Spotlight on Safety
Quarterly Newsletter for Safety and Loss Prevention
Summer 2002, Vol. 4; No. 2
Summer...
Hopefully everybody is enjoying their summer. As we all participate in our favorite summer sport or outdoor activity, let's remember to do it safely.
In this issue of Spotlight on Safety, you will find useful information on bug bite prevention and treatment, driving in construction zones, fall protection, and insurance/workers compensation changes at UND.
Summer is a time for fishing, biking, camping, swimming, and just about anything outdoors. Unfortunately, this also means pesky little critters such as mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, and bees will be enjoying the weather with us.
The following suggestions can help you avoid and cope with some summer pests:
Apply an insect repellent to clothes and skin.
When entering wooded or tall grassy areas, keep clothing buttoned,
tuck pant legs inside boots, and wear long sleeve shirts.
Bites and stings can cause minor swelling and itching that can
be treated with cool compresses, over-the-counter oral antihistamines,
or hyrdrocortisone creams (use as directed). If possible remove
the stinger, but do not scratch the area. Calamine lotion can
also ease itching.
Insect bites or stings that cause severe swelling at the site
of the bite, a generalized rash, or any swelling of the face or
difficulty breathing, require medical evaluation.
Ticks
Ticks can carry Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. To aid in prevention, inspect your body twice a day when in a tick infested area. Pay close attention to armpits, neck, and groin areas.
To properly remove a tick:
Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick at the place of attachment,
as close to the skin as possible.
Gently pull the tick straight out using steady but gentle force.
Wash your hands, disinfect the tweezers and bite site.
Be sure to watch the tick-bite site and your general health for
signs or symptoms of a tick borne illness.
Don't burn the tick prior to removal or use chemical substances
with the hope of having the tick "let go." This can
cause the tick to emit toxins, increasing the potential for infection
and disease.
Mosquitoes
Often, the most effective way to protect your family from being infected by disease carrying mosquitoes is to get rid of them before they appear. Follow these tips on how to prevent mosquito breeding around your home:
Do not allow standing water to accumulate for more than two
days. Common areas to check: old tires, buckets, unused plastic
swimming pools, the base of a flower pot, pet dishes, plastic
covers, or any container that may collect water.
Stock ornamental pools with minnows or goldfish (they eat mosquito
larvae on the water surface) or treat the pools with biological
larvicides (chemicals or natural bacteria that can be used to
kill mosquito larvae).
Keep hedges and bushes trimmed to reduce shade.
Mow the lawn at least once a week. Mosquitoes can hide in the
shade of tall grass.
Make sure windows, doors, and porches are tightly screened and
are free of holes.
Summer is here and along with summer comes road construction. Orange cones, barrels, and barriers means there is a work zone up ahead!
For many of us, the mere sight of orange on the road makes
most drivers upset. But the various speed and warning signs you
will see are
there for a good reason, to protect your life and those of the
workers.
Here are a few tips for driving safely in work zones:
Expect the unexpected - speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may change, vehicles may be working on or near the road.
Stay alert - dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
Pay close attention - signs and work zone flaggers save lives.
Don't tailgate - leave plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you.
Don't speed - note the posted speed limits in and around the work zone.
Be patient - work zones aren't there to personally inconvenience you.
Slow down when the signs indicate. A car traveling at 60 m.p.h.
travels 88 feet per second. If you are going 60 mph and you pass
a sign that says road work 1500 feet,
you will be in that work zone in 17 seconds.
Protection against falls must be provided when working on elevated
surfaces, when adjacent to a lower level, or when a four foot
or more fall hazard exists.
In 1999, there were approximately 297,000 nonfatal occupational
falls in private industry. In 1998, there were 16,274 people that
died from injuries sustained in a fall.
A Job Hazard Analysis (JHAs) should be done at the start of
a project to identify all possible fall hazards. Fall protection
can be provided through the use of guardrail systems,
safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
Fall arrest systems are often used when fall hazards cannot be controlled by guardrails, floors, nets, and other means. Personal fall arrest systems are used to stop someone in a fall. These systems consist of an anchorage, connectors, a body harness, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combination of these items
Some factors that can lead to a fall can include: the lack of a written fall protection program, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) are not performed, inadequate training, and most importantly lack of worker participation. Worker involvement in any safety program is essential to program effectiveness.
Insurance and Workers Compensation Moves to Safety
As of July 1 2002, the Safety and Environmental Health Office will be the department responsible for the University of North Dakota's insurance programs. Some of these programs/policies include but are not limited to: The State Fire and Tornado, Risk Management liability insurance, Inland Marine, Boiler and Machine, and Flood policies. Benefit related insurance programs such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Flexcomp will remain with Payroll.
Additionally, all workers compensation claims will be filed by the Safety and Environmental Health Office. Filing will now be done utilizing an on-line process by the Safety and Environmental Health Office. UND is required to send notification to the North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau within 24 hours of injury. To facilitate this, injured workers seeking to file a workers compensation claim must contact the Safety and Environmental Health Office as soon as possible following a workplace injury. This can be done by immediately faxing a copy of the Employee Incident Report to Safety (fax 777-4132), or by calling Safety at 777-3341 as soon as an injury occurs.
Workers Compensation forms will no longer be available in Payroll.
Departments having forms in their possession should discontinue
using them.
Safety and Environmental Health
Box 9031
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701)777-3341
Fax: (701)777-4132