Category: Safety at home & in the community

This yucky reminder shows how viruses can make their way from one sneeze onto keyboards, phones, other surfaces, and ultimately into your home.

A carbon monoxide (CO₂) leak had tragic consequences for two people in Burnaby recently. A man and woman in their 50s died in their trailer, likely from exposure to a CO₂ leak from a propane-powered generator. Furnaces, boilers, kilns, natural gas space heaters, fires, welding activity can create CO₂. So can pressure washers and other tools.

Weekend DIY warriors are getting busy as the weather warms. But before you get out there with the power tools, please review these safety videos and make sure you are prepared.

It’s easy to be deceived by the sunshine and dress in clothes that aren’t warm enough. But if you are venturing into the wilderness – for work or recreation – it pays to be prepared.

This is my last post for 2012 – then I’m taking a little time to relax with the family before I’m back in the new year. I’d like to leave you with some safety tips for dealing with a key aspect of the Canadian winter – snow – which can be excellent or annoying, depending on what you are trying to do in it.

Recently I was sitting inside – writing about safety – and I kept hearing mega-splashes on the road. I realized, from the sound, that the leaves had clogged the drain on the road, which could lead to hydroplaning. When the cars came to a stop at the pedestrian light, I looked around carefully, went to the edge of the road, and stabbed the end of the broom into the slimey blob of leaves blocking the drain grate. The mini-lake drained instantly, bubbling and swirling down into the sewer. I went inside and got back to work – feeling most satisfied about my little safety fix.

Most of us know the importance of using sunscreen at work and play. But do you know how different types of sunscreens work?

“Whoa! Look at that driver! He’s talking into an iPhone – right in front of his face!” yelled my passenger recently as we passed through the intersection of Main and Terminal in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It’s this type of behaviour that leads to vehicle crashes – the number one cause of traumatic work-related deaths.

When the snow falls in Vancouver – as it has this January – the transit drivers have their work cut out for them. They navigate challenging roads, where vehicles slide at odd angles, and more passengers than usual line-up at snow-covered bus stops. Let’s thank them and think about how bus drivers stay safe on the job.