Marijuana Use in the Workplace: 7 Things Employers Need to Know For industries that have a zero-tolerance policy, marijuana impairment isn't the issue — use is. Marijuana use in the workplace isn't going to disappear anytime soon, either. Thirty states have legalized medical marijuana and nine of these have also legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Other states are considering legalization, while Canada is set to legalize marijuana in October 2018. A recent Pew Research study revealed that 61 percent of Americans now support the legalization of marijuana – double the percentage who supported legalization in 2000. This raises complex issues for employees around both testing and tolerance. Here we answer some of key questions around marijuana in the workplace. Are Medical Marijuana Users Protected by the ADA? No, because marijuana – even medically prescribed marijuana – is still considered to be a Schedule 1 narcotic under federal law. Users are not protected by the American Disabilities Act (ADA), but they are protected against discrimination by some state laws. Can I Ban Marijuana Use at My Work Site? That depends. For Department of Transportation (DOT) governed employers the answer is simple: Yes. Marijuana use, either on the job or off, is prohibited for DOT-governed employees.   Federal contractors also must abide by the Federal Drug-free Workplace Act or risk losing out on federal contracts. Employees in safety sensitive positions must not be impaired at work by any substance, whether it is illegal or legally prescribed. For other employees the answer is less clear. In some states it is possible to ban marijuana use for workers whether they are on-duty or off. Even in most states that have legalized medical marijuana, it's often still possible for an employer to ban or restrict its use. But case law continues to evolve, and legal advice specific to your state and situation is your best protection. What Does Current Case Law Say? Although a recent California federal district court reaffirmed that an employer has the right to discipline employees — even when a physician has prescribed marijuana — other judgements have drifted in the opposite direction. A 2017 case in Massachusetts ruled against an employer who fired an employee over the use of medical marijuana concluding that the employer should have tried to find ways to accommodate the employee. In 2017, a Rhode Island court ruled against an employer who had refused to hire a job applicant over the applicant's medical marijuana use, while a Connecticut court made a similar ruling against another employer. What Are the Regulations Around Testing for Marijuana? All DOT regulated employees are regularly tested for marijuana use. Detection of the drug alone is enough to warrant termination, suspension or other consequences. Other employers can also choose to test for marijuana but should have implemented a clear policy that outlines both the testing procedures and consequences if an employee is found to be using the drug. Outside DOT, the same rules surround medical marijuana testing that exist for other medically prescribed pharmaceuticals. This includes requirements for the Medical Review Officer to request information and assertions from the prescribing physician that the employee can still perform his or her job safely along with other reporting requirements. What Do I Need to Know About Marijuana and Potential Safety Issues? Marijuana use has been linked to a variety of risk factors in the workplace, including decreased cognitive abilities and daytime sleepiness. More worrisome for employers, numerous studies have also linked increases in workplace injury to marijuana use. One of these studies on a group of workers who had tested positive for marijuana use in a pre-employment drug test found that they had 55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more injuries, and a 75 percent higher absentee rate than those who had tested negative. The effects of marijuana can also last several days. Additional studies concluded that two days after smoking marijuana cigarettes, participants in another study remained impaired on arithmetic and recall tasks. What is Marijuana Impairment? Unfortunately, impairment is the issue for some industries, and there is no accurate way to tell if someone is currently impaired or if they simply used marijuana during personal time days ago. Marijuana impairment is difficult to judge, particularly by assessing the amount consumed. Unlike alcohol, which has an easily identifiable alcohol content, the amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana — can vary widely. In fact, the THC levels. for street marijuana have increased from 3 percent in the 1980s to 12 percent in 2012. 5 ng/mL of THC (detected via oral fluid testing) is the often-quoted level indicating impairment and is used by law enforcement in several states, but it is imprecise. In fact, while 5 ng/ML might confirm impairment, levels below that don't always translate to sobriety. A variety of factors, including the method of ingestion and patterns of use, can affect the impairment levels of users. Casual and chronic users vary widely in their tolerance for marijuana, and for levels ranging from 2 to 5 ng/ML, casual users are likely to be impaired while chronic users may be impaired. Urinalysis can detect marijuana that has been in the system for several weeks, which doesn't necessarily equate to impairment. Blood testing is considered more accurate for tests related to impairment. What Should Employers Do About Marijuana in the Workplace? If your state has (or is) considered legalizing medical or recreational marijuana, here are some things you can do to mitigate potential concerns and risks in your workplace. First, make a list of all safety sensitive and non-safety sensitive positions in your company. Having this list in place from the start makes it easier to apply and defend any restrictive policies. Draft a company policy that clearly outlines testing, penalties, and any accommodations you are willing to offer for users of marijuana and medical marijuana. Include policies regarding off-site use of marijuana and medical marijuana. Create clear policies and procedures for supervisors advising them on identifying and acting on potential marijuana impairment in your employees. Create an employee education program that includes the side effects of marijuana use and your company's policies regarding it. Offer the education program as part of your on-boarding and then review periodically with all staff. Have your legal team review your policies and procedures for compliance with the federal and state regulations that apply to your specific business. Your best protection is a clear company policy drafted after a careful review of state anti-discrimination laws and sound legal advice. John Hawes is the co-founder of WorkplaceTesting.com, an online resource for employment testing and employee wellness. He is also the CCO and co-founder of SureHire Occupational Health Testing and a former physical therapist. Posted on Jul 23, 2018

