HURRICANE EARL MAY VISIT NORTHEAST U.S. COASTS

by pat brownlee on September 2, 2010

Folks on the northeastern coast of the United States have been advised to do an evacuation “test run,” in case Earl decides to come calling.  From the National Hurricane Center in Miami, as of today (9-2), a tropical storm warning has been issued to persons along Connecticut and Rhode Island coasts into Massachusetts.  Earl is heading toward the Outer Banks of North Carolina with tropical system winds of 140 mph, and higher gusts.  The center of Earl is approximately 300 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 

Even though Earl may remain at sea, and run parallel to the coast, a storm surge from the hurricane could cause damage.  National Hurricane Director, Bill Read, said he expects big waves to hit the North Carolina coast, and by Friday, Cape Cod and Long Island could see big swells and dangerous rip currents.  Mr. Reed suggested that he would recommend advance planning by persons living in this area, just in case the storm hits the coast. 

Suggestions that we want to repeat in planning for a disaster are as follows:

  •     Plan ahead;
  •     Keep your cell phone charged;     
  •     Secure your home;
  •     Have a plan that includes your family, elderly, and pets;
  •      Be sure your insurance papers are in order;
  •      Have a 3-day supply of food and water for each individual;   
  •      Freeze gallon jugs of water ahead of time;
  •       Be sure you have a manual can opener;
  •      Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables in addition to canned goods;
  •       Have a supply of pet food and water bowls.
  •       Have a first aid kit and flashlight;
  •        Be sure you have all medicines;
  •        Notify next of kin or friends that you may be needing to stay with   them until the all-clear;

In the event of a hurricane hitting your town, do not go back until the authorities give permission.  Many times, downed power lines or other hazards cause injuries. 

With Labor Day approaching, we hope residents of these areas will have the “all-clear,” and be able to enjoy their holiday weekend.  However, listen to the professionals and take precautions, as they know what they are talking about.

Tagged as: Earl, evacuate, hurricane, prepared, test run

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LABOR DAY, 2010 SAFETY TIPS

by pat brownlee on September 1, 2010

Monday, September 6th,   millions of American workers will celebrate Labor Day. Wrapping up summer fun, and beginning school, this will be the last holiday until Thanksgiving.  Labor Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1894, and is always observed the first Monday in September. 

Labor Day is also known as the second deadliest holiday of the year, with Thanksgiving coming in at #1.  So, while you are busy making plans for that three-day weekend, please give some thought to keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.  You know that your friendly State Troopers are going to be out in full-force, and their number one priority is seeing that you travel safely.  You may think that they are just out to get you, but as long as you drive at speeds designated by the law, and have your seat belt buckled, they won’t bother you.  One way to guarantee that is to head for your destination in plenty of time, allowing you to arrive on time.  Be sure to have your cell phone handy, but please don’t text and drive.  One of your passengers can answer your phone, or you can retrieve your messages once you have stopped driving. 

AAA expects 34.4 million Americans to travel this holiday weekend, from Thursday September 2nd, through Monday, September 6th.   Most will be going at least 50 miles from home, with the average miles travelled around 635.  If you are one of those travelers, be sure you watch for the other driver (drive defensively), motorcycles and bicycles.  Everyone should show the same respect on the roads that they expect to receive.  Driving and drinking just don’t mix, and those Driving Under the Influence (alcohol, drugs), will be arrested.  The same goes for BUI, pertaining to someone driving a boat under the influence; they will be subject to arrest, too. 

If you are going on an outing, such as fishing, camping, hiking, etc., be sure to take along your sunscreen, first aid kit, sunglasses, insect repellent, and protective gear.  Because the weather is still warm, you’ll want to keep all perishable food items cold, and not leave them out of the ice chest for more than one hour.  Taking along a NOAA weather radio would be a good plan, too, as this time of the year, there may be weather changes that would affect your outdoor activities.

 Wherever the roads take you, obey the law and stay safe.  Everyone traveling expects to return to work next Tuesday.  Do your part to see that they do.  

P.S.  Let’s hope that we have more American workers to honor next year; there are thousands who NEED jobs desperately.  Be thankful for the one you have.

Tagged as: BUI, dui, holiday, Safety, travel, troopers, workers

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SEPTEMBER IS CHILDREN’S CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

August 31, 2010

We are all familiar with the pink ribbons that promote breast cancer awareness. The National Children’s Cancer Society asks schools and communities to recognize the month of September by wearing a gold ribbon on their lapel, to bring awareness to the battle with cancer that thousands of America’s children are fighting.

