BETHEL

SAFETY MATTERS – September is National Prepardeness Month

12 WAYS TO PREPARE:

1.  Sign up for Alerts and Warnings
2.  Make a Plan
3. Save for a Rainy Day
4. Practice Emergency Drills
5. Test Family Communication Plan
6. Safreguard Documents
7. Plan with Neighbors
8. Make Your Home Safer
9. Know Evacuation Routes
10. Assemble of Update Supplies
11. Get Involved in Your Community
12. Document and Insure Property

Go to Ready.Gov to find the resources you need to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate disasters and emergencies. This site is designed to help you stay informed, make a plan, and get involved.  How to get through a multi-day power outage. It does not take a tornado or a hurricane to leave a house dark for days. A summer thunderstorm or an overtaxed grid can do it — and a little planning
turns a dangerous ordeal into a manageable inconvenience.

Start with food and water. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an unopened refrigerator keeps food safe for about four hours, and a full freezer holds its temperature for roughly 48 hours. Keep the doors shut, and when in doubt, throw it out. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day. Light the house with flashlights, not candles, which are a leading cause of house fires during outages. Keep phones charged, and add a power bank and a battery-powered radio so you can still reach family and follow the news.

Plan ahead for anyone who depends on electricity. Have a backup for power-dependent medical devices, know that refrigerated medicines such as insulin should be replaced if an outage runs long, and check on older neighbors, who are the most
vulnerable when the heat or air conditioning stops.

Keep some cash on hand, too. When the power is out, card readers and ATMs go dark along with the lights.

This Month’s Safety Myth: “If the equipment is turned off, it’s safe.”

FACT: Even after equipment has been shut down, breakers are turned off, and supply valves are closed, residual energy often remains in electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and thermal machinery. Lockout/Tagout procedures and programs exist to ensure stored energy is released and controlled. Remember, “Off” is not the same as “Safe” zero-energy.

September is known as a transitional month for many reasons. The school year starts for millions of children and college students, the weather can change drastically, changes in daylight hours occur, and many businesses prepare for their final quarter of the year. All of these changes impact worker safety; they create stress in the workplace, stress leads to shortcuts, and shortcuts often lead
to mishaps and injuries.

Well-thought-out preparation and prevention strategies help keep this time of year accident-free; consider these tips:

• This is a great time of year for preventive
maintenance on equipment, systems, and
facilities.
• Layered clothing allows our bodies to adjust
to temperature changes throughout the
day.
• Checking and maintaining outdoor lighting
• The leaves will begin to fall, have a plan to
remove them from walkways, entrances,
and exits.

Did you know? September 18th is National Concussion Awareness Day

Concussion Symptoms – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4 million people experience concussions
every year. These injuries can lead to long-term damage, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms of concussions to ensure prompt and effective treatment. Although each concussion can exhibit different symptoms, here are some common warning signs:

• Severe headaches
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Trouble concentrating

Get more information about brain injuries at CDC.GOV