JUNE-2015 Topic 12 of 30

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
If you've ever been the first one on the scene at an automobile accident or have been working next to
someone who had a traumatic injury at work then you know how important it is to know what to do.
So often in the stress of the situation we forget some of the basics. This can be such a stressful time and
your desire to help in a hurry mysteriously "fogs" your brain of the basics. That's why it is so important to
know some of the basics of emergency response.
Today we'll review just some of the basics that each of us should know for our workplace. Let's take the
following quiz and let me know via raising your hands if you know the answer then we'll go through them
one by one.
Ensure you know the correct answer for each prior to presenting this toolbox and choose someone
different for each answer.
From right here, where is the nearest phone to call emergency services?
What number do you call for emergency services?
From right here, where is the nearest fire extinguisher?
From right here, where is the nearest exit?
Do you know where you are to meet if we have to evacuate?
From right here, where is the nearest defibrillator?
Who knows how to use a defibrillator?
From right here, where is the nearest blood borne pathogen kit?
Who knows how to perform CPR?
What are the signs of a stroke?
What are the signs of a heart attack?
If the power were to suddenly go off right now, what should you do?
From right here, Where is the nearest first aid kit?
These are just a few things that each of us should know while here at work. We aren't all necessarily first
responders, but we can certainly help and may be called upon to do such if a coworker close to you has a
traumatic event.
Think about the answers given here today. I'd even suggest that you do the same quiz at home and with
your family. Statistically you are more likely to be exposed to an emergency outside of the workplace
rather than here.

JUNE-2015 Topic 13 of 30

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

FIRE PREVENTION
Most fires are a result of inattention to the job site operations and surrounding conditions. This lack of
attention or protection can result in the loss of life and property. All fires can be easily extinguished if
caught soon enough and the proper extinguishing tools are handy.
Steps to Remember When a Fire Starts:
Sound an alarmyell if necessary.
Warn those near the fire.
If possible and the fire is small, try to extinguish it.
Call the Fire Department if the fire cant be easily and quickly extinguished.
Evacuate the area if the fire cant be quickly extinguished.
Direct the Fire Department to the area of the fire.
Stand by to help, but only if asked by a Fire Department official.
Be Sure to Know the Following:
The emergency phone number.
Be sure you know the exact location land mark and directions when reporting.
Where the fire extinguishers are and how to use them.
How to evacuate the work area.
Steps to Prevent Fires
Regularly inspect all fire extinguishers.
Keep the work area free of debris and trash.
Designate high risk areas as no smoking areas. Enforce no smoking rules.
Store flammable fuels and materials only in approved safety containers.
Check temporary wiring and electrical tools for defects.
Check and know the emergency numbers and job site location (including nearest cross streets) are posted
where on the job?

Important tip: Knowing how to recognize, react to, or eliminate fire hazards can greatly decrease the
chances of being exposed to a fire.

JUNE-2015 Topic 14 of 30

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

HYPERTENSION
Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide diseases afflicting humans. The most widely-used
definition of hypertension was published by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection,
Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in its Seventh Report (JNC VII 2003). Based on its
recommendations, the classification of blood pressure, which is the average of two or more readings each
taken at two or more visits after initial screening for adults aged 18 years or older, is as follows:
Normalsystolic blood pressure (SBP) is lower than 120 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure (DPB) is lower
than 80 mm Hg
Pre-hypertensionSBP is 120 to139 mm Hg; DBP is 80 to 99 mm Hg
Stage 1SBP is 140 to159 mm Hg; DBP is 90 to 99 mm Hg
Stage 2SBP is equal to or more than 160 mm Hg; DBP is equal to or more than 100 mm Hg
The JNC VII report also clarified a couple of helpful facts about blood pressure. Normal blood pressure (BP)
with respect to cardiovascular risk is less than 120/80 mm Hg; however, unusually low readings should be
evaluated for clinical significance. A new category of pre-hypertension was defined, emphasizing those
patients with pre-hypertension are at risk for progression to hypertension, and lifestyle modifications are
important preventive strategies.
Hypertension may be either essential or secondary. Essential hypertension is diagnosed in the absence of
an identifiable secondary cause, including coarctation of the aorta, renal disease, pheochromocytoma, and
Cushing's syndrome. Approximately 95 percent of American adults have essential hypertension, while
secondary hypertension accounts for fewer than 5 percent of the cases.
Hypertension has been described as the most important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease
(leading cause of death in the United States), stroke (third leading cause), congestive heart failure, and
end-stage renal disease. Over 50 million Americans have high blood pressure warranting some form of
treatment, and in 2006, there were 44,879 million physician office visits for hypertension.(1)
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006 (2) summarized in
the January 2008 issue of the National Center for Health Statistics, NCHS Data Brief, shows that (3):
Twenty-nine percent of all United States adults aged 18 years or older have hypertension
The prevalence of hypertension increases with age, from 7 percent among individuals aged 18 to 39
years to 67 percent in those 60 years of age or older
Non-Hispanic Blacks had a significantly higher prevalence (41 percent) compared with non-Hispanic
Whites (28 percent) and Mexican Americans (22 percent)
Overall, 37 percent of adults had pre-hypertension (SBP 120 to 139 mm Hg or DBP 80 to 89 mm Hg) and
were not taking antihypertensive medication
The prevalence of pre-hypertension also increased with age and was higher in men (43 percent) than
women (39 percent)
Layered on this high prevalence, is the fact that the impact of hypertension on cardiovascular morbidity
and mortality is significant, and it continues to be a public health challenge. Death from ischemic heart
disease (IHD) and stroke increases linearly from blood pressure levels as low as 115/75 mm Hg. For every
20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic increase in blood pressure, mortality from both IHD and stroke
doubles. (4) It was estimated that the direct and indirect costs of high blood pressure would be $73.4
billion in the year 2009. (5)
Hypertension continues to be one of those diseases in which significant disparities still exist. It is more
common, more severe, develops at an earlier age, and leads to more clinical sequelae in Blacks than in agematched non-Hispanic Whites.

