In this day and age we cannot be too dismissive of terrorists threats. We must always have a boy scout mentality of always being prepared. Bad people are prowling the grounds. We must be ever vigilant much more so today than any.

Since people spend their time mostly at work due to the global economic crisis, it is just apt to discuss security procedures in the case of terrorist attacks.

Here are some of the standard operating procedures that you must know.

1. More guards should be employed during threats. Every door, entrance and exit, should be manned 24-7 without any exceptions.

2. Be sure that you contact the Government/ Police/ Bomb Squad Agencies when informed of any threats.

3. Assure that every possible procedures is followed by having regular security briefings with the guards.

4. Register and keep track of all control panels and keys / locks to ensure integrity..

5. If one person loses the master key, have all the locks in the hotel changed by hiring a specialist.

6. A map of the hotel with all the exit, entrance, and other circulation should be in the possession of security all the time.

7. All persons with temporary I.D. should always be checked on a regular basis.

8. All vehicle entering the hotel premises to be checked according to protocol.  Do not forget to check vehicles parked near / around hotel premises.

9. Exhaustive CCTV coverage on digital recording is preferred instead of time lapse VCR. Every recording should be reviewed every day and suspicious recordings to be reviewed closely.

10. Operators should have a voice recorder handy in case of bomb threats or prank calls.

11. Daily patrols should be increased in the internal parts of the hotel. Patrols should be logged and documented every step of the way.

12. Staff and crew of the hotel should be trained thoroughly in suspicious item handling.

13. Any packages and parcels should be handled and cleared according to the security measures and standards of the hotel.

14. The PA system should always be working.

15. Entry into sensitive banquets must be secured with X-ray machines and metal detectors.

16. All staff and crew should be aware and trained in any contingency plans or evacuation plans.

17. Every staff and crew should be aware of evacuation plans during fire related incidents.

There was this old cartoon called GI Joe with a public service message during every episode. One character will end up saying, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.” This is true in any work place, especially in this information age. Because information is ammunition.

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Broken bones are caused by spillages in the kitchen area. If spills are not addressed properly, slips and falls can occur. Sometimes, some chefs get broken bones during severe accidents in the kitchen.

If you want to learn how to deal with broken bones during emergencies, read on.

Symptoms of broken bones

Here are the common symptoms of broken bones

1. Immediate and excessive swelling. When swelling occurs after the accident, this is a clear sign that the victim has broken bones.

2. Deformity of the part suspected of having broken bones. You will be able to tell if the body part is broken if it is not in the right place.

3. If the farthest point of the injured limb is colored blue or numb to the touch. Discoloration is also a big sign that the victim has broken bones. Try and touch the affected area. If the victim does not seem to feel anything, this is a sign of broken bones.

4. Small contact to the injured area causes excessive pain. Sometimes broken parts become discolored and numb, yet on the other hand, a sure sign of broken bones is excruciating pain.

Keep in mind that to diagnose a broken bone from just a bruised or sprain injury is important. This is to make sure that you will not exacerbate the injury further.

Here’s what you should do in case of broken bones

1. Call your designated emergency safety workers right away. Broken bones should not be taken lightly in any way. If you suspect that the victim has broken bones, then call your nearest emergency response team right away.

2. Immobilize the broken bone with a splint. The splint can be of any material, as long as it is rigid and longer than the injured area.

Splint can be a long rigid ply-wood or plastic. It is important not to move the injury further to keep it from re-injury.

3. Just tie the splint snugly on the affected area. Lay it on the area and wrap it with cloth or gauze. Don’t wrap the splint so tight so you won’t cut off the circulation in the affected area.

4. If the break is in the forearm. You have to loosely wrap a splint (a magazine or a thick newspaper) around the break and use a sling fashioned from gauze or a strip of cloth to keep the elbow immobilized.

5. If the break is in the lower part of the leg. Apply two splints, one on each side of the leg. If suitable material is not available, use the victim’s healthy leg as a makeshift splint.

As much as possible, keep the victim from moving and until an emergency team arrives.

Broken bones are very dangerous to neglect. It can be even more dangerous if you apply wrong procedures on the victim. The best way you can help yourself and others is to call in the injury to your nearest emergency response team. However, if ever help is not nearby, just review this article just so you know the right procedure to follow.

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Work safety should cover all the hazards in the kitchen. Sometimes cuts and scrapes can’t be avoided in the work place. The better solution is to avoid such cuts and scrapes in the first place. But in this article, we will tackle how to apply first aid to cuts and scrapes.

When it comes to cuts and scrapes, you have to remember the acronym ICE.

I – Ice.

Put ice on the affected area if applicable. This will reduce swelling and pain.

C – Compress.

Apply pressure with a clean cloth to minimize blood flow.

E – Elevation.

