Summer

2011

T he discovery of fire and how to use it is probably one of the

most important discoveries ever. Fire has the power to keep us

warm or cool. It can light our path or cook our meals. It pro-

duces energy to drive our machines and can save our life.

However, this simple word strikes fear in all of us. Some of the

most tragic events ever involved fire; the Triangle Shirtwaist

Factory fire in 1911 started the modern fire safety movement.

The fire resulting from the collision of two Boeing 747 aircraft in Tenerife

contributed to the worst aviation disaster ever. We all remember or have seen

the pictures of the 1986 Challenger explosion and fire. The fires from the 9-

11 terrorist acts will forever remain in our memories.

On a note closer to home, fires at OHIO have also been significant. The

fire in Bromley Hall caused extensive damage, and there was also a fire in a

Clippinger lab. On April 30 of this year, another fire occurred in a Clippinger

Lab. A detailed investigation revealed some interesting facts. The fire was

caused when a desiccator overheated. The over-

heating occurred because the air circulation

needed to cool the unit was restricted. The unit

had been modified to reduce the noise, and this

modification restricted the airflow around the

desiccator. The resultant fire destroyed the inte-

rior of the room. There is always some good in

everything. Some very alert graduate students

who were studying in the building, smelled

smoke and call OUPD who notified AFD. The

room, as it was designed to do, contained the fire

and prevented its spread to adjacent rooms. The

fire alarm system functioned as it was designed

to, even though there are no room detectors and

no sprinklers. We can learn some valuable lessons from this incident.

Look at your work area. If you have a drop ceiling, are all the tiles in

place? These will help prevent the spread of the fire.

Do you know how to report a fire? It’s simple; just call OUPD at 3-

1911 or just 911.

Do you know where the nearest pull station is? You should!

Do you have equipment that has been altered over the years to meet a

special need? If you do, call OU EHS Fire Section at 3-1665 and we

will check it out for you.

Do you know where the nearest fire extinguisher is located? Do you

know how to use it? Find it and we can help you learn how to use it.

Are the fire protection detectors and sprinklers covered or obstructed in

any manner? Move the obstruction or call us for help. The Bottom Line

Be aware of your sur-

roundings

Become familiar with

the fire and life safety

devices which can save

your life

Call us if you have any

questions or concerns…

Joe Adams

AVP Risk

Management &

Safety

http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/ehs/general/

Clippinger fire teaches valuable fire safety lessons

this issue

Meet the Student Staff P.2

Picnics and Food Safety P.3

Fighting Ticks P.5

Preventing Heat Illness P.5

CCAMPUSAMPUS CCONNECTIONONNECTION is published quarterly by the Ohio

University Department of Environmental Health and Safety.

Joe Adams,

adamsj3@ohio.edu

By Joe Adams, Associate Vice President

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Major: Chemistry B.S.

Year: Senior

Fun Fact: I'm the director of the Programming Depart-

ment at Ohio Universities online radio station, ACRN. I'm

also a DJ myself!

Why EHS? It's a fun experience that teaches real world

skills and gives me the opportunity to work with hard

working individuals.

Hometown: Curtice, Ohio

Major: Health Service Administration;

Business and Environmental Health minors

Year: Senior

Fun Fact: I've been to Ireland & London

Why EHS? I really enjoy working for EHS- the people are a

lot of fun and I like to do hands on work

http://www.ohio.edu/ehs/index.htm

2

ith a new year

ahead of us, it’s time

to welcome the fresh,

or familiar, faces of

the Environmental

Health and Safety

Department (EHS).

Student workers at EHS work

closely with their faculty counter-

parts, and may be seen around

campus to help execute certain

jobs and projects,

It is important to be aware of

the student workers so they can

better serve you, Ohio University,

and the Environmental Health and

Safety Department.

