the Potential for Hazards, complacency or taking things for granted are the cause of a tremendous number of injuries each year. « Recognizing hazards and doing something about them is everyone’s responsibility.
Questions To Consider Prior To Starting Work: « Do I have the right tools and have I inspected my tools and equipment for damage? « Has the work been laid out to provide safe completion of the job? « Do I understand the Potential Hazards associated with the material, tools and/or equipment required to complete the work? « Do I require any additional PPE or have we looked for a safer way to complete the work? « Are all necessary guards, barricades, permits or signage in place and posted? « Have written procedures been reviewed, understood and posted?
BE AWARE OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND MAKE YOUR CHOICES CAREFULLY EYE PROTECTION: PROTECT YOUR VISION
Why are these injuries occurring? « Three out of five happen because a worker was not wearing eye protection at the time of the incident. « About 40% of the injured workers were wearing some type of eye protection but it was the wrong kind and failed to protect them adequately. « The leading cause for incidents while wearing eye protection is the lack of side shields. « Studies reveal that flying or falling objects and sparks are the cause of 70% of eye injuries. « Nearly 60% of the objects causing eye injuries are smaller than a pin head. « Nearly 20% of all eye injuries are caused by chemicals splashing or being sprayed. « 40% of eye injuries occur within the craft trades and 30% occur within operations. « 50% of the injured workers were employed in manufacturing and 20% were in construction.
What we can do to prevent these injuries? « First: make sure you choose the proper eye protection. « Second: make sure the eye protection you have selected fits properly and is clean. « Nearly 20% of eye injuries happen to workers wearing face shields or welding helmets while grinding, while only 6% happen while wearing goggles. |
