This document provides information on various safety topics including accident prevention, proper lifting techniques, back safety, footwear, infection control, falling hazards, safety committees, and more. The key points covered are to think ahead to identify potential hazards, stay alert, ask questions when unsure of procedures, take responsibility for safety by following rules and reporting issues. Proper lifting techniques emphasized getting close to objects, taking a wide stance, bending at hips and knees rather than back, and keeping a straight back. Safety committees promote safety, identify hazards, investigate accidents, and develop recommendations.

1. Some Common Causes / Facts and
Easy Solutions
Safety Training and
Accident Prevention
This is a JR & Associates Risk Management Training Program ©
2016
Edition

2. Accident
Prevention
Uncover Potential Accidents
Before They Happen
Think Ahead
Take time to look for and identify hazards. All day, no
matter what you’re doing, think about:
• What who or what you’re working with
• What you’ll be doing
• What could go wrong
Stay Alert
Train yourself to:
• Give your work your full attention
• Avoid becoming complacent or making shortcuts, no
matter how many times you’ve done a job or how
many years experience you have.
• Inspect your work area, materials, and equipment for
safety each day before you begin working.
• Be constantly aware of possible hazards
• Be prepared to avoid trouble at any time
Ask Questions
Check things out with your supervisor when:
• You’re dealing with a new substance or procedure.
• Something seems wrong, but you’re not sure what.
Take Action
Take responsibility for your safety:
• Follow policy and procedures
• Follow all safety rules
• Keep your work area neat and safe.
• Fix any problem you’re trained to handle
• Report hazards you can’t correct yourself to your
supervisor.
Safety Training
2

3. A GOOD ATTITUDE
FOR SAFETY Means Being…
• Attentive to safety training and safety talks
• Eager to understand workplace procedures and asking
asking questions about anything not understood
• Alert for anything that doesn’t “feel” right and anything that could
go wrong – before a procedure is started
• Careful, taking precautions, and wearing protective clothing and equipment
• Focused on the task
• Team-oriented and using the buddy system for hazardous tasks Fooling around is
for FOOLS!
• Serious about safety – never fool around while at work
Safety Training
Attitude for
Safety
3

4. Get an Attitude! Dude!
A BAD ATTITUDE
FOR SAFETY Is…
• Complacent: On “automatic pilot” because
a job has been done so often
• Tired: worn out from too little sleep or too
many hours at work
• Reckless: thinks that safety rules aren’t important or don’t
apply to ME
• Careless: Eats or smokes in work areas with
hazardous materials or combustibles
A BAD ATTITUDE SETS YOU UP FOR
a painful accident!
Don’t take a time-out for safety.
Take it seriously ALL the time.
• Risk-taking: does a job without enough
training, doesn’t pay enough attention to
training, or takes shortcuts
• Emotional: angry or upset by something
that has happened at home or at work
• Selfish: thinks that no one else is affected by MY actions
Safety Training
Attitude for
Safetycont.
4

5. Safety Training Cell Phone Safety
“What do
you mean
your not
signing the
contract?”
“I already
saw that
one; it was
awful…
“What are
we having
for dinner
tonight”
“I’m calling
my
attorney.”
“HELLO, 911? I’D
LIKE TO REPORT
A WRECK ABOUT
TO HAPPEN…”
“You
don’t love
me
anymore,
do you?”
5

6. Safety Awareness means paying attention to your surroundings!
Your work environment can be a hazardous place!
Safety Training Safety Awareness
Wipe up puddles!
Watch for Trip hazards
Eliminate them !
Report it !
Secured Oxygen Tanks ?
Be aware of odd odors or smells in the work place, i.e. ...smoke, chemicals
6

