Winter 2012

The RMS Department continues to take on new responsi-bility and consolidate activities to better support the cam-pus community. RMS now includes, Workers Compensa-tion and Return to Work, Occupational Health, Emergency Management, Risk Management & Insurance, Radiation Safety, Fire Safety, Laboratory Safety, Hazardous Materials Management, Industrial Health, Sanitation & Pest Control, Occupational Safety and most other safety & health related functions.

We realize that the University is engaged in many wild and wonderful adventures. We encourage these and will actively support them if you give us a chance to assist you in making them safe. It is never our position to say “NO” to any activ-

ity, but it is always our responsibility to ensure all activities are performed in the safest manner possible.

One of the key goals of the new RMS Department will be to offer our ex-panded services to everyone as we continue to move into different areas of campus activities. Our goal is to become an internal consultant to all campus departments, academics units and service activities. We want to be involved in the early planning of campus activities which could affect

the health and safety of the campus community or have an adverse environmental impact. We offer you our time and our support; we encourage everyone (staff, students and faculty) to contact us whenever you are planning something special. If we do not have the staff expertise to assist you, we will find it for you.

The bottom line job of any safety organization is to reduce the cost and suffering related to accidental losses. Work-place injuries currently cost us over $2 million per year; if we can reduce the cost of these losses by 50% that would be a million dollars we could give back to you to spend on your activities.

Remember, together we can continue to make OHIO a safer and healthier place to work, live and learn…

Joe Adams

AVP Risk

Management &

Safety

www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/

The New Risk Management & Safety (RMS)

this issue

Chemical Storage in the Lab P.2

Fighting the Flu P.3

Winter Safety P.4

Radioactive Tissue Holders P.5

CCAMPUSAMPUS CCONNECTIONONNECTION is published quarterly by the Ohio

University Department of Risk Management and Safety.

Joe Adams,

adamsj3@ohio.edu

By Joe Adams, Associate Vice President

www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/ehs/lab/index.htm

Chemical Storage in the Laboratory

The Basics 2 Safe chemical handling requires routine inspec-

tions of chemical storage areas and maintenance

of stringent inventory control. The inherent hazards

of chemicals can be reduced by minimizing the

quantity of chemicals on hand. However, when

chemicals must be used, proper storage and han-

dling can reduce or eliminate associated risks. All

chemical storage areas and cabinets should be

inspected at least semi-annually and any unwanted

or expired chemicals should be removed and la-

beled for hazardous waste disposal. EHS can help

you dispose of chemical waste in the proper man-

ner. Contact Cliff Hamilton, Hazardous Materials

Coordinator, for more information.

General Guidelines:

Limit access to chemical storage areas to au-

thorized personnel only.

Ensure all containers of hazardous chemicals

are properly labeled with the identity of the haz-

ardous chemical(s) and appropriate hazard

warnings.

Segregate all incompatible chemicals. This can

be done in 5 steps: Step 1 - Plan the layout

of the laboratory; Step 2 - Separate solids from

liquids; Step 3 - Separate organic from inor-

ganic materials; Step 4 - Segregation into

compatibility groups; Step 5 - Inventory all

chemicals

Chemicals should be stored no higher than

eye level and never on the top shelf of a

storage unit. Do not overcrowd shelves and

ensure that they are sturdy.

Never store chemicals on the floor (unless

they are placed into secondary contain-

ment trays) and kept from extending into

traffic aisles.

Liquids should be stored in unbreakable or

double-contained packaging, or the stor-

age cabinet should have the capacity to

hold the contents if the container breaks.

Store acids in a dedicated acid cabinet.

Store highly toxic or controlled materials in

a locked, dedicated poison cabinet.

Chemical fume hoods should not be used

for large volume storage since containers

may block proper air flow and reduce avail-

able work space.

All chemicals should be labeled and dated

upon receipt in the lab and on opening.

This is especially important for peroxide-

forming chemicals such as ethers, dioxane,

isopropanol, and tetrahydrofuran. Solu-

tions should be labeled and dated when

prepared.

First aid supplies, emergency phone num-

bers, eyewash and emergency shower

equipment, fire extinguishers, spill cleanup

supplies and personal protective equip-

ment should be readily available and per-

sonnel trained in their use.

