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Vol 6., No. 3, March 2005 THOUGHTS & QUOTES
Safety Observances for AprilNational Window Safety Week Every year, during the last full week of April, the National Safety Council celebrates National Window Safety Week. Window safety awareness continues 52 weeks a year, and you are encouraged to use their information and downloadable brochures all year long. The National Safety Council and the window industry have compiled some very useful information to help you learn about the potential risks of window falls in your home. There are simple, common-sense actions you can take to reduce these risks. The materials are found at: <http://www.nsc.org/aware/window/index.htm>. National SAFE Kids Week National SAFE KIDS Week reaches millions of households every year just in time for the summer months. During these months, so many kids are seriously hurt and killed that it is documented as “trauma season.” Materials and fact sheets can be found at: <http://www.safekids.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=378&folder_id=361>. Animal Safety Materials (4-H, Youth & Adult)Caroline County Maryland, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator Sharon Pahlman shares with us materials on animal handling safety. Her “All About Animal Safety" program provides an educational packet useful in numerous educational settings such as after school programs, school enrichment classes, farm safety day camps and 4-H club meetings. These resources are useful to pet owners, farm families who raise livestock and anyone who loves animals. Additionally, all children need to know how to act/react when near animals who exhibit signs of excitement, wild animals that may have diseases, etc. Many 4-H/FFA members raise and show various species of livestock at county, state and national shows. They spend time daily with animals and must remain safety conscious. The lessons at this site encourage safe practices through the use of hands-on games and activities with evaluation tools to help children learn how to be safe around animals. This information can be accessed at: <http://www.agnr.umd.edu/Caroline/index.cfm?Parent=6&ID=469>. A reminder that the video “Livestock Safety for Kids” can be viewed in its entirety on NASD at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/videos/v001401-v001500/v001434.html>. It was produced by Oklahoma State Extension. Included is information for those who may visit farms, zoos, or petting zoos. This video is also available in Spanish: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/videos/v001401-v001500/v001434-s.html>. For youth and adults working directly with livestock, the video “Cattle Handling Safety” can be viewed in its entirety on NASD at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/videos/v001401-v001500/v001435.html>. It too was produced by Oklahoma State Extension. It features, Dr. Temple Grandin, who is a world renowned expert on animal handling. Her Web site is: <http://www.grandin.com/>. FYI: Dr. Grandin is autistic, and she has written books about autism. Her most recent book is “Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior.” Information about the book’s content is at: <http://www.grandin.com/inc/ads.html>. Pets & Animals in Disasters Video On-lineThe video “Helping Four-Legged Friends Survive the Storm” can be viewed in its entirety on NASD at: <http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/videos/v001401-v001500/v001438.html>. This 18-minute video shares the insights of veterinarians and others in providing relief to animals affected by disasters. Americans spend $8 billion a year on pampering and showing their love to their pets. However, many pet owners don’t have a plan for their animals during a disaster. Wildfire, flood, and hurricane can suddenly make this lack of planning a life-and-death issue for animals. This is an important, emerging area of disaster management, and this video is an excellent starting point for professionals and volunteers alike. A few topics covered are: Coming to the Rescue, Covering all the Bases, Using Microchips for Identification, and Disaster Animal Relief Teams. New training materials are being created for the Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART). The goal of SART is to provide an integrated response to animal and agriculture disasters in Florida. The new materials include units concenring Pets, and they can be downloaded at the SART Web site. Start with the home page at <http://www.flsart.org>, or follow this direct link to the training materials <http://www.flsart.org/library/index.htm>. First State Agricultural Response Team (SART) Training Held at KissimmeeThe newly formed State Agricultural Response Team recently held the first of three regional SART trainings March 2-4 in Kissimmee. The three training events are intended to give statewide exposure to the SART program. Over one hundred professionals from the agriculture and animal care communities attended the Kissimmee training. They learned about the wide array of agencies and resources available to deal with disasters that affect Florida's critically important agriculture and animal sectors. Training events are also scheduled for Belle Glade (April 20-22 at the IFAS Evergaldes Research and Education Center) and Tallahassee (May 20-22 at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Conner Administration Building). SART will eventually begin to train teams on the county level to integrate disaster response in those counties across the agriculture and animal communities. Training materials are being developed, as new materials are completed they are made available at the SART Web site. For more information about training events, materials or any other aspect of the SART program, visit the SART Web site: <http://www.flsart.org>. There is no fee for attending and there is still time to register. Register on-line at the SART Web site. Safety Recall for Kubota RTV900 Utility VehiclesIn voluntary cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kubota Tractor Corporation is conducting a safety recall for certain RTV900 Utility Vehicles, serial numbers 10001 through 25883, sold at retail between January and October 2004. If you have one of these vehicles see the Kubota Web site for more information: <http://www.kubota.com/h/AboutKubota/2004_recall_rtv.cfm>. Safe ElectricitySafe Electricity is a multimedia public awareness program designed to compliment the existing safety education activities of utilities and educators. Safe Electricity provides life-saving information through many venues, including radio and television public service announcements, news releases and articles and its comprehensive Web site. Safe Electricity has received national recognition for the quality and scope it its programs and services. Safe Electricity was founded in 2001 by the Illinois Electric Council, a not-for-profit educational organization of electric utilities, the University of Illinois, and other organizations dedicated to promoting electrical safety and efficiency. Check the “Teaching Materials” section to find resource materials. There is also a separate section about agriculture. The Web site is: <http://www.safeelectricity.org/about.asp#>. Calling 911 From Wireless PhonesThe Web site "CheapTelephoneBills.com" has posted an article titled "The Complete Guide for Calling 911 from a Wireless Phone." ** One aspect of using a cell phone you might not have considered is covered in this excerpt:
For the complete article, see: <http://www.cheaptelephonebills.com/wireless911.html>. ** Copyright © CheapTelephoneBills.com Farm Bureau’s Ag Safety Awareness ProgramThe week of March 6-12 was designated as Ag Safety Awareness Week, part of Farm Bureau’s Ag Safety Awareness Program. Information and fact sheets can be found at: <http://www.agsafetynow.com/agsafetynow.asp>. Included in their topics is safety information about farm ponds and swimming pools. The press release about Ag Safety Awareness Week is at: <http://www.arfb.com/news/press_releases/2005/022505.asp>. Landscaping and Hort Materials On-lineKansas State University, as part of a grant from OSHA, has developed materials that are "pilot test" versions of training manuals for the landscaping and horticultural services industry. The materials have been reviewed by OSHA and are accurate and suitable for current use, although minor revisions are still being made based on user input. The PDF files can be downloaded at: <http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/agsafe/training/OSHA_training.htm>. Manuals that are currently available include:
Additional materials are being added on a regular basis. Spanish versions will also be available in the near future. Since the materials are being pilot tested, the Web site will ask for your name and other identifying information so that an evaluation form can be sent to you. Of course, you do not have to submit an evaluation if you choose not to. The final versions of the materials will eventually be available free on the Web, but these versions are close enough to completion that you might be interested in trying them out. You may download them, print them out, and reproduce the materials for training. [top]
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