Happy new year everyone!

I pray that this New year brings to you happiness, fulfillment and joy forever and ever.

Simple healthy habits that prevent disease spread

Healthy habits prevent germs and infectious diseases from spreading. Continuous practice of simple healthy habits can go a long way to curtail the spread of communicable diseases. Here are some simple healthy habits one needs to practice regularly:-

#1 Handle & Prepare Food Safely

Food can carry germs. Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces often when preparing any food, especially raw meat. Always wash fruits and vegetables. Cook and keep foods at proper temperatures. Don't leave food out - refrigerate promptly.

#2 Wash Hands Often

1. Wet hands and apply soap.
2. Rub hands for at least 20 seconds. Scrub all surfaces.
3. Rinse hands.
4. Dry hands with a clean cloth or paper towel. If in a public place, use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. Then, throw in the trash.

 *When helping a child, wash their hands first, and then your own. 

#3 Clean & Disinfect Commonly Used Surfaces

Germs can live on surfaces. Cleaning with soap and water is usually enough. However, you should disinfect your bathroom and kitchen regularly. Disinfect other areas if someone in the house is ill. 

#4 Cough & Sneeze Into a tissue

If you are sick, the air that comes out of your mouth when you cough or sneeze may contain germs. Someone close by can breathe in your air, or touch a surface contaminated with your germs, and become ill. Cough or sneeze into a tissue not into your hands. Remember to throw away the tissue and wash your hands.

#5 Don't Share Personal Items

Avoid sharing personal items that can't be disinfected, like toothbrushes and razors, or sharing towels between washes. Needles should never be shared, should only be used once, and then thrown away properly. 

Safe handling of gas cylinder

Gas cylinders are a convenient way to transport and store gases under pressure. In other to minimize risks associated with handling of gas cylinders, it must be designed and manufactured to an approved standard to withstand everyday use and to prevent danger. It should also be used in the following ways:-

• Use gas cylinders in a vertical position, unless specifically designed to be used otherwise;
• Securely restrain cylinders to prevent them falling over;
• Always double check that the cylinder/gas is the right one for the intended use;
• Before connecting a gas cylinder to equipment or pipe-work make sure that the regulator and pipe-work are suitable for the type of gas and pressure being used.
• When required, wear suitable safety shoes and other personal protective equipment when handling gas cylinders;
• Do not use gas cylinders for any other purpose than the transport and storage of gas;
• Do not drop, roll or drag gas cylinders.
• Close the cylinder valve and replace dust caps, where provided, when a gas cylinder is not in use.
• Where appropriate, fit cylinders with residual pressure valves (non-return valves) to reduce the risk of back flow of water or other materials into the cylinder during use that might corrode it.
• Ensure that the valve is protected by a valve cap, or collar, or that the valve has been designed to withstand impact if the cylinder is dropped.

Home Safety: Preventing Poisoning

Research shows that about 90% of poison exposures happen at home, making it the second leading cause of accidental death in the home.

Nonfatal poisonings are most common among children under age 5. The most common causes of these poisonings are:

• Cleaning and household products
• Personal care and beauty products
• Medicines (especially dangerous are those with iron)
• Vitamins
• Plants
• Lead and carbon monoxide

Ways to prevent home poisoning are:-

• Know your poisons: It would be easier if every bottle that contained poison was marked with a skull and crossbones, as they are in cartoons. Poisons come in many forms:cosmetics, garden products such as fertilizer, furniture polish, dishwasher detergent, and carbon monoxide from burning fuel.
• Store safely: Put any product with a warning label up high and in a locked cabinet. Don’t keep medicines in your purse, pockets, or drawers. Keep products in their original containers. Do not use food containers for storage.
• Follow directions on chemical products: Open a window when you are using them. Never mix household cleaning products together -- bleach and ammonia mixed together create a toxic gas, for example.
• Keep carbon monoxide outside: Have heaters, stoves, and fireplaces checked by a professional every year. Carbon monoxide can also enter the house through an adjoining garage. Never run an engine or car motor or use a barbecue in a garage.
• Stay on top of medicines: Follow directions and measure carefully, keep track of when medicines are taken, and put them away right after use. Get rid of expired medicine by crushing or dissolving medications and adding them to old coffee grounds, then place them in a sealed plastic bag in the garbage can. Don't flush them down the toilet unless the instructions say to do so.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing you all a blissful Christmas!

How to avoid carcinogens

Cancer is caused by changes in a cell’s DNA. Some of these changes can be inherited, others may be caused by environmental factors – these are known as carcinogens.