Chemicals stored in explosion-proof refrig-

erators or cold rooms shall be sealed and

labeled with the name of the person who

stored the material in addition to all other

required hazard warnings.

Keep all stored chemicals, especially flam-

mable liquids, away from heat sources and

direct sunlight.

ttp://www.ohio.edu/e

CDC Says “Take 3” Actions To Fight The Flu

3

Flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitali-

zation and even death.

CDC urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself

and others from influenza (the flu):

Take time to get a flu vaccine.

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and

most important step in protecting against flu viruses.

While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine

protects against the

three viruses that

research suggests

will be most common.

The 2011-2012

vaccine will protect

against an influenza

A H3N2 virus, an in-

fluenza B virus and

the H1N1 virus that

emerged in 2009 to

cause a pandemic.

Everyone 6

months of age and

older should get a flu

vaccine as soon as

the 2011-2012 vaccines are available.

Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to

decrease their risk of severe flu illness.

People at high risk of serious flu complications include

young children, pregnant women, people with chronic

health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung

disease and people 65 years and older.

Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and

other people who live with or care for high risk people to

keep from spreading flu to high risk people.

Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious

flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who

care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the

spread of germs.

Cover your nose and

mouth with a tissue when

you cough or sneeze.

Throw the tissue in the

trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often

with soap and water. If

soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based

hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread

this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that

you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is

gone except to get medical care or for other necessities.

(Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-

reducing medicine.)

While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible

to keep from infecting them.

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor pre-

scribes them.

If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can treat your illness.

Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are pre-

scription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and

are not available over-the-counter.

Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the

time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu com-

plications.

It’s very important that antiviral drugs be used early

(within the first 2 days of symptoms) to treat people who

are very sick (such as those who are hospitalized) or peo-

ple who are sick with flu symptoms and who are at in-

creased risk of severe flu illness, such as pregnant

women, young children, people 65 and older and people

with certain chronic health conditions.

Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny

or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. Peo-

ple may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory

symptoms without a fever.

Visit CDC’s website to find out what to do if you get sick with

the flu and how to care for someone at home who is sick with

the flu.

www.cdc.gov

4

With winter weather quickly approaching, please keep in

mind that Ohio University experiences injuries to employ-

ees partly due to weather conditions. Many of these

have to do with slips, trips and falls around icy or wet

conditions. We can’t control the weather, but to help

protect yourself please follow these general guidelines

during winter weather:

Be aware of the areas that you are walking. Everyone

knows that there is potential ice under snow covered

parking lots or walkways. Please pay attention to these

areas and if possible walk around these slippery spots.

Expect the unexpected with surfaces that you can’t fully

see.

Don’t be in a hurry. Whether you are walking or driving, if

the weather turns nasty, give yourself extra time to make

it to work in order to eliminate the need to feel like you

have to hurry.

Pay attention to the type of shoes that you wear. Dress

shoes that are appropriate for an office setting may not

be appropriate for walking on icy sidewalks. Wear a good

pair of shoes or boots with adequate tread while walking

to work and change your shoes when you get to your

workplace. If conditions persist, change your shoes

again at the end of your work day.

When you get out of your car, pay attention to the condi-

tion of the area immediately where you will step when

getting out of your car. Make sure that your feet are un-

der you to help prevent any slipping and that you have a

good base when getting out of or into your car.

Pay attention to building entry ways. With rain or snow

these areas can be wet. Don’t make the mistake in

thinking that once you are inside you can let your guard

down.

Use handrails when they are available. If you have to

carry things with both hands and it is difficult to see

steps, use an elevator if possible.

Walking is an every day activity that sometimes we take

for granted. But in order to do so safely please follow

these guidelines and always be aware of your surround-

ings.

Winter Safety Slippery conditions inside and out.

Watch your step!

Walk like a penguin!

Safe-T-Sensor Update

Over Winter Break, Fire Safety staff and students inspected more than 4,400 Safe-T-Sensors located in the Ohio University residence halls. Forty three were found moved

out of their proper location; fourteen were missing and seventy eight were found with

broken caps. All were checked and adjusted to proper working condition.

