1. New Year, Same Focus: Safety
3,137,160 Incident Free Man-Hours
Current EMR .66% & TRIR .00%
Sentinel Integrity Solutions
Monthly Newsletter of Health & Safety
ISSUE 06 JANUARY 2017
The January Monthly Newsletter of Health and Safety is focusing on cold weather
safety, highlighting the importance of planning ahead, and reviewing the signifi-
cance of safety meetings. The purpose of focusing on cold weather safety is to
prepare our employees for the colder months approaching by providing safety
tips to use at work and at home. The intent of highlighting the importance of
planning ahead is to remind employees to be proactive about renewing their
required materials. The reason we are concentrating on the purpose of safety
meetings is to remind employees that their participation is vital. Safety meetings
create an opportunity for a group discussion to relay safety concerns, news, and
tips.
The month’s issue is also highlighting teamwork. As mentioned before, Sentinel
implements a true team oriented approach to managing its inspection teams.
Our employees are the frontline to sustaining our Health and Safety Culture. If
you have a topic request or any feedback towards the newsletter, please contact
our Safety Director, Mike Anderson or our Safety Assistant, Sarah Jacot. We
thrive to provide a newsletter that will provide managers, inspection profession-
als, and administrators with tips, news, and advice to help improve the health
and safety culture of our company and industry.
TEAMWORK
A "team" consists of two or more
individuals engaged in an activity to
reach a common goal. When we
think of "teamwork" it is usually in
the context of completing a task or a
job together.
Working together on the job has
many benefits; physically helping
each other distributes the work load,
increases productivity and reduces
the risk of injury.
Studies have shown that the effec-
tiveness of a team increases with the
social familiarity of the team mem-
bers. The more you know and like
someone the more you are able to
trust and count on them. You get to
know their skills, capabilities and
weaknesses as they get to know
yours.
The key to working together effec-
tively and efficiently is to offset the
weaknesses with each other's
strengths.

2. Top 10 Red Cross
Cold Weather Safety
Tips
As temperatures drop this winter, the
American Red Cross offers ten steps
people can take to stay safe during the
cold weather.
1. Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight
clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat
will help prevent losing your body heat.
2. Don’t forget your furry
friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t
come inside, make sure they have
enough shelter to keep them warm and
that they can get to unfrozen water.
3. Remember the three feet rule. If
you are using a space heater, place it
on a level, hard surface and keep any-
thing flammable at least three feet away
– things such as paper, clothing, bed-
ding, curtains or rugs.
4. Requires supervision – Turn off
space heaters and make sure fireplace
embers are out before leaving the room
or going to bed.
5. Don’t catch fire! If you are using a
fireplace, use a glass or metal fire
screen large enough to catch sparks
and rolling logs.
6. Protect your pipes. Run water, even
at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes
from freezing. Open the kitchen and
bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer
air to circulate around the plumbing. Be
sure to move any harmful cleaners and
household chemicals out of the reach of
children. Keep the garage doors closed
if there are water lines in the garage.
7. Better safe than sorry. Keep the
thermostat at the same temperature day
and night. Your heating bill may be a
little higher, but you could avoid a more
costly repair job if your pipes freeze and
burst.
8. The kitchen is for cooking. Never
use a stove or oven to heat your home.
9. Use generators outside. Never op-
erate a generator inside the home, in-
cluding in the basement or garage.
10. Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a
generator up to the home’s wiring. The
safest thing to do is to connect the
equipment you want to power directly to
the outlets on the generator.
Health & Safety Department News
Sentinel has one of the best safety records in our industry!
Networking Safety
PPE doesn’t last forever.
- There is no legislation or Code of Prac-
tice stating the life expectancy of any PPE. In
general it is recommended you follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions. The manufacturer must
give the obsolescence deadline or period of ob-
solescence of PPE or its components. The date of
obsolescence is the date from which the PPE
becomes useless for its intended use or is no
longer fit for its purpose.
- The manufacturer must provide all information necessary so that the user
can determine a reasonable period of obsolescence. However, the manufacturer is
not obliged to affix the date of manufacture on the product or on the instructions
for use, although some may do this.
- In general, manufacturers do give
information on how to identify the “end of
life”, a limiting date of use or a maximum
service time.
TWIC Cards Expire
- Generally, TWICs remain valid for five years, unless renewed before the
five-year term ends. Upon renewal, an applicant receives a new credential and the
old credential is invalidated in the TSA System.
- You can start renewing your TWIC Card 60 days before your TWIC expira-
tion date.
- You can schedule an appointment online through their website or call
(855) 347-8371 weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
Safety Training
- Multiple turnarounds are scheduled to begin soon, be proactive and veri-
fy your safety training is not scheduled to ex-
pire soon. If you have down time between jobs
and know you need more safety training, con-
tact the Safety Department to schedule your
courses.
Our December Safety Statistics
0 OSHA RECORDABLES
0 LOSS TIME
0 FIRST AID
0 NEAR MISSES
Safety Contact Info:
Mike Anderson
Corporate Safety Director
manderson@sentinelintegrity.com
281-457-2225 ext. 307
Sarah Jacot
Safety Assistant/Coordinator
sjacot@sentinelintegrity.com
281-457-2225 ext. 389
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing
to fail.” -Ben Franklin

3. OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS
Flu, cold, or allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, coughing, or a gen-
eral achy feeling, can incapacitate some people to the point that they must stay
home to recover. Others push on because they have deadlines to meet, no sick pay,
or feel the company will fall apart without them. These people very likely take what-
ever over-the-counter medicines they feel are necessary to alleviate the discomfort
of their symptoms.
The typical "cold medications" are antihistamines or decongestants or a combina-
tion of both. Unfortunately, the side effects of these drugs can be dangerous de-
pending on the use and dosage. Many non-prescription drugs cause drowsiness,
inattentiveness, or impair one's ability to concentrate or make decisions, drive a car,
operate machinery, and can slow down your reflexes to some degree.
If you really can't stay home when you are sick, and must take over-the-counter medica-
tions, keep these rules in mind:
Follow recommended dosages: Twice the dosage won't make you feel twice as good
but will make you more drowsy and less able to concentrate. Contrary to popular belief,
doubling the dose does not double the relief. Doubling the dosage markedly increases
the potential side effects without making a big difference in the symptoms you are try-
ing to alleviate. The dosage on the package is effective and should be followed.
Don't use combination medicines: If you need a decongestant, take a decongestant. If
an antihistamine is needed, take one, but avoid multi-ingredient products.
Don't mix over-the-counter medications or use along with prescription drugs: The side
effects of mixing different medications can be severe and are often unpredictable. Indi-
viduals who are already on prescription medication should check with their doctor or
pharmacist before mixing prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Read the label: Many over-the-counter medicines have warnings about such things as
operating machinery, driving, and drinking alcohol when taking the medication. Believe
the label warnings as they are there for one reason, your safety. Ignoring these warn-
ings can make the effects of over-the-counter drugs even more pronounced, and poten-
tially dangerous.
Find something that works and stick with it: Don't change remedies every few days.
Side effects usually diminish after a week or so of use. Try new medications over the
weekend, so if side effects do occur, they won't jeopardize your safety.
Don't underestimate the dangers that over-the-counter medications can
cause to your safety.
Be Prepared to Stay
Safe and Healthy in
Winter
Although winter comes as no surprise,
many of us are not ready for its arrival.
If you are prepared for the hazards of
winter, you will be more likely to stay
safe and healthy when temperatures
start to fall.
Take These Steps for Your Home
Many people prefer to remain indoors
in the winter, but staying inside is no
guarantee of safety. Take these steps
to keep your home safe and warm
during the winter months.
- Winterize your home.
- Install weather stripping, insulation, and
storm windows.
- Insulate water lines that run along exteri-
or walls.
- Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
heck your heating systems.
- Have your heating system serviced pro-
fessionally to make sure that it is clean,
working properly, and ventilated to the
outside.
- Inspect and clean fireplaces and chim-
neys.
Install a smoke detector.
- Test batteries monthly and replace them
twice a year.
- Have a safe alternate heating source and
alternate fuels available.
Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergen-
cies.
-Install a CO detector to alert you of the
presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless
gas.
-Check batteries when you change your
clocks in the fall and spring.
-Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: head-
ache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach,
vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

4. WHY DO WE HAVE SAFETY MEETINGS?
Sentinel Integrity Solutions, Inc.
Why do we have safety meetings? Safety meetings are an opportunity for management and your safety department to com-
municate to employees how they can do their jobs safer and better. Topics discussed in safety meetings may be topics that
you are familiar with, or topics that you have limited knowledge about. If the topic is something that your are familiar with,
it may be easy to tune-out and not listen to the safety information presented. Do yourself a big favor and listen to the infor-
mation as if you have never heard before. You may just learn something new, about the newest protective equipment, or a
smarter way to do your job. Information passed on in a safety meeting has a purpose…..To stop you or your co-worker from
being injured. Safety meetings also allow employees an opportunity to relay safety / health concerns or improvement ideas
to their supervisors.
Accidents result from unsafe acts or unsafe conditions. For a variety of reasons, unsafe acts typically account for 90% of all
accidents, according to some experts. Safety meetings serve as a preventative measure against unsafe acts by educating em-
ployees on how they can do their job safely.
If you're still not sold. let's look at the potential cost of accidents. More specifically, how can accidents directly affect you?!
1. DEATH- The ultimate unwanted result. Where does this leave your loved ones?
2. FINANCIAL COST- Lost pay or reduction in pay. Who pays the bills? Are you the sole income producer in your household?
3. PAIN & SUFFERING- An obvious detriment that no one desires.
4. DISABILITY- A life changing experience. Now you're not able to do what you use to do.Maybe now you can't cast that
fishing rod? Ride that bike, hug your wife, lift your child, or simply see? Or perhaps you're confined to a wheelchair.
Good bye career.
5. YOUR CO-WORKERS SAFETY- Perhaps you and your co-worker have been working together for sometime now. Chances
are you may spend as much time with your co-workers than possibly your own fami-
ly. Thus, you obviously do not want something bad to happen to them. Watch out
for their safety too.
Safety meetings are a perfect opportunity for you to communicate any safety ideas or
concerns that you may have. Participate in your safety meetings. If you don't participate
then your ideas will not be heard. Who knows, the idea that you have may very well
save your co-worker's life or even your own!
Houston
6606 Miller Road 2
Houston, Texas 77049
(281) 457-2225
Louisiana
1954 West Shore Avenue
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
(225) 421-8640
Corpus Christi
3038 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78408
(361) 887-2014