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Vol 6., No. 2, February 2005
Contents
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THOUGHTS & QUOTES
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“We are each
responsible for our own safety!"
“Safety is
about going home at the end of the day.”
These are two thoughts that
Charlie Morecraft passes on to people when he gives his safety
motivational presentations. Charlie was severely burned in an
oil refinery fire –- which was the result of his taking
some shortcuts while doing his job –- things that he is
the first to admit he knew were not proper procedures. He now
travels and speaks to groups about the importance of safety.
He definitely makes the point clear that we are responsible for
our own safety. He also emphasizes to people that when a person
is injured or killed, the family is severely impacted in addition
to the injured person.
Even in an environment where
there are appropriate safety regulations and in a workplace with
an excellent safety program, the safety of the worker (and that
person's coworkers!) comes down to that individual's decision
to take responsibility for his or her own safety and act accordingly.
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[top]
March Safety
Observances
Save Your Vision Month
March has been designated as
“Save Your Vision Month” by the American Optometric
Association. They have excellent materials at their Web Site:
<http://www.aoa.org/commcenter/save.asp>.
Included are great materials for use in the classroom.
National Poison Prevention
Week
March 20-26 has been designated
as “National Poison Prevention Week.” A poison prevention
poster, kids games, etc. are available for downloading from:
<http://www.poisonprevention.org/main.html>.
An article that describes how
various age groups come into contact with poisons and makes the
recommendation that during this week it is a good time to throw
out out-dated medicines and properly dispose of chemicals no
longer used, etc. is available at: <http://www.labelitpoison.com/poison_awareness_mo.html>.
This site includes several
poison prevention fact sheets -- in English and Spanish, for
adults, children, and babysitters: <http://www.lirpdic.org/PPWeek/MenuBar_PPW.htm>
The site of the Oklahoma Poison
Control Center includes games for the kids: <http://www.oklahomapoison.org/education/>.
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Safety Videos
On-line
The Washington State Dept.
of Labor and Industries has videos that can be viewed on-line.
Included are Back and Muscle Injury Prevention; Forklift Pedestrian
Safety; Chain Saw Leg Protection; and many others. To view the
videos, visit:
<http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Videos/Online/default.asp>
The Chain Saw Leg Protection
video is only 4 minutes long, but it certainly gets the point
across about the need for using the chaps for leg protection.
In the video, a ham is used to simulate a leg, and it graphically
shows that the saw actually tears the leg as opposed to cutting
it.
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Emergency
Preparedness Guide for Homeowners
A new resource for homeowners,
The Emergency Preparedness Guide, can be downloaded from:
<http://www.homeownershipalliance.com/documents/emergency_final_000.pdf>.
Information in Spanish is at:
<http://www.ready.gov/espanol/>.
The following is an announcement
released January 26, 2005.
WASHINGTON. – Homeland
Security Secretary Tom Ridge today joined Homeownership Alliance
President Rick Davis and Habitat for Humanity International Vice
President Tom Jones to release the Emergency Preparedness Guide,
a valuable new resource for homeowners. The guide, unveiled
during an event at Habitat for Humanity International’s
“Congress Building America” home in Washington, D.C.,
is the result of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security and the Homeownership Alliance.
“The Emergency Preparedness Guide gives homeowners practical
measures they can take now to prepare themselves, their families,
and their homes for any possible emergencies,” said Homeland
Security Secretary Tom Ridge. “We are pleased to join the
Homeownership Alliance and Habitat for Humanity in this important
effort.”
The Homeownership Alliance produced the Emergency Preparedness
Guide and will distribute copies of it through the local offices
of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Local NAR
offices will include the guide in their closing day materials
for new homeowners. In addition, the Alliance will provide
Habitat for Humanity International with copies of the Emergency
Preparedness Guide to distribute to its new homeowners.