Some carcinogens do not affect DNA directly, but lead to cancer in other ways by, for example, causing cells to divide at a faster than normal rate, which could increase the chance of altering DNA.

Here are the list of cancer causing agents:

Smoking

Chemicals in cigarette smoke – specifically benzene, polonium-210, benzopyrene and nitrosamines – cause cancer by directly damaging our DNA including the genes that help protect us from cancer. 

The chemicals in cigarettes enter our blood stream which then get pumped around our bodies by our ever helpful hearts. This is why smoking also increases the risk of at least 13 other cancers including cancers of the larynx, oesophagus, mouth and pharynx, bladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, stomach, bowel, cervix, ovary, nose and sinuses and some types of leukaemia.

Alcohol

When you drink alcohol, the cancer-causing chemical acetaldehyde is formed. And no type of alcohol is better or worse than another.

Acetaldehyde causes cancer by making our liver cells grow faster than normal. These regenerating liver cells are then more likely to pick up changes in their genes that could then lead to cancer. Alcohol can also affect the level of oestrogen in our bodies, and high levels of this hormone can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Meat

The way meat is cooked can also expose us to cancer-causing chemicals, specifically heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

These chemicals are formed when meat is cooked using high-temperature methods, especially at temperatures of above 149C, such as frying or grilling over an open flame. Meats cooked at high temperatures or for a long time tend to form more HCAs. Smoked or charred meats create PAH. HCAs and PAHs damage DNA after they are metabolised by enzymes in the body, a process known as bioactivation.

But some epidemiologic studies found that high consumption of well-done or fried meats was associated with increased risks of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.

Kitchen safety tips

1. How to  Prevent slips, trips and falls
  i. Keep walkways and aisles clear of boxes and other clutter.
 ii. Ensure you can see where you are going when carrying large items.
iii. Avoid standing in front of swinging doors and doorways.
iv. Wear well fitting non-slip footwear.
 v. Clean floors regularly and clean up spills immediately.
2. How to prevent cuts
 i. Curl your fingers and cut away from your body when trimming.
ii. Use the right knife for the job and make sure it's sharp.
iii.Hold the knife with your stronger hand.
iv. Do not drop knives into dish water.
 v. Keep knives out of the sink.
vi. Clean knives immediately after use.
3. How to prevent burns and scalds
 i. Use dry cloth when handling hot objects.
ii. If oil catches fire:
#. Cover it with safety blanket or damp cloth or powder fire extinguisher if trained to use it.
#. Turn off the source of gas or power.
#. Never use water.

#. Never try to carry the burning pan.

See how to seat with good posture

Sitting properly in a chair is one way to prevent discomfort and back strains.
When Sitting in your chair, move your hips back as far as you can until they are against the back of the chair.

Adjust the seat height until your feet are flat on the floor. Your hips should be at the same height or slightly higher than your knees.

Remove all objects from your back pocket, and sit with your weight evenly distributed over your buttocks.

Adjust the backrest height so that it is comfortably resting in the curve of your lower back.

This position will allow maximum support and relieve unnecessary strain on your body throughout your work day.
                

                           

Safe Lifting Technique

                  

1)Stand close to the load and center yourself over it with your feet shoulder width apart

2)Tighten your abdominal muscles

3)Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and squat down to the floor

4)Get a good grasp on the load with both hands

5)Keeping the load close to your body use your leg muscles to stand up lifting the load off the floor

6)Your back should remain straight throughout lifting, using only the muscles in the legs to lift the load

7)Do not twist your body when moving the load. Instead take small steps with your feet turning until your are in the correct position

8)Again bend at the knees using only your leg muscles and place the load in the appropriate spot

preventing carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed at the wrist. It is a common disorder in people who spend most of their day typing, writing, and doing repetitive wrist motions. 
Carpal tunnel can be prevented by performing the following easy exercise before starting work and during break and throughout the day:-

1. Extend both arms straight out in front of you.
2. Extend your wrists and fingers back (as if directing traffic to stop). Hold this position for 5 seconds.
3. Now straighten your wrists and relax your fingers.
4. With your arms still straight out in front of you, keep your wrists straight, make a fist, and squeeze it tightly. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
5. Keep your fists clenched and bend your wrists down. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
6. Straighten both wrists and relax your fingers again.
7. Repeat this 9 more times.

Cell Phones and Eye Health

Small text and bright screens can strain mobile phone users’ eyes. Since tablet computers, smartphones, and other hand-held devices are designed for reading at close range, users’ eyes must constantly refocus and reposition to process the graphics and text on screen.

