Image Credit: inquizimedia

Using your mobile device right now? Not a problem at all but where you are using it determines if it’s a problem. On the walkway? On the road? In your office? On your bed? In a bus? In your car with you as the driver? On a bike?

If you are in motion while using it, you are a hazard to your environment and you’re doing what my fellow safety professionals would call an “unsafe act”. You are a distracted road user and as such could cause problems for both motorists and pedestrians. Our generation has caught the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) fever, as such we are always on our devices. It’s either we are chatting, checking out what others are doing, reading stories or listening to music. Either way, we are caught up in our own world and are not fully aware of our immediate environment. And this can kill you.

This is not an exaggeration. Few weeks ago, another person was killed by a train in the Ikeja axis of Lagos. She was listening to music and her ears were blocked with earphones. Most deaths that have occurred on that particular railway were due distracted road users. There have also been lots of bike and car mishaps because either the pedestrian or motorist was  absorbed in the use of mobile devices. Even though most of the deaths were due to use of mobile devices, other forms of distraction like eating, making up, thinking of problems can lead to accidents when we are in motion. We therefore need to cut off all distraction when using the road.

With just a little lifestyle adjustment we can become better pedestrians and motorists without being a source of harm to others.
1) Put away your phone
Yes, put it away. Preferably somewhere far so that you have to make an effort to get to it. As soon as you get to your destination, you can continue. If it is urgent, stop, get off the active walkway/road first before whipping out the device.

Did you know the road safety law regarding use of phones when driving does not say “receiving calls”? It mentions “use of phone” and that phrase encompasses a lot not just taking calls. Be guided.

2) Stop multi tasking
Doing make up or eating while driving can get you into trouble. All you need is the wrong pothole, careless driver or distracted pedestrian and the rest is history. Remember that in driving just a little swerve when you’re at a top speed can spiral into an accident. So, focus. It’s better to get to your destination first, apply the makeup or eat the food. Or better still, since you’re already late, finish your makeup and eat before heading out.

3) Stop thinking about your problem on the road
If you get knocked down by a vehicle before you get to your destination, how does that solve your problem? Stop thinking on the road, focus on trying to get to where you are going. You have enough time at your destination to think.

The little things we take for granted could be the difference between life or death. It could be the difference between complete health and reduced quality of life. Commit to choose the safe choice always.

Over the past few months, there has been increasing cases of fire incidents leading to injury, destruction of property, loss of life and investment. The incidents happened and escalated for various reasons such as:  lack of knowledge, absence of emergency procedures, absence of firefighting equipment and absence of emergency exits.

Fire is one of the fastest ways to destroy a thing, as such when it occurs, it has to be tackled speedily and efficiently. For a fire to occur, you need 3 key elements:

1) Fuel (anything that can burn)

2) Oxygen

3) Heat (sufficient high temperature)

Based on this, a fire can occur anywhere and at any time. However it is important to mention the fourth element, without which a fire would not occur despite the presence of the other elements.

4) Chemical Reaction

This is the reason we walk around every day without catching fire irrespective of the combustible stuff around us or on us, the free flow of oxygen and the heat. The chemical reaction would only occur or be sustained when one or more of the elements is sufficient to sustain the burn. For example, without sufficient heat, no matter the amount of oxygen or fuel present, the chemical reaction would not occur and a fire won’t start.

CLASSES OF FIRE

Fire can occur at home, at work and on the roads. It is important to know the different classes of fire and the best way to deal with it. Depending on the vicinity of the fire and the attendant risks, you could need a fire blanket (kitchen), Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) extinguisher, CO2 extinguisher or plain old water.

Class A: this refers to fire from ordinary materials that can produce ash like paper, wood, textile, bags. It can be extinguished by using water, non-flammable liquids and appropriate fire extinguishers.

Class B: this refers to fire resulting from flammable liquids and gases such as gasoline, grease, propane.  Do not use water for this class as it would spread the fire. Appropriate extinguishers are useful for this class of fire.

