Countdown to 2014!

It's almost that time of the year again, where we head into the festive season, close off another year and look forward to the year that lies ahead.

From all of us at Skills we'd like to thank you for your continued support throughout 2013. We look forward to meeting up again with you in 2014 for another successful year.

If you and your loved are going away this weekend, please be sure to keep it safe.

Remember accidents hurt, safety doesn't!

Summer Sun Safety Part 5

Before we end off our Summer Sun Safety series, let's take a look at what we've learnt over the last few weeks.

It is important to know about the different rays the sun has and how they are harmful to your skin.
The tips to prevent sun damage include: Avoiding the strongest rays & covering up, make use of sun screens, use of protective eyeware & checking your medication.

A sun burn can sneak up on you though, especially if you're having fun out in the sun and you don't realise it. If you or any member of your family does get a sun burn, these tips may help you:

• Have cool (not cold) bath, or gently apply cool, wet compresses tot he skin to help alleviate pain and heat.
  
• To ease discomfort, apply pure aloe vera gel (available from your pharmacy) to the sun burnt areas.
  
• An anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen, will also help lessen pain and itching.
  
• Apply topical moisturizing cream to rehydrate the skin and treat itching. (Do not use petroleum-based products, because they prevent excess heat and sweat from escaping. Also, avoid first-aid products that contain benzocaine, which may cause skin irritation or allergy.)

If the sun burn is severe and blisters develop, then call your doctor immediately. Do not scratch, squeeze or try to pop the blister until you've consulted your doctor as they might lead to infections and/or scarring. Also remember to stay in the shade until the sun burn has completely healed. Any exposure to the sun may will only increase the severity of the sun burn.


With that we end our series on Summer Sun Safety. Make sure you've educated your family as well so that they can protect themselves too!

Summer Sun Safety Part 4

We've helped you understand more about the different types of sun rays. We've given you tips on avoiding the sun and covering up. And we've taken a closer look at sunscreens.

This week we have another 2 tips to help you and your family survive the summer sun safely!

Use Protective Eyewear

Sun exposure damages the eyes as well as the skin. Even 1 day in the sun can result in a burned cornea. Cumulative exposure can lead to cataracts later in life. The best way to protect eyes is to wear sunglasses. Purchase sunglasses with labels ensuring that they provide 100% UV protection.

Double-Check Medication

Some medications increase the skin's sensitivity to UV rays. As a result, even kids with skin that tends not to burn easily can develop a severe sunburn in just minutes when taking certain medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if any prescription and over-the-counter medications your child is taking can increase sun sensitivity.

Next week before schools close off for the year and families begin their journey's to their holiday destinations, we'll bring you the final installment of our Summer Sun Safety campaign with tips on how to treat a sun burn - so keep a lookout for that!

Summer Sun Safety Part 3

We've already taken you through the different types of sun rays and why they are harmful to us. And last week we started to take a look at ways to prevent sun damaged. This week is all about sunscreen.

There are plenty of good sunscreens to suit everyone's needs; including formulations for sensitive skin, scented creams, long lasting, water and sweat proof, as well as easy-application varieties such as spray bottles.

What matters most when deciding which sunscreen to use, you need to focus mainly on the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating.

For children from 6 months and older, choose an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn and tanning. Choose a sunscreen stating that it protects from both UVA and UVB rays. To avoid possible skin allergy, do not use sunscreens with PABA; rather use a product with the active ingredient titanium dioxide.

Teenagers might try self-tanning lotions to get a tanned appearance. These offer an ulternative to ultraviolet exposure, but with little to no protection from UV light.

For sunscreen to do its job properly, it needs to be applied correctly. Make sure to:

• Apply sunscreen whenever kids will be in the sun.
  
• Apply sunscreen about 15 to 30 minutes before kids go outside so that a good layer of protection can form. Don't forget about lips, hands, ears, feet, shoulders, and behind the neck. Lift up bathing suit straps and apply sunscreen underneath them (in case the straps shift as a child moves).
  
