May 2020 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for May 2020!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. [Safety Crash Course] Bloodborne Pathogens (Live). This is a live recording of the 1st of 3 Safety Crash Course – Part 2 presentations at our monthly workplace safety luncheon on March 5, 2020. The topic was Bloodborne Pathogens Basics and it was presented by Brenda Allen, Certified Trainer, Swift First Aid. (14:56)
  2. [Safety Talk] Thunderstorms & Lightening. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on what to do during thunderstorms & lightening! (3:25)
  3. [Safety Talk] Floods. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare for and what to do during a flood! (5:11)
  4. [Safety Talk] Power Outages. Here’s some safety tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare for and what to do during a power outage! (4:33)
  5. May’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. First Aid Response Times: May’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  7. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, Stitcher & You Tube! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. FY20 Refund Notice: Deadline to respond is June 1, 2020. Any unclaimed refunds will be adsorbed back into the PCSC to support future programming. Follow link for more info.
  2. Get Outside campaign posters (11×17) & flyers (8.5×11) by Portage Parks have been downloaded well over 300 times! Follow links to download and print your own!
  3. COVID-19 Program Updates: The latest program updates from the PCSC as a result of COVID-19. More info coming soon!
  4. Event Cancellations: All PCSC events have been cancelled through June 2020.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  1. Overcoming Loneliness During COVID-19. According to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, “loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!” As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we asked Jennifer Parmenter, Clinical Counseling Supervisor at Family & Community Services, Inc., in Kent, OH, to call in to give us some tips on how to overcome loneliness & avoid its deadly consequences! (56:32)
  2. How to Take Care of Your Mental Health During COVID-19. Jennifer Parmenter, Clinical Counseling Supervisor at Family & Community Services, Inc., in Kent, OH, called in to give us some tips on how to take care of ourselves and our mental health during the COVID-19 crisis! (28:37)
  3. Staying Active at Home During the Lockdown. Leslee Keegan of I’m Power Fitness Center in Ravenna, OH, called in to give us tips on how to stay active at home during the COVID-19 lockdown! Check out her Facebook page for more info today! (12:31)
  4. How Stress Affects Workplace Safety. Is stress really a safety concern? In this episode, Mike & Nic chat about stress before & during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it significantly impacts your workforce, even in regards to safety! (22:52)

GET OUTSIDE CAMPAIGN:

 

 

[Get Outside] Why You Should Spend More Time Outdoors

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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9sjg3-dc7417

Episode 160: Andrea Metzler & Jennifer White of the Portage Park District, joined us to chat about the health benefits of spending time outdoors at least 120 minutes a week! Check out our new Get Outside campaign! Follow the links to get a free Portage Parks Get Outside poster or flyer today! Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, please adhere to social distancing guidelines as suggested.

Overcoming Loneliness During COVID-19

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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-p6hyk-db7a68

Episode 159: According to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, “loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!” As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we asked Jennifer Parmenter, Clinical Counseling Supervisor at Family & Community Services, Inc., in Kent, OH, to call in to give us some tips on how to overcome loneliness & avoid its deadly consequences! For more information about the PCSC, visit PortageCountySafetyCouncil.com today!

[Get Outside] Wild Hikes Challenge

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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-2cn6s-db0e96

Episode 157: Jennifer White shares about Portage Park District’s Wild Hikes Challenge! Hike 8 parks or trails by the end of year and earn a hiking staff (1st year) and/or Wild Hikes medallion. What a fun way to explore all the great parks & trails in Portage County! Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, please adhere to social distancing guidelines as suggested.

First Aid Response Times: May’s Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: What is OSHA’s current interpretation of the response times for first aid in response to life-threatening bleeding, including active shooter incidents?

Answer: OSHA’s current interpretations of the response times for first aid in response to life-threatening bleeding are addressed in letters of interpretation. These letters state in part:

In workplaces where serious accidents such as those involving falls, suffocation, electrocution, or amputation are possible, emergency medical services must be available within 3-4 minutes, if there is no employee on the site who is trained to render first aid…While the standards do not prescribe a number of minutes, OSHA has long interpreted the term “near proximity” to mean that emergency care must be available within no more than 3-4 minutes from the workplace, an interpretation that has been upheld by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and by federal courts…The basic purpose of these [first aid] standards is to assure that adequate first aid is available in the critical minutes between the occurrence of an injury and the availability of physician or hospital care for the injured employee… Medical literature establishes that, for serious injuries such as those involving stopped breathing, cardiac arrest, or uncontrolled bleeding, first aid treatment must be provided within the first few minutes to avoid permanent medical impairment or death…

These time limits are maximums. OSHA does not prohibit but encourages shorter response times when feasible. In order for OSHA standards to more comprehensively address response times to uncontrolled bleeding, it would entail a notice of proposed rulemaking and comment effort.

These recommendations are consistent with the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standard 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. This standard requires that emergency medical services ideally respond within one minute of turnout, that first responders take 4 minutes to get to the scene, and that other units should arrive within 8 minutes.

*Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

Refund Notice – FY20 Prepaid Lunches

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This message is for PCSC members who purchased FY20 Annual Prepaid Lunch Packages.
 
PCSC Members:
Due to the cancellation of our April, May & June luncheons, members who purchased FY20 Annual Prepaid Lunch Packages qualify for a refund of $45 per package purchased. To see the amount your company qualifies for, click here.
REFUND OPTIONS
Due to suggestions offered by a few of our members, the PCSC is offering 3 refund options:
  1. Refund (by check via USPS mail; please allow up to 60 days)
  2. Donate back to the Portage County Safety Council (to help support future safety programming)
  3. Donate to local food programs (to help those in need through programs such as Mobile Meals, Center of Hope, Kent Social Services, etc)
*Due to the uncertainty of how social distancing orders will affect our luncheons in FY21, we are not offering credits at this time. Thanks for understanding!
 
Please complete this online FY20 Refund Request Form to choose one the refund options above ASAP. If for any reason the link doesn’t work for you, please email us.
 
Deadline is Monday, June 1, 2020. Any refund amount not claimed by 6/1/20 will be donated back to the Portage County Safety Council in order to continue to support local safety programming. Exceptions may be made for members who were temporarily out of business due to the pandemic.
Thank you all for your continued support of your companies, employees, safety, the Portage County Safety Council and our communities at large! I hope all of you are well and your families are staying safe through all of this!

[Get Outside] Portage Parks

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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-memdc-da1640

Episode 156: Andrea Metzler and Jennifer White of the Portage Park District, joined us to chat about their parks, the benefits of spending time outdoors and the new Get Outside campaign with the Portage County Safety Council! Follow the links to get a free campaign poster or flyer today! Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, please adhere to social distancing guidelines as suggested.