Dave's Safety Page

Photos

dbarber59 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:05:50 +0000

That was me,

the one they show in the video

falling at Normandy

right into the surf.

Each time you see it,

You wonder.

Whoes son was that?
Whoes father, brother?

And we go by it.

A portrait of death.

I can’t bring him back

I can make breath

fill him again.

That portrait

is the door hanger

at the death gate.

Here it here,

ring and enter

where faces end,

where humor ceases

the blest leave

And belief?

Well, we could hope

make a wager

no matter how meager

that he would have some share,

Who knows? Who knows?

But that photo war ghost

plays over and over,

the waves washing the body

the gate and the door

living among ruins.

27 June 09

Safety 5015 Emergency Management

dbarber59 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:45:45 +0000

5015-frank

Safety 5015 will be starting up soon! I’ll post the class notes, outline and slides very soon! Stay tuned.

The link to the outline is above.

Dave

Food Safety

dbarber59 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:58:02 +0000

Countdown to the Thanksgiving Holiday

As Thanksgiving approaches, cooking the traditional turkey dinner gives rise to anxieties and questions. What kind of turkey should I buy? Should I buy a frozen turkey or a fresh one? How do I store my turkey?

A few simple steps will not only ease your holiday fears, but will ensure a delicious and a safe meal for you, your family, and your friends. The following information may help you prepare your special Thanksgiving meal and help you countdown to the holiday.

Plan Ahead
Plan your menu several weeks before the holiday. Shopping early will ease the countdown tension for your Thanksgiving meal. Ask these questions to help plan your meal. Do you want a fresh or frozen turkey? Do you have enough space to store a frozen bird if purchased in advance; if not, when should you purchase a turkey? What size bird do you need to buy?

Fresh or Frozen
If you choose to buy a frozen bird you may do so at any time, but make sure you have adequate storage space in your freezer. If you buy a fresh turkey, be sure you purchase it only 1-2 days before cooking. Do not buy a prestuffed fresh turkey.

Use the following chart as a helpful guide:

What Size Turkey to Purchase
Type of Turkey	Pounds to Buy
Whole bird	1 pound per person
Boneless breast of turkey	1/2 pound per person
Breast of turkey	3/4 pound per person
Prestuffed frozen turkey	1 1/4 pounds per person – keep frozen until ready to cook

Thawing
In the refrigerator
Place frozen bird in original wrapper in the refrigerator (40 °F or below). Allow approximately 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Thawing Time in the Refrigerator
Size of Turkey	Number of Days
4 to 12 pounds	1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds	3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds	4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds	5 to 6 days

In cold water
If you forget to thaw the turkey or don’t have room in the refrigerator for thawing, don’t panic. You can submerge the turkey in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes defrosting time per pound of turkey. The following times are suggested for thawing turkey in water. Cook immediately after thawing.

Thawing Time in Cold Water
Size of Turkey	Hours to Defrost
4 to 12 pounds	2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds	6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds	8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds	10 to 12 hours

In the microwave
Microwave thawing is safe if the turkey is not too large. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the size turkey that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound, and the power level to use for thawing. Cook immediately after thawing.

Preparation
The day before Thanksgiving
Make sure you have all the ingredients you need to prepare your holiday meal. Check to make sure you have all the equipment you will need, including a roasting pan large enough to hold your turkey and a food thermometer. Wet and dry stuffing ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated separately. This may also be done on Thanksgiving Day. Mix ingredients just before placing the stuffing inside the turkey cavity or into a casserole dish.

Thanksgiving Day
If you choose to stuff your turkey, stuff loosely. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Place stuffed turkey in oven immediately. You may also cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole. Judging cooking time for your turkey will be easier if the following chart is used. The times listed are for a fresh or thawed turkey in an oven at 325 °F. These times are approximate.

Timetables for Turkey Roasting
(325 °F oven temperature)

Cooking Time — Unstuffed
Size of Turkey	Hours to Prepare
8 to 12 pounds	2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds	4 1/2 to 5 hours

Cooking Time — Stuffed
Size of Turkey	Hours to Prepare
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds	4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey.
A whole turkey is safe cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. All turkey meat, including any that remains pink, is safe to eat as soon as all parts reach at least 165 °F. The stuffing should reach 165 °F, whether cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish.

When turkey is removed from the oven, let it stand 20 minutes. Remove stuffing and carve turkey.

Storing Leftovers
Cut the turkey into small pieces; refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.

Free E-Book

dbarber59 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:50:38 +0000

If you like what you’ve read here, please check out the free E-Book, available right here!
Dave

e-version-where-the-fence-line-runs

Fine Poetry

dbarber59 — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:12:51 +0000

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Preventing Carbon Monoxide Exposure

dbarber59 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:48:58 +0000

Today’s Safety Daily Advisor Tip:

10 Tips to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Topic: Safety Management

Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is a common industrial hazard resulting from the incomplete burning of natural gas and any other material containing carbon, such as gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, or wood. Because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and nonirritating, workers can be poisoned without warning. Here are 10 tips for safeguarding your workforce.

CO poisoning—and even death—can happen very quickly. You may have read about the four people found dead on a houseboat in Illinois last week, and carbon monoxide has been confirmed as the cause of death.

The reason CO can be lethal is that it displaces oxygen in the blood, depriving the heart, brain, and other vital organs of oxygen. Large amounts of CO can overcome a worker in minutes, causing the employee to lose consciousness and suffocate. Even if an employee recovers, acute poisoning may result in permanent damage.

The OSHA Required Training for Supervisors monthly newsletter provides the following advice.

