The Importance of Workplace Drug Testing in the Service Industry

A healthy, safe, and engaging work environment is one of the most critical requirements for employers and their employees. The ability for personnel to compose themselves as part of your company’s workforce is essential in promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of you company.

However, of all the current issues under constant discussion, drug testing is one procedure that is often overlooked. More often than not, drug testing could be the line between a positive workforce and discouraged and wasteful employees. Drug testing ensures that such costs are accounted including the health and well-being of its employees.

The service industry continues to be the most vulnerable business sector in case of drug dependent employees. Impairment due to drug abuse puts critical service providers in direct contact as seen with teachers, caregivers, and nurses. The constant human interaction required for service personnel along with the critically skilled procedures that only these jobs can do makes drug testing in the workplace a relevant policy for companies. These jobs are classified as safety-sensitive positions or human-intensive services. Employees in the public sector with the prime responsibility to ensure public safety such as law enforcers, firemen, and other public servant should also be included in the loop of workplace drug testing.

The Service Industry

The service industry especially in the health sector continues to be one of the most sensitive jobs today. With the rising demand for health workers and nurses due to an again baby-boom population, workforce in the health industry is increasing while showing no signs of slowdown. Therefore, stringent measures are required to make sure that every health worker is not only highly capable and well educated. In addition, standard drug tests are appropriate to ensure a healthy and clean labor service sector with high integrity.

Drug dependent employees in highly sensitive service industries could mean life and death for their charges. A missed dose by a sickly elder or incapability of physicians or doctors in diagnosis and in the operating table provides a basis for stringent drug testing policies.

Drug problems in organizations can be manifested in various forms. These include absenteeism, liability and insurance, product or service issues, worker’s compensation claim, accidents, rising health care costs, cost for replacing damaged equipment and inventory, and cost of work spoilage. The occurrence of these events can affect all segments of the workforce.
The core of all of these is that the importance of workplace drug testing in the service industry is emphasized because each member of the workforce is responsible for someone person’s life. The weight of such responsibilities shows that any danger or harm posed to drug dependent employees could also mean the safety of their patients. Drug testing as a tool to increase control and productivity within the health services is more urgent and necessary compared to other sectors.

Fire Safety and Risk Assessment

Fire safety are precautions taken to prevent and reduce the occurrence of a fire, to alert others in the same building, enable those in danger by the fire to survive and reduce damage caused by a fire event.

A good fire safety and risk assessment plan consists of identifying fire hazards. Fire hazards are situations that can increase the occurrence of a fire or obstruct the escape in case of a fire.

Here is a list of common fire hazards normally found in a building:

- Blocked cooling vent

- Overloaded electrical system

- Fuel store areas with high oxygen concentration or insufficient protection

- Materials that produce toxic fumes when heated

- Objects that block fire exits

- Clothes resting under a gas dryer

Fire safety is one the most, if not the most important part of a building's safety plan. All buildings should be built in accordance with the local building code in effect at the time of building permit application.

In the UK the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that came into effect in October 2006 states that you must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain a fire management plan, if you are any of the following:

- responsible for business premises

- an employer or self-employed with business premises

- responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purpose

- a charity or voluntary organisation

- a contractor with a degree of control over any premises

You will need to carry out a fire risk assessment and have a fire management plan.

For more information about Fire Safety training and Risk Assessment Training visit Assessco

BS OHSAS 18001 - 2007 - Occupational Health & Safety Management

There has been a considerable increase in the number of inquiries that I have received for the BS OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health & Safety Management certification. It seems that businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the need not only to meet current legislation but to keep their employees safe and morale high by demonstrating the 'OH' part (Occupational Health) as well as the safety element.

I have been offering Quality, Environmental and Information Security consultancy for many years but it became clear that I would need to also include Health & Safety Management Consultancy as part of the service that I offer to my clients.

Therefore, I enrolled in the BSI Certificate on Occupational Health & Safety Course, which is a distance learning system. There are eight modules provided on 3 CDs. Each module is concluded by an assignment, which on completion is marked by A BSI Tutor. Once marked,the next module is then commenced. The course material, both on the CD and in paper format was very good and gave me all the information I needed to pass the assignments. My Tutor was very complimentary about my assignments and there was only one instance where I needed to resubmit information.

