SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Instruction Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS Management Policy Statement
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Employee Conduct
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Genral Safety Procedures
Proper Lifting Techniques Emergency Preparedness
Fire Prevention and Protection Computer Workstation Reporting
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MANAGEMENT POLICY STATEMENT Express Water believes that employee safety is important in the planning and operation of all activities. Safety is essential to welfare, morale, and employee relations. With this in mind, we have established a comprehensive Safety Program within all business units at all levels of activity. We are absolutely committed to the safety of all our employees. Express Water however, is not able to directly supervise or control the working environments established by its Clients. As a result, the Clients, as required by law, must exercise primary responsibility for evaluating and correcting unsafe working conditions. Realizing that accident prevention requires a continued effort, and the participation of all Employees, it is the firm policy of Express Water that no part of our job is so important that we cannot take time to do it safely. The success of our Employee Safety Program depends on the safety and well-being of our Employees and their families. Therefore, it is imperative that workplace hazards be identified, appropriately evaluated, and effectively controlled.
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GENERAL SAFETY PROCEDURES/TRAINING Express Water is absolutely committed to the safety of all its employees including both employees for whom Staff Right exercises direct supervision and employees who are directly supervised by the Clients to whom they are assigned. Staff Right, however, is unable to directly supervise or control the working environments established by its clients. As a result, the Client, as required by law, must exercise primary responsibility for evaluating and correcting unsafe working conditions. Therefore, as an employee of Staff Right, you should: - Always make sure that you have been properly trained for the tasks that you have been assigned to perform. - Immediately notify your supervisor and a Staff Right representative if you do not have the necessary training to perform an assigned task. - Take the time necessary to make sure that you know the client’s safety and operating procedures before starting work. - Do not attempt to operate any machinery, equipment, or hand tools until you have been properly trained.
EMPLOYEE CONDUCT All employees are required to follow the safety procedures established by Express Water and our Clients. Willful disregard for safety procedures or repeated unsafe acts may be grounds for employment termination. Horseplay on the job is prohibited and may be grounds for employment termination. The use of or possession of drugs or alcohol on the job is prohibited and will be grounds for immediate employment termination. Be alert!!! You are ultimately responsible for your own safety.
You are required to report all cases of violence, threats of violence, sexual or racial harassment, unsafe work conditions, and any injury or illness to your supervisor, or your Express Water Manager.
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PROPER LIFTING TECHNIQUES
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one million workers experience back injuries each year. One fourth of all workers compensation indemnity claims are a result of back injuries. Low back pain is one of the most common reason that people miss work, second only to the common cold. In America, we spend more than $100 billion annually in medical bills, disability and lost productivity at work from back injuries and illnesses. More importantly, this problem causes unnecessary discomfort and pain to workers which can have a devastating effect on their lifestyle and ability to work. A BLS survey shows that 75% of back injuries occurred while performing lifting tasks, which underscores the importance of reducing back injuries caused by lifting.
Safety First – Work Smart
Always warm-up - your back and legs before performing any lifting task! We are ALL athletes in life, so we need to warm-up our body to improve performance and to reduce risk of injury. It’s important to prepare your body for work. Low Back Rotation Stretch - Stand with hands on hips. Stabilizing the hips and legs, gently roll your upper body forward, right, backward, and left to stretch your lower back. Perform 5 slow circles gradually expanding the circle each time. Repeat in the opposite direction. Hamstring & Achilles Stretch - Position your body with one leg forward and the toes of that foot raised up. Keep your back straight while you bend forward at the waist. You should feel a stretch in the back of your thigh and knee. Then shift your weight onto your forward leg and bend knee, keep the back leg straight and heel on floor. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds. Perform each stretch 2 times for each leg.
Before You Lift
Plan Ahead - Know what you are lifting and how you will lift it. - Be aware of the weight of the object. - Determine whether or not it’s safe to lift on your own. - Make sure the work area is flat, dry and clear of debris. Check Your Pathway - Make sure the lift pathway is clear . - Remove any tripping hazards or debris. - Check for any wet or slick surfaces.
