10 Best Fire Protection Services in Leesburg, VA

As I was growing up, I remember my parents telling me that attitude is everything. If you begin you day with a foul attitude, you are assured the rest of your day is going to be foul. But if you have a positive attitude, well you know where I am going with this. As usual, my parents were right. Our attitude impacts everything we do. I like to think that our attitude impacts our safety attitude, too. So often when I am at a job site or teaching a safety class, I will ask "Why do you choose not to wear safety equipment?" or "Why did you take that short-cut?" A lot of times the response go something like, "This is only going to take a minute to do" "Nothing is going to happen. I have done it this way a thousand times before". In my opinion, this shows a bad safety attitude. When an accident or injury occurs it cost money. The employee's injury, having to take them to the hospital, the cost of the doctor's visit, maybe a hospital stay, surgery, possible physical therapy, you get my drift right? But what about the indirect costs? The cost of the time to have a staff member file the claim (because now they are not productive towards the business), production time. How about over-time? Because someone is injured the other employees have to pick up the slack and work long to get the job done, and then there is Workers Compensation policy premiums. Yes, that will increase too. Those were just a few to illustrate my point. So how do we change our safety attitude? Know the hazards of your job. Know how to safeguard against the hazards. They say the more you know about the hazards the more they will have a better understanding of how to be safe. Information and communication. Policies and procedures for a company are everything! If employees don't know the rules then they are apt to do it their way. Attitude starts at the top, along with safety. If the owner, management, or even supervisors are not working safely, then employees are going to do the same. Lead by example. I could go on forever on how we can change our safety attitude. There are some great programs out there on the market that address this topic very well. Safety attitude training should be apart of every company's safety training meetings. I like to think that if I helped to change someone's safety attitude, I might have just saved them from an injury. Something to think about: "A change in attitude can change your life" ~ Sasha Azevedo Change someone's safety attitude today!

By SCS Safety Health & Security Associates LLC

Spring Forward And Smoke Detectors: What a Combination!

Spring Forward ~ it is Day Light Savings Time. For many of us it is a great time of the year. The day light will be getting longer, which means more time to be spent outside doing the things we love. This is also a great time of the year to remind everyone to check the smoke detectors. Many of you might have known I was a volunteer fire fighter for about 15 years. I also have a Bachelor degree along with several Associates and a Certificate, all in Fire Science. This is something that fascinates me. What does not excite me, is when I hear about a house fire where there were no working smoke detectors. These devices are made to help save lives by detecting smoke. There are two types of detectors: Ionization, and photoelectric. Each of these detects smoke and fire in a different way. Ionization type smoke detectors have a chamber and when smoke fills the chamber, it interrupts the ionization hence sounding the detector. These type of detectors are generally good at detecting fires with flames. Photoelectric type detectors have a light projected into the alarm chamber. When smoke, such as that from a smoldering fire, enters the chamber, it disrupts the light flow, causing the detector to sound. There is a third type of detector. It is known as a heat detector, and just as its name suggests, it detects the increase of heat, but NOT the presence of smoke. So what is the best type of smoke detector photoelectric or ionization? Answer: BOTH. Having a smoke detector with both types of systems is recommended. As stated before, each detects differently and you never know what type of fire might be started. Either a smoldering or one with lots of flames. Most detectors are powered by either electricity with battery backup, or battery only. Changing the batteries often, keeps fresh batteries in the unit, gives you a change to test the units, clean the units, and it is the perfect time to practice your family's emergency or evacuation plan.If you are tired of having to change the batteries, then I suggest you look into the lithium battery smoke detectors. These types of units have a lithium battery within the unit, which never needs to be changed. However, these units do not last forever. Most manufacturers have an approximate 10-year warranty on the battery or unit. Nevertheless, do not forget to keep testing the units!Most hardware or home improvement stores carry smoke detectors, and depending on the type you are looking for, you can find them to be reasonably priced. I have seen prices ranging from approximately $10 to $40. Make sure you know the type of detector you want to purchase. There are some detectors that are combination detectors, but when you read the packaging you will find they are a combination of smoke (either photoelectric OR ionization) and carbon monoxide.Where would you place a smoke detector? One on every level of your home, and in the basement. Depending on the state you live in, local building codes, and or your homeownerÃ¢€™s insurance representative, you might get a couple of different answers, depending on who you ask. I have seen recommendations of one on every level of the home, and one in each bedroom. Read the manufacturers' recommendation for installation.How long does a smoke detector last? Most smoke detectors, depending on the manufacturer, can last approximately 8 to 10 years. Read the manufacturers information within the packaging. It is recommended that you keep track of when you purchased the unit. I know, most of us have trouble remembering these things, but you can mark the date of purchase on the unit with a permanent marker.If you would like to know other resources that are available, you can talk to your local fire department or check out a few of these websites:http://www.usfa.fema.gov/index.shtmhttp://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=278&URL=Safety%20Information/For%20consumers/Fire%20&%20safety%20equipment/Smoke%20alarms&cookie_test=1http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html

By SCS Safety Health & Security Associates LLC

Sport Injuries and First Aid - Are Your Coaches Trained?

Many of us have children (or grandchildren) who play sports. Almost every day, we hear about, or find articles of athletes who suffered an injury or blow to the chest, and suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Are their Coaches or Leagues equipped to handle this emergency? Have they been trained in CPR and First Aid? Do they have an AED available at the field or event? As many of my friends know, our daughter is an athlete and has been playing on a travel softball team for over 8 years now. When she started, at the age of 9, I figured I would see some injuries on the field, but didn't expect several that I have witnessed personally. Most of the time, I have been the one treating them, because no one else was qualified to help. Some of the teams barely had a first aid kit available for use. Sure they might have had ice packs, but that might have been it. Having coaches, assistant coaches, team parent, or several parents trained to assist with the injured player can be priceless. The first aid training is not going to make them an EMT or Paramedic, but it will help them to know when to move a player, when to call for EMS, and general assistance with the injured player. Recently, I have had the pleasure of talking with several parents, and coaches of youth football leagues. They have expressed the rise in concussions that are happening on the field, and injuries that require players to be taken to the hospital. Though they recognize when to call for EMS, they were also concerned about chest injuries and sudden cardiac arrest. We are seeing more and more leagues purchasing AED units. We teach CPR/AED and First Aid. The First Aid class can be tailored to different sports so that injuries can be handled appropriately. We also sell Automated External Defibrillators (AED's). AED's are more affordable than you think! If you would like your child's league to learn more and to be prepared in the event of an injury or SCA, we would love to help make that happen. We are a one stop shop for all your safety needs. From first aid kits, AED, and supplies, to training and certification courses. Please give us a call today, or find us on the web at www.scssafetyandhealth.com. You can find us on Facebook too at https://www.facebook.com/scssafetyandhealth

By SCS Safety Health & Security Associates LLC