• Don't try to stretch out a bottle of sunscreen; apply it generously.
  
• Reapply sunscreen often, approximately every 2 hours, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. Reapply after a child has been sweating or swimming.
  
• Apply a waterproof sunscreen if kids will be around water or swimming. Water reflects and intensifies the sun's rays, so kids need protection that lasts. Waterproof sunscreens may last up to 80 minutes in the water, and some are also sweat- and rub-proof. But regardless of the waterproof label, be sure to reapply sunscreen when kids come out of the water.

And remember to reapply sunscreen if exposed to sun at a long period of time, i.e. spending the day at the beach.

Next week we take a look at more ways to prevent you and your family from sun damage. If you have any tips to share, please post them in the comments below, or send them to us via our Twitter account or Facebook page and we'll share them with our followers!




 

Summer Sun Safety Part 2

Last week we explained to you the different types of sun rays and how they can be harmful to you this Summer.

This week we start taking a look at ways you can protect yourself and your family this Summer!

Avoid the Strongest Rays of the Day

Seek shade when the sun is at it's highest overhead and therefore strongest, usually between 11am and 1pm. If you need to be in the sun between these hours, remember to apply and reapply protective sunscreen. Most sun damage comes as a result of incidental exposure during day-to-day activities, not just from being at the beach.

Clouds and pollution don't filter out UV rays, so even on cloudy, cool or overcast days, UV rays travel through the clouds and reflect off sand, water and even concrete. Often, kids are unaware that they're developing a sunburn on cooler or windy days because the temperature or breeze keeps skin feeling cool on the surface.

Cover Up

One of the best ways to protect your family from the sun is to cover up and shield skin from UV rays. Ensure that clothes will screen out harmful UV rays by placing your hand inside the garments and making sure you can't see it through them.

As infants (under 6 months) have thinner skin and underdeveloped melanin, their skin burns easier and therefore need to be kept completely out of the sun. Dress them in clothing that covers the body completely and make use of hats with wide brims. Also make use of an umbrella to create shade.


Keep an eye on our social media pages to catch our next Summer Sun Safety installment, where we'll be taking a closer look at sunscreen.

Summer Sun Safety

With Winter on its way out and Summer on its way in, there's no doubt we're going to start taking advantage of the warm Summer Sun as much as we can... but we have to ensure we do so safely if we want to enjoy it to the fullest.

In this first installment of our Summer Sun Safety series, we take a closer look at the rays we love to soak up so much.

We all need some sun exposure as it is our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. It doesn't take much time in the sun for most people to get the vitamin D they need. Repeated unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even people in their twenties can develop skin cancer.

The sun radiates light to the earth, and part of that light consists of invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. When these rays reach the skin, they cause tanning, burning, and other skin damage.

Sunlight contains three types of ultraviolet rays:

1. UVA rays make up the majority of our sun exposure, can cause skin aging and wrinkling and contribute to skin cancer, such as melanoma.
2. UVB rays are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, but enough of these rays pass through to cause serious damage, such as sunburns, cataracts, melanoma, and may effect the immune system.
3. UVC rays are the most dangerous, but fortunately, these rays are blocked by the ozone layer and don't reach the earth.

Most kids rack up a lot of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it's important that parents teach their children how to enjoy fun in the sun safely. With the right precautions, you can greatly reduce your child's chance of developing skin cancer.

In the weeks to come we'll be taking a closer look and giving you tips on how to protect your family from exposure to UVA and UVB, the rays that cause skin damage.

Braai Safety

Following Braai Day this week, we thought it very apt to take you through a few braai safety tips to help you keep you and your guests safe.

• As you are working with an open flame, make sure you have some sort of fire extinguisher plan, a bucket of sand, or a fire extinguisher on hand.
  
  
• Make sure the open flame is away from thatch or any other structure or item that may catch alight if the fire/braai where to change direction or fall over, or if a breeze were to pick up.
  
