Highlights from the National Safety Council's 2009 Congress and Expo

Highlights from the National Safety Council's 2009 Congress & Expo opened on Monday, Oct. 26. To view the NSC official YouTube Channel, visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/NatlSafetyCouncil

CPR and First Aid Classes now offered at South Charlotte Ramada Hotel on Thursday Evenings

Press Release: Caskey CPR has partnered with the Ramada Hotel in Charlotte to offer CPR and First Aid classes at the Ramada Airport South and Conference Center in South Charlotte. Conveniently located on Exit 6A off I-77, the Ramada features high-class spacious conference rooms perfect for the CPR and First Aid training classes that Caskey CPR offers.

Caskey CPR will start offering classes on Thursday evenings in October, 2009 from 5pm until 10pm. Classes will be $55 per person and certify students in CPR for two years and First Aid for three years. Although space is limited, the schedule of courses can be found online at Caskey CPR's website. Other regularly scheduled classes will still be held on Saturdays as well as privately scheduled classes upon request.

For more information about class dates and course information, View Our Class Schedule.

Reference Link: Caskey CPR Press Releases

10 Ways to Reduce Pandemic Flu for a Safer Work Environment - OSHA

Here are ten simple steps every employer can take to reduce the risk of exposure to pandemic influenza in their workplace:

1. Avoid crowded settings.
2. Encourage sick employees to stay at home.
3. Wash your hands frequently.
4. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
5. Avoid shaking hands.
6. Provide tissues and trash cans to employees and public.
7. Disinfect telephones, work surfaces, computer equipment and other frequently used surfaces.
8. Discourage use of other employees telephones, desks, offices or work equipment.
9. Reduce or eliminate unnecessary social interaction.
10. Promote healthy lifesytles including good nutrition, exercise, and stopping smoking.

reference: [download OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic PDF]

Protect Yourself From Poisonous Plants

"The National Safety Council reminds you to protect yourself from the sun and other summer health risks, such as poisonous plants." - nsc.org

Signs & Symptoms

A day or two after contact with the plant a skin rash will appear. Symptoms such as these can be mild to severe.

• Itching
• Redness
• Swelling
• Burning feeling
• Blisters

How Poison Ivy is Contracted

Contact with poison ivy, poison oak, or posion sumac by simply touching one of these plants will cause the above symptoms. The sap from these plants can get on your clothes, shoes, pets and can remain potent for over a year. Do not attempt to burn these plants because contact with the smoke can also cause a rash.

Treatment

• Take a cold shower. Use soap or pour cold water over the rash area.
• An over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl may relieve itching. Make sure to follow the directions.
• Throw away clothes that have come in contact with these plants and bathe pets in cold water and use soap.
• Do not touch your eyes, mouth, and face with your hands.
• Do not scratch or rub the rash.
• A paste of 3 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of water.

References: List of Poisonous Plans in North Carolina, First Aid for Poison Ivy

Reduce Distracted Driving in Teens

"DEATH BY CELL PHONE" is becomming a more common occurance as drivers have proven to be more distracted in this way that even alcohol impairment.

Reference Link: National Safety Council's Distracted Driving Campaign

Many states are passing laws banning text messages and/or cell phone use while vehicles are in motion. This may help cut down the deaths due to cell phone use, however, attentive drivers are what we need to make our roads a safer place.

June is National Safety Month

For more information about National Safety Month, visit the National Safety Month website.

National Safety Month encourages us to protect ourselves during the course of each day. This year the National Safety Month topics are:

• Teen Driving - one of the leading causes of death for young people.
• Fall Prevention - the single largest cause of injury in the world.
• Overexertion - not a topic that many people think about but widely important.
• Distracted Driving - becoming more of an issue every day with cell phone distractions and other on-the-road factors.

Find out how to be most protected and read more by visiting our National Safety Month page.

Summer Safety at the Swimming Pool

Each year the weather gets warmer and the swimming pools open up. Looking for relief from the heat and a break from indoor activities, parents and babysitters take children to the swimming pool. While swimming is a great way to exercise, have fun, and to cool off, there are dangers in the water that most people do not recognize. Below are some tips to make your next trip to the swimming pool a safe one.

• Discuss with your children the fact that they should not drink the water in the pool. It is best for them to keep their mouths and eyes closed when swimming underwater. While the most recognized concern is other children who urinate and even defecate in the water, there are other micro-organisms to be concerned about. Because the eyes, nose, and mouth have mucous membranes, they are an easy way for these micro-organisms to enter your body. This is another great reason that children and adults should wash their hands on a regular basis.

• If your child complains of being cold, is shivering, has chattering teeth, or is visibly paler than usual or blue, it is time to get them out of the water. Often times the air around us may be very hot in the summer, but the water in the swimming pool has not warmed up enough to prevent shock. Please do not tell your child to keep swimming in order to warm up. This will endanger their life. Instead, if you see those signs and symptoms, get them out of the pool and warm them up slowly. (Rapid warming can cause heart problems.) Place towels or an emergency blanket around them. Sit them in the sun instead of the shade.

• Another risk factor includes dehydration. Make sure that your child has adequate clean drinking water. Being in the sun and exercising in the pool can cause them to become dehydrated. Encourage them to keep sipping on water while playing, not just at the pool, but anytime. If your child doesn’t care for water, give them a solution of fruit juice that has been mixed with water; aim for a 50/50 ratio. This will help keep them hydrated in the hotter seasons.