Last Friday I received my BSI Certificate on Occupational Health & Safety and I am delighted that by taking this course my knowledge has been greatly improved. I can see that the Standard is not just about Safety but also encompasses Health and wellbeing.

All in all I am very pleased with the result.

Chris Eden FIBC, MISSA, ACQI is a director of Quality Matters Limited an established independent management consultancy based in Essex, UK which specialises in BS OHSAS 18001:2007 - Health & Safety Management consultancy.

Confined Space Regulations and Safety in the Landfill Industry

In our travels in the waste management industry and in particular in our visits to landfills we have found that despite the fact that in the United Kingdom there are Health and Safety Regulations which require (under criminal law) that for all instances of confined space access the responsible persons shall have completed a risk assessment and shall only work to carefully judged and established safe working methods. All this will normally be done in accordance within the employer's, or site operator's own safety policy and standing method statements/ or procedures.

Nevertheless, safety in confined spaces can be easily be compromised by over familiarity with the site, and most commonly of all, personnel fail to define a confined space broadly enough.

A confined space is any space in which there is any restraint to access or egress, or any significant confinement at all. Therefore, a confined space could be quite a shallow tank, an small inspection chamber etc. A confined space could be a kiosk or even a shed, if circumstances introduced special risks into that area.

In Wikipedia a confined space is defined as follows:

"Confined space is a term from safety regulations that refers to an area whose enclosed conditions and limited access make it dangerous."

So, the definition is extremely broad. Please Note - In each country readers must refer to their own local regulations.

In confined spaces, the correct approach to access and egress is crucial, but awareness of some of the basic apparatus involved is often lacking. It is clear from our experience that people are regularly going in and out of confined spaces without using the proper combination of equipment.

In recent times, workers have even been known to lower others into shafts using nothing more than a rope. But, more frequently, errors arise even when proper equipment is available.

Many confined spaces in the waste and landfill industry are accessed via a vertical shaft, perhaps the simplest example of which is a manhole. These can be especially dangerous at a landfill where landfill gas might be present - and if it may be then the ATEX and DSEA Regulations (DSEAR) apply in the UK and national equivalents to the DSEAR apply throughout Europe.

(In all the references which follow we refer to UK regulations. As previously stated - all readers prompted by this article are to refer to their own local regulations.)

Naturally, entry by a manhole like this means that the Work at Height Regulations 2005 would need to be considered.

A suitable approach would probably include a full-body harness, with front-and-rear D attachment points, a fall arrest block, and an anchorage point such as a tripod.

In order to fully comply with Regulation 5 of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, there must be "suitable and sufficient arrangements for the rescue of persons in the event of an emergency". The fall-arrest block should incorporate a recovery mechanism, to enable an incapacitated person to be retrieved.

But this system needs a secondary backup to safeguard against a catastrophic failure of the primary system - that is, the winch.

Clearly in the first mode of entry - the steps or ladder provide the primary means of access, egress and escape in the event of an emergency.

In both modes of entry, a full body harness is essential equipment.

Full-body harnesses, used for fall arrest, must meet the EN 361 standard and, as a minimum, be fitted with a rear D attachment point.

A front D attachment point may also be used for fall-arrest purposes, if fitted. The attachment point can only be used for access/egress, rescue and retrieval purposes. Some higher-specification harnesses also include a waist belt.

Please do take heed of this reminder - your life or that of others may depend upon it.

Steve Evans is a landfill engineer with confined spaces knowledge a waste management professional and an expert on the ATEX Directive. Visit the leading landfill ATEX safety compliance web site for more information to solve any compliance worries.

Why Risk Public Safety With Dangerous Imports of Safety Barriers?

Dangerous Imports

Low cost imports are a matter of fact in today's economy and our industry is no less affected than any other. The past few years have seen an increasing number of products both branded and unbranded entering the market from low costs regions, typically the Far East. As a manufacturer that has always traded on the quality of our designs, materials, and service we have chosen not to take this route however we recognize that some resellers and even traditional US manufactures have chosen to take a "low specification/low cost" approach and it is up to the customer to decide whether these products represent value for money.

However we are very concerned over the number of products entering the market that are potentially dangerous and would like to bring your attention to the critical safety factors you should be aware of. All retracting belt barriers should have a braking system and an anti-tamper locking belt end. The anti-tamper locking belt end stops the belt being released accidentally, particularly important in environments frequented by children. The other is a braking system, for without it when the belt is released the force from the coiled spring will cause the belt to 'whip' back behind the post, potentially causing injury to bystanders. Imagine a child whose eye line is about post height - the risk of an eye injury to a child is unthinkable.