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REFUSING TO DO DANGEROUS WORK

August 30, 2010

Have you ever felt that you are sent out to perform a job that may be unsafe? If so, you need to know what your rights are in the event you feel you must refuse to perform the assigned task. When you think that conditions of work are unhealthful or unsafe, you should notify your employer. If your employer fails to correct the hazard or disagrees with you about the extent of the hazard, you may file a complaint with OSHA.

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OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

August 29, 2010

A long time ago, my husband, who owned a machine shop for a number of years, made the statement, “no one knows what being in business for themselves is like until they have done it.” Overhead, insurance, waiting to get paid, paying employees, maintenance, and many other headaches contribute to being in private business. With that in mind, we’d like to encourage businesses everywhere to think about how safe their enterprises are.

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WHEN KIDS LEAVE THE NEST, CONSIDER THESE SAFETY TIPS

August 27, 2010

When families reach certain milestones, it’s a time for sadness and gladness. You are happy because they have completed high school, and excited if they are going to experience college. You know you will miss them, and regardless of their choices, either to enroll in college, or seek a profession, they are still young, and believe me, you will worry about them. They are your kids, and you always have concerns, even when they are older; because you love them, you want everything to go well for them.

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BEING READY FOR A SAFE EVACUATION

August 26, 2010

As we go to work every day, we never expect a disaster to happen. In the event of a natural occurrence, or manmade, are we really prepared? Weather forecasts help us anticipate bad storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes, but there could be any type of problem within the walls of our workplace, or accidents near our location that make it imperative for us to evacuate the premises. Have you thought about what you would do if an evacuation were necessary? Has your company given you instructions?

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BED BUGS……THEY’RE BAAAAACK!

August 25, 2010

We all have told our kids “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite,” and really never gave it a thought. I’ve never even seen a bed bug, so I’ve had to do a little research about these critters. When news headlines are about the infestation of bed bugs, it’s bad, but not as bad as being taken over by aliens from outer space.

New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Chicago are listed as the Top Five bed bug-infested cities in the United States, according to Terminix, based on volume of calls they have received throughout the country so far this year. We have seen it on the news in our area of Texas, and read reports that the bugs are rampant all over the United States.

How has this happened? Well, it’s actually pretty easy, on the part of the bugs. Seems they really like to travel. More people are traveling all over the world, and don’t realize that they may be giving the bugs a free ride back to the States, and to their own homes. Then they also may be furnishing transportation to them to their office, church, library, or elsewhere. Cleanliness (or lack of it) is not the cause of bed bugs. Many people hesitate to call professional pest control because they are embarrassed. These tiny bugs are attracted to human bodies and act as small vampires, feeding on their blood! The bites they may leave are more harmless than mosquito bites. Most of the time, the worst thing that could happen is infection from scratching the bite.

When you are traveling, don’t put your suitcases on the floor, but on a luggage rack. Bed bugs can hide in furniture, cracks and crevices, clothing, and they love traveling by ship, plane, or rail cabins, or staying in the nicest five-star hotels. They also live in dormitories, summer camps, apartment buildings, hospitals, and movie theaters. Tiny little critters, bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. When checking your bedding, you may see their droppings, which are roughly the size of a flake of black pepper.

When you return from a trip, try to unpack your belongings in the garage and place them in a plastic bag, until you can inspect them. Washing laundry (especially bedding) in hot water and drying it in a hot dryer will kill bed bugs. Don’t try to eradicate them with do-it-yourself sprays, as it may just encourage them to move on to your neighbors’ house or apartment, rather than get rid of them. You’d be getting rid of them, but at someone else’s expense. These bugs are not interested living in unsanitary conditions, they just want to be where we humans are.

Keep your eye out for these invasive reddish-brown little bugs. Get professional help. Then you can “sleep tight, knowing they won’t be there to bite!”

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HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?

August 24, 2010

Without bacteria, please. More than one-half billion eggs distributed through the United States have been recalled recently, because of contamination of the disease salmonella. Salmonella comes from eggs of salmonella-infected hens that carry the bacteria and pass it to eggs as they are being formed. Other causes can be that the eggs are not cleaned properly or kept cold while being transported. More than 1,000 persons in the U.S. have been affected. Symptoms are diarrhea, cramps, and/or developing fever within 72 hours of eating contaminated products. For persons with weakened immune systems, this can be life-threatening.

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HANDLING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

August 23, 2010

Although we have addressed this subject in an earlier article, Violence in the Workplace, it is such an important issue, that we want to talk about it at a different angle. Both articles contain information that may be helpful, should you find yourself in such a situation. According to OSHA, violence in the workplace is the fourth leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States, posing a very serious safety and health issue.

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