Designated Medical Provider Program
Brrrrr!
While the snowfall this winter has been scarce, lately there has been no shortage of cold. Hopefully, everybody is managing to keep warm this winter.
The feature article of this issue of Spotlight on Safety is
on the Designated Medical Provider Program. You will also find
other useful information on preventing and treating frostbite
and building evacuations.
Why do these darn alarms keep going off?
Why should I evacuate the building, it is probably just another false alarm! More and more on our campus, people are becoming reluctant to evacuate a building when a fire alarm begins to sound. An incomplete evacuation can be very dangerous, resulting in injury or possibly death to both building occupants and rescue personnel.
"False alarm" is a phrase that should be erased from your vocabulary. When an alarm sounds, there is nothing false about it. The reason for the alarm however, may be a nuisance rather than a fire.
On January 19, 2000, three students from Seton Hall University died in their dormitory when a fire broke out. There had been 18 nuisance alarms prior to the fire, so many of the students ignored the alarm and went back to sleep. Nuisance alarms are a problem, but remember that every time a fire alarm sounds, it does so for a reason.
Fire alarms are there for a purpose, to save your life. Please
don't let a nuisance be the difference between life and death.
Lets prevent what happened at Seton Hall University from happening
here at UND by taking each and every fire alarm seriously. Completely
evacuate the building whenever the fire alarms go off. You never
know when the cause is actually a fire!
Preventing and Treating Frostbite
With weather as cold as it has been lately, it doesn't take long before frostbite can set in. Frostbite is the damage to the skin and underlying tissues caused by extreme cold. The first sign of frostbite is a "pins and needles" sensation followed by numbness. Frostbitten skin will appear white and waxy, and the surface of the skin will be hard. When the skin has thawed out, it becomes red and painful (early frostbite). With more severe frostbite, the skin may appear white and numb (tissue has started to freeze). Any part of the body may be affected by frostbite; but hands, feet, nose and ears are the most vulnerable.
If you or someone you are with has frostbitten skin:
DO NOT use direct heat (such as a
radiator, campfire, heating pad, or hair dryer applied directly
to the frostbitten area). Direct heat can burn the tissues that
are already damaged.
DO NOT rub or massage the affected
area.
DO NOT disturb blisters on frostbitten
skin.
DO NOT smoke or drink alcoholic beverages
during recovery as both interfere with blood circulation.
DO move to a warmer place and remove
any wet clothing or restricting jewelry.
DO immerse affected areas in warm
(NOT HOT) water–or apply warm clothes to affected ears, nose,
or cheeks–for 20 to 30 minutes. Warming is complete when
the skin is soft and sensation returns.
DO prevent re-freezing by wrapping
the warmed areas or moving to a warmer place.
DO minimize motion in frostbitten
and thawed areas until the affected area returns to normal.
Be aware of factors that can contribute to frostbite. These include
extreme cold, wet clothes, high winds, and poor circulation; which
can be caused by tight clothing or boots, cramped positions, fatigue,
certain medications, smoking, alcohol use, or diseases that affect
the blood vessels, such as diabetes.
Wear suitable clothing in cold temperatures and protect susceptible
areas. In cold weather, wear mittens; wind-proof, water-resistant,
multi-layered clothing; two pairs of socks (cotton next to skin,
then wool); and a scarf and a hat that cover the ears.
Designated Medical Provider Program
The North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau requires that the University of North Dakota designate care providers for work-related injuries. For work-related incidents that require medical attention, employees should go to one of the following: UND Family Practice, UND Student Health or Altru Health Systems.
If the employee would prefer a medical professional outside of the above facilities, a form specifying the preferred medical provider must be completed by the employee. This is called the Designated Medical Provider (DMP) form. The DMP form may be obtained at the Payroll Office. You may list any physician that you wish, but remember that it must be done before the injury takes place.
When there is a work-related injury and an employee goes to a physician or provider that is not designated by UND, without having the appropriate form on file, the North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau is under no obligation to pay any of the medical expenses.
The University does not have a designated chiropractor. ANY chiropractic care must be designated prior to the injury taking place with the appropriate form on file in Payroll. The same circumstances would apply if a particular dentist or optician is preferred. Without any dentist designated, dental injuries should be examined by the dentist on-call at the Altru Emergency Room. Additionally, any physicians who are in private practice, and have opened independent offices, must be specifically mentioned on the DMP form.
UND supports the Designated Medical Provider program. It is necessary to implement it consistently for all employees. Our goal is to see that UND employees receive appropriate care for any work-related injuries. You do have a choice of who you wish to care for you, as long as the physician is designated.
Any work restrictions written by the physician, are to be submitted
to the supervisor. The supervisor is to forward this information
to the Claims Coordinator at Box 7097, Twamley Hall. If you have
any questions, please call the the Payroll Office, Safety Office
or Affirmative Action Office.
Safety Manual Update
Ten new policies have been approved by the Loss
Control Committee. They are:
| 1. General Safety - Campus Playgrounds | 6. Biological Safety - Clean Benches |
| 2. General Safety - Indoor Air Quality | 7. Chem./Haz. Material Safety - Asbestos |
| 3. General Safety - Thermal Stress | 8. Emergency Preparedness - First Aid Kits |
| 4. General Safety - Workplace Lighting | 9. Emergency Preparedness - Medical & First Aid |
| 5. Fire/Life Safety - Fire Safety while Traveling | 10. Vehicle Safety - Fueling |
Web Page Update
Check out the new "Hot Topics" addition to the web
site. Here you can read about winter preparedness safety tips
and carbon monoxide safety, with more topics to come in the future.
A link to the Regional Weather Information Center has been added
to the home page. This will enable you to check the current weather,
extended forecast, road conditions and satellite images.
For More Information:
University of North Dakota
Box 9031
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701)777-3341
Fax: (701)777-4132