The Lawrence Tensabarrier product has the most advanced braking system available and an anti-tamper locking belt ends as standard. Other American manufacturers also have brakes on their products but surprisingly locking tape ends are not always standard. Some imports also have brakes of varying degrees of efficiency but many do not. Having products on the market without these critical safety features does a disservice to the whole industry. Eventually the importers/distributors of these dangerous stanchions will be subject to personal injury claims and will probably desist but in the meantime the reputation of retracting belt stanchions as a safe, effective means of pedestrian guidance is likely to be undermined.

We strongly urge buyers of stanchions to ensure the products they are buying have effective brakes and anti-tamper locking belt ends, to the importers and distributors of dangerous stanchions we say, you can source low cost Far Eastern products with brakes - why risk public safety?

submitted by Tonya Harmati


Fire Equipment - What You Ought to Know About Firefighting Gear

Firemen and other fire fighting professionals all agree that the most effective means to extinguish a fire is by using the appropriate fire equipment. In the case of fire extinguishers for example, one has to find the right extinguisher to fight a particular type of fire. Just as we go out of our way trying to equip our car with various accessories both for safety and luxury purposes. It is equally important to make sure our homes and offices are outfitted with equally necessary fire safety equipments.

It is not enough however just to have these equipments available and installed at home or in the workplace. You need to know the basic operational procedures involve in each of these equipments to be able to properly use them. First and foremost you need to familiarize yourself with the different kinds of fire safety equipment currently in use which include the following.

- Fire extinguishers - There are four types of fire extinguishers specifically made for a particular type of fire. The four types of fire extinguisher include water, foam, carbon dioxide, and powder fire extinguishers. This is the most common type of fire fighting equipment.

- Fire Blankets - Fire blankets are designed to cut off the oxygen supply thereby putting out the fire at its onset. A burning object must be wrapped to smother the flame. This is the simplest and is considered one of the most effective fire safety equipment.

- Fire Alarm Equipment - The alarm bell primarily functions as a fire an smoke detection apparatus. Upon detection of either heat or smoke, alarm bells notifies the occupants as well as the persons living within the immediate vicinity. Most fire alarm systems feature alarm notification appliances, fire safety control devices, and control units. The fire alarm equipment installed in private homes usually include an operational fire extinguisher while those in commercial buildings often include fire safe doors and sprinkler systems.

Aside from familiarizing yourself with the different kinds of fire safety equipment and their function and usage, it is also equally important to know how to maintain these equipments to ensure that they are always in good working condition. Fire safety equipments must be thoroughly maintained and inspected to to prevent any such disaster that could result from failure or malfunction of fire safety installation and apparatus. After acquiring and installing fire safety equipments in your home or in your place of work, you are required to know how to effectively use and maintain and inspect these equipments.

You might need professional help in conducting thorough inspection of your fire safety equipments because this involves technical expertise and knowledge in order to perform necessary tests on the equipments. Professionals and experts in safety equipments can identify risks and suggest appropriate measures to be taken to address any system failure. Insisting on making repairs without the assistance of a technician may do more harm than god to fire safety equipments. Consulting technicians experts will definitely prove to be helpful, they can give you an update on the latest technologies being used in fire safety aside form giving your equipments a thorough check up.

Having specialized in the fire equipments trade for over 20 years, Brian now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business.