7. • Infectious disease easily finds its way into the work
environment especially, when we lose sight of some simple
preventive matters involving hygiene and basic
cleanliness. Working involves the sharing of a common space
and although not entirely avoidable, some daily measures can
help provide a healthier environment. With a lot of people
nowadays who come to work even when they are sick, it's
important to put procedures into effect which help maintain
your productivity.
• Infectious diseases include MRSA, mononucleosis,
pneumonia, streptococcal sore throat, meningitis, and the
inevitable flu which this year, according to the CDC, reached
peak activity in mid February and seriously impacted the
laboring workforce.
• Transmission can occur through various avenues. Respiratory
diseases are spread by contact with mignon droplets such as
in sneezing, coughing, talking and even singing.
Gastrointestinal diseases are frequently contracted by the
ingestion of contaminated food and water. Yet still, some
transmission occurs from contact with inanimate objects
referred to as a fomite, such as in the passing of coins.
• In a recent study conducted by a University listed the top six
most germ-contaminated surfaces in the workplace are as
follows:
… Phone
… Desktop
… Water fountain handle
… Microwave door handle
… Keyboard
… Door knob
Safety Training Infection Control
Germs and Infection Control
7

8. • The most shocking is that all of the above
outperformed the toilet seat. While we're at it, did
you know that the area where you are probably
resting your hand on your desk at this very moment
has an average of 10 million bacteria?!
• The study indicated that bacteria levels decreased
by 99.9% if surfaces were disinfected each day. So
while we're all busy whistling while we work,
perhaps there are some unconventional ideas that
can contribute to a healthier, work
environment. We've all been repeatedly instructed
about the importance of hand washing. However,
how about placing alcohol sanitizer in areas where
you don't commonly think about hygiene such as,
the fax machine, the copier or even on an
employee's workbench where tools are constantly
handled throughout the day? Try sneezing or
coughing into your sleeve (not your hand) or into a
tissue - that way, the next time you touch
something, you're not contaminating it with your
germs. Make it a regular routine to have equipment
sanitized between shift changes, a simple task put
in place that only takes ten minutes. In addition,
avoid the shared use of towels, toiletries and
personal items which will certainly help control the
spread of pathogens.
Safety Training Infection Control, cont.
Germs and Infection Control, cont.
8

9. Over a quarter million recordable workplace injuries due to falls
occur every year in this country. What you may not realize is
that nearly two (2) out of every three (3) falls occurs on a level
surface. Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants account for
three percent of all nonfatal falls, totaling approximately 6,000
lost-workday injuries each year. So, even if you're not walking
on an I-beam during the construction of a new stadium or
skyscraper, you still might suddenly find yourself on your back
----and a lot more surprised by it!
Why Do Workers Fall on Level Surfaces?
Worker get hurt falling down on level surfaces for many different
reasons, including the following:
• Wet Conditions: A freshly mopped floor or a tiled entry on a
rainy day can present a hazard to employees----especially
those who are carrying a load, talking to a friend, or are
otherwise burdened or distracted. Wet conditions contribute to
nearly 33% of all nonfatal falls on the same level, and weather-
related conditions (ice) account for another 20%. In
summation, a wet floor or a slippery walk is a factor in more
that 50% of all non-fatal falls on a level surface.
• Poorly Maintained Surfaces: Cracked, loose, or missing
tiles; floors that are not kept clean, which become sticky in
some spots and slick in others; and older floors, which have
settled so that they are no longer level. Sidewalks, driveways
and parking areas can also have uneven areas created by
adverse weather conditions leaving pot holes, trees up
heaving and cracking concrete or asphalt walking areas, ----all
of these poorly maintained surfaces can trip up a person.
Upstairs, Downstairs
Stairs are another walking and working surface that need
attention to be safe. Stairs must be constructed to
specific building code standards, but in older
buildings, you many find stairs that do not meet
modern requirements, such stair risers of different
heights, stairs that are too steep or narrow, and
stairwells that are not well lighted. If you work in an
older building, be aware of these hazards and be
careful on the stairs.
Here are some stair safety tips:
• Hold the handrail. If you lose your footing, you can catch
yourself.
• Carry things carefully. Don’t carry items that are too heavy
for you or obstruct your field of vision when you are walking up
or down stairs, otherwise you might find yourself at the bottom
of the stairs allot quicker than you expected, severely injured!
• Walk. Don’t run up or down stairs!
Safety Training Falling for Safety
Yikes
!
9