Understanding Cold and Heat Therapies Cold and heat are natural pain relievers, both of which work on the principle of heat exchange. Any cooler object placed in direct contact with a warmer object will absorb the heat of the warmer object. Pressure, or compression, increases the effect of cold or heat therapy. Cold restricts blood vessels and decreases circulation.  In an injury to muscles, the blood vessels in and around the injured tissues rush oxygenated blood, nutrients, and fluids to the area, thus causing immediate swelling. At the same time, the injured cells increase their metabolism in an effort to consume more oxygen to make repairs and remove carbon dioxide and metabolic waste in the healing process.  When oxygen within the cells is used up, the cells cease functioning and die, themselves becoming metabolic waste to be removed. Blood cells and fluid from the injured cells continue to seep into spaces around the muscle, which increases bruising and swelling. Cold lowers the temperature of the damaged tissue, thereby constricting blood vessels, which aids in slowing the buildup of fluids, which slows metabolism, which in turn slows oxygen consumption, resulting in a reduction of the rate of cell damage. Cold also numbs nociceptors, nerve endings that send pain-registering impulses to the brain, reducing pain. Because cold should be applied in 15-20-minute intervals, frozen gel packs work as well as ice packs.  Covering large areas is often more easily handled by frozen gel pads.  New injuries requiring cold therapy are best treated as soon after the injury as possible in 15-20-minute intervals for up to 48 hours, with the number of times administered depending on the severity of the injury. If an injury is red, swollen, or inflamed, cold therapy is applicable. Never use heat therapy on a red, swollen, or inflamed injury or in the case of visible skin damage. Applying heat to newly injured tissue will have the opposite effect of that in applying cold therapy by speeding up metabolism, increasing swelling, and increasing pain. Cold therapy works well for strains, sprains, bruises, bumps, arthritis, and other conditions that cause swelling within tissues. Heat dilates blood vessels and stimulates circulation.Heat causes blood vessels to expand, which increases blood flow to the injured area. This translates into an increase in oxygenated blood and the transfer of oxygen and more nutrients to the tissues at the same time as carbon dioxide and waste products are removed, thus speeding up cell recovery (i.e., healing). Heat also loosens up chemical bonds in muscles which allow the muscles to flex and contract more easily. As the muscles becomes more pliable, tightness, soreness, and pain slowly diminish. Muscle spasms may be caused by a lack of fluid in the cells. Because heat increases circulation, which increases fluids to the cells, heat therapy reduces muscle spasm and increases muscle elasticity, flexibility, and range of motion. It also decreases stiffness, sometimes called tightness, relaxes sore muscles, and increases comfort.  Muscle pain can also be caused by lactic acid build up in the muscle after exercise or over-exertion, from hormonal changes and fluid accumulation in muscle tissue associated with menstrual cramps, and from pressure from fluid buildup during lactation in nursing mothers. Heat receptors, called thermoreceptors, take priority over pain receptors when they are activated. The more activated the thermoreceptors, the greater their signal priority over pain receptors, resulting in pain signals being blocked. Moisture is a good heat transmitter and protects the skin from drying out, making moist heat therapy better in many instances than dry heat. Never use a moist towel with an electric heating pad. However, using a moist towel between a heated gel pad and the skin will give the best transfer of heat to the body. To prevent burns, people with poor skin sensation should not use heat therapy without knowing the temperature of the applied heat to be safe and should always apply heat with a cloth barrier between the heat pack and the skin. Iris Floyd holds a B.S. degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Louisiana State University and is a former athlete, teacher, and coach. Finding on-site solutions for treating overheated athletes has been a quest of hers for many years. She is also President & CEO of Comfort Innovations, LLC, an inventor, writer, and published author. She can be reached at 225-603-2477 or [email protected]. Posted on Jul 20, 2018

New EU-OSHA Campaign to Tackle the Issue of Dangerous Substances in the Workplace While many employers are aware of the dangers caused by insufficient safety precautions, such as those for preventing falls, trips, or burns, and try to improve the safeguarding against such accidents continuously, the real problem are unknown hazards. Occupational diseases, which are caused by exposure to physically harming substances, are far more common than one might think. Long-term consequences often visualize only after many years and therefore can slip fatality and injury statistics. As a result, there has been little effort in decreasing the threats dangerous substances pose to workers' health and safety. Seventeen percent of European workers report being exposed to chemicals for at least a quarter of their working time – a figure that hasn't changed since 2000. Now, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is taking steps to bring down the numbers of victims who suffer from illnesses and injuries related to the mistreatment of such substances in the workplace. What is a Dangerous Substance?When thinking of harmful substances in the workplace, chemicals such as asbestos, benzene, or azo dyes are well known for their cancer-causing effects. The exposure to carcinogens, for example, results in 80,000 deaths every year. Many substances, whether gas, liquid, or solid, can have harmful consequences on a person's health. Far more people are exposed to chemical or biological substances than commonly thought. Hair dye, spray paints, lacquer, or even seemingly harmless products such as flour can cause illnesses if consumed wrongly. Hazards in baking, for example, include longue diseases like asthma and even combustion and