According to The Vision Council U.S, more than a third of adults reported spend four to six hours a day with digital media or related electronic devices. As digital use increases, so do potential vision problems, including eye strain. 

Symptoms of digital eye strain include eye redness or irritation, dry eyes, blurred vision, back pain, neck pain, and headaches.

Some of the ways to prevent digital eye strain include reducing glare, cleaning the screen, dimming the surrounding lighting that is competing with the device’s screen, keeping adequate distance between eyes and the screen, and increasing text size. Device users are also advised to take breaks from looking at the screen, and follow the “20-20-20” rule: Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes using an electronic device and look at something 20 feet away.

HOW TO PREVENT FIRE OUTBREAK DURING HARMATTAN

With the increase in incessant fire outbreak this season of harmattan it is crucial to alert people on the need to be more careful to avoid lost of lives and valuable properties. Here are some simple steps to be taken to curb this disasters:

1. Improve on our housekeeping culture
2. Check indiscriminate refuse and bush burning
3. Avoid wrong and improper storage of petroleum
products 
4. Use of candle and firewood to light the
house at night should at least stop for now.You can use torchlight or rechargeable lamp 
5. Ensure the use of proper electrical
appliances to avoid sparks and electrical fires.Put off power supply at the main switch or control board in the incident of power failure to prevent power surge once the power is restored.
6. Proper storage and handling of
inflammable substances. Never spray your insecticides near your cooking stove or gas cooker!

See how to avoid injuries while using fireworks

Fireworks can cause burn and eye injuries if not handled properly. Here are some safety tips to avoid fireworks related disasters.

• Kids should never play with fireworks. Things like firecrackers, rockets, and sparklers are just too dangerous. If you give kids sparklers, make sure they keep them outside and away from the face, clothing, and hair. Sparklers can reach 1,800°F (982°C) — hot enough to melt gold.
• Buy only legal fireworks (legal fireworks have a label with the manufacturer's name and directions; illegal ones are unlabeled), and store them in a cool, dry place. Illegal fireworks usually go by the names M-80, M100, blockbuster, or quarterpounder. These explosives were banned in 1966, but still account for many fireworks injuries.
• Never try to make your own fireworks.
• Always use fireworks outside and have a bucket of water and a hose nearby in case of accidents.
• Steer clear of others — fireworks have been known to backfire or shoot off in the wrong direction. Never throw or point fireworks at someone, even in jest.
• Don't hold fireworks in your hand or have any part of your body over them while lighting. Wear some sort of eye protection, and avoid carrying fireworks in your pocket — the friction could set them off.
• Point fireworks away from homes, and keep away from brush and leaves and flammable substances. 
• Light one firework at a time (not in glass or metal containers), and never relight a dud.
• Don't allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event. Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.
• Soak all fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash can.

Driving tips

School Area Road Safety Assessment and Improvement (SARSAI) report shows that about 500 children dies everyday as a result of road accident. Overtimes road accident have caused alot of damages and heart breaks across the world more especially in sub-sahara Africa which has the world's most dangerous roads and rates of road traffic injury. Here are some safety  tips to follow when behind the wheel:-
I. Don't allow children to fight or climb around in your car (they should be buckled in their seat at all times). One accidental bump or too much noise can easily distract you from concentrating on driving safely.
II. Do not over speed in other to beat traffic light.
III. Cell phones can also take your focus away from the task at hand. Avoid the use of cell phone while driving.
IV. Avoid driving when you're tired. Be aware that some medications can cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous.
V. Always use caution when changing planes. Cutting in front of someone, changing lanes too fast or not using your signals many cause on accident or upset other drivers
Remember the best driver is the one that alive his/her destination safely.

Infections prevention techniques in a workplace

Infection is caused by a variety of pathogens such as virus, bacteria, protozoa and fungi that get into your body and multiply.
Infections control in the workplace begins by assuming that everyone is potentially infectious, because the workplace is a major source of infections over which you have very little control.
The most important way to reduce the spread of infections is hand washing :- always wash regularly with soap and water. Other good practices to slow the spread of infections are:-
1. Always keep the workplace clean
2. Manage your body contact with your colleagues very well, especially if you or they are sick.
3. Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand. Turn away from other people.
4. If working with children, have them play with hard surface toys that can be easily cleaned.
5. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth (viruses can transfer from your hands and into the body)
6. Do not share cups, glasses, or cutlery.
7. Door handles, particularly toilet doors, entry doors and internal office doors are sources of infections that you may not be aware of, use a paper towel or open the door with your little finger or use hand sanitizer after handling the doors.