Common Causes of Workplace Accidents

Workplace accidents can have a negative impact on your business due to reduced productivity, loss in workforce and dampening of morale of other workers.

In the event of a workplace accident, the company has to pay compensation and recorded in the accident log for insurance purposes. It is every employer’s responsibility to take care of their employees, whereas it is also the prime responsibility of every employee to read the work safety regulation and work-related protocols.

Workplace accidents depend on a number of factors. Following are the common causes of workplace accidents.

Over-exertion
Over-exertion results due to excessive physical effort in the process of carrying, lifting, pulling and pushing goods. It also results due to excessive effort whilst operating a machine, when the worker falls short of his physical capacity. The most common injuries which results due to overexertion are sprains and strains.

Slips, Trips and Falls
The main causes of slips and trips are uneven floor surfaces, slippery floor coverings, wet floors, changes in floor levels, trailing cables and poor lighting. Falls happen when the worker is working at an elevation such as roofs, ladders and stairways. Slips, trips and falls are risky, as they can result in the worst kind of injury, such as head injuries, body injuries, fractures, paralysis or even death.

Falling Objects
Another common accident that happens at workplaces is free-falling objects, which result mostly in head injuries. Examples of falling objects that have a potential of injuring workers are roof scaffolding, tools, bricks, rocks, debris, ceiling panels, cluttered stacks on shelves, etc. The injury is severe, if the worker is not wearing head protection PPE, such as hard hats, etc.

Work Equipment and Machinery
Since the Industrial Revolution, machinery has become the norm at most work places. All of this machinery undergoes strict testing before it is given the badge of approval to use. Nevertheless, accidents still occur due to the fact that the machinery is not maintained, not properly guarded or not properly operated. Such accidents can even occur when there is inadequate training given to workers; he/she hasn’t read the safety regulations or has failed to wear the correct protective equipments.

On-Site Violent Acts
These injuries result due to arguments between workers or between workers and officials. In some cases, it can result in severe injuries or death of a worker.

Bio Cleanse does cleaning for all kinds of workplace accidents. Contact www.bio-cleanse.com.au for more information.

How to Clean a Small Blood Spill

We are prone to accidents in our daily routine.

Whether getting a minor cut on a finger while chopping onions or a wound on the leg when you fall down – such common day activities are likely to happen and DO involve blood. 

So, does one push the red button and call professional services to clean up the blood?

It wouldn’t make any sense.

Follow this thumb-rule, whenever there is a blood spill:

> If the blood spill is more than 8 ounces or more than the size of a dinner plate, you need to call a professional bio-hazard cleaning service at the soonest. For such assistance, contact Bio-Cleanse (www.bio-cleanse.com.au).

> If the blood spill is less than 8 ounces or less than the size of a dinner plate, you can clean it yourself by doing the following.

•  Before attempting the cleanup, it is advisable to wear proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), such as gloves, masks, etc. It shields you from all possible infectious blood-borne pathogens can cause. The risk of contracting an infection is also high even if the spill is a small one.

• Gently place paper towel(s) over the spill. You can also use a powdered absorbent, allowing it to sop up the blood and then placing paper towel(s) to sop up any traces of remaining liquid.

• Disinfect the area with a solution of water and 10% bleach. When applying bleach to the contaminated area, work from the outer area to the inner. Let it soak the area for nearly half an hour. 

•  If the spill involves any sharps or shards, do not attempt to lift it with your bare hands. Use a pair of tongs or pliers to lift the debris and transfer gingerly to a puncture-resistant bio-hazard bag with a proper seal. Dispose of it.

• Clean the spill area once more with absorbent pads and transfer the materials to another bio-hazard bag. Note that if the surface is concrete, you might need to use a scrub brush. If the surface is upholstery, contact your vendor for a thorough cleanup.

•  Wash the area with fresh water to ensure elimination of any residue.

•  Disinfect all tools used in the process, such as tongs, pliers, dust pans, etc.

• Dispose your used PPE.

Disposal of Community Sharps

People use sharps to treat medical conditions such as allergies, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, migraines, etc. Some also use sharps to illegally inject drugs. These are called community sharps as they are used in a non-medical setting.

More often than not, these sharps get disposed haphazardly, without any proper disposal. Disposing sharps like this can pose grave dangers of injury and infection to whoever comes in contact with it. The people likely to come in contact with sharps in such a manner are community children, janitors, cleaners, waste haulers, recycling plant workers, housekeepers and sewage treatment workers. Hence it is essential that disposal of community sharps should be properly done.
 

• Community sharps should be kept separate from other waste. It shouldn’t be mixed with household waste and disposed in domestic and public bins. Also, it shouldn’t be disposed down the toilet flush, drains or discarded in the environment.

• Dispose it in a puncture-resistant container (not glass) and seal it when it is three-quarters full. Always dispose the sharp with the sharp end first.

• Sharps disposal bins should be placed in every neighbourhood to prevent the risky community sharps getting mixed with other trash. These bins should be strictly used only for sharps disposal.

• For local businesses, sharps disposal bins should be installed in restrooms, toilets and other needed areas of the factory. A contractor should be hired to remove all the disposed sharps periodically.

•  Wear gloves when disposing the sharps. Don’t do it with your bare hands. One ought to use a plier or tongs to pick up the sharps.

Bio Cleanse Pty Ltd offers professional sharps disposal services. Visit www.bio-cleanse.com.au for more information.