explosion. Reactions to other substances might range from skin allergies to irritations or burns to life-changing diseases that include cancer, leukemia, and brain defects. Not every person in contact with those substances will develop an illness; the likelihood always depends on a series of factors, such as the period of contact, preconditions, and many other variables difficult to determine. But the fact is that being exposed to harmful chemicals will increase the chances of permanently damaging effects. Many manufacturing jobs require the use of dangerous substances in the process; the textile and leather industry are known for using cancer-causing substances. According to EU-OSHA, 38 percent of European companies report using potentially dangerous substances. Banning Harmful ChemicalsNaturally, the EU is working on reducing the number of harmful substances used in the workplace. Laws constantly ban chemicals found to cause cancer to protect workers and consumers. The problem, however, is chemicals that aren't flagged as life threatening but might cause illnesses further down the line when exposed to regularly. Common potentially threatening substances, including ink, grain, and dust, are often overlooked. Biological agents can carry bacteria and fungus that causes skin diseases, dermatitis, and infections. If a substance is not labelled as life-threatening by EU standards, employers may choose to use the substance regardless. Other industries, such as construction or chemical cleaning, are notorious for their health risks. It becomes the business owner's responsibility to ensure that exposure stays within a healthy and maintainable amount and employees are completely protected from any harmful consequences contact might cause. How to Deal with Substances CorrectlyEvery workplace must provide an SDS (Safety Data Sheet) that gives qualified advice on how to handle hazards properly, including storage and disposal. The most important task should be to educate workers on which substances are potentially dangerous and why. The better the employee understands the chemical and what consequences it would have to their health if they didn't stick to the protocol, the more careful they will be. It goes without saying that any such training must be given by a competent and fully qualified person, including a risk assessment by a health and safety consultant. As the employee, any given information shouldn't be taken lightly but be questioned if unclear or insufficient. Safety equipment, protective clothing, and correct handling of machinery should always be a priority. If an accident happens, the employer will need to pay a fine, but the worker may be paying with his life. Therefore, never trust anyone with your health but yourself. The Healthy Workplaces CampaignEU-OSHA has just issued its new campaign, which aims to improve working conditions for those exposed to dangerous substances. It prompts employers, managers, and workers to start working with chemicals more responsibly, trying to decrease the number of victims of substance-related accidents at work. The agency's website gives insight into current challenges and provides help with common issues and access to many useful online tools. Scheduled to run for two years, the campaign is particularly looking to decrease the use of carcinogens, which are said to cause about 120,000 people to develop cancer annually. According to the HSE, 12,000 lung disease death each year are caused by past exposures at work. In 2015, 2,542 people in the UK died from mesothelioma, a lung cancer often linked to exposure to asbestos. In the interest of everyone, companies should strive to reduce these numbers and start building up a sustainable, healthy workplace now. Katharina Busch is a digital marketing consultant for Accuracast, a digital marketing agency in London, UK. https://www.accuracast.com/ Posted on Jul 16, 2018

How to Stay Safe on an HVAC Job: Key Tips Working as an HVAC professional in one of the heating and air conditioning companies, you must be feeling rewarded in your career choice. There are no doubts on that because you're able to solve other people's problems while enjoying a great salary. But while working in the exciting world of heating and cooling industry, you should also practice precautions to stay safe while on the job. As you will be exposed to a set of hazards, safety is big time in your profession. Keep reading and discover the top safety tips for your work. Take Time and Assess the Situation   Don't just dive into the job and get your hands on it. Instead, take the time and assess the situation to get it right and safely the first time. It will be better to stay safe than rush it and end up injured.  Taking the time and assessing the situation - this is how experienced heating and cooling companies work. Once you have your safety gear on, take a look around and assess the situation. Understanding how your work-in-progress schedule affects your company's outcome is imperative. You must check for the potential hazards, both on and around the heating and cooling system.  It will also be a good idea to know what problem you are working with because every HVAC job is unique. Put Your Safety FirstJust like in other industries, safety comes first in the heating and cooling industry. Consider it as the top priority. For example, you may have to work around harmful contaminants and debris, which you can inhale easily when repairing an air conditioner.  To protect yourself from pathogens, dusts, and other contaminants, which may lead to infection and disease, wear your protective gear, such as a respirator to ensure that you won't be inhaling contaminants. On the other hand, you should wear goggles to keep foreign objects away from your eyes. Also, you should put on gloves when handling objects, which can potentially cut your skin when handling them. You also need to know about the correct placement of ladders. Otherwise, wrongly placed ones can put your life in danger. That is why you should not hurry when setting up the ladder. You should also see to it that it extends at least a foot for every 3 feet of height to prevent you from falling backward. And then, you also have to know about electrical safety to prevent electrocution or electrical shocks. As you know, you are dealing with electrical equipment daily, and the risk of electrical shock is high when a water leak occurs. To prevent electrocution and equipment damage, you should turn off the main circuit breakers prior to working with the system. For additional help, you might want to watch safety videos tackling electrical safety for HVAC professionals. Don't Forget ChemicalsChemical safety is another top priority. As you may already know, you'll be in contact with a host of chemicals that can pose health hazards.  