10. Safety Committees have many important
responsibilities
For example
• Promote a commitment to safety
• Help set and meet safety goals
• Identify and implement ways to make the workplace safer
• Exchange information and expertise about safety and health
issues
• Keep up-to-date on new hazards, protective measures, safety
and health laws, and safety issues
• Communicate employee safety concerns to management
• Communicate employer safety policies and goals to
employees
• Participate in safety training
• Set a good safety example for others
• Investigate accidents and near-misses
• Inspect the work place to identify hazards and safety concerns
• Develop recommendations or plans for controlling or
eliminating hazards
Who’s on the Safety Committee?
• The safety committee is an employee driven committee.
• Administrator selects employees from the various
departments, which could include a department head.
• Ultimately that means you can be on the committee!
• Committee members can be rotated every three (3) to six (6)
months.
What happens to the findings of the Committee?
• Safety Committee findings and or recommendations are
reviewed by the administrator and QA&A as well as
communicated to all employees via monthly general safety
meetings. The minutes are posted for all to read, minus any
personal employee information involved in and incident.
Who runs the Safety Committee?
• A Committee Chairperson is selected by the Administrator of
the Center to remain in position for at least six months.
For additional information on the Safety Committee, ask to see a copy of the
Injury and Illness Program Prevention Manual, sec 3, “Center Safety
Committee”
Safety Training Safety Committees
What Do Safety Committees Do?
10

11. Reaching and lifting over your shoulders
• Never reach over your shoulders to lift. Instead,
use a step stool or platform.
Improper lifting
• Never lift with a rounded back and straight legs.
Overweight
• Minimize stress on the lower back by avoiding
overweight!
Blocks View
• Never lift more than you can easily handle, or carry
a load that blocks you view!
Falling load
• Never try to recover a falling load.
Posture
• Maintaining good posture while sitting or standing.
Safety Training My Aching Back
Some common causes of back pain!
11

12. Drink Plenty of Water
• Not drinking enough water is a common cause of
back pain. Our bodies are comprised of
approximately 70% water. Enough water keeps us
fluid, rather than stiff. Drinking plenty of water
enhances the height of intervertebral disks. Water
is necessary for nearly every bodily process so it is
good to drink plenty, at least 6-8 ounce glasses per
day.
Live an Active Life and Strengthen Your Abs
• Exercise and activity keep the muscles of the spine
strong. the most important muscles to strengthen to
avoid back pain are the abdominals.
Sitting
• Sitting loads the spine and compresses the disks.
Force yourself to get up from your chair as much as
your work environment will permit.
Avoid twisting motions while carrying a load
• Although twisting while you dance is fun, a twisting
motion carrying a load can cause stress on your
spine resulting in back pain.
Safety Training
My Aching Back
cont.
Some common causes of back pain!
12

13. Footwear must:
• Fit comfortably and according to the shape of your
foot
• Provide adequate foot support, particularly in the
arches
• Promote normal distribution of weight throughout the
foot
• Protect the foot from injury (trauma, burns, chemicals)
• Provide a clean, dry and ventilated environment for
the feet
General guidelines for choosing proper footwear
• The shoe must have a low, wide-based heel and well
fitting heel cup
• The shoe must grip the heel firmly, to prevent foot
from slipping out
• The shape and body of the shoe must be maintained
– you shouldn’t feel like you are “walking out of your
shoes”
• The sole should be non-slip and assist in shock
absorption
• Use shock-absorbing insoles if your job requires
prolonged walking or standing on hard floors
Safety Training
Let Your Feet
Walk Safely!
Proper footwear can improve your posture, eliminate discomfort and prevent injury
13