JUNE-2015 Topic 15 of 30

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

SMOKING and CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It
accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a
higher risk of developing several chronic disorders. These include fatty buildups in arteries, several types of
cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems). Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty
substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Many studies
detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart
attack.
How does smoking affect coronary heart disease risk?
Cigarette and tobacco smoke, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and
diabetes are the six major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease that you can modify or
control.
Cigarette smoking is so widespread and significant as a risk factor that the Surgeon General has called it
"the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States."
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors, it
greatly increases risk. Smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the
tendency for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass
surgery.
Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for young men and women. It produces a greater
relative risk in persons under age 50 than in those over 50.
Women who smoke and use oral contraceptives greatly increase their risk of coronary heart disease and
stroke compared with nonsmoking women who use oral contraceptives.
Smoking decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Cigarette smoking combined with a family history of heart
disease also seems to greatly increase the risk
What about cigarette smoking and stroke and peripheral arterial disease?
Studies show that cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for stroke. Inhaling cigarette smoke
produces several effects that damage the cerebrovascular system. Women who take oral contraceptives
and smoke increase their risk of stroke many times. Smoking also creates a higher risk for peripheral
arterial disease and aortic aneurysm.

JUNE-2015 Topic 16 of 30
JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC
CIGARETTE SMOKERS HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. HERES WHY.
Factors like high blood pressure can stretch out the arteries and cause scarring. Bad cholesterol, called LDL,
often gets lodged in the scar tissue and combines with white blood cells to form clots. The good
cholesterol, called HDL, helps remove LDL from the arteries.
Here are some other problems smoking causes:
Smoking robs you of some of your good cholesterol.
Smoking temporarily raises your blood pressure.
Smoking increases the bloods clotting likelihood.
Smoking makes it more difficult to exercise.
Although cigarette smoking alone increases your risk of coronary heart disease, it greatly increases risk to
your whole cardiovascular system. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease
after bypass surgery.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries, and is a chief contributor to heart disease
the No. 1 killer.
Stroke risks are higher, too. Because smoking temporarily increases blood pressure, and also increases
cholesterol build-ups and the tendency for blood to clot, both types of strokes are more likely for a person
who smokes. There are strokes caused from bleeding because of a weakened blood vessel and strokes
caused by blockages and clots that form in a vessel and cut off blood flow to the brain. Stroke is one of the
leading causes of death and adult disability in America.
Smoking also contributes to peripheral artery disease. Again, because of the added strain smoking places
on the arteries and veins, peripheral artery disease is much more like among smokers, and the habit also
further increases the risk for aortic aneurism.
There is hope and help.
Despite all these scary facts, there is hope if youre a smoker. Did you know that almost immediately after
you quit smoking, your lungs and other smoke-damaged organs start to repair themselves? You can start
getting better the day you put down the cigarettes.
Lung and breathing problems.
Your lungs are air-exchange organs. Theyre made up of tubes that branch out into small sacs called
bronchioles and alveoli where oxygen exchange takes place. Your body takes in the oxygen you breathe
and uses it as fuel. When you breathe in, the sacs inflate. When you breathe out, the sacs deflate.
In a healthy person, these tubes and sacs are very elastic and spongy. In a person with a chronic lung
disease, these sacs lose their elasticity and oxygen exchange is greatly impaired. When that happens, your
body is in grave danger because we cant live without oxygen!
The lungs protect themselves with a thin layer of protective mucus and by moving toxic particles out with
small hairs. In a smokers lungs, the small hairs, called cilia, move slower and struggle to remove harmful
particles. You cant cough, sneeze or swallow effectively to clear these toxins. They become trapped in
your lungs, leading to higher risk for numerous dangerous health problems, including heart disease, stroke
and cancer.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is usually made up of two conditions that make breathing difficult:
emphysema and chronic bronchitis. When you have emphysema, the air sacs in your lungs start to
deteriorate and lose their elasticity. Chronic bronchitis occurs when the lining in the tubes in your lungs
swell and restrict your breathing. These conditions are directly related to smoking.