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Use Ergonomic Equipment - Use lift assists, forklift, dolly, cart, hand truck or hoist . - Make sure you are trained before using the equipment. Get Help When Needed - When lifting awkward or heavy loads, utilize a two person lift . - Make sure you lift at the same time and keep the load level. Wear Proper PPE - Wear proper required protective shoes and gloves.
Lifting Do’s and Don’ts DO’s
- Know or test the object weight. - Use ergonomic lift assists when possible. - Plan the lift and clear your path. - Get help for heavy or awkward loads. - Keep the object in the power zone. - Use a wide stance for balance. - Use your legs to lift. - Pivot your feet to avoid twisting.
DON’T...
- Don’t hold your breath. - Don’t bend or twist at the waist. - Don’t use a partial grip (1-2 fingers). - Don’t obstruct your vision when carrying. - Don’t jerk or lift quickly. - Don’t pinch you fingers or toes. - Don’t pull a load if you can push it. - Don’t forget to wear proper PPE.
Basic Diagonal Lifting Technique 1. Get as close to the object as possible.
2. Use a wide stance with one foot forward and to the side of the object for good balance. 3. Keep your back straight, push your buttocks out, and use your legs and hips to lower yourself down to the object. 4. Slide the object as close to you as possible.
5. Put the hand (same side of your body as the forward foot) on the side of the object furthest from you.
6. Use this basic lifting technique for small objects when you can straddle the load and use a wide stance.
7. Put the other hand on the side of the object closest to you. Your hands should be on opposite corners. 8. Grasp the object firmly with both hands.
9. Prepare for the lift, tighten your core muscles, look forward and upward, keep a straight and strong back.
10. Lift slowly and follow your head and shoulders. Hold the load close to your body. Lift by extending your legs with your back straight, and breathe out as you lift.
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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND EVACUATION All Employees shall become familiar with the emergency preparedness and evacuation plan for each employer or location that they are assigned.
FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION All Employees shall become familiar with the Fire Prevention and Protection Plan for each employer that they are assigned. - Know the location of all fire exits and escape routes and shelters in place. - Do not use fire extinguishing equipment unless you have been properly trained. - Use caution when handling flammable or combustible materials. Below is the instruction on general use of how to use a Fire Extinguisher, only use if needed and in the incipient stage of the fire.
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COMPUTER WORKSTATION The information on this page should help you set up a workstation correctly. All recommendations are based on Standard Workstations.
Keyboards
Place the keyboard in a position that allows the forearms to be close to the horizontal and the wrists to be straight. That is, with the hand in line with the forearm. If this causes the elbows to be held far out from the side of the body then re-check the work surface height. Some people prefer to have their wrists supported on a wrist rest or the desk. Be careful not to have the wrist extended or bent in an up position.
Chairs
Adjust the seat tilt so that you are comfortable when you are working on the keyboard. Usually, this will be close to horizontal but some people prefer the seat tilted slightly forwards. Your knees should be bent at a comfortable angle and greater than 90º flexion. If this places an uncomfortable strain on the leg muscles, or if the feet do not reach the floor, then a footrest should be used. The footrest height must allow your knees to be bent at 90º; the height of the footrest may need to be adjustable. Adjust the backrest so that it supports the lower back when you are sitting upright. A range of chairs are available.
Phones
Avoid cradling the phone between your head and shoulder when answering calls. If you need to use your computer at the same time, use a headset, or the phone’s handsfree/speakerphone capabilities (if the environment is suitable).
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Monitors
Set the eye-to-screen distance at the distance that permits you to most easily focus on the screen. Usually this will be within an arm’s length. Set the height of the monitor so that the bottom of the screen is below eye level and the top of the screen can be read without a marked inclination of the head. Usually this means that the centre of the screen will need to be near shoulder height. Your eyes should be level with the tool bar. People who wear bifocal or multifocal lenses will need to find a balance between where they see out of their lenses and avoid too much neck f lexing. The height of the monitor can be adjusted using a monitor riser.
