September 1999

THE FIVE MAXIMS OF MAKING EXCUSES

  1. The feebleness or banality of an excuse should never be a deterrent to its use.
  2. Always put the blame on something that can't defend itself.  Children, pets, inanimate objects, and relatives living in foreign countries make perfect scapegoats.
  3. Whine convincingly.
  4. Certain ailments work better than others as excuses.  No doctor or machine in the world can prove that you don't have that headache.
  5. Try to remember that nature allotted each of us only two grandmothers to attend funerals for.

                                                                    Leigh Rutledge

 

"Safety is the first step on the ladder to success"

WHY ARE FIRE DRILLS NECESSARY???

Why are fire drills necessary???  I often hear that question, or some variation of it right after we do a fire drill in a Residence Hall.  Well, the answers to that are numerous.  They include:

  • The development of awareness of occupants to policy, procedure, and evacuation routes of egress from the building.
  • Testing of the alarm system for appropriate functioning and maintenance consideration.
  • Testing coordination of the alarm system to the Public Safety Dispatcher.
  • Complying with Life Safety Codes.

While drills may inconvenience you for a short period of time, the fact that they occur may possibly save your life.

 

                                                                                    Paul Nichols

"Be careful with open flame, life may never be the same."

MAD COW FEAR LEADS TO BLOOD DONATION BAN!!

USA Today reports that "Tourists, students, business travelers and others who spent time in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1980 to 1996 will not be allowed to donate blood in the Untied States or Canada".  Representatives of U.S. blood banks are obviously concerned and have stated that the ban will make about 200,000 current donors ineligible and reduce donation by about 2.2% which would equate to about 285,000 donations a year.  This is of course, a major concern for the Red Cross who must consider the possibility of demand exceeding the supply.

 

                                                                                    Paul Nichols

  "Safety first can prevent the worst"

 

RECALL OF ELECTRIC HEATERS

CNN reports that "almost 10,000 electric heaters are being recalled because of faulty wiring that may cause fires.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that some heaters made by Tarn Co. of Tyler, Texas, a division of American Standard, cycle on and off regardless of where the heater has been set.  These heaters were sold from October 1997 until May of this year for between $250.00 and $400.00.  If you have a question regarding one of these heaters, call 888-555-0125, or the local dealer.  The company will provide inspection and repair free of charge.  For other recalled products, check out the CPSC Home Page.

 

                                                                                            Paul Nichols

  "Safe today - alive tomorrow"

PROPER DISPOSAL OF SHARPS

PROPER DISPOSAL OF SHARPS

All sharps must be disposed of in approved sharps containers.  Generally these containers are red in color, marked with a biohazard symbol, made of puncture proof plastic and have a lid.

Sharps include, but are not limited to, any article that may cause puncture or cut.  Discarded hypodermic needles, syringes, pasteur pipettes, broken medical/contaminated glassware, razor blades, scalpels and needles.  Even if not infectious, many of these items can be physically dangerous and must be treated as medical sharps no matter what they were used for.

Sharps containers should be closed when not in use and disposed of as biohazardous waste when 2/3 full.

                                                                                Lenore Koliha

  "It's just good sense - to use the the proper safety equipment"

 

School Safety Tips

School is back in session and children will be walking, riding bikes and buses to and from school.  Keep the following safety tips in mind as you are travelling around town or sending your child off to school.

  • Watch for children darting out from between cars or from behind bushes and shrubs.  Also, teach your children that this is not the safe way to cross a street, always use a crosswalk and look both directions before crossing.
  • Watch for extended school bus stop arms.  It is against the law to pass a school bus when the stop sign is extended.
  • Teach your children to cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus, to avoid crossing in the driver's blind spot.
  • Make sure that  your child always wears a bike helmet when riding a bike.  Head injuries account for more than 60% of bicycle-related deaths.
  • Always wear a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle.  Children under 12 in the backseat, if under 4 years old, in a car seat in the back.

                                                                                           Mindy Foster

"A child has but one life to live.
A safe environment
Is what you should give."

 

Hallway Myths

Generally, as I walk around campus buildings, I have noted a number of myths associated with hallway usage.

Myth #1 - If we receive new equipment, we can put the old one out in the hallway indefinitely.

Myth #2 - When extra office space is needed, file cabinets and even work areas can be maintained in the hall.

Myth #3 - We need to have a break/lounge area nearby.

Hallways are designed to provide transit, but also allow for a safe, quick, unimpeded exit in the case of an emergency.  Fire and Life Safety Codes designate a minimal width for hallways as escape routes.  Placing equipment or furniture in the hallways place the area in violation of these minimal width requirements.

If you have equipment or furniture needing storage, please notify University Movers of your space requirements.   They will pick up your excess equipment and move it to a suitable storage location.

 

                                                                           Lenore Koliha

Check out these websites!

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
        www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
        www.bhsi.org

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
        www.hwysafety.org

Keep the 4th of July Safe
        www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/july4/4thjuly.html

Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction
(Latest information about potentially hazardous effects of chemicals on human reproduction)
        http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov

Childproofing your home - 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children
        www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/grand/12steps/12steps.html

Learn about sun safety and environmental safety and health issues at
       www.nsc.org/ehc/kidscorn.htm

To know what to do during a fire, check out
        www.sparky.org

National Safety Council Environmental Health Center Helpline
        www.nsc.org/ehc/airqual/htm