Tornadoes
Tornadoes & Anti- Aging
Tornadoes can occur with little or no warning. Taking precautions in advance of the storms, such as developing an emergency plan, learning the warning signs, and monitoring tornado watches and warnings, can help you stay safe if a tornado occurs in your area.
Know the difference between a watch and a warning.
- A tornado watch indicates that weather conditions are favorable for tornado formations. At this point, it’s important to listen to your local radio or TV station for updates on weather conditions. It’s critical to remain alert, especially if there’s no warning system where you live.
- A tornado warning means a tornado has actually been spotted or detected on radar. If your community has a warning system, listen for the siren, typically a steady tone that lasts three to five minutes. But don’t depend on a warning. Sometimes tornadoes develop quickly or strike after dark, before officials can sound the warning. That’s why it’s critical to remain alert. When the wind picks up, head for shelter. Even if a tornado doesn’t strike, high winds can still cause damage and injury.
Always have a plan, regardless of where you are.
Designate shelters on your jobsite or in your home. Places such as a basement or interior room or closet where there are no windows or outside walls. Make sure everyone in the family knows what to do and where to go.
- If you live in a mobile home, go to your park’s designated shelter or a building with a basement or strong foundation. If there are none, leave your home and find a ditch or another low-lying area a safe distance from your home, and lie flat.
- Make sure your children understand how important it is for them to listen to teachers and follow the emergency shelter plans at school.
- If your employer hasn’t designated a safe place at work, find one, perhaps in a bathroom. Again, make sure there are no outer walls or windows.
- If you’re in a vehicle, get out go to a shelter. If none are available, lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area.
- If you’re outdoors, get to a shelter with a basement or strong foundation. If none are available, lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area.
- Practice tornado drills at home with your family.
- Have a plan for how family members and co-workers will contact one another during/after an emergency. Designate an out-of-area contact (a relative or family friend) who can coordinate your family members’ locations and information if you become separated. Make sure that children learn the phone number in case they don’t have a cell phone.
Tornado facts
- Sometimes you can’t see tornados until they start carrying dust and debris.
- While most tornados move southwest-to-northeast, they can move in any direction.
- The rotating winds in a tornado can reach 250 mph, and they can travel as quickly as 70 mph.
- The sounds of a tornado can range from a dull roar to a train-like blast.
- No areas are tornado-proof. Tornados can jump rivers, cut through major cities (St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, Miami, and others have been hit), and even hit the same neighborhood more than once in a few years’ time.
- Highway underpasses are not safe shelters in a tornado.
So this tornado season, make sure you have a plan and practice it. If there’s a watch, be alert and ready to seek shelter. If there’s a warning, seek shelter immediately.
Near Misses Reported in March
While loading a skid steer on a trailer, the back wheel raised slightly causing a small roll of the truck. It was discussed that if an incline or decline was present, this could have been a issue.
The contractor let their safety man know about the incident and later had a company discussion on loading and unloading procedures.
The forklift operator was in the process of unloading a truckload of steel beams when one of the steel beams fell off the back side of the trailer. No injuries or damages occurred.
The operator is to inspect the length of the forks prior to unloading all loads to assure the forks reach the total width of the load that is to be lifted.
The contractor was welding fabrication on a well pad. Due to weather conditions, the crew was welding underneath a pop-up canopy. High winds caught the canopy blowing it over. Crew members caught the canopy before striking anything.
Work was stopped until conditions improved.
The contractor was getting ready to hydro test a line and had held a very good tailgate safety meeting prior to getting started, covering all hazards. One employee left the safety meeting and went to the launcher fabrication and began to remove a 1" plug. The valve was 1/2 open ready for test and the plug blew off. Luckily, they only had 100 psi on the line and no one was hurt. The employee was terminated and removed from the site. His supervisor said he had no idea why he was doing what he was doing.
They had another meeting to go over hazards again.
The contractor assumed one call was adequate for the area the work was being performed. When they stopped work and reviewed the information, they found that the location was wrong on the description of the one call. The contractor was informed to request another one call before work could resume.
A meeting was held with the contractor to discuss that a previous one call cannot be reused for another site in the same area and reiterated what was discussed previously, that any change in the work location, or conditions require an authorization to proceed. The contractor is to review the one call prior to any work activity and discuss procedure in the JSA tailgate meeting and document that the one call has been reviewed before work can proceed on any activity that requires a one call.
A pipe rolled off a truck, nearly striking a laborer. They had no blocks on the pipe to keep it from rolling. The teamster unhooked the straps and it rolled.
We shut it down for a JSA and had the company write it up as a near miss.
A wheel came off an employee’s car after she had her tires rotated and didn't check the lug nuts within 50 miles.
There was a safety moment provided to the whole project team if they are having their tires rotated/ switched after winter!
We are pleased to announce that we have partnered up with Boot Barn to offer all Applied Consultants inspectors a 15% discount on all purchases “work related” from the Boot Barn, Nation Wide. Be sure to tell them you work for Applied Consultants and use the key word: “Safety First” to receive the discount.
