5 Minute Safety Tips

Active Shooter: Response 
Addressing workplace violence is an essential element of your workplace safety and health program. Having a policy that strictly prohibits violence, or threats of violence, is the first step.

All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Safety 
ATVs have become popular for work and recreation on many farms and ranches. Unfortunately, reported cases of serious injury and death have increased along with their increased use.

Best Practices: Safety When Working from Home 
Many organizations are transitioning to remote-work arrangements in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, this is becoming our “new normal”. But how do you stay safe, productive and organized when you live where you work?

Cold Weather 
Cold weather can bring accidents, property damage and unfortunately, even death. Be prepared by following these simple tips for cold weather prep, driving in cold/inclement weather and safely using alternative heating sources.

Controlling Rumors – En Espanol 
En tiempos de crisis, es importante mantener la calma y encontrar recursos confiables para la información de salud. Los recursos confiables incluyen la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades y coronavirus.gov.

Coping With Stress – English 
Set limits on how much time you spend reading or watching news about the outbreak. You will want to stay up to date on news of the outbreak, particularly if you have loved ones in places where many people have gotten sick. But make sure to take time away from the news to focus on things in your life that are going well and that you can control.

Coping With Stress – Spanish 
Coma alimentos saludables y beba suficiente agua. Evite cantidades excesivas de cafeína y alcohol. No use tabaco ni drogas ilegales. Duerma y descanse lo suficiente. Haga ejercicio físico.

Distracted Driving 
In 2016, an estimated 3,000 lives were lost to distracted drivers. Distracted Driving is defined as any activity that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off your primary task of driving safely, potentially endangering the driver, passenger and bystander safety.

Driving at Night 
Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council. Driving at night is more of a challenge than many people think. It’s also more dangerous.

Driving Defensively 
More than 41,000 people lose their lives in motor vehicle crashes each year and over two million more suffer disabling injuries, according to the National Safety Council.

Driving in the Rain 
Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience. Unfortunately, it can happen unless you take preventive measures.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) 
What is ETS? What are the health effects? What can be done to reduce the risk of exposure?

Extension Cord Safety 
Extension cords are a helpful tool in any workplace, when used correctly. However, too often employers become over-dependent upon cords, which may only be used for temporary use. Cords may be misused and are easily damaged, which may result in electrical shock, electrocution, or fires.

Farm Shop Safety 
Service and maintenance tasks can often lead to serious injury. The farm shop and the field are the primary locations where repair operations are completed. Make sure your farm shop is part of a farm safety solution, not a problem.

Fire Safety & Preparedness for Offices 
Office work is generally considered a low-hazard occupation. That doesn’t mean hazards aren’t present or that emergencies may not arise. Preventing office fires is an important component to any safety and health program, and should include requirements to keep excess papers and files stored in file cabinets and keeping chemicals properly stored. When fires do occur, it’s important to ensure employees take the proper actions.

Flu in the Workplace

How Good Are Your Emergency Action Plans? 
In the event of a real emergency, it’s important to have effective emergency action plans that have been trained and exercised to the point that reactions become instinctive. The more thoughtfully your plan has been practiced, the less likely your employees will be completely panic-stricken, and the more likely, they are to take prompt action. It’s a sad statistic that most people wait too long to react in an emergency

How to Make Your Holiday Season a Safe One 
The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to help make your holiday season safe.

Infectious Disease Emergency Kit 
Having a personal emergency kit is essential to any kind of emergency preparedness plan. Here are just a few things you can add to your personal emergency kit for pandemic events:

Infectious Disease Emergency Kit – Spanish 
Planifique los desastres creando y practicando regularmente su plan de emergencia. Debe incluir a su familia o empresa en el proceso.

Mold in the Workplace 
Exposure to mold can cause a variety of adverse health effects. Learn about the health effects of mold exposure, how to recognize mold and how to clean up small areas of mold.

Pesticides 
Where are they found? What are the health effects? How can you reduce the risk of exposure in your home?

Preventing Slips & Falls 
In 1998, falls in the home and community caused or led to 15,900 deaths. All age groups are vulnerable, but older adults are most at risk. In fact, 80% of those receiving fatal injury are over the age of 65.

Protect Yourself…Wear a Helmet! 
What do bicycling, horseback riding, baseball and in-line skating have in common? Helmets!

Reduce Your Risk of Becoming a Carjack Victim 
Incidences of carjacking and other auto-related crimes have appeared regularly in news stories. Despite the danger, there are measures you can take to guard against crime when you are behind the wheel or walking to your vehicle.

Reporting Accidents & Emergencies 
A great benefit of cellular telephones is their use in reporting trouble, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). To warrant mobile phone handling, authorities say that an incident is considered an emergency if it requires immediate action.

Risk Mitigation Risk mitigation is the process of planning for disasters and having a way to lessen the negative impact. The goal is to slow the transmission of the disease.

To protect individuals at increased risk for severe illness, including older adults and persons of any age with underlying health conditions.

Roadway Work Zone Safety 
In 2003, 1,028 people killed and 40,637 people injured in work zone crashes. Of the 1,028 people killed in work zones, 862 were in construction zones, 79 were in maintenance zones, 21 were in utility zones, and 66 were in another type of work zone.

Safe Use of Hand Tools 
Tools have always been indispensable helpmates, and a good set of hand tools is essential for any farm shop, machinery or facility repair. Unfortunately, tools also contribute to countless injuries when used incompetently.

Sun & Heat Exposure 
During late spring and summer many people like to spend time outside in the sun for fun or work. But overexposure to the sun can damage the skin and could cause skin cancer.

The Four Phases of Emergency Management for Businesses 
Businesses and their staff face a variety of hazards. There is much that a business leader can do to prepare his or her organization for the most likely hazards.

Tips for Providing Safety Talks to Your Employees 
As a supervisor or manager, providing your employees with frequent, site-specific training is an important part of your job. Safety training offers the opportunity to make a great impact on morale and productivity, as well as helping your company provide a safe and healthful work environment. If you have been tasked with presenting safety topics to your coworkers, here are a few tips to help make it easier for you and more interesting for your audience.

Tractor Safety 
Farm tractors provide the primary source of power on many farms. Studies show that the farm tractor is involved in a high proportion of farm fatalities and severe injuries.

What Businesses Need to Know About COVID-19 
Similar to influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has the potential to cause extensive outbreaks. Under conditions associated with widespread person-to-person spread, multiple areas of the United States and other countries may see impacts at the same time. In the absence of a vaccine, an outbreak may also be an extended event.

What To Do if Your Car Breaks Down 
You are driving down the highway when suddenly you have car trouble. The National Safety Council suggests the following measures when your car breaks down or has a flat tire on the highway.

What To Do When Your Brakes Fail 
Having your brakes fail while you are driving is a dangerous and horrifying experience, especially when you are traveling on an interstate highway or other high-speed roadway.