Students are reminded that these sensors are fire safety devices and thus protected by

fire code 2909.07 “No person shall...move, deface, damage, destroy, or otherwise tamper with any safety device...placed for the safety of others so as to destroy or diminish its ef-

fectiveness or availability for its intended purposes.”

5 Radioactive tissue holders

pulled from stores

NEW YORK – Metal tissue holders con-

taminated with low levels of radioactive

material may have been distributed to

Bed, Bath & Beyond stores in more than

20 states including New York according

to federal regulators.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokes-

man David McIntyre said the home prod-

ucts company had pulled the tissue

holder from its stores.

He said there is little to no risk to human

health — but it's better to avoid unneces-

sary exposure to radiation.

"If someone has one of these, they could

receive a small radiation dose from it,"

he said. For example, he said someone

keeping one of the boxes on a vanity in

the bathroom and spending about 30

minutes a day near it for a year would

receive the equivalent of a couple of

chest x-rays.

"There's no real health threat from these,

but we advise people to return them," he

said.

Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. said in a state-

ment Thursday that its Dual Ridge Metal

boutique tissue holder has been carried

in about 200 of its stores since July. It

said it was recalling all of the tissue hold-

ers and asking any customers who

bought them to return them for a full

refund.

McIntyre said the company had received

shipments of the tissue holders in July,

August and December, but that only the

December one — which contained 220 of

the boxes — was determined to have

contaminated products. He said the

company is still trying to determine

whether the other shipments had con-

taminated products.

Nevertheless, the company said it was

asking for customers to return any pur-

chased tissue holders out of an abun-

dance of caution.

The contamination was first discovered

in California when two packages bound

for Bed, Bath & Beyond stores in Santa

Clara and San Jose containing four tis-

sue holders triggered radiation alarms at

truck scales, according to a Jan. 6 report

posted on the NRC website.

The products were shipped from India

through the port of Newark, N.J., the re-

port said. The tissue holders are distrib-

uted by Tatara Group of Piscataway, N.J.

The Dual Ridge line of products is de-

scribed on the company's website as

having a "brushed finish."

A woman who answered a phone listed

for the company declined to comment.

New York health officials said they pulled

12 of the silver boxes from stores in

Westbury, Port Chester, Elmsford and

Huntington Station. They were tested

and found to have low-level radioactivity,

said state Health Department spokes-

man Mike Moran.

The Nassau County Department of

Health, where two of the boxes were

shipped to the retailer's stores, said the

items were removed and taken to a "safe

location." The county Health Commis-

sioner reiterated that the boxes posed

"no imminent public threat."

State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah

said in a statement Thursday that none

of the products had been sold at the

New York stores.

Authorities said the tissue holders con-

tain manmade cobalt-60, which is used

in medical devices and for other indus-

trial applications.

Customers can call Bed, Bath & Beyond

at 1-800-462-3966.

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/

story/2012-01-13/Radioactive-tissue-

holders-pulled-from-stores/52528908/1

CAMPUS CONNECTION is published

quarterly by the

Ohio University

Department of Risk

Management and Safety

141 University Service Center

Athens, Ohio 45701

740-593-1666

www.ohio.edu/ehs

Associate VP Risk Management

and Safety: Joe Adams

Editor: Susan Hopkins

RMS StaffRMS Staff Brent Auker

Fire Protection Engineer

Crystal Brooks

Radiation Safety Technician

Jeff Campbell

Assistant Director, EHS

Occupational Safety Officer

Kathy Cumings

Administrative Associate

Cliff Hamilton

Hazardous Materials Coordinator

Jill Harris

Emergency Manager

Susan Hopkins

Administrative Coordinator

Chad Keller

Environmental Health Coordinator

Marilyn McVey

Administrative Coordinator

Douglas Miller

Fire Safety Coordinator

Nathan Rath

Environmental Safety Coordinator

David Schleter

Lab Safety Coordinator

Sue Tuttle

Occupational Health Coordinator

Alan Watts

Radiation Safety Officer

George Wendt

Risk Manager

Larry Wines

Workers Compensation Manager

Welcome, Larry Wines

Workers Compensation Manager

University Service Center 280; 740-597-1992