March Winners
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Platinum – Jason Horton |
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Anti-Aging
Anti-Aging has been a hot topic and one of the most asked questions. Do you think age is just a number? I do. I believe how we take care of our body plays the biggest part of aging. In this issue, we will look at one of the most important components in our body: Collagen.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein within the human body making up to 30% of the total protein in the body. It is in the bones, tendons, muscles and skin. It is also found in the cornea of the eyes, blood vessels, gut lining, teeth, and nails. Collagen is the “glue” that holds the entire body together. Our bodies produce collagen naturally and it is in abundance when young, but unfortunately production starts to decline at about age 25 and continues.
The Importance of Collagen:
1. Helps Relieve Joint Pain and Reduces Degeneration 
Collagen helps maintain the integrity of your cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints.
2. Helps Heal Leaky Gut
If you suffer from leaky gut syndrome, a condition where bad-for-you toxins are able to pass through your digestive tract, collagen can be super-helpful. It helps break down proteins and soothes your gut’s lining, healing damaged cell walls and infusing it with healing amino acids.
The biggest digestive benefit of consuming more collagen is that it helps form connective tissue and therefore “seals and heals” the protective lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Today, we know that many illnesses can actually be traced back to inflammation or irritation stemming from an unhealthy gut. Poor gut health — including changes in the gut microbiome and permeability in the gut lining — allows particles to pass into the bloodstream where they can kick off an inflammatory cascade (hence the name leaky gut syndrome).
Studies have found that in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, serum concentrations of collagen are decreased. Because the amino acids in collagen build the tissue that lines the colon and GI tract, supplementing with collagen can help treat gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, including leaky gut syndrome, IBS, acid reflux, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In addition to helping heal leaky gut, the benefits of collagen include helping with the absorption of water within the intestines, keeping things moving more freely out of the body.
3. Boosts Metabolism, Muscle Mass and Energy Output
A boost in collagen may help increase your metabolism by adding lean muscle mass to your frame and helping with the conversion of essential nutrients. One of glycine’s most important roles is helping form muscle tissue by converting glucose into energy that feeds muscle cells. And remember that retaining muscle mass is crucial as you age, since it helps support posture, bone health and burns more calories than fat. When consuming collagen, you can benefit from also consuming vitamin C to ensure your body can convert the collagen into a useable protein. This can begin to restore the source of your energy and vitality.
4. Helps reverse skin aging and Strengthens Nails, Hair and Teeth
One of the most well-known benefits of collagen is its ability to promote glowing, vibrant skin. This essential protein provides elasticity to the skin, helping it to appear more youthful and healthy.
Collagen protein is the building block of your fingernails, hair and teeth. Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and possibly reverse signs of hair loss.
A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that there’s an “essential relationship between extracellular matrix (ECM) and hair follicle regeneration, suggesting that collagen benefits could include being a potential therapeutic target for hair loss and other skin-related diseases.”
5. Could Prevent Bone Loss
Your bones are made mostly of collagen, which gives them structure and helps keep them strong.
As collagen in your body deteriorates as you age, bone mass does, too. This may lead to conditions such as osteoporosis, which is characterized by low bone density and linked with a higher risk of bone fractures.
Studies have shown that taking collagen supplements may have certain effects in the body that help inhibit the bone breakdown that leads to osteoporosis.
6. Promotes Heart Health
Researchers have theorized that taking collagen supplements may help reduce the risk of heart-related conditions.
Collagen provides structure to your arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Without enough collagen, arteries may become weak and fragile.
This may lead to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by the narrowing of the arteries. Atherosclerosis has the potential to lead to heart attack and stroke.
Don'ts and Dos
First, avoid the things that squash your collagen momentum:
Smoking – Bad for all tissues and organs in the body, but smoking creates collagen destroying enzymes.
Chronic stress – The stress hormone cortisol wreaks havoc on collagen production.
Poor diet – Less than desirable diets lack the proper nutrients needed to make and protect collagen.
Too much sun – UV radiation is a significant creator of free radicals, which create collagen destroying enzymes.
Poor hydration – Collagen can help the skin retain moisture, but it needs a source to start with. Not drinking enough water deletes the reservoir.
Second, consider working in these tricks to recharge your collagen potential:
Exercise regularly – Exercise stimulates the production of human growth hormone, which in turn stimulates collagen production in the muscles and tendons.
Get restful beauty sleep – The more hours you get, the more time your body has to produce collagen and make repairs to damaged or stressed tissues.
Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet – Fatty acids ensure that skin cells remain plump.
Lycopene from red fruits and vegetables – Lycopene fights enzymes that destroy collagen.
Vitamins A and C – They play a part in making collagen and the antioxidant properties protect existing collagen.
Lean proteins – Protein-rich foods provide the amino acids involved in collagen synthesis.
Bone broth – Nutrient rich bone broths contain a readymade source of collagen and gelatin.
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