Dr. Bill Pomfret; Managing Consultant: of Safety Projects International Inc. shares with us some of the hazards and precautions required to reduce accidents and Incidents in the home. Employers have responsibilities and potential liabilities for employees who, during the Pandemic are required to work from home.

Unfortunately, your home is the place where more accidents are most likely to occur than at work. Everyone should be aware of the hazards in the home so that incidents can be avoided. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the types of accidents that may occur in your home and what steps you can take to prevent them.

Don’t take hazards home: Workers can unknowingly bring home hazardous substances on their clothes, shoes, skin, tools, and vehicle interiors, leaving family members, especially children vulnerable to health impacts, recently a clients Union called me into the workplace to Investigate an Incident. With the company Presidents permission, I paid a home visit, five of seven workers at a fluorescent light recycling facility in Ontario, were found to have elevated mercury levels during the annual audit and investigation of potential environmental contamination at the facility during last years audit.

The investigation report notes that the risk for mercury exposure during the manufacture of fluorescent lights has been known for years, but risks for exposure during recycling are not as well documented. My further investigation with the help of a local physician found the workers’ urine mercury levels exceeded ACGIH’s biological exposure index for elemental mercury of 20.0 μg/g creatinine. Two of the workers had tremor, a clinical sign of mercury toxicity, when examined by a physician during an occupational health appointment 12 month after the initial audit and investigation.

Are you protecting yourself and your family? Do you work in environments, such as remediation, mercury handling, construction, quarrying, renovation, and manufacturing where take home toxins may be a concern? The following checklist can be used by your employees at home and help educate family members, especially children.

Fire Safety: Fires can start suddenly and spread quickly, damaging your home and furniture and putting lives in danger. They are caused in a variety of ways, but there are a few simple hints you can follow to prevent them starting.

• Keep all fires and heaters well guarded, especially open fires. For fitted or portable heaters with a built-in guard, give extra protection by adding a surrounding guard particularly if you have young children or older people in the home. For children, use a nursery guard with side clips that fit into fixed wall brackets
• Keep portable heaters and candles (especially at Christmas or Birthdays, away from furniture, pets and curtains. Position safely where they cannot be knocked over
• Don’t dry or air clothes over or near the fire, or the cooker
• Never smoke in bed
• Many fires start in the kitchen, especially fat fires. Never leave a pan unattended when deep fat frying and watch for overheating. For safer frying use oven chips or a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer
• If there are children around, keep matches and lighters well out of reach
• Fit approved smoke detectors on each floor. Choose a smoke alarm that is mains operated or one with a long life (ten year) battery
• Plan your escape route. Remember Get out, stay out and call the fire brigade out!

Electrical Safety Many accidents and fatalities involve electricity – it must be treated with respect. Here are some tips.

