BUILDING WELLNESS
SAFETY
Misconceptions about flu season, flu shots
Cecy Ordonez
Trick-or-treating seems like a happy, harmless activity. It’s still important to be vigilant while out in halloween costumes at night. (File photo)
Autumn brings new, interesting safety risks
Steve McCombs
Now that summer is officially over
us safety folk do tend to shift our focus
a bit. Heat stress certainly becomes
less of an issue. Vacation travel slows
down. Water accident rates tend to drop
(unless, of course, you live below the
equator, mate!). Of course, with the
new fiscal year the whole District tends
to take a big sigh of relief after the last
quarter’s race to the finish line. But fall
brings with it a slew of other hazards, so
I thought I would simply list some questions and answers to keep in your CCSF
(Cerebral Cortex Safety Folder). Yes, I
just made that up (it’s a gift.) Perhaps I
should have returned it.
• Will your workplace hazards decrease with the change in season? Nope!
Some will shift, such as heat stress
changing over to cold stress, dry roads
to wet roads, etc. Construction sites are
inherently dangerous no matter what
time of year it is and your office hazards
are still office hazards in spite of the
calendar. So stay on your game and recognize what risks you have around you.
• How good is your safety posture at
home? It’s time to change out the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon
monoxide alarms. What? You don’t have
a CO alarm? My wife and my eldest son
and I are all alive today because I have
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a CO alarm. Best 50 bucks I ever spent.
If you don’t have one, get one! Here’s
a useful link to the National Safety
Council you can use for more than just
fire safety: http://www.nsc.org/safety_
home/HomeandRecreationalSafety/
Pages/Fire.aspx
• Is your vehicle in good repair? It’s
always a huge inconvenience to have a
breakdown, but lack of proper vehicle
maintenance often leads to serious and
even fatal accidents. Your tires must be
in good condition and properly inflated.
All of your vehicle’s lights must be in
proper working order. Windshield wipers should be fresh and ready for rain.
Your braking and suspension systems
are also critical to safe driving. And of
course your engine and transmission
require regular maintenance. So if
you’ve not had your vehicle checked out
recently, it’s time to do so now!
• Are you thinking about the holiday season? In looking at the calendar, all of the federal holidays for 2013
involve a three-day weekend except
for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
If you’re of the mind to have some
mini-vacations then you also need to be
sure and include the necessary safety
components in your planning. Do you
have an RV or toy-hauler? Off-road recreational vehicles? They need the same
care and maintenance as your car, right?
Right. And you do have emergency
equipment and supplies, of course?
• And speaking of the season,
Halloween is on the horizon. It’s on a
Thursday this year, so the afternoon
commute will likely be a madhouse.
Daylight Savings Time was changed
in 2007 to “fall back” after Halloween (thus more daylight time for the
kiddos), but this really hasn’t made
much difference in the fatalities.
Children’s pedestrian deaths are four
times higher on Halloween than on any
other night of the year. Please be extra
cautious driving on Halloween. Adult
supervision is the best protection for
trick-or-treaters (next to a good, heavy
rain!). In our neighborhood we have a
block party of sorts, and all the adults
keep a sharp eye out. Makes for a more
family-friendly and safer evening. This
year’s theme is “Star Wars” and yours
truly is growing out his beard for an Obi
Wan Kenobi character. You remember
the old Obi Wan from the first movie
in 1977? Ewan McGregor I am not, so I
suppose I have to get whacked towards
the end of the evening by Darth Vader. I
was wondering why my wife chose that
costume!
As always, drive safe, drive sober
and buckle up, and, “may the force be
with you!”
Safety Steve
As cold and flu season arrive, it
is important to know what strategies
and beliefs are helpful at preventing or
getting rid of these bugs.
One way to prevent getting the flu
is to be vaccinated.
Many think that the flu vaccine
causes the flu, however, the viruses
contained in the flu shot are not active,
which means they cannot cause an
infection. The manufactures of the
vaccines complete multiple tests of
their product to make sure they are safe
for the public. In random blind studies,
it has been found that the symptoms
after a flu shot versus salt water shots
had no difference in body aches, fever,
cough, runny nose or sore throat. The
only difference was increased soreness
in the arm and redness where the flu
shot was given. If you opt out of getting the vaccine, the Center for Disease
Control warns that complications from
the flu can be deadly. An average of
36,000 people die each year from the flu
and more than 200,000 are hospitalized
(Find out more on the CDC’s website at
www.cdc.gov).
Getting the flu vaccine is the best
preventative measure against the flu.
It is believed that if you are not
properly dressed or go outside with your
hair wet on a cold day then you will
“catch a cold”. This is untrue. Beginning in late August or early September,
the rate of colds increases slowly and
remains high until March or April.
This seasonal change is b elieved to be
caused by the reopening of schools and
the cold weather which prompts people
to stay indoors more. Being indoors,
in close proximity with other people,
touching hands, and/or coming in contact with coughs and sneezes increases
that chances that viruses will spread.
If you do catch a cold, you are most
contagious for the first two or three
days while a flu can be contagious one
day prior to showing symptoms and
five days after that. Avoid direct contact with visibly sick people whenever
possible. When you are sick yourself,
do others the courtesy of staying home.
Getting over a cold is similar to what
Flu season is largely associated with cooler weather, but information from the Centers for Disease
Control indicates that flu season begins in mid to late summer and often lingers until early spring.
There are numerous ways to prevent infection and the spreading of the influenza virus. (File Photo)
you do to prevent from getting a cold;
lots of rest is key along with staying
well hydrated and avoiding any alcohol
and caffeine. Eating a balanced diet, including eating breakfast, and taking in
your supplements such as vitamin C can
help boost your immune system.
Your single best defense is to wash
your hands with soap and water regularly throughout the day. Building wellness begins with you. Make your health
your priority.
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