Document holder
Place the document holder close to the monitor screen in the position that causes the least twisting or inclination of the head.
Desks
Adjust the height of the work surface and/or the height of the chair so that the work surface allows your elbows to be bent at 90Âş, forearms parallel with the floor, wrist straight, shoulders relaxed. Place all controls and task materials within a comfortable reach of both hands so that there is no unnecessary twisting of any part of the body. Most people prefer the document holder to be between the keyboard and the monitor. There are many different types of document holders available.
Glare and reflection
It is important to detect the presence of glare and reflection. To determine whether there is glare from overhead lights, sit down and hold an object such as a book above the eyes at eyebrow level and establish whether the screen image becomes clearer in the absence of overhead glare. To detect whether there are reflections from the desk surface, hold the book above the surface and assess the change in reflected glare from the screen. You can eliminate or reduce the influence of these reflections in a number of ways: - Tilt the screen (top part forwards) so that the reflections are directed below eye level. - Purchase an LCD screen. - Cover the screen with a light diffusing surface or anti-glare screen. - Negative contrast screen (dark characters on light background) will reduce the influence of these reflections.
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If you experience eye discomfort when using a bright screen you should make the following adjustments: - Turn the screen brightness down to a comfortable level. - Look away into the distance in order to rest the eyes for a short while every 10 minutes or so. - Change the text and background colours. We recommend black characters on white or yellow background, or yellow on black, white on black, white on blue and green on white. Avoid red and green and yellow on white.
Using a mouse and keyboard
A well-designed mouse should not cause undue pressure on the wrist and forearm muscles. A large bulky mouse may keep the wrist continuously bent at an uncomfortable angle. Pressure can be reduced by releasing the mouse at frequent intervals and by selecting a slim-line, low-profile mouse. Keep the mouse as close as possible to the keyboard, elbow bent and close to the body. Posture while typing Good posture is essential for all computer users. You should adopt a natural and relaxed position, providing opportunity for movement, from which you can assume a number of alternative positions. There is no single, rigidly defined position. Typing technique
Typing is a physical activity, and using a keyboard requires skill, hence the need to learn correct typing technique. Unskilled (‘hunt and peck’) typists are particularly at risk of “occupational overuse injury” because they: - Often use only one or two fingers which may overload the finger tendons - Are constantly looking from keyboard to screen to keyboard, which may strain neck muscles - Often adopt a tense posture (wrists bent back and fingers ‘poised to strike’). Departments should ensure that untrained staff receive appropriate training.
Speed of keying
The efficiency and speed of modern computers makes it possible for a skilled operator to type extremely quickly. This capability, reinforced by workload pressures, means the potential exists for operators to key at speeds which may cause or contribute to occupational overuse syndrome.
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The role of the repetitive movement in injury is not fully understood, but is believed to interfere with the lubrication capacity of tendons, and the ability of muscles to receive sufficient oxygen supplies. Ten thousand to 12,000 keystrokes per hour is considered an acceptable standard.
Length of time on the keyboard
The maintenance of a fixed posture for long periods is tiring and increases the likelihood of muscular aches and pains. In addition, long periods of repetitive movement and sustained visual attention can also give rise to fatigue-related complaints. It is recommended that operators take regular postural/stretching breaks to reduce intense periods of repetitive movement. Employees newly engaged in keyboard work, and staff returning from an absence of two or more weeks, need a period of adjustment. The adjustment may be achieved through reduced work rates, or provision of alternative duties with a gradual reintroduction to keyboard work.
REPORTING Report all job related injuries or illness to your Client supervisor and your Staff Right Representative immediately. Report all unsafe acts or conditions to your immediate client supervisor, safety representative or Staff Right Manager. Your safety and health is a primary concern to the management of Staff Right. To ensure that your safety concerns have been addressed to your satisfaction, please do not hesitate to contact your Staff Right manager to help with any unresolved safety or health concern in your work-place.
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Express Water, Inc.
12730 Raymer St. #1, North Hollywood, CA 91605 1-800-992-8876 (Toll Free) contact@expresswater.com