• Have your wiring installation checked at least once every five years by an approved contractor, or straightaway if you are buying an older property
• Do not use appliances with worn or damaged flexes. Don’t wire flexes together
• Keep portable mains-operated appliances out of the bathroom
• Have electric blankets serviced and checked regularly
• If an appliance appears faulty stop using it, and have it checked at once
• Consider installing a RCD (residual current device) for whole house protection. These are especially valuable when power tools are used
• Look for the CE mark when you buy electrical equipment
• Never overload an electric socket.
• While I do not want to be an alarmist, I still think it’s good to be aware of safety in the kitchen beyond “Don’t cut yourself.” You’ve probably heard of avocado handby now, and know to be careful when wielding your knives and other sharp objects anyway. Spoiled food usually tells you itself that it’s unsafe (which is good, since expiration dates on packages may not actually be a helpful indicator).
• But there are other causes for concern that, even if some seem obvious, you might not think much about, or even be aware of. After consulting experts and reading lots of safety recommendations, we put together this list of 10 unexpected kitchen hazards, and some suggestions about how to prevent them.
• Rinsing Raw Meat and Poultry.Though many people still believe it’s beneficial to rinse raw meat and poultry, the USDA told us back in 2018 that the USDA had backed off the idea and in fact, the organization’s website still says there’s no need to do so. “Sometimes you may buy a chicken, and it has salmonella. If you cook it thoroughly, it would kill it,” Pomfret said. “Washing it might spread the salmonella around.” Check out our additional safe chicken handling tips. 
• A Greasy Range Hood and Filter, Dr. Bill Pomfret says grease that has accumulated under your range hood and on the filter is “just the kind of thing that can start a grease fire.” Keep the underside of your hood clean and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for changing the filter regularly.
• Radon Gas.Radon is a radioactive gas generated in rock soil that causes lung cancer—and sometimes collects in homes. The EPA says that radon is often found in water (people using wells rather than municipal water systems are at a higher risk), and is released when the water is agitated, as when washing dishes. There is a slim chance that some granite countertops could emit radon, although according to the EPA, “Radon originating from the soil beneath homes is a more common problem and a far larger public health risk than radon from granite building materials.
• ” The gas is not detectable by sight, smell, or taste, so the EPA suggests testing for it. Hardware stores sell inexpensive kits you can use to check the radon levels in your home.
• No Fire Extinguisher.Do you have a fire extinguisher near your kitchen? Dr. Bill says you should (he even suggests that you give extinguishers as housewarming gifts) or Christmas presents
• Look for an extinguisher that works on class A (ordinary combustibles), B (flammable liquids), and C (electrical fires), often called a multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher.
• Dirty Sponges.Sponges harbor disease-causing bacteria and spread those bacteria around kitchens. A study by Dr. Bill Pomfret found salmonella in about 15 percent of the sponges examined. Research shows that microwaving sponges for about one minute sterilizes them, but be sure the sponge is wet; a dry sponge can catch fire in a microwave.
• Carbon Monoxide (CO).CO is another invisible, odorless gas that could be hanging around in your kitchen. The EPA says at moderate levels it causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fainting—and at high levels it can be fatal. The gas is emitted anytime combustion appliances (such as gas stoves) are used, but dangerous levels occur only when these appliances are misused or misadjusted. To be safe, the EPA suggests that you have your gas range and oven inspected annually by a professional; never use a gas oven to heat your home; and never burn charcoal indoors. You can pick up at hardware stores or online.

•  The EPA says that mold exposure can cause allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Mold grows in areas where moisture accumulates, such as near leaky plumbing (check under your kitchen sink). The organization says that water-damaged areas should be dried “within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.” If you have a mold problem, the agency recommends decreasing indoor humidity by fixing leaks, using dehumidifiers, and turning on exhaust fans whenever cooking or using the dishwasher.

• Overloaded Circuits. Fire Investigations reveal that faulty wiring accounts for 33 percent of residential fires; many avoidable electrical fires are caused by overloaded circuits. Older apartments often have few outlets, so tenants use extension cords or power strips. But this isn’t safe, according to the FEMA publication Residential Building Electrical Fires.Because heat-producing cooking appliances use a lot of power, you should be particularly careful where you plug them in.

• Bad Storage Habits in the Refrigerator.Don’t just cram things into your fridge wherever they fit—pay attention to what goes where. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service suggests placing raw meat, seafood, and poultry in sealed containers or plastic bags to prevent their juices from contaminating other foods. Placing them on the lowest shelf helps, too. Here are more tips on proper fridge food storage:

• Leaving High Heat Unattended. Bill says that the most important thing you can to do be safe in the kitchen is to stay close when using high heat on the stovetop. If you must answer the door or the phone, he suggests keeping a spoon or a potholder in your hand, so you have a visual reminder to get back to the kitchen ASAP.

Heating and Cooking

Safety is especially important when choosing and using heating products.

• All fuel-burning appliances use up fresh air as they burn and give off waste gases including the deadly carbon monoxide (CO). Never block air vents or airbricks and service appliances annually
• Be aware of symptoms of CO poisoning such as drowsiness and flu like symptoms
• If you use a chimney or flue, or bring one back into use, have it swept at least once a year, or more frequently if you burn wood
• Never block any outside grilles or rest anything against it
• If a gas flame, which normally burns blue, burns orange this may be a built up of carbon monoxide. Have your appliance checked immediately
• Check the pilot regularly on gas cookers and water heaters to make sure it has not gone out
• When buying gas appliances look for the CSA Standards safety mark or Canadian Seal of Approval and beware of second hand bargains and cowboy installers
• If you suspect a gas leak, open the windows, turn off the supply and call your gas supplier. Don’t operate switches as a spark could ignite the gas
• Always keep a special watch on young children and elderly people when fires and heaters are in use.