Fireplace Safety Considerations - Thoughts Before Consulting

Installing a fireplace in a home can be a mind bending chore. Looking at all the options available to you, many thoughts go through your head. The work involved. The money it will take. The place it should go. But, the main thought that should be hitting your mind concerns safety.
Comparing your options is a step-by-step methodical approach that you should probably consult with an expert. But, there are some things you can think about on your own. We'll go through them.
There are basically four different types of fireplaces. The traditional fireplace is what most people think of when they think of fireplaces. They burn logs in an attractive hole in the wall for lack of better words. The gas fireplace is much like the traditional in the fact that you still need that hole in the wall. But, the gas fireplace is convenient. It can be turned on with a switch. Then, there is the electric fireplace that also turns on by a switch, but it doesn't need a hole in the wall. Lastly, there is the ventless gel that doesn't need a hole in the wall either, it heats and lights rather easily even though it's not by a flip of a switch. In the nutshell, there's your rundown.
When installing a traditional fireplace, there are so many things for you to consider. You'll need a hearth, which is the floor space in front of the fireplace. It should be made of material that doesn't burn in case sparks fly out of the fire. Any contractor should know that. In fact, if they don't, that's your sign that you need to talk to someone else. You will also need a chimney for proper ventilation. The safety concerns with a traditional fireplace include the fire itself and the ventilation. There are metal screens that can protect your house from sparks that like to jump from logs. But, for the most part, with the proper ventilation, those sparks will normally fly up the chimney. So, proper ventilation is the key to keep from having a fire hazard as well as getting smoked out of your own house. All the precautions can be taken to ensure a safe fireplace experience. And it will normally run you anywhere from $5,000 to $7,500 in most areas.
When you think about the gas fireplace, many of the same concerns go through your head as when you were considering the traditional fireplace. You need proper ventilation, meaning a chimney. So, costs of installation are going to be about the same. Because even though you might not need a hearth, you still need a gas line. Gas lines can be very safe if installed correctly. But, I have seen some major fire damage caused by a simple malfunction. But, that's not your main concern. The special burners that come with a gas fireplace are designed to keep levels of carbon monoxide to a healthy minimum. But, as with all gas products, problems do arise from time to time and a gas fireplace could very well end up causing an extremely dangerous situation. By the way, carbon monoxide is a deadly toxic gas that is a byproduct of natural gas. You can't smell it at all. But, gas companies have put a distinct smell into the gas so that you can detect it. You should be aware of that. Also, a gas fireplace produces a water vapor that escapes throughout the house. This water vapor is a considerable amount. What it does is cause fungus and mold infestation. This can make you sick if you don't inspect your house regularly, in the hard to find areas, and make sure to treat those areas with the proper preventive chemicals.
Electric fireplaces don't require all of the installation considerations as the other two options. But, there are other concerns to be aware of when you are mulling it over. First of all, the electric is a concern because of the same situation as every other electrical appliance. Placement of an electric fireplace is confined to the outlets. Water should never be around an electrical fireplace. Electrical fireplaces don't produce much heat, so you will need an alternative heat source. Besides, if a power outage should occur, you won't be able to use the electric fireplace anyway. It's not my favorite choice, but you can save yourself quite a bit of money on this option.
The ventless gel is actually a striking option. Like the electric fireplace, no installation is required. It is very cost effective, thousands of dollars lower than the traditional and the gas. In fact, you can get a ventless gel fireplace for as low as $300. So, what are the safety precautions? The gel is made of an alcohol chemical that burns like a citronella candle if you've ever seen one of those. The alcohol produces a small amount of water vapor, but not as much as the gas fireplace. In fact, the water vapor hardly has a chance to escape the room since its quantity is so small it completely evaporates before going anywhere significant. So, safety precautions? Virtually none. The same precautions you would take if you had a candle burning on that romantic night.
Consulting an expert is always a good idea once you have weighed all the options yourself. Remember though, when you are discussing your "construction" needs with a contractor, think about what your "expert" is actually saying to you. They are in the business to make money and may give you very convincing reasons for upgrading because they have their own hidden agenda: making money from you. It's the game. Learn how to play it!
Jessica Brylan is a home improvement expert. She loves remodeling homes. She has even built a few. In all her work, she has split off into interior design every once in awhile. But, actual construction is her first love. She knows enough to get by with the big guys.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Brylan

What Does A Fire Safety Inspector Do?

A fire safety inspector performs thorough inspections of your home or building to ensure all occupants’ are protected from fire hazards that are preventable. They will clearly outline and submit a report to you if you fail any fire safety regulations.

As the name denotes, a fire safety inspector is mainly concerned with making sure your home or residence is in compliance with your state’s fire regulation codes. Most of the time, firefighters undergo an additional training class in order to become a certified fire safety inspector. However, sometimes home inspectors will complete classes to become a fire safety inspector because while they need to learn about fire prevention, things they usually study such as the electrical wiring in a home is part of the training of a fire safety instructor.

The ultimate goal, no matter what training a fire safety inspector undergoes, is to make sure a home or business is safe from the possibility of preventable fires and that the equipment and planning is in place to minimize risk to life and property should a fire occur for any reason.