Student positions at EHS can

offer students a range of opportu-

nities and advantages such as

resume building, teaching and

mentoring, contributing to the aca-

demic mission and engagement

process, and offering useful work

experience in their prospective

career field. Examples of possible

student positions through EHS

include:

Fire extinguisher inspection

Pest control technician

Lab safety technician

Industrial hygiene technician

Newsletter writer

Web site editor

For more information, visit:

http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafet

y/ehs/general/students.htm

ttp://www.ohio.edu/e

Safe tips for preventing food-borne illnesses from ruining your summer picnic

Picnics and Food Safety

A hhh… summer

is in the air and

it’s the time to

be surrounded

with friends,

family, cold

beverages, and that wonderful

summer picnic food. How-

ever, one must not forget

about food safety while en-

joying the pleasures of sum-

mer. Every year more than

76 million cases of food-

borne illness occur just in the

United States and this number

is on the rise.

Food-borne illness can result in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

or fever and is caused by bacteria, which are growing in the

foods. These symptoms can range from fairly mild to quite

severe. When picnic and barbeque foods are not treated

properly and left out in warm weather, the bacteria can

flourish, possibly making everyone ill.

Most food left out on the table will only be safe for two

hours and food left out in summer heat can spoil within one

hour, if the temperature is above 90°F. If leftovers have

been out for more then one hour, they should be thrown out

rather then kept for later use. Make sure foods are kept hot

or cold, and that raw meat is kept separate from cooked or

ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross contamination. Everyone

needs to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer.

Some additional things to remember:

Keep cold foods cold, colder than or at 41°F, until they are

served and only leave out for two hours maximum.

Use two coolers, one for raw meat and the other for ready-

to-eat foods.

Pasta and potato salad are common problems. Put out only

the amount that will be consumed within one hour and get

more if you need it. When you get more, use a new serving

utensil, not the one that has been sitting out.

Cut fruit should be treated as perishable food and dis-

carded within one to two

hours.

Hot fried chicken should be

served and eaten within one

or two hours after cooking or

purchasing. Cold fried

chicken needs to be kept be-

low 41°F until it is served and

then eaten within one or two

hours.

Ground beef needs to be

cooked to an internal tem-

perature of at least 155°F (no

pink), and hot dogs at 135°F.

Poultry, and other pre-cooked

meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Don’t guess! Bring a metal meat thermometer and check.

Do not grill frozen meat or poultry as it is very difficult to

cook evenly and safely.

Do not place cooked meat back onto the same tray, plate, or

container that was used to carry it when it was raw.

Bring spray cleaners, soap and water (or hand sanitizer),

paper towels,

cloths, and

napkins.

Wash tables

or use fresh

tablecloths.

Clean the grill

before cook-

ing!

Do not allow

guests to serve

themselves

with the forks

and spoons they have used for eating. Keep clean serving

utensils at each dish and if one is dropped or becomes con-

taminated switch it out with a clean utensil. ■

Remember to enjoy your summer picnics,

but be safe so that you enjoy the day after as

well.

Hamburgers should be cooked to 155° F and hotdogs should be cooked to 135°F

3 http://nutrition.about.com/od/ahealthykitchen/a/safe_bbq.htm

*For more information, please view:

4

W ith the warmer weather, more people are prone

to go outside more and stay out later. Preventa-

tive measures are always taken to reduce the risk

of mosquito bites, but what about tick bites?

Often brushed under the rug, tick bites can pro-

cure the same itchy results and can leave people at risk for differ-

ent dangerous diseases.

Ticks can carry a range of diseases including Babesiosis, Ehr-

lichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Southern tick-

associated rash illness, Tick-borne relapsing fever, and Tulare-

mia, but are most known for carrying Lyme Disease. Ticks can

be so small that you may not even notice or see them, but usually

are a reddish brown color in any stage. Their inability to be seen

in most cases can contribute to the transmission of serious ill-

nesses or diseases if preventative measures are not put into ac-

tion.

What should I do? There are some steps that one should take to protect them-

selves from this small and sometimes dangerous nuisances

Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in moist, humid environ-

ments, which is why summer is usually when tick bites are more

common. Wooded, grassy areas are particular areas of tick’s

habitats. Therefore, when walking through a park or areas with a

lot of thick vegetation, follow the beaten or paved paths if some

are available.