It is one of the reasons you should get yourself familiar with the substances that you're going to deal with so that you can handle them correctly. A few of the hazardous chemicals you may come in contact with on the job include cleaning liquids, refrigerants, and solvents. If you won't handle them properly, you might suffer from skin burn. And worse, some of these chemicals might explode and lead to serious injuries. To stay safe, you should know the proper procedures in handling, moving, and storing specific chemicals. Part of chemical safety is that you should not start working unless you're wearing complete protective gear, including safety glasses and gloves. Double Check Your Equipment The pros working at heating and cooling companies move from one project/job site to another. It's common and a part of their daily lives, so it is crucial to have the right tools and equipment for each of it. In addition, it is as important as taking some time to look over the condition of your equipment, which can make or break the job. Using broken or damaged equipment can be detrimental to both your job and health. So whether it is a wire stripper, a wrench, or a vacuum gauge, you must double-check them to ensure that you can complete the job safely and efficiently. For example, you should not work on a maintenance job without the right tools, or it may lead to accidents or injuries. You also should replace faulty tools to ensure you can perform the next job correctly. Nevertheless, you should do routine maintenance on the HVAC equipment to prevent using faulty ones that might lead to disasters on the job. Good heating and cooling companies implement safety training for their technicians to ensure that they're safe when dealing with electricity, chemicals, and other potential hazards on the job. Just as said, safety comes first – and it's better than to deal with potential accidents, injuries and equipment damage later. Armondo Mollindeo is the co-founder and CEO of Elite Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, which has been providing AC repairs and maintenance to Las Vegas residents since 2005. It is a full-service plumbing, heating, and air conditioning company with an extensive list of satisfied customers. At Elite, the team believes in earning our customers' trust with quality work, excellent customer service, and professionalism. (702) 263-2665, [email protected]. Posted on Jun 29, 2018

National Safety Month: Driving & Heavy Equipment Safety in Construction June is National Safety Month, which means it's a great time to reevaluate your company's current safety protocol. It's important to consider what we can do to maximize safety in the workplace and minimize the risk of injuries to both employees and guests. For the fourth week of June, the focus is on driving safety. We want to focus not solely on automobiles, but also on the variety of vehicles that are used on construction sites and in other labor-intensive workplaces -- including heavy machinery, trucks, and other large vehicles. Here are some things to consider if you're looking to fine-tune your company's safety plan for heavy machinery and vehicles. Heavy Machinery and Vehicles in ConstructionWe have construction workers to thank for virtually all of the physical structures of our society -- everything from our roads to our schools to our homes, businesses, and more. It's amazing how much our society has flourished since the industrial revolution, but the construction workers who have helped build our towns and cities also face some of the most dangerous working conditions in the country. The heavy machinery used to build construction projects is powerful and has the potential to inflict serious harm when an accident happens. This is why it's important for everyone working on a construction site to be aware of how to safely use pieces of heavy equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, forklifts, and more. Additionally, road safety needs to be stressed both for drivers who take heavy machinery on the road and for truck drivers transporting other types of construction equipment. How Common Are Heavy Machinery and Vehicle Accidents in Construction?The construction industry has some of the highest injury and fatality rates in the United States, and vehicles and heavy equipment are involved in many of these accidents. From 1992 to 2010, vehicles and mobile heavy equipment accounted for 7,681 construction worker deaths, or an average of about 404 per year. Workers at construction road sites are at a particularly high risk. Between 2008 and 2010, vehicles were involved in over half of the fatalities at these sites. This was double the proportion of vehicle deaths in the construction industry as a whole. The numbers paint a grim picture, but there are ways to greatly reduce the risk heavy machinery and construction vehicle accidents on your company's job sites. With the right planning, training, and maintenance routine, you can minimize the risk your contractors and laborers face on the job. Operating Heavy Machinery SafelyThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extensive guidelines for operating heavy equipment. Construction sites that closely follow these guidelines can expect to see reduced rates of accidents, injuries, and deaths. OSHA guidelines for heavy equipment include: Only trained employees are permitted to operate heavy equipment. Employees who have not been trained in the operation of such equipment may not even press the equipment's start button. Equipment must be stored properly. This includes covering blades, keeping brakes in the locked position, and having safety latches down. OSHA requires regular inspections of heavy equipment. Without regular inspections, underlying problems can easily go unnoticed and lead to accidents. Employees should be provided with all necessary safety gear. Safe Driving To and From Construction SitesConstruction workers aren't at risk only when they're on the job; traveling between sites and transporting equipment can pose a danger in and of itself, as these construction vehicles are at risk of being involved in accidents with other vehicles. While there's always the possibility of a negligent driver causing an avoidable accident, there are some safety principles to keep in mind for keeping construction vehicles and workers safe on the road: Keep a Safe Following Distance: This is important for all drivers, but even more for drivers of heavy equipment and trucks. Because of the heavy weight for these types of equipment, damage can be severe even in