14. General guidelines....cont.
• The toe box must be wide enough to allow for
freedom of toe movement
• The mid-shoe should enclose around the foot
comfortably
• The shoe must have a fastening across the instep
to prevent the foot from slipping when walking
Tips for buying shoes to wear at work:
• Buy shoes late in the afternoon when feet are likely
to be swollen to their maximum size (wear
appropriate socks)
• Have both feet measured and buy the shoes that fit
the larger foot (feet normally differ in size)
• Walk in the shoes, making sure your foot is
comfortable and adequately supported, the midsole
of the shoe allows your foot to bend, the heel is
stable and there is no internal contact stress
• Choose footwear based on usage, activity and for
protection against environmental hazards
• Caution should be taken with a steel toe cap – the
edge of the cap must not cut into the top of the foot
• Watch for wear and tear – replace shoes on a
regular basis
Safety Training
Let your feet
walk safely! cont.
Proper footwear can improve your posture, eliminate discomfort and prevent injury
14

15. 1. Get Close to the Object
The first step to lifting a heavy object safely is to get as
close to it as you can. Ideally, the object should be
underneath you.
2. Take a Wide Stance
Next, take a wide stance. Legs should be wider than
shoulders, with your weight anchored firmly into the
ground or floor.
Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects
Proper lifting Techniques should be used whether your lifting at Work or at Home!
15

16. 3. Find Your Best Foot Position
Try different foot positions until you find the one that
feels the most stable and comfortable. Try putting your
left foot front, then your right. Or keep them parallel, but
widen your stance. Once you have made your
discovery, get ready to use that position.
4. Bend from Your Hips and Knee
Bend your knees and lift the object from underneath.
You will be using the muscles in your hips and legs to do
the heavy work. Avoid bending at the waist, which can
cause you to injure a disk or strain your back.
If you are lifting an unwieldy object, like a heavy bag of
soil, get some one to help you .
Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects cont.
16

17. 5. Hint for Safe Lifting : Keep a Long Spine
A trick for making sure you’re lifting objects safely: Keep
a long spine. Think about a line that goes from your
head through your spine all the way sown to your coccyx
bone. Your body should stay in that position when lifting.
6. Safe Lifting Hint: Keep Your Arms Close in to
Your Body
Keeping your arms close to your body can help ensure
that you’re lifting an object safely. This will help
keep the lifting efficient, helping you avoid
shoulder, arm and back strain.
Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects cont.
17

18. 7. Safe Lifting Hint: Keep Your Knees in Line with Your Toes When You Bend
When lifting your object, keep your knees in line with your toes. This will help
you avoid knee strain, now that you are using hips and knees instead of
your back. Don’t let your knees drop inward or outward – this will help
your body stay aligned during the movement.
Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects cont.
18

19. Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects cont.
Avoid these Lifting Techniques
A kinked Neck
Lifting heavy objects with a
rounded back and lifted head can
cause neck and back strain.
Rounded Back
With a rounded back, the danger
of lifting is amplified because back
muscles are on a stretch.
Lifting From the Back
Lifting from the back is an
example of a potentially injurious
lifting technique.
19

20. • Whether caring for a resident or lifting heavy materials always use
assistance and proper body mechanics!
Safety Training
Technique for Lifting
Heavy Objects cont.
Use these Lifting Techniques
20

21. • Push • Don’t Pull
Pushing rather than pulling is easier on your
back. Use your arms and legs for leverage to
begin the push. If you must pull something, keep
the object by your side while pulling to avoid
twisting your back.
Safety Training
Technique for
Moving Patients
21

22. • Protect your eyes
From
• Splashes
• Debris, i.e....dust
By wearing safety glasses
• When changing a catheter
• When changing a soap bucket in the
laundry or dietary departments
• When washing dishes
• When dusting
• When spraying solutions
• When working with machinery
• And any other time there is a chance of
flying debris!
• Splashes take on many different forms
Safety Training
Keep your Eyes
Safe!
22

23. • Know where the eye wash stations are
located in your facility
• There are several different types
• It’s for your benefit to know where the eye
wash stations are located in case you have
an accident.
• Better yet, always wear these!
• You don’t want to be looking (no pun
intended) for one of these - to replace one of
these!
Safety Training
Keep your Eyes
Safe!
23