• Keep your braai and grill clean. Fat from cooking may fuel an already large flame.
  
• Smoke- this can be toxic, so make sure you are not breathing it in in large amounts. Especially be careful with children, their bodies are smaller and will deal with smoke differently to adults.
  
• Never leave a fire unattended, especially if there are young children and animals around.
  
• Oven gloves should be used when handling grills.
  
• Braai tools are essential, their longer reach allows you to safely work with the food without getting burnt- don’t try to use normal eating utensils to move food around on the grill.

Top 10 Safe Driving Tips (Cont.)

Last week we brought you tips 10 to 6 from our Top 10 Safe Driving Tips. This week we finish off the list with tips 5 to 1. So buckle up, look left & right, check your blindspots and let's get going.

5. Be Extra Careful in Bad Weather

If you're driving through thick fog, mist, heavy rain, a snow storm or on icy roads, be extra cautious. Drive below the speed limit and make sure you leave extra space between you and other vehicles.

If, for whatever reason, you have gone off the road, switch OFFf your lights. Should the weather not be very clear, when they see your lights, they'll drive towards you thinking you're driving on the road.

4. Don't Follow Too Closely

Always make sure there is enough space between you and the car ahead, leaving enough time for you to react should the car ahead come to a sudden stop or involved in a collission.

It's not always easy to recommend an exact distance, but experts recommend the "3 second rule".

3. Watch Out for the Other Guy

Unfortunately sometimes it doesn't matter how safely you drive, somebody else can always make an error and crash into you. Be prepared for unpredictable lane changes, sudden stops, swerving, unsignaled turns etc.

2. Practice Defensive Driving

Remember that one driver that came flying down the street out of nowhere, cut you off and almost caused a huge accident? We all know THAT GUY... don't be THAT GUY!

Aggressive driving is dangerous driving.


And our Number 1 Safe Driving Tip:

1. Keep Your Vehicle Safe

Vehicle maintenance isn't just a good way to extend your car's life - it's a major safety issue too!

Even though qualified mechanics service your vehicle, it's is still months between these services, so car owners need to be aware of any potential safety issues and get them repaired before they lead to an accident.


So there you have it, the Top 10 Safe Driving Tips. Use it, share it and make the roads we travel daily a safer place!

Top 10 Safe Driving Tips

Driving. An activity that a lot of us are involved in daily. Do we know how to perform this activity safely? We were taught the rights and the wrongs when going through classes and drivers tests, but how long ago was that? Do we still remember it all?

If some of  the questions above made you think a bit, then perhaps take a look at some of the safety tips below. Even if you are confident that you're a safe driver, it is always good to refresh your knowledge & skills.

So here are our Top 10 Safe Driving Tips:

10. Don't Drive Drunk

Most of the accidents on our roads is due to alcohol use. Intoxication reduces reaction time and coordination and lowers inhibitions, which can cause drivers to make foolish decisions.

If you have been drinking, rather ask a sober friend for a ride or call cab. With all the designated driver services available you really do not have an excuse!

9. Don't Speed

"Speed kills". Research shows that for every little bit faster you drive, the likelihood of your being in an accident increases by 4-5%.

Going fast may look like fun but it could cost a life, whether it be yours or someone elses.

8. Avoid Distractions

Texting or talking on your cell phone whilst driving is a big distraction that can reduce reaction time by up to 20%. Other activities such as eating, applying make-up, fiddling with electronic devices and interacting with passengers also divert driver's attention from the road.

"Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel" Jim Morrison.

7. Don't Drive Drowsy

We may think that a few yawns doesn't mean anything, but just being a little tired, drowsy or fatigued can increase your risk of being in an accident. AT highway speeds, one or two seconds of inattention can lead to disaster.

The solution is simple: get a better night's rest. Make sure you regularly get a solid 8 hours sleep every night.