JUNE-2015 Topic 17 of 30
JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC
WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR HEART RATE?
Even if youre not an athlete, knowledge about your heart rate can help you monitor your fitness level
and it might even help you spot developing health problems.
Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Normal heart rate varies
from person to person. Knowing yours can be an important heart-health gauge.
As you age, changes in the rate and regularity of your pulse can change and may signify a heart condition
or other condition that needs to be addressed.
Where it and what is is a normal heart rate?
The best places to find your pulse are the:
wrists
inside of your elbow
side of your neck
top of the foot
To get the most accurate reading, put your finger over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60
seconds.
Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because youre not
exercising. If youre sitting or lying and youre calm, relaxed and arent ill, your heart rate is normally
between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute).
But a heart rate lower than 60 doesnt usually signal a medical problem. It could be the result of taking a
drug such as a beta blocker. A lower heart rate is also common for people who get a lot of physical activity
or are very athletic. Active people often have lower heart rates because their heart muscle is in better
condition and doesnt need to work as hard to maintain a steady beat.
Moderate physical activity doesnt usually change the resting pulse much. If youre very fit, it could change
to 40. A less active person might have a heart rate between 60 and 100. Thats because the heart muscle
has to work harder to maintain bodily functions, making it higher.
How Other Factors Affect Heart Rate
Air temperature: When temperatures (and the humidity) soar, the heart pumps a little more blood, so your
pulse rate may increase, but usually no more than five to 10 beats a minute.
Body position: Resting, sitting or standing, your pulse is usually the same. Sometimes as you stand for the
first 15 to 20 seconds, your pulse may go up a little bit, but after a couple of minutes it should settle down.
Emotions: If youre stressed, anxious or extraordinarily happy or sad your emotions can raise your pulse.
Body size: Body size usually doesnt usually change pulse. If youre very obese, you might see a higher
resting pulse than normal, but usually not more than 100.

JUNE-2015 Topic 18 of 30
JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC
CHOLESTEROL LEVELS EXPLAINED
What do your levels mean? Keeping your cholesterol levels healthy is a great way to keep your heart
healthy and lower your chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
But first, you have to know your cholesterol numbers.
The American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older have their cholesterol, and other
traditional risk factors, checked every four to six years.
Your total cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol are among numerous factors your doctor can use to
predict your lifetime or 10-year risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Your test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). To determine
how your cholesterol levels affect your risk of heart disease, your doctor will also take into account other
risk factors such as age, family history, smoking and high blood pressure.
A complete fasting lipoprotein profile will show the following for:
Total blood (or serum) cholesterol
Your total cholesterol score is calculated using the following equation: HDL + LDL + 20 percent of your
triglyceride level. A total cholesterol score of less than 180 mg/dL is considered optimal.
HDL (good) cholesterol
With HDL cholesterol, higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol puts you at higher risk for heart
disease. People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower HDL cholesterol. Genetic factors, type
2 diabetes, and certain drugs, such as beta-blockers and anabolic steroids, also lower HDL cholesterol
levels. Smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all result in lower HDL cholesterol.
LDL (bad) cholesterol
A low LDL cholesterol level is considered good for your heart health. However, your LDL number should no
longer be the main factor in guiding treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke, according to new
guidelines from the American Heart Association. For patients taking statins, the guidelines say they no
longer need to get LDL cholesterol levels down to a specific target number. A diet high in saturated and
trans fats raises LDL cholesterol.
Triglycerides
Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex. A
high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is associated with
atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls that increases the risk for heart attack and
stroke

JUNE-2015 Topic 19 of 30

JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL

Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1
cause of death. Majority of people die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of one death every
40 seconds.
The good news is, you can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Working with your doctor is key. It takes a team to develop and maintain a successful health program. You
and your healthcare professionals each play an important role in maintaining and improving your heart
health.
Work with your doctor to determine your risk and the best approach to manage it. In all cases, lifestyle
changes are important to reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. In some cases, cholesterol-lowering
statin medicines may also provide benefit.
Learn how to make diet and lifestyle changes easy and lasting. Also make sure you understand instructions
for taking medication because it won't work if you don't take it as directed.
Lifestyle Changes
Your diet, weight, physical activity and exposure to tobacco smoke all affect your cholesterol level.
Know Your Fats
Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of
heart disease.
Cooking for Lower Cholesterol
A heart-healthy eating plan can help you manage your blood cholesterol level.
Understand Drug Therapy Options
For some people, lifestyle changes alone aren't enough to reach healthy cholesterol levels. Your doctor
may prescribe medication.
Avoid Common Misconceptions
We have created a list of the common misconceptions, along with the true story, about cholesterol.