low-speed collisions. Keep a safe following distance so you can stop in time and minimize the risk of colliding with the back of another vehicle. Watch Your Rear: It's important for drivers of large vehicles and heavy equipment to remain constantly aware of what's going on behind them. Because these vehicles are usually moving at a slower pace, it's extremely common for other vehicles to grow impatient and attempt to pass them. Drivers should make sure to regularly check their rear-view mirror and make use of alert and warning systems such as turn signals, brake lights, and headlights. Plan Your Routes: The best way to minimize your risk of being involved in a traffic accident is to avoid traffic as much as possible. Planning transportation and delivery routes outside of rush hour (ideally early in the morning) means there is a far lesser risk of being involved in an accident. Certain types of roads are also safer -- interstate highways are the safest, while two-lane undivided highways are the most dangerous. Construction companies should regularly evaluate their safety programs and make sure they're covering all their bases. Companies that draft good safety plans and follow them closely can greatly reduce the risk their workers face on the job. Laurence Banville, Esq. is the managing partner and face of Banville Law, a personal injury law firm helping New York residents. Laurence is licensed to practice law in the state of New York. Originally from Ireland, Banville moved to the United States of America, where he worked at law firms, refining his litigation and brief writing crafts. He is also the recipient of the Irish Legal 100 and the Top 40 Under 40 awards. Posted on Jun 26, 2018

Six Essentials to Using Video for Safety Training While video content isn't a new concept for safety training, it's suffered the same fate as other content formats. Most videos pack in too much information, and since employees often only see it once or twice—at scheduled safety training events—they only remember bits and pieces afterwards. The consequence? When employees get back to their jobs, they don't apply what they've learned. This is why organizations are turning to a more effective approach that presents video content in short and focused bursts that are spaced out over time, with key concepts continuously tested and reinforced. Known as microlearning, this approach is proven to help employees learn and engage and better apply safety training on the job because it is mapped to the way people actually learn and retain information. For one manufacturer, employees log on to their microlearning platform either through kiosks in the breakroom or their mobile device to engage in short safety training videos. This includes watching a micro-video and answering three to five questions about safe work practices, while playing a fun game. Then, based on their answers, the platform intelligently identifies areas where each employee needs more knowledge and delivers learning to continuously fill those gaps, while reinforcing what they already knew. This approach helps the organization's employees improve long-term memory around safety topics and build additional knowledge over time. It also helps managers and supervisors identify where employees need coaching so they could give them the assistance they needed to be successful. Today, the manufacturer has seen a significant decrease in safety incidents. Also, positive work behaviors have created a corporate culture of safety. For organizations to move the needle and follow this approach, they need to not merely chop down their videos into smaller chunks, but rather consider these six essential components: 1. A focus on specific safety goals.The key to driving success with safety training videos, and microlearning, is to start with a set of very specific objectives (e.g. reduce ladder incidents by 50 percent). Often, organizations try to cram everything into one in-person safety training session and when they only have employees' eyes once, they tend to take a kitchen sink approach to content. Instead, employees are more likely to retain knowledge when organizations identify specific goals and address those topics one at a time. 2. Proven brain science techniques for ingraining information into memory.While bite-sized content is ideal for the brain to process, this isn't enough to make it stick. To ensure employees recall safety best practices at critical times it is important to combine microlearning videos with proven memory-building techniques, such as spacing, retrieval practice, and confidence-based assessment. Employees often get hurt at work because they develop shortcuts and bad habits over time. Brain science techniques help reduce these habits by consistently keeping the "correct way" top of mind. Spacing involves increasing the time between the first moment someone learns a concept and every subsequent repetition of the same concept. Retrieval practice uses questions to help the brain remember information. Confidence-based learning asks employees to rate their confidence in the correctness of their answer to a question. The act of asking people to think about their response, embeds information more deeply in the brain. 3. Personalized and adaptive learning on a continuous basis.The workforce is made up of multiple experience levels. Employees have different roles and therefore specific safety considerations. Given this, it doesn’t make sense to create one-size-fits-all videos and micro-content. To achieve the best results, videos should be served up through an adaptive microlearning platform that can identify what employees know or don't know, as well as how they are performing on the job on an ongoing basis. Then, learning can be presented automatically to target each employee's individual strengths and weaknesses. This allows employees to learn at their own pace and focus on building the safety knowledge they need to perform their jobs at an optimal level. 4. Gamified elements that are integrated into the learning experience.Bite-sized videos won’t benefit a safety program if no one takes the time to engage with them. For content to drive results, continuous participation is key. Incorporating multiple game mechanics—such as points, leaderboards, and peer competition—into the learning experience is a proven way to motivate employees to return time and time again. 5. Mobile accessibility for anytime, anywhere access.Today, many employees rely on their mobile devices for information and to stay connected. This is especially true for workers in remote settings, such as construction locations or delivery fleets. Microlearning is ideal for meeting the needs of a workforce that consists of both desk-based and deskless employees. Anyone can easily weave in a few minutes of quick, digestible chunks of video learning into their work day, no matter where they are. Not to mention, the whole experience also fits perfectly on a small mobile screen. 6. Reporting and analytics that tie learning to business results.While videos and microlearning offer an effective way to learn, they won't prove their value if they can't be tracked beyond a one-time test score and, more importantly, employees' specific behaviors. To really boost employee knowledge, it's essential to identify the safety training knowledge employees understand versus the information they're struggling with. Identify patterns and trends to adjust content to fill in knowledge gaps. By using data to close critical knowledge gaps, organizations can proactively keep people safe rather than waiting for an incident to occur. Carol Leaman is the CEO of Axonify. Posted on Jun 18, 2018

Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge Addresses Front Line Service Provider Risks in Toxic Opioid Exposure Research shows the growing risk of toxic opioid exposure for first responders, police, rescue crews and medical professionals as the opioid epidemic rages across the U.S. First responders arriving at the scene of a suspected drug overdose, law enforcement officers searching an area for illicit drugs, or medical professionals performing overdose reversal treatment, are often in danger of being exposed to toxic substances such as heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil or other synthetic and non-synthetic opioids. That's a critical problem as the opioid epidemic grows nationwide and with opioids now responsible for 1 in 5 deaths of young adults. Often these first responders have no way of quickly identifying the presence of dangerous substances, or any means to quickly and effectively protect themselves and others. Fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids can be absorbed through the skin or inadvertently inhaled in situations where drugs are disturbed and particles become airborne. These exposures place first responders at serious risk. In fact, the risk is so high that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), state police in Oregon, Arizona, Michigan and Missouri, and several big city departments have banned field testing to try to reduce exposure risk for their officers. With this in mind, the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge was launched, a three-phase, prize-based competition to find technology-based solutions that address or improve opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and overdose avoidance and response. The second phase of the challenge, ongoing now, consists of four challenge topics that address specific unmet needs – one of those topics seeks the development of technologies to protect first responders and medical professionals from inadvertent exposure to toxic opioid levels. Solutions could be those that assess a scene or patient to determine whether there is risk of exposure to toxic substances or act to protect themselves and others. These solutions could include ambient detection of opioid residue, medical prophylactics, or protective equipment, for example. Technology developers are invited to come forward and submit their solutions by July 11, 2018, to help uncover, promote, and support the development and deployment of these promising technologies. Up to 12 prize recipients will be announced in September 2018 and will receive $200,000 to advance their solutions. These semi-finalists will be eligible to compete in the final phase of the program, the Product Phase, to further develop their technology for market entry, and possibly win an additional $1 million prize. We hope this Challenge will help in protecting our first responders and medical professionals from inadvertent exposure to toxic opioid levels, and ultimately, in fighting this national opioid epidemic. Frank Tropper is Director of Global Programs for NineSigma. Posted on Jun 11, 2018

Changing Environments Spotlight Need for More Hearing Protection Research How many times a day do you think about your ears? If you're like most of us, the honest answer is: zero. Yet, in the workplace, in the home, and out in public, we're expecting our ears to perform like never before. At work, we just assume we'll be able to hear colleagues' voices, ringing phones, even fire-drill alarms. At home, we're being introduced to voice-activated devices that speak to us in soothing-but-earnest tones, answering our questions and playing our favorite songs on command. Out in public, we're treated to a cacophony of competing noises that we expect our ears to filter so we can decipher which ones deserve our immediate attention. Most of us accept the rising levels and increasing sources of noise around us as normal everyday life. Like the proverbial frog and the boiling pot of water, however, we are blissfully unaware of these noises' cumulative effects on our hearing — because we experience each noise-level increase incrementally. If we could beam ourselves Star Trek-style to a remote desert island, then come back an hour later, we would acutely feel the sudden rush of sounds swirling around us upon returning. Take a little noise inventory of your own sometime. Baristas are yelling orders over hissing cappuccino makers. Burrito makers are asking customers to pick their ingredients as loud music streams in the background. Food truck customers are shouting over traffic noise. Digital out-of-home media in convenience stores is blaring cable news or branded programming on TV screens. Airports are making garbled announcements from overhead speakers, while loudly beeping people-mover carts weave through crowds like salmon swimming upstream. Audiologists generally agree that we should wear hearing protection when we are exposed to sounds of 85 decibels (abbreviated as dB or dBA) or more. By way of comparison, the typical human voice is about 64 dBA. A leaf blower is about 90 dBA. A jackhammer is approximately 105 dBA. (Discover more examples at HearingAtWork.org, which also offers free ear plugs and links to noise-level apps.) In addition to the loudness of a noise, we need to pay attention to how much time we're exposed to it. For every 3 dBA increase above 85 dBA, the amount of time before hearing damage occurs is cut in half. Of course, for those of us who are just passing through these places, our exposure to all those decibels — the metric used to measure the volume level of a sound — might feel limited and somewhat within our own control. We can always walk out of the coffee shop or