6. Wear Your Seatbelt

If worn properly, seatbelts can prevent you from being thrown around the inside of a crashing vehicle. Event at low-speeds, wearing a seatbelt will prevent from from being propelled into the dashboard or windows shoudl there be an accident.

We all hear stories of people who would have survived if they had not been wearing a seatbelt, but even if true, those stories are exaggerated and also anomilies.


There are tips 10 - 6 that you can think about and apply to your driving. See how many you can stick to. Next week we'll bring you tips 5- 1.

Keeping your Children Safe at Home

The home is where children learn and grow, find love, comfort and care and get to see, touch, feel and experience the big world around them. It is therefore of utmot importance that we keep this a wonderful place where children can feel safe.

Here are "10 Tips to keep your Child Safe at Home"

10. Never leave children unattended near water, even if it's "just for a few seconds". It only takes a few seconds for drowning to occur.

9. Keep all cleaning materials and other chemicals away from children. Make sure to install cabinet guards where ever may be necessary.

8. All firearms should be unloaded and locked away in a safe. Talking with children about the dangers of guns is highly important.

7. Keep sleeping areas as clear as possible. An infants nose and mouth can be blocked by fluffy pillows and stuffed animals, restricting their breathing.

6. Cover all electrical outlets & protect children from electrical wires. Cover unused electrical points with plastic covers and repair any damaged wires/appliances.

5. Keep small items and food out of reach. Small items such as grapes, nuts, sweets, coins and jewellery must be stored away from child's reach to prevent accidental choking.

4. Install a smoke detector. If a fire breaks out, families have seconds to escape the smoke, heat and deadly gases.

3. Secure windows, block stairways & lock doors. Accidental falls are on of the most common injuries to young children.

2. Keep children safe around the family pet. Children should be taught to treat the family pet with care. Never leave your child alone with the family pet.

1. Be prepared for an emergency. Know all your local emergency response telephone numbers. Teach them to your children when old enough. Attend a first aid course to learn procedures such as CPR, Heimlich manouver, bandaging etc.

Home inujuries are largely avoidable through education and prevention. Parents can take proactive steps to childproof the home and to keep their children safe by teaching them a few practical rules in relation to the tips above.

Driven Machinery Regulations

We have received many questions in the past regarding what documents need to be in place before training commences on any Driven Machinery as stated in the Driven Machinery Regulations (DMR).

Below is an excerpt from the DMR highlighting all the issues around this.

THE DRIVEN MACHINERY REGULATIONS 18(11) PARAGRAPH 9.2  and 9.3 of the

NATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 85 OF 1993 states:

“9.2 Before commencing training or re-certification training every learner shall provide the accredited training provider with the following:

a.     A declaration or certificate from the employer confirming the medical fitness of the learner to undergo the intended training;

b.     Eye test results issued by a person trained to carry out such tests, confirming that the learner has adequate day and night vision, and depth perception (e.g. Purdue University standard vision test No. 3): Provided that a valid Professional Driver's Permit can also be accepted in lieu of the eye test results; and

c.     Shall wear the required personal protective equipment as prescribed by the employer under the General Safety Regulation 2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

9.3  All new entrants intended under this code will be required to hold at least a General Education and Training Certificate, Grade 7 and must be at least 18 years of age.”

So there you have it. All the delegates being booked on any of our classes that invlove any machine as stated in the DMR, needs to abide by the terms stated above.

For all your course bookings, feel free to contact one our Client Service Agents on 086 100 7742 oe email skills@srg.co.za.

Safety in the Warehouse

All warehouses contain different types of goods, materials and equipment, which operate in different ways too. Safety meetings must be conducted focusing on Occupational Health & Safety standards and regulations. This helps refresh the knowledge the workers gained from their Safety Training and reinforces the safety of workers in the warehouse.