The kitchen is where some of the most serious home accidents occur.

• Plan your storage areas carefully so that heavy items are not kept on high shelves, and items in daily use are within easy reach
• Take extra care with hot water, tea, coffee or soup. If there are young children around, they could get scalded
• Keep knives sharp and in good condition and out of reach of children
• Keep panhandles turned inward so that children cannot reach them and pull them over
• Use a cordless kettle or one with a coiled lead so that children cannot pull on them.

Bioethanol and gel fuel burners are becoming increasingly popular and are often used as decorative items and heating sources both indoors and outdoors. The fuel, which burns with a virtually invisible flame, is mostly produced from sugar plants and is typically used for cooking, water heating and the heating of buildings. It is sold in fire pots for use in fondue sets, small fireplaces and patio torches. The high risk of accidental burns makes them unsuitable for use in the home.

Advice for the use of bioethanol and gel burners:

• Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions
• Only use bioethanol fuel in fireboxes and containers designed for the product
• Bioethanol fuel is highly flammable and should be kept in containers tightly closed and away from any ignition sources
• Fireboxes and containers should always be placed on a stable surface and away from combustible materials
• Never add fuel to a burning fire or overfill a fuel container and never fill up a firebox fuel container that is still hot
• Keep children and pets away from fireboxes and fuel
• Extinguish all fires when leaving a room or before going to sleep
• Always use bioethanol fireboxes and containers in a well-ventilated room
• Regularly clean and check fuel containers for damage and never use a leaking one
• Clean away any fuel spills with a damp cloth and dry completely
• Keep your hands, hair and clothing well clear of any burning flames and fuel
• Always light bioethanol fuel with an extended lighter or extra-long match – never discard matches into the container.

Safety Glass: Ordinary glass is dangerous – particularly at low level – because it breaks into large, jagged pieces which can cause serious injury. The Building Regulations require safety glass to be fitted in glazed doors, side panels and areas below 800mm in new buildings.

• Safety glass is specially made. There are two main types: laminated glass and toughened glass. When it breaks it breaks safely – in a way unlikely to cause injury
• If ordinary glass is in use, you can help reduce the risks
• Make sure that people know that the glass is there and see that the area is well lit
• Never let children play near glass – they could easily crash through it and receive a serious injury.

Safety with Medicines and Cleaners: Chemical preparations of any sort, whether in the form of medicines or household cleaners should always be treated with caution.

• Consider having a proper lockable cabinet fitted in the kitchen for medicines and chemicals where it is more likely to be supervised
• Keep medicines in their original containers, clearly labelled
• Do not take another person’s medicine, or let them take yours
• Return leftover medicines to the pharmacist for destruction – don’t hoard them
• Keep medicines, chemical and cleaning products such as bleach, turpentine and caustic soda where children cannot see or reach them
• Chemicals used in the garden, garage or workshop need to be used and stored with great care. Store them in a safe place where children can’t see or reach them
• Keep cosmetics, perfumes and essential oils away from children
• Store household cleaning products in a different place from food and medicine
• Use household cleaning products according to label directions
• Mixing household products can cause dangerous gases to form.

DIY and Garden Safety: Over-ambition and lack of knowledge are two of the biggest factors in DIY accidents causing death and injury.

• Be realistic and don’t tackle a job unless you really have the ability. A competent, qualified person should always carry out gas and electrical renewal or repair work
• Keep any tools clean and in good repair, and give each one a quick check over before you use it
• Always plan – accidents happen more easily if you are unprepared and rush
• Wear appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes when mowing the lawn and keep your feet and hands well away from the mower blades
• Stop and disconnect all electrical appliances and tools before working on them
• Ensure that all tools, paint and chemicals are kept safely out of the reach of children
• Take extra care with sharp cutting tools
• Follow makers’ instructions very carefully when using adhesives, especially the instant type
• Use an RCD – residual current device – if your home is not already wired as standard
• Keep children and pets away when carrying out DIY
• Keep barbecues well away from trees, buildings and fences. Never pour petrol on a barbecue
• Some plants and berries are poisonous or can cause an allergic reaction
• Keep all products in their original containers. 