Use repellent with DEET or Permethrin (On CLOTHING

only). This goes for mosquitoes too (See Spring 2011 Campus

Connection.) Also, always follow product instructions to en-

sure effectiveness. Try to wear long pants and long sleeves. Re-

pellents with less than 20% of DEET can be applied on the skin

and protect skin for several hours. Permethrin can remain protec-

tive on clothes even after a couple washes.

Perform daily tick checks. Especially after being outdoors, it is

important to conduct self body checks and removing any ticks

you find. Using a hand-held or full-length mirror, check these

parts of the body for ticks:

Under the arms

In and around the ears

Inside the belly button

Back of the knees

Under the arms

In and around the hair

Between the legs

Around the waist

If you’ve been bitten… Remove an attached tick as soon as you notice it. Be vigilant of

signs of illness such as rash or fever and seek a health care pro-

vider if you notice any of these signs.

How to remove a tick:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the

tick as close to the skin's surface as pos-

sible.

2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure.

Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can

cause the mouth-parts to break off and

remain in the skin. If this happens, re-

move the mouth-parts with tweezers. If

you are unable to remove the mouth eas-

ily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and

let the skin heal.

3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean

the bite area and your hands with rubbing

alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and wa-

ter.

Do NOT use home remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail

polish or using heat to burn it off. The point is to remove the tick

as quickly as possible, Steps can always be taken to reduce ticks

in your yard such as cutting down vegetation and using chemical

control agents. ■

Also, be sure to shower

after being outdoors and

check your clothing for

ticks.

*Information was provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/

5 Preventing Heat Illness Making sure fun-in-the sun doesn’t mean “hospital run”

T he sun is not your

friend. Between sun-

burns and heat exhaus-

tion, many people forget

on staggeringly hot days with no

water, the sun can be your bitter

enemy.

With rising temperatures, tak-

ing these precautions and steps

to ensure you won’t suffer from

heat exhaustion or heat stroke

are a must.

• Condition yourself for working

in hot environments - start

slowly then build up to more

physical work. Allow your body

to adjust over a few days.

● Drink lots of liquids. Don't wait

until you're thirsty, by then,

there's a good chance you're

already on your way to being

dehydrated. Electrolyte drinks

are good for replacing both water

and minerals lost through

sweating. Never drink alcohol,

and avoid caffeinated beverages

like coffee and pop.

• Take a break if you notice

you're getting a headache or

you start feeling overheated.

Cool off for a few minutes before

going back to work.

• Wear light weight, light colored

clothing when working out in

the sun.

Heat Exhaustion What Are the Symptoms?

• Pale

• Clammy skin

• Headache

• Heavy sweating

• Intense thirst

• Dizziness

• Loss of coordination

• Loss of appetite

• Tingling in hands or

feet

Heat Stroke– A Medical

Emergency What Are the Symptoms?

•Dry, pale skin with

no sweating

• Hot, red skin that

looks sunburned

• Inability to think

straight

• Seizures or fits

• Collapse

• Loss of consciousness

What To Do:

• Act immediately. If not

treated, heat exhaustion may

advance to heat stroke or

death.

• Move the victim to a cool,

shaded area to rest. Don’t

leave the person alone.

• Loosen and remove any

heavy clothing.

• Have the person drink cool

water and cool the person’s

body by fanning and spraying

with a cool mist of water.

ALWAYS CALL 911 FOR

EMERGENCIES

CAMPUS CONNECTION

is published

quarterly by the

Ohio University

Department of Environmental

Health and Safety

204 Hudson Health Center

Athens, Ohio 45701

740-593-1666

www.ohio.edu/ehs

Associate VP Risk Management

and Safety: Joe Adams

Editor: Raquel Harrah

EHS StaffEHS Staff Brent Auker

Fire Protection Engineer

Crystal Brooks

Radiation Safety Technician

Jeff Campbell

Assistant Director, EHS

Occupational Safety Officer

Cliff Hamilton

Hazardous Materials

Coordinator

Susan Hopkins

Administrative Coordinator

Chad Keller

Environmental Health

Coordinator

Douglas Miller

Fire Safety Coordinator

Nathan Rath

Environmental Safety

Coordinator

David Schleter

Lab Safety Coordinator

Alan Watts

Radiation Safety Officer