Infection Control & First Aid Blog

In the midst of a global crisis, it is difficult to see a week into the future, but teachers, administrators, and parents are turning their attention to the fall. In the United States, most schools have been closed since mid-March. The 2020-2021 school year will bring a list of new challenges, from the academic challenges of school closing early last school year to maintaining a clean and safe environment for students, faculty, and staff.

Ah, the lazy days of summer, sitting poolside, hiking, biking, sunshine, bonfires, grilling, fireworks, playgrounds, and playdates. With an increase in outdoor activities, comes an increase in injuries. While minor injuries usually do not require an ER visit, they still need treatment to avoid infection or further damage.

As we inch closer to cold and flu season in the United States, the collision of COVID-19 and the flu seems inevitable. How severe the flu / COVID-19 season will be is still hotly debated. On the one hand, you have nearly 1 million flu-related hospitalizations during a non-pandemic year. On the other hand, the preventative measures and changes in behavior used to fight COVID-19 could help lessen the seasonal flu's impact.

If you look around your workspace or facility, you will probably notice various hazards and safety risks. Identifying all the hazards in your facility probably feels overwhelming. We get it. That's why we created the below guide to help you understand the different categories of hazards, where they might be present, and how to prepare.

According to the National Safety Council, every 7 seconds, a workplace injury occurs. Is your facility correctly prepared to handle a workplace injury? Do you have a first aid kit? If so, do your employees know where it's located? How can Safetec help you prepare and respond?

To fully appreciate the access to vaccines and understand the importance of infection control as we know it today, we need to take a trip back in time, to 1861, when Louis Pasteur published his germ theory, which proved that bacteria caused diseases. Pasteur's work was then expanded upon by Robert Koch, who began to isolate the specific bacteria that caused certain diseases, such as TB and cholera. Before the development of the germ theory, people did not understand the need for hygiene and sterilization. Illnesses spread, unintentionally, through contamination.

After months of quarantine and lock down, a combination of warmer weather and the gradual reopening of the economy has more Americans abandoning the #StayHome movement and venturing out for the first time since mid-March. Most of us know social distancing is essential. But a collective desire to get back to work and some sense of normalcy has some of us breaking the pandemic rules. Whether it’s quarantine fatigue or economic panic setting in, it has people starting to buck the guidelines. After all, staying home is stressful, boring, and for many, financially devastating.

While this is a stressful period for all of us, safety has never been more critical. No organization wants on the job injuries, but what can you do about it? Safety culture is having a bit of a revolution right now, and it’s having a significant impact on workplace injury and overall wellness of employees. Having a strong safety culture promotes more than safety; studies have shown that a positive safety culture also benefits worker confidence, retention, and productivity. In short, safety is good for business.

As summer approaches and most cities begin to reopen businesses, there is a shift in our collective spirits. While we are hoping to be on the other side of the Coronavirus pandemic, we need to prepare mentally and physically for a second wave. The biggest takeaway from the COVID-19 pandemic: the importance of having your facility (and home) equipped with the correct health and safety supplies for any emergency. With no clear end in sight, it is important now more than ever that employers make emergency preparedness a critical part of everyday business.

With summer finally in sight and business starting to reopen, now is the best time to give your first aid kit a checkup. Minor injuries haven't exactly been top of mind amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, but it's essential to prepare with a properly stocked first aid kit.