news & notes HEALTHY LIVING CHECKLIST    Staying healthy on the job means taking good care of yourself 24 hours a day. Can you answer yes to all these questions?   Do you maintain a healthy weight for your height?        Is your blood pressure at a healthy level? Is your cholesterol level within the healthy range (under 200)?            Have you been screened for diabetes—especially if there is a history of the disease in your family?       Do you eat three well-balanced meals every day?     Do you always have a good, nutritious breakfast?              Do you avoid eating too many fatty, sugary, or salty foods and snacks?          Do you get enough sleep?          9 Do you get regular exercise (at least half an hour, four times a week)?          9 Have you quit smoking?          9 If no, are you planning to quit?          9 Do you avoid the use of any drug not prescribed by your doctor?            Do you avoid abusing prescription medications?         Do you drink alcohol in moderation or not at all?         Do you manage stress on the job effectively?             Do you manage stress in your personal life effectively?         Do you get professional help when stress becomes unmanageable?         Do you consult a healthcare professional when you experience physical or emotional symptoms that may indicate a health problem?         Do you get regular physical checkups? Keep Safe, Keep Healthy Uncover potential incidents before they happen Staying healthy on the job means remaining free of injuries and job-related illness. But to judge by accident statistics, Americans aren’t doing enough to protect themselves at work. Every few seconds, someone is injured on the job. What can you do about it? You can avoid becoming a statistic yourself and can help prevent others from being injured as well. How? By paying attention to the job and staying alert to possible hazards while you work. Here are four ways: 1. Think Ahead Look for and identify hazards. All day think about: •  What you’re working with •  What you’ll be doing •  Where you’ll be walking •  What could go wrong 2. Stay Alert Train yourself to: •  Give work your full attention. •  Avoid becoming complacent or taking shortcuts, no matter how may times you’ve done a job or how many years of experience you have.     •  Inspect your work area, materials, and equipment for safety each day before you begin working. •  Be constantly aware of possible hazards. •  Be prepared to avoid trouble at any time. 3. Ask Questions Check things out with your supervisor when: •  You’re not sure what to do or the safest way to do it. •  You’re dealing with a new procedure, substance, or piece of equipment. •  Something seems wrong, but you’re not sure what. 4. Take Responsibility for Safety Take action to protect yourself and your co-workers: •  Always use assigned personal protective equipment. •  Follow all safety rules. •  Keep your work area neat and clean. •  Correct safety problems you’re trained and authorized to fix. •  Report hazards you can’t correct yourself to your supervisor right away and warn co-workers of the hazard until the problem has been eliminated. All Safety Products    www.AllSafetyProducts.biz    Mar '04