Here are some of the topics to be discussed:


Heavy Lifting Equipment/Driven Machinery

Such equipment includes Fokrlifts, lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, cranes, etc. It is important to ensure that all operators are legally trained and licenced and are aware of the safe operations of the equipment and of the people working around them.


Material Handling and Storage

All workers need to be trained on the safe handling and storage of goods and materials within the warehouse. If the mwarehouse makes use of any hazardous/dangerous materials, all workers handling and transporting such goods needs to be legally trained and licenced as well as made aware of procedures in cases of emergency.


Walking and Working Areas 

Warehouses run a high risk of having debris/obstructions in walkways within storage areas. It is therefore important to ensure that housekeeping policies are put in place and that all workers are trained on and adhere to such policies.


Personal Protective Equipment

Warehouse Safety Meetings is the perfect time to review the regulations for personal protective equipment and to ensure that each worker has the necessary equipment to protect his body. Any damaged or worn-down PPE should be replaced immediately. Make sure all workers know how, when and where to use the correct PPE as required, as well as when return PPE for replacement.


If you have identified any training requirements within your warehouse based on the topics discussed above and require a quote or further assistance, feel free to contact one of our Client Service Agents by calling 086 100 7742 or emailing skills@srg.co.za.

5 Key Elements of Training Employees on Safety

Workplace safety policies are not only designed to ensure that your company complies with national laws, but also allow employees to perform their jobs in a stable work environment. When you train employees on safety, there are five key elements that you should always cover.

PROCEDURES

When your employees know what procedures to follow in an emergency, they can act efficiently to prevent injury and property damage.

Procedures to include would be:

• Procedures for reporting potential safety violations;
• Phone numbers to call in an emergency;
• Different safety signs;
• Emergency alarms & how to respond to them.

EVACUATION

If a building needs to be evacuated in any case of emergency, it puts all employee lives at risk. It is therefore important to focus a little more attention on Building Evacuation.

Each department needs to be trained on its escape route out of the building, how to respond when an evacuation is called for and what process to follow once outside the building.

Remember to designate a safe Emergency Meeting Point outside the building and to develop policies to account for all employees once the building has been evacuated.

IDENTIFICATION

Workplace safety involves any activity that runs the risk of bringing harm to employees. Sexual harassment, physical intimidation, suspicious activity from visitors & fellow employees, verbal & substance abuse are all elements of workplace safety that employees should be familiar with and be able to identify.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

All employees need to understand their personal responsibility to workplace safety as well as the group's responsibility. Each employee should keep his/her work area free from obstructions that can cause accidents. When an employee sees obstructions in the hallway that can cause safety issues, they should either clear the obstructions if they are able to do so safely, or report the obstruction to their manager.

IMPACT

Highlight the importance of workplace safety by emphasizing the impact of time-lost accidents on the company. Show employees how much time-lost accidents cost the company in financial terms in the past, and how those losses affected the company's ability to give raises or hire new employees. This is an important aspect of employee safety training because it helps employees put safety into context of their own financial gain and the future stability of the company.


According to the Occupational Health & Safety Act and  Regulations, there needs to be specific Safety training in place to ensure that you are compliant. For more information and assistance with this, call one of our helpful Client Service Agents on 086 100 7742 or e-mail on skills@srg.co.za.

It's July!

A little motivational from our Training Division Manager, Dalwyn Diesel-Reynolds:

It has been said, that at the brink of death, one’s life flashes before their eyes. Kids, parents, childhood, choices, and work will be all that comforts you when your spirit checks out for the last time.

We, as human beings trying to survive in this world, spend so much time focused on the present, and the future, that we forget to reflect on the past. Neglecting life’s hard little teachings taught to us when we made calculated errors in judgment and choice.

Can any one of us truly say, “ok, I’ve done all I’ve wanted to do and achieved the best I could’ve done! Now lay me to rest"

We base our decisions on what we need now, rather than what will best tomorrow. Choosing to eat those delicious chocolates today, but cursing that decision when the belt had to be loosened for the ever widening waist line.

