Bed Bugs Increasingly Problematic at Work
Bed bugs, those small, brownish insects that like to set up home in people’s beds and suck on their blood, are becoming a problem in the workplace, according to University of Kentucky extension entomologist Michael Potter.
He says bed bugs, which are about 3/16ths of an inch long, are showing up in increasing numbers in homes, apartments, healthcare facilities, hotels/motels, office buildings, dormitories, schools, movie theaters and other places where people live, work, play and study.
A recent National Pest Management Association survey found that nearly 20 percent of pest exterminators reported finding bed bugs in US office buildings, as compared to just one percent in 2007.
Potter says the prevalence of bed bugs is probably due to increased immigration and world travel and less effective modern bed bug pesticides.
Someone who has been bitten, most often while asleep, is usually left with itchy, red welts or localized swelling. Bed bug bites are often mistaken for mosquito bites.
“It often seems that bed bugs arise from nowhere. The bugs are efficient hitch-hikers and are usually transported in on luggage, clothing, beds, furniture and other items,” says Potter. “This is a particular problem for hotels, motels and apartments, where turnover of occupants is constant.”
Acquiring used furniture such as couches, chairs or beds is another route for an unintended bed bug infestation at home or work. And workers can and do unknowingly take them to work on their clothing and shoes.
“Once bed bugs are introduced, they often spread throughout a building,” he says. “The bugs can travel from room to room or floor to floor by crawling or via a person.”
A building’s level of cleanliness has little to do with the likelihood of an infestation.
Bed bugs, as their name suggests, are most commonly found in beds. A thorough inspection requires dismantling the bed and standing the pieces on edge. Look for the bugs themselves or dark spots of dried bed bug excrement, especially along mattress seams or along the undersides of box springs.
Furniture such as couches or chairs should also be examined for evidence of bed bugs, including seams, tufts, skirts and crevices. Potter says treating bed bug-contaminated surfaces is difficult and beds or furniture may need to be thrown out. He suggests contacting a reputable exterminator to decide what items are treatable and which require disposal.
“In extreme cases, entire buildings have been fumigated for bed bugs,” says Potter.
Following are some tips for avoiding bed bug infestations:
- Think twice about purchasing used beds or upholstered furniture or picking up free furniture from the curbside.
- Regularly inspect your bedding and furniture for evidence of bed bugs. Caught early, problems are easier to control.
- When staying in hotels/motels, inspect beds for bed bugs, paying special attention to the head of the bed and headboard region. If you find bed bugs, request another room, preferably in another area of the building.
- Store suitcases on hard, elevated surfaces above floor level.
- If you suspect bed bugs have bitten you in a hotel, immediately wash and dry all clothing you are wearing and have brought home.
- Seal cracks and crevices; repair or remove peeling wallpaper; tighten loose light switch covers and seal any openings where pipes, wires or other utilities come into the building.
Home Isn’t as Safe as It’s Cracked up to Be
Home is where the heart is. Home is where you hang your hat. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. Clichés about home often suggest that it’s a loving, carefree sanctuary, a place where we can shed all our worries. And after a hard day’s work, it’s where you rush to be. But before you hang up your hat this evening, take a look around your home and consider this statistic: You were actually 10 times safer back at work.
According to the National Safety Council, in 2006 there were 179,065 deaths from unintentional injuries in the United States. Four percent of those deaths resulted from workplace injuries; 41 percent of those deaths resulted from injuries that occurred at home. It seems there really is no place like home!
After you examine your own home for hazards, remind your workers to look at their homes with a critical safety eye. Share with them these 10 quick ways to improve safety where they live:
- Ensure all traffic areas and stairways are well-lighted.
- Clear all traffic areas and stairways of clutter.
- Fix any loose railings.
- Fix torn carpets and loose tiles.
- Ensure all wiring is in good condition and adequate for your appliances.
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, regularly check their batteries and press the alarms’ “test” button to ensure they are working properly.
- Have your chimneys and fireplaces cleaned every year.
- Store flammable liquids, such as gasoline and paint thinner in approved covered containers in well-ventilated areas. Keep them far away from sources of ignition, such as cigarettes and pilot lights.
- Always turn handles of pots and pans toward the center of the stove or that they can’t be accidentally bumped by someone passing by.
- Post emergency numbers at each telephone, along with the house address and phone number.
Saskatchewan Businesses and Community Leaders Sign Charter
More than 130 Saskatchewan business and community leaders recently declared their commitment to the health and safety of their employees and communities by signing the province’s first Health & Safety Leadership Charter.
“For years, Saskatchewan has had the dubious distinction of having the second worst injury rate in Canada and the highest rate in Canada for injuries that occur outside of the workplace, says Gord Moker, CEO of Safe Saskatchewan.
Moker says there’s an attitude that injuries are inevitable and, “We as leaders felt it was time to stand together to create a cultural change in our own organizations and in the wider community. This charter is about publicly committing to that change.”
A joint initiative between WorkSafe Saskatchewan and Safe Saskatchewan, the charter aims to adopt safety as a core value and result in positive changes in attitudes and behaviors. The principles of the charter were adopted from the Conference Board of Canada’s CEO Health & Safety Leadership Charter.
Read MoreFatality Blamed in Part on GPS
A Global Positioning System (GPS) device certainly takes some of the pressure off for drivers trying to find their way, but a fatality in New Brunswick, Canada, shows that drivers shouldn’t put all their faith in them.
A couple returning from a trip to Florida drove into the back of a semi-trailer at an intersection near St. Andrews, NB. The driver’s 78-year-old wife died at the scene.
Police say the intersection had been reconfigured and the GPS unit in the couple’s car had relayed outdated information. Poor signage at the intersection also likely contributed to the driver’s lack of awareness that a stop sign had been set up there.
The GPS unit indicated that the driver was already on the highway, so he probably wasn’t expecting a stop sign. A warning sign or rumble strip on the road might have prevented the collision.
The fatality shows the importance of not relying too heavily on what the GPS is telling a driver to do, police said. If your company has drivers who depend upon GPS systems as part of their jobs, share this story with them.
Read MoreAlberta Takes Cell Phone Driving Ban One Step Further
Several provinces have banned drivers from using hand-held cell phones while moving in traffic, but Alberta is proposing even tougher legislation.
Bill 16, introduced in the Alberta legislature in April and expected to be debated in fall 2010, would ban a range of driving distractions including personal grooming, reading, writing, talking on a hand-held cell phone and texting.
The law would not ban drivers from smoking, eating or drinking coffee or other non-alcoholic beverages.
“This legislation is a practical, effective and enforceable approach to the issue of distracted driving,” says Minister of Transportation Luke Ouellette. “We are sending a strong safety message to Albertans: When you are in your vehicle, your focus must be on driving.”
Under the proposed legislation, fines for distracted driving would start at $172. Additional fines could be levied for driving errors associated with distraction, such as running a stop sign or red light.
Info to go: Read more about distracted driving by clicking on the Info to Go safety links at www.SafeSupervisor.com
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