1) The document provides tips for safely completing fall yard work and home maintenance tasks such as storing patio furniture, changing smoke detector batteries, raking leaves, and cleaning gutters. 2) It also discusses guidelines for safely lifting objects to prevent back injuries, including bending at the knees, keeping loads close to the body, and avoiding twisting. 3) Finally, it provides safety tips for using escalators such as holding handrails, facing forward, and ensuring children's shoes are tied to avoid entrapments.

1. Think Abel – Think Safety
PEO Services
Fall 2008
Autumn Again... PREVENTING BACK INJURIES
Can you believe it is that time of the This topic has been discussed in great ment, and you essentially take away the
year again? Weren’t we just talking detail in and around workplace safety lever principle forces. Instead of using
about spring clean up? meetings for many years. At some point your back like a crane, you allow your
Here are some tips and reminders to in our lives we all have had or will expe- legs to do the work.
help say goodbye to summer, get safely rience some kind of a back injury either Raise/Lower Shelves – The best zone
through the fall clean up, and ready for at home or at work. Although we talk for lifting is between your shoulders and
the holiday season: about it often in safety meetings, the your waist. Put heavier objects on
common practice of safe lifting tech- shelves at waist level, lighter objects on
l Clean and store patio furniture,
niques is often left in the back of our lower or higher shelves.
umbrellas and children’s summer
minds for a short time after the training
toys. Drain and store garden hoses. Use a Cart – to move objects, instead of
class. Having a constant awareness of the
Install insulating covers on exterior carrying them.
possible risks that occur during any kind
spigots and prepare sprinkler systems
of lifting can only remind you to follow Follow these steps when lifting:
for the winter.
the proper procedures to ensure an injury 1. Take a balanced stance with your feet
l Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 am cannot occur. You are the only one that about a shoulder-width apart.
on November 2, 2008. This is a can PREVENT A BACK INJURY!!!!!!
good day to change the batteries in 2. Squat down to lift the
your smoke and carbon monoxide One point I have heard in training ses- object, but keep your
detectors. sions is that many people believe back heels off the floor. Get
injuries happen only when lifting heavy as close to the object as
l Raking leaves is one of those tasks objects. Well, ask anyone who has had a
not many of us can avoid. If you use a back injury and they will tell you that you can.
good sturdy rake and make short 3. Use your palms (not
statement is FAR from the truth. Being a
sweeps, you should make the most of safety consultant does not exclude me just your fingers) to get THE RIGHT WAY
the effort you exert. Raking the leaves from the same problems that can affect a secure grip on the
into small piles and then raking the load. Make sure you'll be able to main-
everyone else and I can assure you that
small piles into larger ones will also tain a hold on the object without
even the slightest wrong movement when
help take care of the job. Remember switching your grip later.
lifting will, as they say
to check with your town or city offi- “throw out your back”. 4. Lift gradually (without jerking) using
cials to find out when leaf pick up day Hopefully the following your leg, abdominal and buttock mus-
is in your area so you are prepared to simple guidelines will help cles and keeping the load as close to
get rid of all of those leaves. you develop good lifting you as possible. Keep your chin tucked
l Clear gutters and downspouts of habits that will reduce any in so as to keep a relatively straight
debris. strain placed upon the back and neck line.
l Have chimneys and flues inspected back while lifting. THE WRONG WAY 5. Once you're standing, change direc-
and cleaned if necessary. Avoid Lifting and Bending Whenever tions by pointing your feet in the direc-
l Schedule a fall furnace inspection and You Can – You can't always avoid lift- tion you want to go and turning your
cleaning; replace humidifier elements ing, but there are ways to reduce the whole body. Avoid twisting at your
before the heating season begins. amount of pressure placed on the back waist while carrying a load.
Now that all the chores are done, sit when you do so. By bending the knees, 6. When you put a load down, use these
down, relax and ENJOY the holidays! you keep your spine in a better align- same guidelines in reverse.