store if the noise level feels uncomfortable. But what about the people who can't simply walk out — the employees? New and novel work environments combined with a constantly evolving multicultural and multilingual workplace have created an obstacle course for occupational hearing. Human resources and safety specialists in large industrial work settings commonly know these facts about noise exposure, and usually provide hearing protection and appropriate worker training to minimize the risk of injury and hearing loss. Smaller companies with tighter budgets and less knowledge about hearing protection often have gaps in their policies and training. How does all that noise affect people at work? What does it do to their job performance, their mental focus, their communication ability? How does workplace noise affect the bottom line? Not even Alexa or Siri knows the answers to those questions. In fact, one of the things we know in the workplace safety and hearing protection communities is how much we don't know. We urgently need more research, because all of those questions — and others like them — are really important. Here are four key areas of research that would help industries and the hearing protection community deepen their understanding and ability to respond. Noise Impacts: What types and levels of noise are people exposed to at work and in their personal lives — paying particular attention to new occupations and work environments, as well as recent in-home technology changes — and how does exposure to all that new noise affect people? Hearing Loss Mechanisms: We need a deeper understanding about how the mechanisms of hearing loss work. For example, what sound frequencies and patterns of exposure put people at greater risk? There's a lot more awareness of how the sun's rays affect our skin than there is about how sound waves affect our hearing over the course of our lives. Chemicals: We know that certain chemicals and medications are "ototoxic" — physically harmful to ears and hearing. Common examples include aspirin, lead, and chemotherapy drugs. Cigarette smoking, too, since it deprives the body of oxygen and causes the inner ear to slowly suffocate. But we need a lot more knowledge about how various agents interact with the human ear. Prevention: First and foremost, ear plugs are the best line of defense against hearing loss. Researchers also tell us that, ironically, other chemicals can have a positive effect on our hearing by protecting our ears from hearing loss. For example, antioxidants in food may help protect our hearing. What dietary steps can we take to boost our hearing health? Audiologists and other hearing specialists no doubt would add to or refine that list. But my point is simple: More research is needed to advance society's knowledge about how our increasingly noisy world affects our hearing, and about how we can better protect this sense that enables us to enjoy and interact with one another and the world around us. Why do I care so much about hearing protection? Because I have hearing loss myself, and I know all too well that failing to appreciate, understand, and care for our hearing hastens the day when it permanently disappears and changes our lives forever. Charles D. Johnson is president of the International Safety Equipment Association and a passionate advocate for hearing protection. Posted on Jun 01, 2018

Safe and Legal Flying: A Drone Regulation Guide Drones have exploded in popularity thanks to their versatility and the growing accessibility of the devices, but numerous regulations enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration have prohibited their mass adoption. Regulations are extensive, and they include registering your drones; maintaining an altitude of less than 400 feet; following all FAA airspace restrictions; and avoiding other aircrafts, groups of people, and emergencies or disaster efforts. In addition, the blanket ban on flying drones out of eyesight of the user, known as the "line of sight rule," effectively prevents them from being used as delivery vehicles in potentially large commercial applications. Legal restrictions aside, there are other circumstances that prevent drone pilots from being able to fly safely. Heavy winds in excess of 25 mph are dangerous and can compromise photo quality and decrease battery life, as the motors are forced to compensate for wind gusts to maintain a steady position. Rain can also damage electronics, and the accumulation of water droplets on the lens of a drone's camera makes photography nearly impossible. Taking to the AirWhile regulations are largely responsible for keeping drones grounded, recent changes are helping the unmanned aerial vehicles take flight without the miles of red tape. The most significant change is the implementation of the Low Altitude and Authorization and Notification Capability program, which enables commercial drones to be quickly approved for use in a wide range of controlled airspaces. Previously, drone operators wanting to fly in any airspace controlled by an air traffic facility had to wait for approval per the FAA’s Part 107 small drone rule. This requirement has historically resulted in wait times of 90 days or more and proved to be a major obstacle to commercial drone operation. Now, drone pilots can use LAANC to get authorization almost immediately, allowing them to focus on flight plans while automatically keeping air traffic controllers aware of planned missions. One of the issues surrounding drone use is that technology has been advancing at a pace that doesn’t allow federal regulators to keep up, and requests for airspace restriction waivers have created a significant backlog. As the FAA looks for solutions to a problem that will no doubt continue to grow, automated systems will become essential. In the last four months of 2016, the FAA fielded more than 28,000 applications for the remote pilot in command certificate, and the agency was able to issue almost 23,000 certificates. Business Is BoomingIn January 2018, the number of drones registered with the FAA surpassed 1 million. According to the 2016 "FAA Aerospace Forecast," that number is expected to reach 7 million by 2020. When drone technology was just emerging, the media industry was one of the first in line to reap the benefits. The aerial perspective allowed by drones helps elevate cinematic storytelling, and movies, TV shows, advertisements, and news segments regularly feature drone footage today. The real estate market was also quick to utilize consumer-grade drones as a tool for producing high-resolution images and video for multiple listing services. The ability to stitch these images together and analyze