The publication, which is based on the recommendations of the
Department of Homeland Security’s Ready campaign
(<http://www.ready.gov>),
outlines the simple steps homeowners can take to prepare for
an emergency. The guide includes information on:
- Emergency supplies
- Effective emergency plans
for families
- Various threats homeowners
may face
- Resources available to homeowners
through DHS, the Homeownership Alliance and local government
and community officials
The Emergency Preparedness
Guide is the latest effort by Homeland Security’s Ready
campaign to encourage Americans to prepare for potential terrorist
attacks and other emergencies. Ready and its Spanish
language version Listo ask individuals to do three key
things: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency
plan, and be informed about the different types of emergencies
that could occur and their appropriate responses.
Launched in February 2003 by Homeland Security and the Ad Council,
the Ready campaign is designed to educate and empower
individuals to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist
attacks and other emergencies. The goal of the campaign is to
get Americans involved and, ultimately, to increase the level
of basic preparedness across the nation. Since its launch, more
than 210 million people have seen or read about Ready
and its Web site has received over 1.8 billion hits. Individuals
interested in receiving a “Get Ready Now” brochure
may call 1-800-BE-READY or visit <www.ready.gov>.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Homeownership Alliance is a coalition
of more than fifteen organizations committed to ensuring support
for the American housing system. Members include Consumer
Federation of America, The Council of Insurance Agents &
Brokers, The Enterprise Foundation, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac,
Habitat for Humanity International, Independent Community Bankers
of America, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America,
Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Association of
Federal Credit Unions, National Association of Hispanic Real
Estate Professionals, National Association of Home Builders,
National Association of Mortgage Brokers, National Association
of Real Estate Brokers, National Association of Realtors®,
World Floor Covering Association, National Bankers Association,
National Council of La Raza, and National Urban League.
Habitat for Humanity International, based in Americus, Ga., is
an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty
housing. By the end of 2005, Habitat will have built its 200,000th
house and more than one million people will be living in Habitat
homes they helped build. For more information, visit: <www.habitat.org>.
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Resources
for Teaching Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
North Dakota State University
has made available to the Extension Disaster Education Network
(EDEN) several ready-to-go lessons that are available for your
use for teaching emergency and disaster preparedness. They can
be found on the "Lesson Plans and Resources for Teaching
Emergency and Disaster Preparedness" Web site at: <http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/prepare/>.
Most of the lessons include
a narrated PowerPoint to show you how the lesson might be presented,
an educator's or leader's guide to help you prepare to teach,
the downloadable PowerPoint, take-home material for participants,
and an evaluation.
Lessons include:
- What's Your Plan? Developing
Disaster Preparedness Family Plans was written by an NDSU Emergency Management
student based on Red Cross and FEMA information.
- Are You Ready? Preparing
a Disaster Kit for Your Home
was developed by two county Family and Consumer Sciences agents.
- Farmstead Security: A Security
Tour of Your Farm or Ranch
is by a county Agriculture agent, state farm safety specialist
and Emergency Management student. The lesson includes a PowerPoint
and checklist about what to look for to review farmstead security.
This can be used by producers as well as 4-H or FFA members.
- Livestock Biosecurity is broken into three units: Preventing
Infectious Diseases, Biosecurity and Agroterror, and Recognizing
and Responding to Infectious Diseases. It was developed by NDSU
Extension veterinarian, state beef specialist and a communications
student who lives on a ranch. Included is information from state
and APHIS veterinarians.
- Plant Biosecurity: Diagnostic
Skills for First Detectors of Plant Problems isn't a lesson but rather in service
education for agents and others. It was developed primarily by
state plant pathologists.
In addition to the new on-line
lessons, this Web page links to:
- Home Moisture and Indoor Air
Quality lessons by an ag engineer who has developed national
expertise on these topics
- EDEN Plant Biosecurity Management
Course
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Safe Play
Areas PowerPoint On-line
PowerPoint training presentations
are available to augment the Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms
booklet and information. You may customize these presentations
by including your contact information and regional data and injury
cases, if they are available. Contact your local Extension office
or state Extension Farm Safety Specialist. The National Children's
Center can assist you in any efforts to customize your presentation.