24. • Health Status
Obese and out-of-shape workers are more
susceptible to back injuries and other
Musculoskeletal disorders (MDS).
Poor physical condition and excessive body
weight can greatly increase the risk of a back
injury by stressing the lower back and increasing
its curvature.
• Health Status
Strong abdominal muscles, on the
other hand, help to support the body and prevent
back injuries
Safety Training Stay in Shape!
24

25. • Closing doors can be hazardous to
you or someone else’s health!
• Heavy doors can cause injury to
anyone who might be in the doorway
when it closes. Injuries can include
severe back, neck, and/or shoulder
pain.
• Open doors slowly, as someone
maybe on the other side about to open
the door as well!
• Make sure your fingers or someone
else’s are not in the door jamb when
the door closes. Amputation or
serious injury can occur when the door
shuts!
• YOU CANNOT prevent a door from
closing by placing your hand or fingers
in the hinged side of the door! You will
find your fingers severed!
Safety Training
Closing
Doors
25

26. • What does this sign mean to you?
– Does it mean ignore and walk around it?
– Jump over it?
– Straddle it?
• Well No, actually and very simply it means exactly
what it says:
Caution this Floor is Wet !
And if you proceed to walk on this
wet floor, you will run the risk of
slipping, causing serious injury to
yourself!
To include but not limited to:
– Head trauma, like a concussion!
– Fractured, arm, leg, shoulder or any other
body part!
– Severe back, neck, shoulder strains
– Torn rotor cuff
Not to mention the severe pain that accompanies these
kinds of events, lasting hours, days, weeks and
sometime months! Your social life will be greatly
diminished with your friends, co-workers as well as
family. You will spend hours in therapy trying to
recover, all due to a very silly decision to ignore a simple
sign!
Safety Training
CAUTION
Wet Floor
26

27. What causes a wet floor? Well
usually water on the floor, right!
Usual Sources:
• Floors being mopped
• Shower days, residents not being properly
dried before being transported.
• Leaky plumbing!
• Passing water and or ice to resident rooms.
Spills not wiped up!
• Rainy days - water being brought in from the
outside, on shoes, coats, umbrellas, etc.....
• Snowy days, snow brought in the same way
as above and melts!
• Urine on the floor
• Fluids spilled on the floor during meal time
while trays are being passed, either in the
dining area or in the halls.
• Shower rooms, when giving showers, are
always wet. BE CAREFUL!
Be Aware Of
• Black Ice on Streets and Parking Lots, as
well as sidewalks leading to the entrance of
the Center!
Safety Training
CAUTION
Wet Floor
27

28. • Usual causes of Needle sticks
– Nurse trying to recap a used needle
DON’T RECAP
– Nurse is not paying attention and
accidently stick ones self
– Patient moves unexpectedly causing
nurse to stick ones self
– Sharps container is full with
syringes/needles sticking out
Replace Full Sharps Container
– Syringes are left at the bed side and
an unsuspecting, aid, housekeeper
or another nurse sticks ones self
– Syringes are left on the beds and
rolled up in the linen, aids or laundry
worker are stuck while removing
linen to be washed.
Check Linen Before Removal from Bed
– Syringes inadvertently end up in the
trash, sticking an unsuspecting
housekeeper
Safety Training Needle Sticks
28

29. • Increasingly more residents are
coming into the Centers with
electric wheelchairs and or
scooters.
• Awareness of the residents
abilities at maneuvering one
these chairs is important to avoid
being bumped or having your
toes run over.
• Care planning should be
conducted on the residents
ability to maneuver these
vehicles before being allowed to
transverse the centers hallways.
Safety Training
Electric
Wheelchairs/Scooters
29

