Don't Let Daylight Savings Time Leave You in the Dark

For many people, the effects of Daylight Savings is still lasting many days after the hour was long gone on Sunday. Who knew the loss of one hour of sleep could still be effecting us days later? According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average number of sleep an adult should have is 7 - 9 hours. If you are like me, you are lucky if you average about 6 hours per night, so that one hour loss on Sunday can really take a toll on your body. One study shows that many people will sleep an average of 40 minutes less the night after the change occurs. The Huffington Post reports that on the Monday after the time switch, there is an increase in car crashes, an increase in the number of alcohol related accidents, heart attacks and injuries in the workplace. Not only is that one hour less of sleep dangerous but it also makes workers generally less productive on Monday and more likely to waste time perusing the Internet.

The National Sleep Foundation states that there is no "magic number" on the exact amount of sleep a person should have but it does depend on the amount of activity a person is engaged in throughout the day. Although the number can vary for each individual, one thing sleep research certainly has shown is that sleeping too little can not only inhibit your productivity and ability to remember and consolidate information, but lack of sleep can also lead to serious health consequences and jeopardize your safety and the safety of individuals around you. On the other hand, research also shows that getting too much sleep, in excess of nine hours or more is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This research also found that variables such as low socioeconomic status and depression were significantly associated with long sleep.

So what can you do to make sure you get the proper amount of sleep for your lifestyle? First step could be to see how you respond to different amounts of sleep. Pay careful attention to your mood, energy and health after a poor night's sleep as compared to a good one. Experts also recommend to establish a routine sleeping and waking schedule even on the weekend. Other suggestions include creating a sleep conducive environment that is dark, quiet and comfortable, finish eating at least 2 - 3 hours before bedtime, exercise regularly and avoid caffeine and alcohol products close to bedtime.  

If you are a shift worker, particularly a pipeline control room, you can also make yourself aware of the impact of sleep deprivation and ways to identify fatigue management strategies by taking the SafetySkills® Fatigue Management for Control Room Employees online safety training course. For more information on this course and all of our online safety training products, please visit SafetySkills.com/

SafetySkills™ New Year's Resolutions for 2012

At SafetySkills we put safety at the top of our list and we hope to inspire others to do so as well. This year we are sharing our New Year’s resolutions to provide some helpful ideas on having a safe and healthy 2012.

1. Be more energy efficient - Mother Earth needs some loving and so do our wallets. Check out this online safety training course for tips on how to be more energy efficient while saving you money.
Protect yourself at work – Let’s vow this year to be more safety conscious. No matter what field you may be in, you may come in contact with something that can be potentially dangerous if you are not wearing the proper personal protective equipment or PPE. This online course can provide helpful tips in choosing PPE and the different types to choose from.
Quit Smoking - A smoker usually at one time or another thinks about quitting smoking. Make 2012 be the first of many smoke free years. Beginning in September of this year, the FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. Give yourself a heads up on what to expect in 2012 by viewing our Carcinogen awareness course. Sometimes a visual reminder is more effective in helping people make a change.
Be a more courteous driver – We know how stressful the workday commute can be. You’ve got places to go and people to see and no one around you is moving fast enough. Here’s an idea, if everyone made the pledge to be more courteous, the rush hour commute may actually be more peaceful. Sometimes a little more quiet time is all a person needs to put them in a better mood. This road rage online safety training course can give you some preventive measures to help you from being pushed over the edge.
Focus more on the road and less on your phone – Don’t be the object of someone else’s road rage because you were not paying attention. Too many accidents occur because people are not paying attention to the road. Don’t add to the statistics and put the phone away while driving. No text or phone call is worth your life or someone else’s. The SafetySkills distracted driver course will help you identify some methods to minimizing or eliminating driving distractions.
Finish home improvement projects – It always starts out with good intentions, the measurements have been taken, all the necessary tools have been purchased and then months later the drywall is still in the exposed status you left it in. Make 2012 the year that you actually finish what you started. To help get you pumped up and ready to go safely, be sure to watch our hand and power tool safety course first before gearing up.
Clean your house more – Life has become so busy that sometimes it’s hard to clean up after yourself or others. Unfortunately you have let it go for so long that you are beginning to wonder when the camera crew from “Hoarders” is going to start knocking at your door. Don’t wait for spring to do some spring cleaning; no time is better than the present. Before you overwhelm yourself with all the cleaning options or have the sudden urge to spray all the cleaning products you have in bathtub, check out this household chemical safety course. Start 2012 off fresh, clean and safe.
Be a better listener – How many times have you been accused of not listening? If you are my husband, this occurrence happens at least once a day. My husband likes to feed me the line that it’s not that he isn’t listening he just can’t hear me because of all the loud noises he endures every day at work. Whether this is actually true for my husband or not (since he always hears me when I say how much something is going to cost), millions of people are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work every year. Protect your ears (and you relationship) by learning how to prevent hearing loss with this online hearing conservation training course (your partner will thank you later)
Travel more – According to a report by the Families and Work Institute, the average vacation time that Americans took each year averaged 14.6 days. A survey done by Expedia.com shows that workers in France earned 30 vacation days, on average, in 2011, and often used every single one of those days. The same goes for employees in Brazil and Spain, Expedia said. In the UK, workers get 25 days and they used all 25. Why let the Europeans have all the fun? Make this year the time to finally get out from behind the desk and use all those vacation days. Before you head out, make sure that your traveling is stress free with this situational travel online training course.
Take more risks – We all think about it at one point or another, we want to be daring, spontaneous and the object of our coworkers jealousy. Let this year be the year to get a little crazy. What about a tattoo? This ink on your body will show people that you are a risk taker even if it’s a little fuzzy kitten on your ankle. Make sure your do your research before diving any risky permanent ink situations. A good start may be to look into the safety regulations that legit tattoo shops have to follow so you are armed with the right questions to ask. This online safety training course is designed show tattoo artists the proper procedures necessary to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens.