January 2003

EDITORIAL: The Year in Review

2002 from a safety and health perspective was an extremely busy year, so I thought I would recap just a few of the things that were accomplished in this past year:

  • Fire Safety training inclusive of live fire extinguishing increased by over 50%.
  • It was a record year for the shipment of hazardous waste from the university.
  • The acquisition of properties dictated large numbers of asbestos inspections, testing, and abatement.
  • For a seventh consecutive year Creighton University received the Gold Award of Honor with Distinction from the Safety Council of Greater Omaha.
  • Creighton University was recognized as a member of the Nebraska Safety Belt Honor Roll by Governor Mike Johanns for achieving better than 80% seat belt usage.
  • On 9-11, Creighton University was inspected by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • The expansion of clinics in Bellevue, Columbus, Onawa, and Omaha dictated further outreach inspection requirements involving Life Safety Issues.
  • Fire Drills were conducted each semester in all Residence Halls and each quarter for the Day Care Center.
  • Audit and review of all chemical utilizing facilities was increased in light of 9-11 with emphasis on compliance and security issues.
  • Laboratory Safety Training and compliance training related to biosafety,  transportation safety issues, and institutional animal care and use (IACUC) was expanded.
  • The Campus Safety Committee began the process of reorganization.

And there were many others!  But, was it enough to insure that we have a safe and healthy campus?  Of course, the answer is a resounding NO!  The only way that we have a totally safe and healthy campus is if we lived in a bubble and it was a perfect world.  Since we know that will never happen, we go to work knowing that each day will bring about some risks.  It is the attempt to minimize these risks through education, training and compliance with both mandated standards and what we all call common sense that makes us what we are.  We do quite well overall on this campus regarding safety and health issues, but we can do better.  Regardless of policy, procedure, law, rules and regulation, safety starts with you and me as individuals.  So, like the old Sarg on Hill Street Blues used to say, "Let's be careful out there!"

Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards (FY -2002)

  1. 1926.451 Scaffolding/Construction, 7,953 Violations
  2. 1910.1200 Hazard Communication, 6,702 Violations
  3. 1926.501  Fall Protection, 5,118 Violations
  4. 1910.134  Respiratory Protection, 4,075 Violations
  5. 1910.147 Lockout/Tagout, 3,796 Violations
  6. 1910.305 Electrical Wiring, 3,106 Violations
  7. 1910.212 Machine Guarding, 2,747 Violations
  8. 1910.178 Powered Industrial Trucks, 2,421 Violations
  9. 1910.303 Electrical Systems, 2,219 Violations
  10. 1910.219 Mechanical Power, 2,026 Violations

     In 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued penalties of up to $350,000.00 for both serious and willful violations of  the Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR's).

The penalties for serious violations can be up to $7,000.00 per occurrence, and up to 10X that amount for willful violations.

-Safety and Health, Dec. 2002       

Why Some People Don't Buckle Up...

"It's not the law" -Operating a vehicle without a seatbelt is a violation and has been since 1993.  In fact, over the past four years more than 30,000 Nebraskans have been ticketed for failing to wear a safety belt.

  "But I'm an excellent driver" - Okay, so you are not going to cause the collision...what about the OTHER driver who just ran a stop sign?

  "My car's air bag will save me" -Your automobile's air bag system is designed to offer ADDITIONAL protection-working WITH your safety belt...not as a substitute.

  "It's MY choice" - When someone is injured or dies in a traffic crash, everybody pays.  Examples are:  the emergency responders (police, ambulance, fire) and their costly equipment is taxing on the economy...insurance premiums rise...medical insurance can run out, who pays then? Your family and friends lose someone they love.  Sure, it's your life...just don't be selfish!

 "Did You know...?" -An insured driver who wears a safety belt pays an additional $40 in insurance premiums each year to cover cash related medical expenses for those who do NOT wear safety belts.

American Heart Month

   Since 1963, Congress has required the president to proclaim February "American Heart Month."  Each day more than 95 percent of Americans who suffered sudden cardiac arrest die before they reach the hospital.  By knowing what to do in an emergency, you can give victims of cardiac arrest a second chance at life. 

     The theme for the 2003 American Heart Association's "Heart Month" is "Get Hands On and Help Save a Life."  Key points for the month include:

  • Learning CPR
  • Supporting AED programs in your community

      Breast Cancer claims 5 percent of American women; heart disease claims 36 percent.  Coronary disease is the #1 killer of American females.  What many people don't realize is that the symptoms of heart attacks in women are often different than in men.

  • Women are more likely to experience nausea, dizziness and anxiety as symptoms that indicate a heart attack.  Chest-pain may also include back pain and or deep aching and throbbing in one or both arms.
  • Fluttering--rapid heartbeats, palpitations.
  • Breathlessness.  Clammy sweating, Dizziness--unexplained lightheadedness, possible blackouts.  Anxiety--unusual nervousness, feelings of impending doom.
  • Edema--fluid retention and swelling usually of the ankles or lower legs.
  • Nausea--gastric upset
  • Feeling of heaviness, such as pressure-like chest pain between the breasts that may radiate to the left arm or shoulder.

     Cardiovascular disease is something that affects many people and, ultimately, the ripple effects touch all members of the family as well as the community.

Combustible and Flammable Materials

     A man was using glue to install tiles in his basement.  When the fumes reached the pilot light on the hot water heater, their ignition caused an explosion that injured him and burned his house down.

 

    We use combustible and flammable materials every day.  Many of these products are found in the home and garage.  Because they're so common, we may tend to forget their dangers and we're sometimes careless with their use, handling and storage.  Many serious injuries are caused by this lack of caution. When we understand the hazards of these materials we can use them safely.

    Some liquids, such as gasoline and solvents, form vapors that can easily catch fire.  We call and label these liquids flammable.  The vapors burn, not the liquids.  At a certain temperature a liquid gives off enough vapors to form an ignitable mixture with air.  This temperature is called the flash point.

 

  • Flammable liquids (for example, gasoline) have a flash point below 100 F. or 38 C.
  • Combustible liquids (for example, diesel fuel) have a flash point at or above 100 F. or 38 C.

    Gasoline ignites easier than diesel fuel because it's flash point is lower.

    Ignition sources can ignite vapors that have traveled quite a distance from the actual liquid.  Ignition sources are anything, which can cause something to burn or explode.  These include:

 

  • cigarette lighters or matches
  • pilot light on a gas appliance
  • electrical heaters
  • electrical switches 
  • static electricity

    Materials, which are flammable or combustible, are also poisonous.  It can be harmful, or even fatal, to inhale their fumes, or to eat or drink these materials.

Keep these safety tips in mind when using flammable liquids:

  • Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions before use.
  • If the label instructs you to use the substance where there is "adequate ventilation" this means outside.  If you use the materials in your home and the smell of the fumes are strong, ventilation is inadequate.
  • Keep the materials in their original containers.  This way you will always have the safety precautions and directions handy.  Don't let the contents of the containers spill onto the label and cover the directions and safety precautions.  If this happens, wipe the container immediately.
  • Never store materials in pop bottles.  Your children might think the contents are safe to drink.
  • Don't use or store any flammable or combustible material near a water heater, furnace or any other piece of equipment that may have a pilot light, or a source of ignition.  The explosive fumes can travel quite a distance.

    Copyright 1997 "SafetyHealth Publishing Inc."

    Martin Lesperance is a fire fighter/paramedic and is the author of the best selling book "I Won't be in to Work Today."

Read the Label

 In 1985, the government passed a law stating that all hazard warnings must be on the chemical container before it can be shipped from the manufacturer. 

     Before you open any chemical container, you should carefully read the label to determine any hazards or important safety and health information.  Important information such as:

  •       Health Hazards from over exposure to the chemical.
  •       Physical Hazards-Is it flammable, explosive or reactive?
  •       Basic safety procedures which should be used when working with the substance.
  •       Storage and handling instructions
  •       The emergency phone number, name and address of the manufacturer.

     For additional information, the Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS, should be consulted.  The MSDS details the chemical's hazards.  MSDSs provide good information on composition, toxicology, hazard identification, first aid measures, handling procedures and personal protection. 

The law requires you to have access to a material safety data sheet for each hazardous substance that is used.  Keeping an up-to-date inventory of on hand chemicals and a file of their respective MSDS is an important component of the Hazard Communication standard, also known as the "employee right-to-know law."  Employees working with hazardous materials should know about the hazards of the products they use and how they can find the MSDSs on them quickly and easily. 

 

 

Escape Plan

Once you find out that there's a fire in your home, you must get out immediately.  Have an escape plan.  Draw up a plan of your house and mark escape routes from everywhere in the house.  Determine a primary and an alternative escape route from each room.  Decide on a place where everyone is to meet as soon as they're out of the house.  This could be a tree, a street light, or a neighbor's front door.  Make sure the meeting place is a safe distance from the house.  Practice your escape plan regularly.  Have someone sound the alarm, then rehearse what you would do and where you would escape to in case of a fire.

Review the plan frequently with all family members.  Ask your local fire department for more information about fire prevention.  Tell your children if there's a fire they must not hide in a closet or under the bed.  If they're hiding it's much harder for a fire fighter to find them when searching the house.  Explain to them that if they see a fire fighter during a fire he will be wearing a mask and will look scary; explain that they should run to him and not away from him.  Also tell them that when there's a fire, it's okay to break a window to call for help.

If there is a fire in your home, this is the proper response:

  • If it's night, get out of bed and crawl to the door on the floor.  Smoke and heat rise.  It's cooler and easier to breathe on the floor.
  • Touch the door.  If it's warm, don't open it.  If the door is cool to the touch, open it very slowly because there may be intense heat on the other side.  If the hallway is full of smoke or if you can see fire, close the door and use an alternative route out.
  • When leaving the building, stay low and close the doors behind you.  Closed doors will help slow the spread of the fire.
  • Get out of the building and stay out.  No one should go back inside until the fire department tells you it's safe to do so.
  • Once you're out of the burning building, go to the designated meeting spot and make sure everybody is accounted for.  Phone the fire department from a neighbor's house.
  • If your clothes catch fire, don't run.  Stop, drop, and roll.  Stop immediately; drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over.  Practice this maneuver with your children.  Explain to them that rolling smothers flames.
  • If you can't get out of the house because of heat or smoke and you're on an upper floor, close the door of the room you're in.  Plug any cracks under the door with bedding to prevent smoke from entering.  Open a window and scream for help to get someone's attention.  Don't jump out of the window unless there is no other choice.

This information was taken from the book, "I Won't be in to Work Today-Preventing Injuries at Home, Work and Play."

Copyright 1997 SafetyHealth Publishing Inc.

Martin Lesperance is a fire fighter/paramedic and is the author of the best selling book "I Won't be in to Work Today."

Escape Plan

Once you find out that there's a fire in your home, you must get out immediately.  Have an escape plan.  Draw up a plan of your house and mark escape routes from everywhere in the house.  Determine a primary and an alternative escape route from each room.  Decide on a place where everyone is to meet as soon as they're out of the house.  This could be a tree, a street light, or a neighbor's front door.  Make sure the meeting place is a safe distance from the house.  Practice your escape plan regularly.  Have someone sound the alarm, then rehearse what you would do and where you would escape to in case of a fire.

Review the plan frequently with all family members.  Ask your local fire department for more information about fire prevention.  Tell your children if there's a fire they must not hide in a closet or under the bed.  If they're hiding it's much harder for a fire fighter to find them when searching the house.  Explain to them that if they see a fire fighter during a fire he will be wearing a mask and will look scary; explain that they should run to him and not away from him.  Also tell them that when there's a fire, it's okay to break a window to call for help.

If there is a fire in your home, this is the proper response:

  • If it's night, get out of bed and crawl to the door on the floor.  Smoke and heat rise.  It's cooler and easier to breathe on the floor.
  • Touch the door.  If it's warm, don't open it.  If the door is cool to the touch, open it very slowly because there may be intense heat on the other side.  If the hallway is full of smoke or if you can see fire, close the door and use an alternative route out.
  • When leaving the building, stay low and close the doors behind you.  Closed doors will help slow the spread of the fire.
  • Get out of the building and stay out.  No one should go back inside until the fire department tells you it's safe to do so.
  • Once you're out of the burning building, go to the designated meeting spot and make sure everybody is accounted for.  Phone the fire department from a neighbor's house.
  • If your clothes catch fire, don't run.  Stop, drop, and roll.  Stop immediately; drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over.  Practice this maneuver with your children.  Explain to them that rolling smothers flames.
  • If you can't get out of the house because of heat or smoke and you're on an upper floor, close the door of the room you're in.  Plug any cracks under the door with bedding to prevent smoke from entering.  Open a window and scream for help to get someone's attention.  Don't jump out of the window unless there is no other choice.

This information was taken from the book, "I Won't be in to Work Today-Preventing Injuries at Home, Work and Play."

Copyright 1997 SafetyHealth Publishing Inc.

Martin Lesperance is a fire fighter/paramedic and is the author of the best selling book "I Won't be in to Work Today."

Congratulations CU!

Congratulations to Creighton staff, students, and faculty.  Because of your diligence in "buckling up", Creighton University was recognized by Governor Mike Johanns on December 18th by being placed on the Nebraska Safety Belt Honor Roll.

The Honor Roll works in conjunction with the "Click It...Don't Risk It" campaign that was kicked off statewide in September 2002.  Coach Frank Solich is the honorary chairman of the campaign being used to promote safety belt use statewide through advertisements, fliers, training sessions and a chance to win a 2002 Dodge Dakota pick-up truck, which was given away on December 31, 2002.

To qualify for the Honor Roll, companies had to complete two unannounced observational studies to determine safety belt use and achieve at least 80% usage.  Two studies were conducted at the McGloin parking lot and the lot between Burt and Cummings Street.  Total usage rates on November 13th were 83% and the December 13th usage rate was 85%.

Governor Johanns noted that he was especially pleased with Creighton's achievement, as he is a Creighton alumnus!  Good job everyone!!!

To see the presentation, go to http://gov.nol.org and click on the December 2002 Proclamations..