Class C: this is fire from live electrical sources. It could be as a result of an overloaded socket, power surge, faulty wiring etc. Do not use water to avoid electrocution. If possible, cut off the power supply first before attempting to fight the fire. Appropriate extinguisher is useful here.

Class D: this is fire from combustible metals like magnesium, titanium. Appropriate extinguishers can put out this class of fire.

METHODS OF EXTINCTION

A removal of any of the key elements would extinguish the fire. There are 3 major ways to extinguish a fire:

Cooling: this is the removal of heat by reducing the temperature of the burning substance. Water, non-flammable fluids and water fire extinguishers help in this regard.
Smothering: this is the removal of oxygen by reducing the oxygen content of air in that vicinity. This could be achieved with blankets, coats, curtain, covering a container (waste bin with a cover) or specific fire extinguishers.
Starving: this is the removal of fuel. It could either be by removing the fire from the vicinity of combustible materials or removing fuel from the vicinity of the fire.

FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

The best way to fight a fire is to prevent it. However, because accidents are unplanned, it is important to be prepared by being informed and purchasing relevant equipment. There are various equipment but only the ones suitable for your type of business or scale of operation should be purchased. A personal kitchen might need just a fire blanket or a fire extinguisher while a big hotel’s kitchen would most likely need a sprinkler system. The major firefighting equipment are:

·       Detectors and alarms

·       Fire blanket

·       Fire extinguishers (Dry Chemical Powder, CO2, Foam, Halon, Water Glycol)

·       Sprinkler System

·       Hose reels

ACTIONS TO TAKE

·       Raise alarm (shout for help, trigger the alarm system, call the fire service)

·       Exit building if you’re not competent to fight the fire

·       If you are competent, get the fire extinguisher and follow the PASS principle

·       If you are competent and the fire is beyond your scope (knowledge and materials available), exit the vicinity.

·       Always ensure the bottle is held upright

·       Target the base of the fire to ensure effectiveness

FIRE PREVENTION TIPS

·       Always turn off electrical appliances when not in use

·       All homes and offices should put in place detection and evacuation systems (procedures and training)

·       Report faulty equipment

·       Ensure that only a competent personnel wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is allowed to repair faulty equipment

·       Turn off gas cylinders when not in use

·       Keep flammable materials properly labelled and away from others

·       Always follow laid down procedures when working with flammable materials

Sometimes when people hear this question, they think of fire extinguishers and safety hats. There’s a whole lot more to safety than that as we would get to see. No one wants to leave a workplace worse than when they got the job. Safety in the workplace is ensuring that workers leave work as whole as they entered, no broken bones and no health challenges (cancer, back pain, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) etc.) We understand that some jobs entertain certain risks but that is why we are here to help you navigate your risks and reduce them as much as is reasonably practicable.

Safety in the workplace would start from answering basic questions such as: how many exits are available? Is there proper ventilation and lighting? Is the work station properly arranged? How comfortable and convenient are the seats available for the duration of employee’s stay per day? Is there access to drinking water, toilet facilities etc? How is rest period decided? Is there a safe way of performing the job? Is it being followed?

These questions may seem sort of  easy until we get to the part of emergency response procedures where we would need to answer questions such as: What are the procedures in the case of a fire incident? Are fire extinguishers available? Who would be the firefighters? Where is the muster point? What actions are employees expected to take? Or in the case of a medical emergency: Is there a first aid kit? Who are the first aiders? Are they sufficiently trained? What is the contact details of the primary health care centre? There is a whole lot more of such questions, some are general while others are more specific to the particular workplace.

One might think “God forbid”, ” It’s not my portion” but really, whose portion is it? Inasmuch as we are in a religious part of the world, we still need to play our part to keep our businesses safe. Remember, it’s only if the business exists that there is a chance to turn a profit. More so, people would be more likely to work with a safe business than one known for broken bones and various ailments.

Today, ask yourself, Is my  business/workplace safety compliant?