Winter
In this winter issue of Spotlight on Safety, you will find information on topics including workplace violence, smoking, food safety, seatbelt use and hazardous material shipping. A listing of the newest safety policies is also provided.

Workplace Violence: It Could Happen to You!

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that over one million workers are victims of nonfatal workplace violence each year in the United States. It is also the second leading cause of death on the job: an estimate of 20 workers are murdered each week. Workplace violence includes any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting. Some examples are beatings, domestic violence brought into the workplace, stabbings, suicides, shootings, rapes, psychological traumas such as threats, obscene phone calls and harassment of any nature.
The University Loss Control Committee recently passed the workplace violence section of the Safety and Loss Control Manual. Departments are encouraged to view this policy to aid in creating departmental procedures to handle potential workplace violence. In addition, Safety and Environmental Health has just purchased two informational videos and a book concerning the dangers of workplace violence. If your department would like to check them out free of charge for training purposes, please contact the Safety Office.

Reminder of Smoking Policy

University policy, in support of state law, prohibits smoking in all buildings or vehicles which are owned or leased by the State Board of Higher Education, the State Fleet or the University of North Dakota. Some housing exemptions apply. Smoking is also prohibited near main entrances and exits, including ADA accessible entrances and exits, except at a reasonable distance (i.e., 20 feet or more) or unless otherwise designated. Smoking is prohibited near air intakes and open windows. Please respect the clean air of others and University policy by not smoking in these areas.

Seatbelts

You should always wear your seat belt! Even though all states have child seatbelt laws, the U.S. Department of Transportation says half of the children killed in car crashes each year were not restrained at all.
It is not only mandatory for all state employees to use seat belts in State Fleet vehicles, but the North Dakota law requires all front seat occupants to wear safety belts at all times. In addition, children under age four are required to ride in an approved car safety seat and children from four through 17 must ride in a car seat or seat belt.
Furthermore, if you are in an accident in the state of North Dakota, damages you collect can even be reduced for failure to use a belt. This reduction is permitted only for injuries caused by nonuse of belts.
Next time you hop in the car, take the extra second or two to buckle up, you may not only save a life, but some money and the risk of a seatbelt ticket.

Avoid Foodborne Illness

Although the food supply in the United States is very safe, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million people are sickened each year from foodborne illness.
Here are some simple precautions that can help prevent illness:

• Raw meats and poultry should be separated from other foods, not allowing their juices to drip.
• Cutting boards and kitchen surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected before and after preparing food, especially when handling raw meat, poultry or fish.
• When barbecuing or cooking meat, use a different plate for cooked food than the one that held the raw food. Additionally, use separate utensils because the bacteria can harbor on them also.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away after coming home from the store, and always check expiration dates.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave oven, not on the kitchen counter or in the sink.
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold once they are prepared, and never leave out at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly in shallow containers or tightly wrapped bags.
• Use an instant read thermometer to determine whether or not meat and poultry has been sufficiently cooked. Ground beef should reach a temperature of at least 160°F (71°C) to be safe. Instant read thermometers cost $6 to $12 and usually are available near the meat case in local supermarkets.

Shipping Items That May be Hazardous

When shipping anything off campus, you must know if it is hazardous. Items that contain hazardous material must meet stringent packaging, labeling, documentation requirements and must be certified for shipment by someone with U.S. Department of Transportation training. Even some common household items are considered hazardous for transportation purposes and cannot simply be sent through the mail.
If you think that something you want to ship may contain a hazardous material, please contact Safety and Environmental Health for assistance (Post Office personnel cannot help with hazardous material shipments).
A diamond shaped hazard label is an easy way to detect hazardous material. Anyone who receives a shipment of hazardous material with any of the diamond shaped hazard labels should receive training under the U.S. DOT regulations. The Safety Office can aid you in learning about training requirements and choices.

Safety Manual Update

New policies that have been approved or revised by the Loss Control Committee for inclusion in the Safety and Loss Control Manual are:

General Safety - Workplace Violence
Office Safety - Ergonomics and Work Station Arrangements
Grounds Maintenance - Snow Removal
Standard Practice 205 Decontamination for Maintenance/Repair/Surplus has also been approved

Hard copies of the above 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 web site.

University of North Dakota
Box 9031
Grand Forks, ND 58202
Phone: (701)777-3341
Fax: (701)777-4132