2. Know the Steps to Safety When Using Escalators How hard it was to
Each year the ride between floors is made easier when an estimated 90 billion riders
use an escalator. Although most of those rides are without incident, there were get a cookie!
approximately 11,000 escalator related injuries in 2007. The majority of these injuries When you were a little kid, do you
are from falls but 10% occur when hands, feet or shoes are trapped in escalators. remember how hard it was to get a
The most common entrapment is to the foot. Soft-sided shoes are the most likely cookie?
to get stuck and pose the possibility of injury to the rider. Of 77 entrapment inci- They were kept way in the back of
dents reported to Consumer Product Safety Commission since January 2006, the cupboard or if your mom was
about half resulted in injury. All but 2 of the incidents involved popular soft-sided really mean they'd be on top of the
flexible clogs and slides. refrigerator.
Some steps to take to prevent escalator injuries: Nowhere on the package of Oreos
Make sure shoes are tied before getting on an escalator. does it say, "Keep out of reach of
Stand in the center of the step and be sure to step off of small children."
the escalator at the end of your ride. Where was the Liquid Drano?
Always hold children's hands on escalators and do not Under the sink, right next to the rest
permit children to sit or play on the steps. of the poisons.
Do not bring children onto escalators in strollers, walkers, or carts.
Always face forward and hold the handrail.
RIDDLE: What belongs to
Avoid the sides of steps where entrapment can occur.
you but others use it more
Learn where the emergency shutoff buttons are in case you need to
stop the escalator. than you do?
Extracted from US Consumer Product Safety Commission - May 13, 2008 - Web site at www.cpsc.gov. (find the answer upside down
at the bottom of this page)
All Toys are NOT for All Children
Keep toys designed for older children immediately. Here are some things to injury. Check to be sure the tips are
out of the hands of little ones. Follow look for: secure. Avoid those dart guns or other
labels that give age SHARP EDGES – New toys intended for toys which might be capable of firing
recommendations. children under 8 years of age should articles not intended for use in the toy,
Some toys are rec- be free of sharp glass and metal edges. such as pencils or nails.
ommended for older With use, however, older toys may ELECTRIC TOYS – Electric toys with
children because they break, exposing cutting edges. heating elements are recommended only
may be hazardous in the SHARP POINTS – Toys which have for children over 8 years old. Children
hands of a younger child. Teach older been broken may have dangerous should be taught to use electric toys
children to help keep their toys away points or prongs. Stuffed toys may properly, cautiously and under adult
from younger brothers and sisters. have wires inside the toy which could supervision.
BUYING TOYS – Be a label reader. Look cut or stab if exposed.
STORING TOYS – Teach children to put
for and heed age recommendations, SMALL PARTS – Older toys can break their toys away on shelves or in a toy
such as "Not recommended for children to reveal parts small enough to be chest after playing.
under 3". Look for other safety labels swallowed or to become lodged in a
including: "Flame retardant or Flame child's windpipe, ears or nose. TOY RESPONSIBILITY – Protecting chil-
resistant" on fabric products and dren from unsafe toys is the responsi-
PROPELLED OBJECTS – Projectiles – bility of everyone. Careful toy selection
"Washable or hygienic materials" on guided missiles and similar flying toys
stuffed toys. and proper supervision of children at
– can be turned into weapons and can play is still – and always will be – the
MAINTAINING TOYS – Check all toys injure eyes in particular. Arrows or best way to protect children from toy-
periodically for breakage and potential darts used by children should have soft related injuries.
hazards. A damaged or dangerous toy cork tips, rubber suction cups or other
Extracted from the US Consumer Product Safety
should be thrown away or repaired protective tips intended to prevent Commission's document #4281.
RIDDLE ANSWER: Your name
2 Corporate Drive, Cranbury, New Jersey, 08512-3604
t: 609-860-0400 f: 609-860-0440 safety@ThinkAbel.com www.ThinkAbel.com