30. • What’s HOT!
• Well, most of the time Hot Dogs are hot! Unless you
wait too long to eat it!
• The Sun is HOT and can deliver a nasty sunburn.
Use a sun block when out in the sun or limit your
exposure time until you have become accustom to it.
• Stoves are HOT when in use. So are ovens!
• Burners on the stove are HOT when on. Don’t touch
them!
• HOT coffee is great, unless you spill it on yourself.
• Heating coffee in a microwave can really make it HOT
and if you try to drink it, you will burn yourself. If you
spill it on your hand or other body part, you can receive
a 2nd or 3rd degree burn.
• When removing hot items from the stove or oven,
always use insulated gloves!
• Fire is HOT, good for keeping warm on a cold night or
cooking; however, not good to touch!
• HOT water is good for washing clothes and dishes,
but very HOT water, above 120 degrees, will have a
tendency to really burn!
When working around HOT STUFF, work with care. Have
some respect for what it can do to YOU!
Safety Training HOT STUFF!
30

31. Safety Training Rolling Chairs
• Rolling office chairs are commonly found behind the
nurses stations, as well as any other location within
the center.
• They can be source of convenience at the work
station and unfortunately a pain in the rump as well,
if you’re not careful!
• Finding yourself suddenly falling to the floor, when
you thought you were going to be sitting in a
comfortable chair, can be a very painful and
embarrassing experience.
• Hitting the floor at 32 feet per second can cause, at
the very least, contusions, FX tail bone, low back
strain and /or a good knock on the noggin.
• ABOVE ALL do not stand on a chair with wheels of
any kind! You could definitely find yourself going in
one direction and the chair in another. You would
be sailing through the air (not parasailing either)
hitting the ground at 32 ft./sec., resulting in all sorts
of damage to your constitution, none of which will
feel very good!
• When sitting yourself in a wheeled chair, place your
hand on the chair to steady it before sitting. These
chairs were made to roll easily on hard surfaces,
and they DO move very well! Use CAUTION when
sitting down on to one of these chairs!
Caution
31

32. • A frighten or cognitively impaired person may
strike out if approached incorrectly by:
– Kicking, punching, biting, choking, twisting and cursing
or sometimes all at the same time with a knock out
finalizing the incident.
– The injury obtain from such incidents may include, but
not limited to: contusions, broken skin, strained arms,
shoulders, wrist, fingers etc...
• Even the most unassuming little individual can
deliver an unprepared person a real wallop!
PREPARE YOURSELF
• Know your residents, avoid surprises!
– review the care plans
– learn about the new residents
– Ask questions / what is their history?
– Check to see if any change of conditions took place
from the last time you worked with the resident
– Know how to approach an upset resident
KNOWLEDGE
Know This:
• Greet resident with preferred name
• Identify yourself to the resident
• Speak to resident while providing care
• Remain calm
• Encourage resident to talk
• Listen attentively as resident speaks
• Use courtesy when communicating
• Inform resident before leaving the room
Safety Training Combative Readiness!
Frighten or Cognitively impaired dementia residents can be a source of employee injury's!
Attend in-services on dementia and
cognitively impaired residents
The best offence is a good
defense!
32

33. Safety Training Chop Chop!
par
FrontBack
Easy Do’s and Don’ts for Safe knife
Handling
Do:
Keep knives sharpened and let other staff know when
knives are newly sharpened
Use a knife only for its intended purpose
Use the appropriate knife for the job
Carry knives with the cutting edge slightly away form
your body
Store knives properly in racks or knife sheaths
Use proper cutting techniques
Hold the knife correctly
Don’t:
Touch knife blades
Try and catch a falling knife, let it fall
Hand a knife to someone. Put it down on the counter
and let him or her pick it up.
Leave a knife soaking in a sink of water
Talk to people while using a knife
Correct Knife Handling
Correct Cutting Techniques
claw
33

34. • Before servicing electrical appliances
and/or equipment
ALWAYS UN-PLUG IT.
• Some electrical appliances/equipment
can be inadvertently activated when
you’re cleaning, which is a time you
are least expecting it.
• Spinning blades can result in the
cutting, slicing, lacerating, pureeing or
dismembering of various digits.
• These injuries are very painful and will
limit your activities for a few days or
even months!
• Remember, ALWAYS UN-PLUG IT!
Safety Training UN-PLUG IT!
34