Please call the Center at 800-662-6900. The Web site is:
<http://www2.marshfieldclinic.org/RESEARCH/CHILDREN/SAFEPLAY/>
For the PowerPoint presentations,
click on “Training Material”. Also included are recommendations
for stakeholder's use of the safe play information. The booklet
itself can also be downloaded from the site.
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North American
Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks Posters
At the North American Guidelines
for Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) Web site (<http://www.nagcat.org/>),
all posters are now available in printer-friendly PDF format.
The North American Guidelines
for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) are a resource developed
to assist parents in assigning farm jobs to their children 7-16
years of age, living or working on farms.
The NAGCAT can help answer
questions that parents often have regarding the role of their
child in agricultural work:
- "At what age are my children
ready to participate in different types of farm work?"
- "What factors should
influence my decision to assign an agricultural job to my child?"
The NAGCAT can assist professionals
who interact with farm parents to guide their questions and practices
regarding working children:
- "How do we counsel parents
about protecting children from injury and disease associated
with agricultural work?"
- "What do I need to know
to influence parents decisions about assigning agricultural work
to their children?"
The categories of tasks can
be viewed at: <http://www.nagcat.org/categories.htm>.
Included are materials in Spanish.
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Workplace
Violence (Resources and Table-top Simulations)
Violence in the workplace is
a serious safety and health issue. Its most extreme form, homicide,
is the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the
United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census
of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), there were 639 workplace
homicides in 2001 in the United States, out of a total of 8,786
fatal work injuries.
Environmental conditions associated
with workplace assaults have been identified and control strategies
implemented in a number of work settings. OSHA has developed
guidelines and recommendations to reduce worker exposures to
this hazard, but is not initiating rulemaking at this time. Useful
materials are available at: <http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/>.
There have been cases in agricultural
facilities where shootings or other forms of violence have occurred.
Even small facilities should think through various possible scenarios
and have back-up plans. For two table-top simulations that have
been used in safety and risk management classes regarding hostage
or shooting situations in ag facilities, see the Course Materials
section on the Florida AgSafe Web site: <http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu/Publications.html#cour>.
[top]
FYI... Easy
Access to Your Address through Google
Google has implemented a feature
whereby you can type someone's telephone number into the search
bar and you will be given their address and access to a map to
their house. Test this for yourself by going to <http://www.google.com>
and entering your phone number with or without dashes (for example,
555-555-1212 or 5555551212).
If you want to block Google
from divulging your address, simply click on "Phonebook
results for ...", above the telephone icon and phone number.
This will take you to a page with an option to block access to
your address through either a phone number or name search on
Google. Apparently, it takes about 48 hours for the block to
be activated.
The block only affects searches
on Google. The "Phonebook Name Removal" form also lists
other Web resources where your phone number can be used to access
your address.
Be aware of the same situation
when you are making purchases. At some businesses, the cashier
may ask for your phone number. If you do not want that business
to have your number -- and all the information that can be found
using it -- you can politely decline to give them any information.
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SAFETY NEWS
& NOTES
is an e-mail newsletter prepared by Carol J. Lehtola, Extension
Agricultural Safety Specialist and team leader for the Prevention
and Preparedness: Agricultural Safety & Disaster Management
program. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
UF/IFAS. If you have safety- or disaster-related questions or
ideas that you would like to share with other agents, please
contact Dr. Lehtola. If you know someone interested in receiving
this newsletter, we will gladly add them to the e-mail list.
Past issues of Safety News & Notes are archived on the Florida AgSafe Web site.
Florida AgSafe Web site:
http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu
The Disaster Handbook: http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu
National Agricultural Safety
Database: http://www.cdc.gov/nasd
Extension Disaster Education
Network: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden
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