Hotels that are looking to stay organized and make the most out of their housekeeping staff should seriously consider making use of a housekeeping checklist. In doing so, having a handy checklist can be a way to make sure that their staff does everything that they are required to do while cleaning, to make sure that the guest rooms are in the best condition possible.

Floors and other areas

1-Floors

— Are floors clean and clear of waste?

2-Wet floor signs

— Are signs posted to warn of wet floors?

3-Floors

— Are floors in good condition?

4-Planks and carpet

— Are there holes, worn or loose planks or carpet sticking up?

5-Prevention of slips

— Is anti-slip flooring used where spills, moisture or grease are likely?

6-Protruding objects

— Are there protruding objects such as nails, sharp corners, open cabinet drawers, trailing electrical wires?

7-Personal items storage

— Are personal items, such as clothing and lunch boxes, in assigned lockers or storage areas?

8-Work area congestion

— Is the work area congested?

9-Floors

— Are floors well-drained?

Aisles and Stairways

10-Aisles

— Are aisles unobstructed and clearly marked?

11-Mirrors

— Are mirrors installed at blind corners?

12-Wide aisles

— Are aisles wide enough to accommodate workers and equipment comfortably?

13-

— Are safe loading practices used with hand and power trucks, skids, or pallets?

14-Workplace lighting

— Is the workplace lighting adequate? Are stairs well lit?

15-Stairs

— Are stairs covered with an anti-slip tread? Are faulty stair treads repaired?

Spill Control

16-Spills

— Are all spills wiped up quickly?

17-Material safety data sheet

— Are procedures followed as indicated on the material safety data sheet?

18-Spill absorbents

— Are spill absorbents used for greasy, oily, flammable or toxic materials?

19-Rags and absorbents disposal

— Are used rags and absorbents disposed of promptly and safely?

20-Prevention of spill spreading

— Is a spill area surrounded by a barrier to prevent a spill from spreading?

Equipment and Machinery Maintenance

21-Equipment

— Is equipment in good working order, with all necessary guards or safety features operational or in place?

22-Equipment conditions

— Is equipment damaged or outdated?

23-Tools and machinery inspections

— Are tools and machinery inspected regularly for wear or leaks?

24-Equipment reparation

— Is equipment repaired promptly?

25-Drip pans

— Are drip pans or absorbent materials used if leaks cannot be stopped at the source?

26-Machine

— Is a machine that splashes oil fitted with a screen or splash guard?

27-Machines and tools cleaning

— Are machines and tools cleaned regularly?

Waste Disposal

28-Number of containers

— Are there adequate number of containers?

29-Toxic and flammable waste containers

— Are there separate and approved containers for toxic and flammable waste?

30-Waste containers Are waste containers located where the waste is produced?

Bio:

Dr. Bill Pomfret is President of Safety Projects International Inc. who has for over 40 years educated and influenced management Internationally to adopt effective safety & risk control policies, practices and procedures that prevent or mitigate human and economic losses arising from accidental causes and adverse occupational health exposures.

Bill has played a major role in bringing justice and compensation to many victims of the Bhopal, India disaster and is also credited with improving the safety health and welfare of thousands of migrant workers from India, Philippines, Bangladesh etc who are being exploited and forced to work and live in dangerous conditions.

One of Bills most important campaigns was regarding the exporting of Asbestos from Canada to India where 368,000 tons was shipped annually, spreading human suffering and misery for decades to come, his demonstration and arrest on parliament hill for tearing up his Canadian Passport received International attention, claiming the exportation of Asbestos to India was close to genocide by the Canadian government, guaranteeing deaths of unsuspecting Indians for decades to come, ban it in Canada, but export it to the third world, that’s the Canadian way.

Bills articles may be reproduced, reused or copied in the interest of safety by interested parties.

For further information, contact

Dr. Bill Pomfret; MSc; FIOSH; FBIM; FRSH; FBIM;
Managing Consultant, Dr. Bill Pomfret & Associates
Incorporating Safety Projects International Inc.

26, Drysdale Street, Kanata, Ontario, K2K 3L3.
www.spi5star.com  pomfretb@spi5star.com
Tel: 613-2549233