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| Tornado Safety Basics |
The 2011 tornado season has only just begun, and it’s already devastating. Last Wednesday (April 27) nearly 300 people were killed in the southern United States when a series of tornadoes swept through the region.
In North America, the tornado season begins in April, peaks in June and July, and ends in September. But really the storms can occur at any time of year.
What to Do When a Tornado is Coming
Tornadoes cause many injuries and deaths each year, as well as a great deal of property damage. They can occur so quickly there is little time to get to shelter or pack an emergency kit, so your workers must know ahead of time what to do if a tornado threatens. Share with them the following tips.
- Listen to your radio for tornado warnings during bad thunderstorms. If a tornado warning is issued, don’t panic. Instead, listen and look. Quickly but calmly follow the directions for getting to shelter.
- If you have time before the tornado strikes, secure objects such as garbage cans and lawn furniture that can injure people. While most tornado damage is a result of the violent winds, most injuries and deaths actually result from flying debris.
Most importantly, you should:
- Take cover. Go to the basement and crouch down under the stairs. Do not take an elevator. If you can’t get to a basement, go into a closet or bathroom. Or sit underneath a sturdy piece of furniture on the ground floor near the center of the building.
- Stay away from windows and outside doors.
- If possible, try to position yourself so that you are not below heavy objects (appliances, piano, etc.) on a floor above you. These objects might fall through a weakened floor.
- Use a blanket, sleeping bag or mattress to protect yourself from flying debris. Pull your knees up under you and protect your head with your hands.
- If you’re driving, safely park your car and get to a building. If you can’t get to a building, get away from the car, lie flat and face down in low ground, such as a ditch, and stay far from cars or trees.
- If possible, try to avoid being in a building with a wide-span roof, such as an auditorium, church or hall. These roofs are vulnerable to collapse in a tornado.
SafetySmart has hundreds of articles, safety talks, eLearning, clip art, puzzles and fatality reports on emergency preparedness and seasonal safety to help your employees face the hazards of severe weather.
Want to try SafetySmart? Sign up for a free 14-day trial now.
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| You three stand right there while I work from the other end of this plank. Don’t leave for a smoke or a bathroom break! Did I just hear wood cracking? (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia) |
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| Protecting Workers from Power Tool Hazards |
Many workers use some sort of “power” tools—that is, hand tools with an electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or other external power source—on the job. Examples of commonly used and potentially dangerous power tools include power drills, nail guns, pressure washers and chain saws.
The OHS laws typically set safety requirements for the use of such power tools. One of the best ways to protect workers from power tool hazards is through a power tool program. We’ll tell you how to develop such a program for your workplace and the elements your program should contain.
Read more on this topic at OHSInsider.com.
(note: subscription is required; to get instant access, simply sign up for a No-Cost Trial of OHSInsider.com. Sign up now and you will be entered into a drawing to win an NHL jersey of your choice.
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| Russian President Calls for New Nuclear Safety Rules |
New world-wide safety rules must be established for nuclear plants, according to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
In a speech during the 25th anniversary observance of the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident, the worst disaster of its kind, Medvedev said that incident, coupled with the recent Japanese nuclear disaster following a massive earthquake and tsunami, make it imperative that new rules governing the peaceful use of nuclear energy be developed.
He said he has sent proposals to world leaders aimed at guaranteeing the necessary development of nuclear energy while preventing catastrophic global consequences of accidents.
“The duty of a state is to tell the truth to its people. It must be acknowledged that the (Soviet) state did not always behave correctly,” he said. “In order for such tragedies never to be repeated, we must all be honest (and) we must provide absolutely exact information about what is going on.”
The number four reactor at Chernobyl exploded and caught fire on April 26, 1986, killing 31 people immediately and resulting in huge numbers of radiation-related deaths in the years following the incident.
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| Upcoming Events: |
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| Webinar - May 19, 12:00 EST (9 a.m. PST) |
| How to Control Employee Absenteeism in Your Workplace |
| Legal Basics and Practical “How-to” Strategies to Help Employers Reduce Absenteeism, Lower Operating Costs, and Improve Productivity and Morale.
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| Due Diligence: Defining, Establishing & Demonstrating Your Record of Compliance |
Oct 24th & 25th
Hyatt Regency, Toronto, ON |
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