them for data has also made drones invaluable to the mining and aggregates industry, and 3D mapping techniques based on photogrammetry help companies measure the volume of stockpiles in a much more cost-effective manner. The same procedures are implemented in the agricultural space to give farmers unique insights about their land and crops. In some circumstances, drones are even taking on roles in the public safety space. The Fayetteville Police Department in North Carolina has two drone units that take to the skies to help officers on the ground, whether they're searching for a missing person or trying to apprehend a suspect on the run. So far, the drone program has cost less than $100,000, while an entry-level helicopter program has a price tag of around $1.3 million. For health and safety professionals who are currently using or considering drone solutions, there are a couple important considerations to maintain safety and legality in UAV operations: 1. Observe the 3 RsMaintaining compliance with the regulations covered in FAA Part 107 is critical to a safe operation. That being said, don't abandon common sense — just because something isn't specifically prohibited by the FAA doesn't mean it's a good idea. Respect is also critical when flying your drone. Always ask for permission from clients or landowners, and be transparent about your intent to collect data. When in doubt, overcommunicate. Finally, practicing restraint means avoiding the temptation to multitask and keeping your drone grounded in dangerous situations involving high winds or inclement weather. Not only are these conditions unsafe, but they also put your drone in jeopardy and typically result in unusable image quality. 2. Promote a Safety-First CultureImplement standard operating procedures to establish a culture of safety and minimize accidents. Mitigating risk is about consistency and following safe practices on a daily basis without fail. In other words, it's not enough to simply establish procedures and rules; you have to "walk the walk." Safety requires you to maintain 360-degree awareness of your surroundings — a goal that takes effort and practice. Drone technology is constantly evolving, and it has the exciting capacity to change how certain tasks are performed. As it revolutionizes industries, it's important to keep safety top of mind. Flown carelessly, drones can be dangerous. But a methodical and consistent approach to safety will minimize accidents and maximize your return on investment. Lauren Elmore is the president of Firmatek, a leader in the mining, construction, and solid waste industries that specializes in using drones and data collection to solve problems related to inventory and stockpile measurement, mining and solid waste mapping, and construction and engineering work. She is also a Stanford University graduate with a degree in economics, and she was a member of the Stanford Women's Gymnastics team. Posted on May 31, 2018

The Do's and Don'ts of Dealing with Eye Accidents and Emergencies Eye injuries can be painful, expensive, and, in some cases, may invite blindness. So if you ever suffer an eye injury, taking appropriate measures until you receive emergency eye care will not only reduce the risk of partial or total blindness, but also help you protect your vision. Since you may not always be able to avoid eye accidents, knowing the do's and don'ts will keep you prepared to handle any emergency until you get to your eye doctor. When a Small Foreign Object Gets in Your EyeDo: Rinse your eye thoroughly with water until the foreign object gets flushed out, and if you are unable to get it out of your eye, cover the eye and rush to the nearest eye doctor. Don't: Don't touch or rub the eye because the foreign object can scratch the eye, causing further damage. How to Remove Embedded ParticlesDo: Immediately bandage the affected eye and see an eye doctor to prevent an infection. Don't: Do not try to remove the embedded object yourself, as it may scratch the cornea and damage your vision. How to Safely Handle a Cut Near the EyeDo: In case of cuts, safely cover the injured area around the eye using bandage to avoid contamination and infection until you receive emergency eye care. Don't: Avoid flushing or washing the cut with water, and don't put any pressure on it. What to Do in Case of Bumps and BruisesDo: Apply a soothing cold compress for at least 15 minutes to reduce the swelling, and visit an ophthalmologist immediately. Don't: Do not put any pressure on the affected area. How to Treat Welding Arc BurnsDo: Keep the eyes closed until you receive emergency eye care. Don't: Don't delay visiting an ophthalmologist as doing so can increase the risk of vision loss. Carefully Approaching Chemical ExposureDo: In case of chemical exposure, immediately flush the eyes using clean water and see an eye doctor without wasting any time. Don't: Do not cover the eyes, and avoid touching or rubbing because this may cause vital eye fluids to leak out. Because your eye is a vital organ that gets easily damaged by cuts, burns, scratches, and chemical exposure, any eye condition that is left untreated can invite partial or permanent loss of vision. So never put your eyes at risk and act quickly whenever you suffer an eye injury, whether it is minor or serious. Tips to Keep Eye Injuries at BayEye injuries can be avoided if appropriate safety measures are taken in everyday life. Use the following tips to safeguard your eyesight in the long term: Handle sharp objects with extreme care and keep them away from the reach of small children. At work, wear protective equipment, especially when you are working with power tools or chemicals. When participating in sports, always wear your helmet and appropriate safety gear. When working outdoors, wear sunglasses that fit snugly around your eyes for protection from harmful UV rays and flying objects. Secure the rugs and railings in and around your house to avoid eyes injuries that occur due to accidental slips and falls. If an eye injury occurs despite taking every precaution, the best way to handle the situation is to seek immediate medical attention at an emergency eye care center as soon as possible. Other eye conditions that are not triggered by an injury but still warrant emergency eye care include blurred vision, redness, painful red eyes, and persistent swelling. Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center, an Ophthalmology Center in California. With a knack for understanding medical procedures and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK. Aaron loves collecting coasters from the different bars and restaurants he visits during his travels. Posted on May 15, 2018