A fire safety inspector generally performs a thorough inspection of a house or business to make sure that the house has the appropriate number of alarm and extinguisher items depending on how many levels the home has and makes sure that each item is functional. In particular, each state has its own laws that determine how many fire extinguishers a home or other structure should have and they will check to make sure that a house has the required number. By law, if the fire inspector is checking out rental property he or she will make sure that fire extinguishers and alarms are present as many rental residence owners forget that they are required to provide their occupants with these devices.

A fire safety inspector also looks at wiring in a building to make sure there are no exposed wires that can be potentially dangerous and the cause of a future fire. Electrical codes include regulations like distance between wiring and objects, such as cabinets and the ceiling cover. All electrical wires also should be insulated with rubber and in most areas must be properly grounded to ensure your fire safety.

It is the duty of a fire safety inspector to perform a thorough inspection on any structure, because fires are often preventable if the proper precautions are exercised in advance.

Finally, if you have had to use an ABC extinguisher to put out a fire in your home or other structure, a fire safety inspector will look over the area and tell you if the area has been properly cleaned because any powder left over from the ABC extinguisher can be toxic and dangerous for your family to breath in or accidentally consume.

Competent fire safety inspectors help minimize the loss of life and property and thus give us the security of this safety for ourselves and our families.

Fire And Home Safety. Test Your Fire And Home Safety Knowledge

How much do you know about fires and home safety? Where is the safest air in your home during a fire? What is the proper home safety protocol for a fire? Take this short, six-question quiz to find out the answers to these questions and to test your knowledge of fire and home safety issues. After completing the questions scroll down to the bottom of the page to check your answers.
Lets face it how many of us have really thought about fire protection? It may cross our minds as we watch the news or read the paper. Yet we probably haven't taken any steps to ensure fire safety in our own homes. Unfortunately most people think it won't happen to them. It would be nice if that were true, but as statistics show it is not. Every year nearly 4,000 Americans die in fires and more than 25,000 are injured.

Fire and Home Safety

1. True or False: You are in a smoke-filled room. The correct home safety rule is to keep your head as close to the floor as possible as you exit.

a) true
b) false

Answer: b) false—heat and smoke rise, therefore the air closest to the floor is the coolest. Plastics, nylons, and other manmade materials emit deadly gasses when burned, and these gasses are heavier than air. The proper home safety rule is to crawl to the nearest exit with your head approximately 18 inches from the floor; this is where the safest air is located.

2. True or false: Fire spreads methodically from one object to another and from one room to the next.

a) true
b) false

Answer: b) false—during a fire heat rises and temperatures can exceed 500 degrees. As this hot air fills the area closest to the ceiling it begins to descend and flow under doors and through cracks. Upon contact with a flammable object, this hot air can ignite a new fire in a different room than the original fire.

3. According to home safety guidelines, if a fire breaks out while you are on the second floor of your home you should…

a) open the window and jump to safety.
b) run to the door, open it, and exit the room as quickly as possible.
c) feel the door for heat as high up as possible; if it doesn't feel hot, slowly open it and crawl to safety.
d) none of the above.

Answer: c) feel the door for heat, and slowly open it. If you open the door quickly and the air inside your room is cooler than that in the hallway, a back draft explosion could occur.

4. True or False: Children playing with fires is the leading cause of fire deaths in preschoolers.

a) true
b) false

Answer: a) true—home safety starts with teaching children fire safety rules. Two thirds of those killed in fires started by children playing are under the age of six.

5. While asleep, a fire starts in your home. Upon waking you should…

a) bolt upright and exit your room and home as quickly as possible.
b) run to the window and jump to safety.
c) frantically run out of the house yelling at your family to wake up.
d) roll out of bed and crawl to safety.

Answer: d) roll out of bed and crawl to safety. Bolting upright could easily plunge your head directly into the extreme heat and deadly thick smoke. One breath could prove fatal.

6. If your clothes catch fire, the appropriate home safety procedure is to…

a) run to your neighbor's yard and jump in their pool.

b) frantically jump up and down.
c) throw yourself on the ground and roll around to extinguish the fire.
d) run in circles, scream, and yell until help arrives.

Answer: c) throw yourself on the ground and roll around to extinguish the fire. STOP! DROP! and ROLL! is the home safety rule of thumb when your clothes are on fire. Running amok fans the flames, causing the fire to spread.