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Sources of CO Poisoning

One of the most common sources of industrial CO poisoning is the fuel-driven forklift. The risk of CO poisoning is especially high when gas- or propane-powered forklifts are used inside enclosed spaces, such as tractor trailers, refrigerated storage areas, and other nonventilated spaces. Even with ventilation, the situation can still be hazardous, since poisoning can occur even at low CO concentrations.

Other sources of workplace CO poisoning include:

–Cars or trucks left idling in enclosed spaces, such as a garage,
–Portable fuel-burning power tools, such as concrete saws and chainsaws used in confined or poorly ventilated spaces,
–Generators used indoors,
–Poorly vented or malfunctioning heaters, furnaces, and ovens, and
–Power washers, insulation blowers, and compressors used in enclosed areas.

The risk of CO exposure is heightened during cold winter months when doors, windows, and other sources of natural ventilation may be closed.

How to Minimize the Risks

Here are 10 simple tactics for reducing the risk of CO exposures in work areas under your supervision:

1. Identify potential sources of CO exposure and monitor employee exposure.
2. Make sure ventilation systems are working properly to remove CO.
3. Maintain CO-producing equipment in good working condition.
4. Consider switching from gasoline-powered equipment to equipment powered by electricity, batteries, or compressed air for situations where there is a high risk of CO poisoning.
5. Prohibit the use of fuel-powered engines or tools in poorly ventilated areas.
6. Install CO monitors with audible alarms in areas where CO might be formed.
7. Test air regularly in areas where CO may be present, especially confined spaces.
8. Require employees to use a full facepiece pressure-demand self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or a combination full facepiece pressure-demand supplied-air respirator with auxiliary self-contained air supply in areas with high CO concentrations. Have them use respirators with appropriate canisters for short periods under certain circumstances where CO levels are not exceedingly high.
9. Provide training to educate workers about sources and conditions that may result in CO poisoning, preventive measures, symptoms of exposures, and first aid for CO poisoning.
10. Instruct employees to report ventilation or other problems that could result in CO exposure.

Symptoms of CO Poisoning

It’s important to ensure that your workers are aware of the signs of CO poisoning. Besides tightness across the chest, early symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea. (Note that early symptoms could be mistaken for signs of other illness, such as a cold, flu, or food poisoning.) During prolonged or high exposures, symptoms may worsen and include vomiting, confusion, and collapse in addition to loss of consciousness and muscle weakness.

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First Aid for Exposure

When CO poisoning is suspected, prompt action can save a life:
–Immediately move the victim to fresh air in an open area.
–Call emergency medical assistance.
–Administer oxygen if the victim is breathing.
–Administer CPR if the victim is not breathing.

Employees can be exposed to fatal levels of CO in a rescue attempt. Rescuers should be skilled at performing recovery operations and in using equipment.

Tomorrow we’ll tackle the legal, management, and training issues of carbon monoxide in the workplace.

Share Your Comments

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141 Mill Rock Road East \| Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475

Favorite Poems

dbarber59 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:38:16 +0000

Left(poem_title,22)

A Note about Hazers…

dbarber59 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:58:20 +0000

Hazers are devices used to produce smoke or fog effects in productions, plays and recently in churches. They produce a fine particulate that has been shown to effect asthmatics in severe ways. One exposure can cause sensitization and a second a severe asthma attack. Unfortunately, the second attack can cause long-term and life-term damage. The devices use various material for producing the smoke/fog. Some use dry-ice (CO2) while others use glycerin. It should be noted that if the unit overheats, it can produce acrolein, a suspect carcinogen.

Recently, some churches have begun using hazers for their services despite warnings and concerns by the congregation and music department. As a result, some individuals have experienced the worst type reaction that is possible causing them to stop attending services. If your church is planning on using these devices, please advise them on the effects. Encourage them to research the material they plan to use and think about the effects. For a little light show, it’s not worth the long-term lung damage these materials can cause.

Dave, 12 Oct 08

Recommended Books!

dbarber59 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:58:06 +0000

Food Safety – From USDA Page

dbarber59 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:42:04 +0000

Foodborne illness is a serious public health threat. Each year, approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those cases of foodborne illness, more than 325,000 people are hospitalized and about 5,000 deaths occur.

Why Be Food Safe?
Preventing foodborne illness is one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) top priorities. For more than 100 years, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has worked with our Nation’s commercial suppliers to ensure that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged for public consumption. And because research shows that improper handling, preparation, and storage of food can cause foodborne illness, FSIS has conducted—and is a key stakeholder in—many public education programs to prevent foodborne illness.

What is the Be Food Safe Campaign?
USDA developed the Be Food Safe campaign in cooperation with the Partnership for Food Safety Education, FDA, and CDC because research shows that Americans are aware of food safety, but they need more information to achieve and maintain safe food handling behaviors. The Be Food Safe campaign, which is grounded in social marketing, behavior change, and risk communications theories, is designed to provide educators with the tools to inform consumers about foodborne illness and raise the level of awareness of the dangers associated with improper handling and undercooking of food.

How Can You Help Others Be Food Safe?
Did you know local newspapers and news broadcasts report more news and information on food safety and nutrition than national news outlets? Partnerships with local organizations across the country will factor greatly in the success of this campaign. Partners like you—stakeholders in education, public health, retail, and industry —can achieve a greater momentum for the Be Food Safe message and have a greater positive impact on consumer behavior than one or two organizations alone.

For more information, read the complete Partner’s Campaign Guide (PDF Only).

If you would like to become a Be Food Safe partner, please contact us at BeFoodSafe@usda.gov. Or, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).

Related Information
For more information regarding the development and launch of this campaign, see also:

Partner’s Campaign Guide (PDF Only, 525kb)
Campaign Components Guide (PDF Only; 634kb)
Be Food Safe Research Reports
Welcome Letter to Educators | PDF
USDA Sponsors Food Safety Education Conference; Offers Preview of New Food Safety Campaign (Sep 27, 2006)