Healthy Mind and Body
Helps Assure
Safety Performance
FOTOFAX JANUARY, 1977
By Dr. Lister - Plant Physician
Safe performance is a top priority goal.
A healthy body and alert mind will help
each of us achieve this goal. I've done
some deep thinking about advice and
instructions I might offer on how you
can keep both healthy and safe. Here
are some of my thoughts.
Good physical and mental conditioning
for safe performance means: a proper
attitude, good mental and physical reflexes
and reactions, clear concentration on the
task being performed, and good judgement,
all under possible changing circumstances.
These basic conditions are dependent upon
your alertness, emotional state, and clear
ness of mind.
Alertness
Your alertness is lessened by too little
rest or the use of drugs, prescribed or not
prescribed.
A person needs adequate rest to be
wakeful and alert. Not everyone requires
the standard eight hours of sleep but each
person should sleep long enough to feel
rested.
Drugs have a profound influence on
alertness. For example, many tranquilizers
(mood modifying preparations), analgesics
(pain medication), muscle relaxants and
anti-histamines (allergy medication and
decongestants) may all cause drowsiness.
Even medication for diarrhea, intestinal
spasm, high blood pressure, and some types
of dizziness (vertigo), may have a sedative
effect. Obviously, sleeping pills are seda
tives. When a person stops taking stimu
lants such as diet pills or some preparations
for asthma, a rebound lethargy develops.
Alcohol, which is a drug in any form,
is a depressant of alertness, reflexes and
judgement. One may feel stimulated by
alcohol, but this is due to the depression,
of certain inhibitions or intelligence.
I would advise everyone not to take a
drug unless it is prescribed and then, not
without carefully reading the label. All
medication should be taken only as direct
ed. Each person may react differently to
any drug and differently at times to the
same drug. Any individual taking medica
tion should report any unexpected effect
to the prescribing physician. Employees
on medication at work should report it
to the plant physician. Drugs that have
any effect on one's sensorium (brain
function) should prohibit the user's expo
sure to moving or energized machinery.
Alcohol in any form or amount should be
avoided several hours prior to scheduled
work.
Emotional State and Clearness of Mind
One's emotional status may affect his
judgement or ability to concentrate.
Problems that a person may liave in any
walk of life (personal, social, domestic,
occupational or with his image of himself)
may distract his attention from what he is
doing as well as distort his actions and or
reactions so that the danger of an accident
may not be anticipated or recognized.
Tension and anxiety (fear) are examples
of such abnormal emotional states. De
pression may make an individual lethargic
or disinterested so he is not conscious of
consequences of certain actions that may
result in an accident. These conditions
may vary in degree from mild to severe but
all have an effect on performance.
Medical Help
Any person who is uncomfortable due
to emotional stress or is troubled in any
way may visit the medical department to
relate their problems in strict confidence
for help, counseling, and direction. In this
way, many physical illnesses (psychoso
matic), serious mental illness and careless
accidents might be prevented. If the plant
physician feels an employee may be a
danger to himself, or to others, a disposi
tion of light, limited or modified duty can
be designed without need to reveal any
details to anyone, including supervision.
The medical department's major interest
is to help every employee to be healthy
and emotionally comfortable through con
structive action and to prevent illness and
injuries. Only in this way can employees
continue to produce acceptably. It is not
the intent of the medical department or
plant management to criticize or punish
anyone because of a medical problem like
those previously described. For the sake
of emphasis, let me repeat, professionally
ethical confidence is maintained with
strict assurance whenever you come to the
Medical Department with a problem,
physical or mental.
Casting Safety is Success
By Keith Harbin - Training Supervisor -
Casting Area
On February 28, 1977, the Casting Area
will reach a 300% goal of no off-the-job
lost time injuries. This will be a record
of 864 injury-free days, which is quite a
feat for the 233 Casting Area employees.
The entire area is proud to be leaders
among employees who feel safety is
important enough to take home.
What is the story behind this safety
accomplishment? How did we achieve
this record?
We feel extra emphasis on safety aware
ness in the Casting Area has carried over
from the jobsite to all off-the-job activities.
Since a large number of our experienced
personnel have been promoted to other
areas of the plant, this extra emphasis
has had to come from the small group of
remaining experienced personnel and ex
ceptional dedication and effort of newer
employees. Casting personnel have come
to realize that safety is a necessity on-the-
job and also a way of life. As a result,
they have developed a safety attitude
as a second nature.
On the plant, we examine a new task
before we begin work. We check for
possible hazards then we do the job safely.
With this constant dedication toward
safety, we will continue to improve and
expand our on-the-job safety perform
ance and this will lead us to a continuing
record of no off-the-job injuries.