New OSHA (194.07) First Aid Guidelines…

How do OSHA guidelines affect work comp premiums and insurance claims?  Here is a little detail on why first aid reportables can make all the difference….

First Aid or Recordable? New OSHA guidelines…..
Some workers’ compensation injuries are of such a minor nature that the law permits the employer to treat or refer for treatment of these injuries and pay for them privately rather than through the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. These injuries are known as First Aid and are not recordable injuries per OSHA guidelines and no claims file needs to be made up for them. All other injuries are considered Medical Treatment, which are recordable for OSHA guidelines and for which claims files are made up.

Due to the benefits employers derive from classifying injuries as first aid, it is necessary to understand which injuries can be so classified and when they must be reported to the insurer and to OSHA. This list of first aid treatments if comprehensive, i.e., any treatment not included on this list is not considered first aid for OSHA record keeping purposes. OSHA considers the listed treatments to be first aid regardless of the professional qualifications of the person providing the treatment; even when a physician, nurse, or other health care professional provides these treatments, they are considered first aid for record keeping purposes.

New Rules under OSHA 194.07
Note: MT = Medical Treatment FA = First Aid – 1 does of prescription medication now MT (Old rule: 2 doses MT)
– OTC med at prescription strength now MT (Old rule any dosage FA)
– Any number of hot/cold treatments now FA – (Old rule 2 or more treatments MT)
– Drilling a nail now FA – (Old rule MT)
– Butterfly bandage/Steri-Strip now FA – (Old rule MT)

All First Voice kits and Self-contained Emergency Treatment (SET) Systems are designed with careful consideration to these types of OSHA guidelines.  Contact us for more details on how first aid programs can be made easier for EHS and Safety Supervisors, 888-473-1777.  info@firstvoice.us

What to look for when choosing a new health club

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to improve your health? Does your plan include joining a fitness club and getting some exercise?

If so, you might want to think twice about which club you join. There’s more to think about than which is closest and which costs the least.

I know from my industry expertise, if you choose a club that is not careful about safety, sanitation, and service, there can be some unpleasant and dangerous, consequences.

Security

Is your stuff safe? Locker rooms are a bad place to leave valuables. It’s just too easy for a thief to get into your locker. Don’t rely on the fitness center to safeguard your valuables.

Is the parking lot well lit? Especially for clubs that are open very early or very late. Daylight hours are shorter many months of the year and you could easily find yourself going to and from your car in the dark.

Sanitary

A good health club will have a clean locker room and restroom. If these areas look or smell bad, let that be a red flag to you.

The exercise equipment should be disinfected between users. The club should provide paper towels and disinfectant, along with posted instructions on how to sanitize the equipment after use.

Safety

Are first aid kits stocked and available at all times? Does the club have a portable defibrillator on hand? These defibrillators, commonly called AED’s (automated external defibrillator), can be the difference between life and death for someone who experiences a sudden heart attack. Over 250,000 people die of heart attacks in the U.S. each year and fitness clubs are one of the high-risk areas.

The American Heart Association urges all fitness centers, including those in schools, to have at least one AED. As of 2001, all 50 states have at least some kind of AED law, but only a few actually mandate them. For instance, Illinois requires every fitness club to have at least one AED and a trained user on the premises.

How can you be sure?

If you can’t tell, then ask! If you’re not sure about some of the above issues, be sure to ask. A quality health club will be happy to tell you where the first aid kits are, what their staff’s training is, and where they keep the defibrillator.

Consider all the factors when choosing a fitness club. If your gym does not have all of the above, you should demand it for your business you are giving them.  Stand up for your rights!

Having AEDs in School is VERY Important

I don’t know about other parents or teachers but I find this article and research (published by Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association January  2010) annoying.

It is an article on how schools that don’t have funding perhaps should not worry about not being able to fund an AED because the chances of getting a return on the equipment are not proven.  Here is some of the content:

“A nationwide push to put portable defibrillators in every school, a response to several high-profile student deaths, may not be worth the cost, a new study in Seattle concludes. The survey of emergency response to schools in the Seattle area over 16 years found that students suffered cardiac arrests only 12 times and a third of these children had known heart problems.”  The article then goes on to say, “According to the study, schools are one of the best places for adults to suffer cardiac arrest.”

Protecting the teachers does not matter nor does it matter if I or family member will suffer a heart attack while watching my child participate in a school sporting event?  What if you are a parent that has one of those kids with a known heart problem or the 1 unfortunate unknown heart problem that year?

Figure out how to buy the AED.  There are ways to fund them.  The facts are that Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the biggest killer in America, killing around 300,000 people per year.  If an AED is not used within 2-4 minutes the chances of survival go from 65-70% to 5%.

Are you ready to be champion for AEDs at your school and help your PTO raise money? Go to Think Safe’s GivingTree for easy online fundraising or download this or visit the website of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association and download this paper on how you can become a champion for AEDs at your school.

You Can Save a Life at School PDF

What is your golf ball worth?

A gentlemen had the poor misfortune of meeting an angry alligator when he hit his golf ball into the pond. These pictures tell the story pretty well.

Warning: These pictures are very revealing, showing blood and bone. If you get sick to your stomach easily, you may not want to view.