No one ever thinks of that day, but that day will come. When we will face our past again, stare it straight the face, and await it’s judgment.

How would you react?

A shake of the hand and a pat on the shoulder, with “Well done friend, we did it!” or would it be greeted with a shameful stare to the ground, with a “I’m so sorry, I wish I had another chance!”

Take a second to let that marinade in your thoughts a bit.

Now, right now, we all sit with the good and bad choices we’ve made, the happiness and sorrow we’ve been given and discovered.

And there’s nothing to do with it other than to reflect and learn.

Self-pity and depression must end, and optimism and positivity must take over.

We all sit at different places in the paths of our lives, but right now, all of us have come together in the twist and turns of life’s journeys.

It falls upon us, and only us, to make a success of what we have before us. To form a bond and friendship in the light of a single goal.

To take what we have been given, and make it blossom in the memories of our soon to be past and the ever so charming future.

To work together in unity and excellence, so that one day we can lift our fingers into the air and say, “I was a part of that group!”.

That group everyone will remember as being the best of the best. The group who prided itself as they walked victoriously down the road to success.

The group everyone will whisper to each other in awe and amasement...

the Skills Resource Group.

The Importance of Housekeeping

When it comes to safety in the workplace, house keeping is a MAJOR issue!

As a result of a "that's not my job" or "I didn't do it, let somebody else fix it" mentality, hazards are being purposely overlooked too often.
 Not only is House Keeping important to you and your fellow employees, but also to your family, friends, and clients who visit your workplace.

With all of the rain we’ve had recently in the Western Cape, wet surfaces are a major House Keeping hazard, and need to be addressed immediately.

Consider this scenario: After a particularly heavy downpour, water has leaked through the ceiling creating a miniature swimming pool in the middle of the factory where you work. You’ve arrived early before anyone else only to discover the mess...

Being a safety conscious individual you follow the steps involved with dealing with a hazard:

1. Assess the Hazard.
   Which you have; there is water on the floor in the factory in an area where people work and will more than likely slip. There are also lights in that part of the ceiling and therefore there could quite possibly be wet wiring.
   
   
2. Find and Implement Solutions to those Hazards.
   Switch off the lights to avoid any possible electrical damage. It is still early and with no one around to help you, but aware that someone may arrive at any moment, you throw a towel down over the puddle to highlight it’s existance, while you go find a mop and bucket to clean up.
   
   As you are mopping up the water and drying the floor, other employees start to arrive. One of your fellow employees offers to contact the Factory Manager to deal with the possible damaged ceiling and wiring.
   
   
3. Assess whether the Solutions have Eliminated/Reduced the Hazard.
   Floor is now dry and someone qualified to deal with the ceiling and electrical wiring is on their way. However, you notice there is still a slow drip coming from the ceiling.
   
   
4. If a risk to Health and Safety still remains, Implement Sound Work Procedures, in depth training, and use PPE to further reduce the Hazard.
   Put up an appropriate sign notifying everyone that the floor is wet and slippery. Send a memo round to staff asking them to please take care. Place a bucket with a towel underneath to catch the drips.
   
   
5. Conduct Regular Inspections for other Hazards and for further improving existing solutions.
   Keep a copy of the Maintenance Report after the ceiling has been fixed and electrical wiring given the ok. You decide that a thick, course mat placed at that particular entrance would be a great idea, as it often becomes slippery when people enter from outside with wet shoes. Forward all your suggestions onto management. Keep a record of all the steps taken to fix the hazard and suggestions to reduce any future risk.

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and a hazard efficiently dealt with.

With all of this in mind, it is up to you to ensure that you create a safe, hazard-free work environment. And to help you become and stay a Safety concious individual, SKILLS has an entire range of Safety Training Courses for you to attend.

No matter what our jobs are: IT, Janitor, Engineer, Accountant, Receptionist…

We are ALL responsible for a safe workplace and House Keeping is a major part of that.