Elevate the affected area above heart level to minimize swelling and blood flow.

Here are the types of cuts and scrapes that you may encounter.

For minor cuts

Use soap with anti-bacterial properties and warm water to wash the wound and avoid infection from spreading.

Remember that water may help the flow of blood by thinning the blood. Place gauze on it or a clean cloth then apply pressure until blood clotting occurs.

For wound with debris

Sterilize a tweezers and use it to pull out the debris. Go to the emergency room immediately if the debris cannot be removed with tweezers.

Dressing

To keep dirt or bacteria from entering the wound, dressing the wound in gauze is very important. It helps to keep infection out of the affected area.

Monitoring of the wound

Even minor wounds should not be neglected.

Make sure that you dress the wound and change the dressing every few hours or as needed. Dressing the wound will help facilitate healing by preventing infection from occurring.

If the wound becomes red or puffy, or if excessive pain persists, then it may have become infected and will require a physician’s attention. Always be wary of the situation. If you are injured, then be mindful of swelling so you can report infection immediately to your physician.

Do not be dismissive that cuts are just minor injuries. Some can be quite serious if not tended to by a professional. If the wound is deep or the bleeding is non-stop, it may require stitches in order to heal properly. Constant bleeding means that your wound needs stitches. This can be done easily by a professional.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is irritating to the wound so don’t put any on the wound itself. What you should do is just dab a bit of it on the sides of the wound. This will help prevent infection to the wound from spreading.

An antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin is a better alternative to Hydrogen Peroxide – it keeps the wound from getting infected and speeds up the healing process.

Remember This

Be sure to apply the concept of ICE when dealing with cuts and scrapes. Keep in mind that cuts and scrapes can be dangerous when not treated properly. In fact, infection can lead to a lot of complication and may require amputation.

Be mindful of your wound and the wound of others. Proper medical professionals should be consulted whenever you suspect infection in the wound. Remember to monitor your wound and feel out if the pain or swelling is getting worse or not.

The best thing, as noted earlier, is to prevent cuts and scrapes from happening in the first place. But if you ever encounter cuts and scrapes again, you will now know what to do.

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Burns are natural partners of a chef when it comes to the kitchen. But if you are careful, you’ll know right away that this adage does not need to be true always. All you need are techniques and a little know how to avoid nasty burns when you are in the kitchen.

Here are more practical ways you can avoid burns.

1. Pay attention when working around hot equipment.

Focus is the key here. Remember that you are working in a very hot environment. Get your head off the clouds and put all your attention on the hot equipment.

2. Always alert other employees when carrying hot food by saying “HOT FOOD” or “BEHIND YOU.”

Simply alerting your co-workers is enough, unless they have their heads on the cloud. Always assume that people are carrying hot food when you are working in the kitchen.

3. Avoid overcrowding range tops.

The range top can be very hot, so avoid putting stuff on top of it.

4. Use dry potholders.

Dry potholders are slow to conduct heat. Use this to avoid burns.

5. Keep pot handles turned in from the edge of the range and open flames.

Pot handles can become very hot so do not expose them near open flames.

6. Avoid overfilling containers with hot foods.

Hot food can spill out, so avoid injuries by not overfilling the container with food.

7. Get help lifting heavy pots of hot foods.

Heavy loads should always be carried by two or more people to avoid injury. More so when you are carrying hot food as it can cause twice the injury.

8. Open lids of pots and doors of streamers away from you, and do so slowly, to avoid a steam burn.

Steam burn can be just as dangerous as direct contact burns. Stay clear of the steam.

9. Stir foods with long-handled spoons.

Long handled spoons will conduct heat slower than short handled spoons.

10. Warn others of hot surfaces.

This is the same as number two. Always warn the people you work with that something is hot.

11. Let equipment cool before cleaning, and do not use wet rags.

12. Do not put icy frozen foods into the fryer. Put foods slowly into the fryer and stand back to avoid being splattered.

Icy food can explode splatters in the fryer. So better tow the icy food first before putting it anywhere near the fryer.

13. Strike match before turning on gas equipment, to avoid a flare-up.

This is common sense. You have to light the match before the gas. Leaking gas out of the stove after striking the match can cause fires.

14. Wear closed-toe and closed-heel shoes that do not absorb liquids.

Water in the shoes can conduct heat as much as dry shoes.

15. Metal containers, foil or utensils should not be used in microwaves.

Avoid explosions and fires when operating a microwave. Be sure that you have read the operations manual and that you are using common sense when using the microwave.

16. Warn guests of hot dishes.

Same as tips 2 and 10. This time, you have to warn the guest if you are carrying hot dishes. This can really help you avoid injury and a lawsuit.

A lot of tips can be said about burns and how to avoid it. The best tip is to be aware and to always use common sense when dealing with potentially harmful items.

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