ISSUE 13

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Latest HSE Statistics YTD
  2013 2014
Workplace fatalities
0 0
Non-work related fatalities
0 0
Non-accidental deaths (NADs)
0 0
Lost Time Injuries (LTIs)
0 0
All injuries (excluding first aid cases)
0 0
Motor Vehicle Incidents (MVIs)
0 0
Roll over - MVIs
0 0
Serious MVIs
0 0
Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF)
0 0
Life Saving Rules Violations
YTD
Journey management
0
Speeding/GSM
0
Seatbelts
0
Overriding safety device
0
Working at heights
0
Permit
0
Confined space
0
Lock out tag out
0
Drugs and alcohol
0
Gas testing
0
Smoking
0
Suspended Load
0
Vehicle Class A/B Defect
YTD
Class A
0
Class B
0
HSE TIP
If you are at risk for DVT, taking precautions is highly recommended, especially before journeys lasting four hours or more.
 
 

Important News


   
 

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a medical condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. These clots usually develop in the lower leg, thigh, or pelvis, but they can also occur in the arm. It is important to know about DVT because it can happen to anybody and can cause serious illness, disability, and in some cases, death.
People travelling for extended periods of time may be at increased risk of DVT because they have limited movement. The increased risk is usually associated with air travel, but DVT can also form during travel by bus, train, or car. Most people who develop travel-associated DVT have additional risk factors,
 

   

including including a previous history of blood clot, a known clotting disorder, recent surgery or injury, obesity, smoking, diabetes, active cancer (or undergoing chemotherapy), use of estrogen-containing birth control or hormone replacement therapy, vascular problems, old age, limited mobility, and family history of blood clots. Symptoms such as leg pain, tenderness, oedema or swelling are typically associated with DVT, but the condition may only be definitively diagnosed if validated objective diagnostic tests, such as compression ultrasonography, venography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are performed.
 

 

What You Need to Know

 
 
Diagnosis of DVT:

The diagnosis of DVT requires special tests that can only be performed by a doctor. That is why it is important for you to seek medical care if you experience any of the symptoms of DVT.

DVT and travel:

If you are at risk of getting  DVT or have had DVT previously, please consult your doctor before embarking on long-distance travel.

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ISSUE 13

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For long distance travellers, advice about DVT prevention includes:

  • Getting up occasionally and walking around.
  • Exercising your calf muscles and stretching your legs while you're sitting.
  • Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
  • Raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.
  • Tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
  • Drinking plenty of water.
  • Avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills

 

For long-distance travellers with additional DVT risk factors, talk to your doctor about taking extra precautions such as wearing properly fitted medical compression stockings and taking medication before departure to prevent DVT.You can reduce your risk of DVT by making changes to your lifestyle, such as not smoking, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
The aims of treatment are to prevent the clot spreading up the vein and getting larger. This may prevent a large clot breaking off and travelling to the lungs (a pulmonary embolus). It also aims to reduce the risks of post-thrombotic syndrome developing and further DVT in the future.

 

Treatment for DVT usually involves taking anti-coagulant medicines, which help reduce the ability of the blood to clot. You will also be prescribed compression stockings to wear every day, as these help prevent complications and improve symptoms. Compression stockings help prevent calf pain and swelling, and lower the risk of ulcers developing after having DVT. Your healthcare team will usually advise you to engage in regular walking exercise once compression socks have been prescribed. You might be advised to raise your leg whenever you are resting. This helps to relieve the pressure in the veins of the calf and stops blood and fluid pooling in the calf itself.