Fall
In this fall issue of Spotlight on Safety, you will find information on topics including sleep deprivation, antibacterial products, and accident reporting. A listing of the newest safety policies, and the web page address for the Safety and Environmental Health Office are also provided.
Who needs Sleep?
We all need sleep, but the truth is that most of us do not
get enough. People can actually survive longer without food than
they can without sleep. Surveys conducted by the National Sleep
Foundation reveal that 60 percent of adults report having sleep
problems a few nights a week or more. More than 40 percent of
adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere
with their daily activities at least a few days each month!
Sleep deprivation is not only unhealthy, it's unsafe. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than
200,000 crashes each year involve drivers falling asleep at the
wheel, many of which are fatal.
Sleep is also vital for giving your body a rest, your brain a
chance to sort things out, and allowing you to prepare for the
next day. It's like giving your body a mini-vacation. Skipping
one night's sleep makes a person cranky and clumsy. After missing
just two nights of sleep, a person will have problems thinking
clearly and performing their normal tasks. After five nights without
sleep, a person will hallucinate. Eventually, it becomes impossible
for the brain to give its directions to the rest of the body.
If you have trouble sleeping try some of the ideas below:
| See a Doctor | Sleep on Your Back |
| Take a Warm Bath | Physical Exercise |
| Get a Massage | Keep Regular Bedtime Hours |
| Listen to Music | If You Can't Sleep, Get Up |
| Drink WArm Mild | Don't Sleep IN |
| Eat a Light Snack | Get Up Earlier in the Morning |
| Sleep in a Well-Ventilated Room | Avoid Illuminated Bedroom Clocks |
| Sleep on a good Firm Bed | Keep Your Bed a Place For Sleep |
| Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Tobacco and Naps |
Germs are everywhere, and because they can cause disease our
first instinct is to get rid of them. Antibacterial soaps, lotions,
scrubs, and gels stock the shelves, but how much is too much?
The human body is "dependent" on many strains of bacteria
that live on the skin and in the mouth, eyes, and digestive systems.
These "good bacteria" help to catalyze certain biochemical
processes, like breaking down food into useful components or manufacturing
substances such as vitamins. When you take antibiotics and use
antibacterial products to fight disease, you also kill off many
of these good bacteria. Bacteria can also mutate into resistant
strains that are even more dangerous than the original strains.
Although the manufacturers of the antibacterial products maintain that their products don't work like antibiotics and germs do not become resistant to them, there has been new evidence that triclosan (key ingredient in many of these products) has developed a resistance. By washing everything with antibacterial products and taking antibiotics at the first sight of a cold, we are actually increasing the risks for the mutation of resistant "supberbugs". Problems can also occur when children do not get enough exposure to bacteria. Their immune systems can overreact to pollen, dust or other ordinarily harmless substances.
According to the World Health Organization, antibiotics are
being over prescribed. Thirty years ago, penicillin was the first
choice of treatment for either gonorrhea or staphylococcus infections,
but today can no longer be used to treat those bacteria. Streptomycin
also is no longer effective against tuberculosis. Bacteria and
germs are evolving; it's a survival of the fittest
What can you do to protect yourself? Good personal hygiene is
number one. Wash your hands, especially before you eat or if you
have just finished petting a slobbery dog, or similar "unsanitary"
event. Regular soap, warm water and a little scrubbing are still
the best defense against disease and sickness we have.
Supervisors: Injury Management is Your Job Too
Supervisors have a very important role to play regarding injury management and finding modified duties that will meet doctor's work restrictions. Follow these guidelines whenever injuries occur to one of your employees:
Make certain that all incidents are reported on an Employee Incident Report Form, and fill out a Supervisor's Incident Investigation Form for all incidents. Send the forms to Safety & Environmental Health Box 9031, FAX 777-4132.
If an employee misses work after an incident or on the next day, check to see if the absence is related to the incident. Call the Workers Compensation Coordinator at 777-6232 or fax 777-2077 with this information.
If the status of an injury has changed from the time the incident report was filled out, please call Safety & Environmental Health at 777-3341 to update the report.
If an employee has a temporary medical condition for a few days, it is at the supervisor's discretion if they want to modify the employee's work. Contact the Workers Compensation Claims Coordinator fo assistance or consultation.
If the employee will be out for a few weeks the supervisor may
make adjustments until the employee can resume all duties. You
can call the Workers Compensation Coordinator to assist you in
making modifications.
Where a medical condition will have a long-term affect on an employee's ability to perform a task, long-term accommodations may be necessary. Please contact the Affirmative Action Office at 777-4171 for advise in such situations.
Safety Manual Update
Several new policies have been approved by the Loss Control Committee. They are:
Personal Protective Equipment-Head Protection
Personal Protective Equipment-Defined
Biological Safety-General Biosafety Guidelines
Industrial Safety-Ladders
Industrial Safety-Hand Tools/Power Tools
Fire Life Safety-Holiday Decorations
Hard copies of the above policies can be requested from the
Safety Office by contacting us at 7-3341. Policies can also be
viewed on the web: www.safety.und.edu Check back often for new
policies. As they are approved by the Loss Control Committee,
they will be added to our website.
We Have a New Web Address!
University of North Dakota
Box 9031
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701)777-3341
Fax: (701)777-4132