Spotlight on Safety
Quarterly Newsletter for Safety and Loss Prevention
Spring 2003, Vol. 5; No. 1
Spring...
In this issue of Spotlight, you will find articles pertaining
to equipment decontamination, SARS, reporting a loss, and headphone
safety.
Notice! Before repairing or surplus operations…
Instruments, equipment, and areas that are contaminated with hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, or infectious materials can pose a hazard to untrained, unprotected persons. Such contamination must be properly removed, minimized, or appropriately safeguarded prior to maintenance, repair, equipment relocation, or surplus operations.
To accomplish this UND has developed and implemented Standard Practice 205 – Decontamination for Maintenance, Surplus, or Repair. The following are some of the requirements that must be followed:
•Before equipment or areas are submitted for maintenance or repair, they must be certified as being free from potentially hazardous contamination, or proper safeguards must be established.
•Before equipment is turned in as surplus property, the equipment must be certified as being free from potentially hazardous contamination or materials. Surplus property that cannot be decontaminated, or that contains hazardous materials must be turned over to Safety and Environmental Health for proper disposal.
•Decontamination form 205a must be used to certify that equipment or areas are free from contamination or that safeguards have been implemented. Form 205a is available on the Safety & Environmental Health web site www.safety.und.edu.
SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) emerged from China in February of 2003. As of the week of April 26, 4,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease. More than 200 of these have died. The scientific community is making efforts to control the epidemic and learn as much as possible about this new and deadly virus. Some early indications associate the SARS virus with clusters of viruses called coronaviruses. Samples decoded in North America differ from those in China. This indicates the virus mutates rapidly making identification difficult.
Symptoms of SARS: In general SARS begins with a fever greater than 100.4 degrees F (>38.0 C). Other symptoms may include headache, malaise (overall feeling of discomfort), and body aches. Some individuals may experience mild respiratory symptoms. After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough with breathing difficulty.
Close person-to-person contact is the primary method of transmission of this disease. However, it is known the virus may live on certain objects touched by infected individuals for brief periods of times. In addition, it can spread by touching the skin of infected individuals or being exposed by infectious droplets that may reach eyes, nose, or mouth. It is also possible that SARS can spread more broadly through the air or by other ways that are currently not known. Research continues to bring more light on this potentially fatal disease.
Recommendations to protect yourself from this disease:
•Avoid travel to known affected areas such as Asia unless
absolutely necessary.
•Have a medical check-up before traveling and inform your
physician of your travel plans.
•Check the Center for Disease Control web site for the most
current information on SARS and where outbreaks may be. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars
•Always utilize good hand washing techniques. Use soap &
water and be sure to scrub for a sufficient period of time.
•When traveling to infected areas, avoid large crowds as
much as possible.
•If you suspect you or others in your family are exhibiting
any of the symptoms, especially if you have just returned from
a trip to affected areas, seek medical attention immediately.
Reporting of Property/Building Losses on Campus
Safety and Environmental Health now has a form on their web site www.safety.und.edu for reporting losses such as property/building damage or theft. The form is called the "Departmental Building/Property Insurance Claim Report". This form will provide the information Safety and Environmental Health needs to process your claim. Completing the entire form, where applicable, will speed up the processing of your claim.
You must also call Safety and Environmental Health at 7-3341 and report the loss. Take photographs prior to cleaning or moving items (Safety and Environmental Health can take photos if the department does not have a camera). Contact Facilities if building damage has occurred at 7-2591. If the claim involves vandalism, theft, or any other crime, you must contact the UND Police Department at 7-3491.
The deductible for the University is $2500. Therefore, it is essential that departments take pro-active loss prevention steps to protect their property. It is also important to keep a detailed and accurate inventory of both MAJOR and MINOR equipment for your department.
More and more people are using portable radios, CD players, and MP3 players. Many employees claim that listening to music helps them do their jobs better. But some disagree. Critics say headphones help employees tune out their work and send a message that says, "Don't bother me." Also, tests show that personal stereos are distracting and can damage your hearing when the volume is too high.
Other critics say that portable stereos on the job could interfere
with the employees ability to concentrate and communicate with
each other. This could be an obstacle in jobs that require teamwork
and communication.
Safety and Environmental Health Office
Box 9031
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701)777-3341
Fax: (701)777-4132
