Hi,

As we continue in our summer safety series, we must consider poison ivy. Let’s take a closer look at what it is, prevention and treatment techniques.

There is a saying among campers and outdoorsmen that we should all pay head to, “leaves of three, let them be.” This refers to poison ivy. Poison Ivy has three leaves and contains oil called urushiol. This oil is found in the sap of poison ivy and is the cause of the break out of an itchy, painful rash that develops as a result of just brushing up against poison ivy.

Poison Ivy grows almost everywhere in the United States and nearly 85% of all people can and do develop allergies to it when they come in contact with the plant.

This brings up the question, with such a high percentage of people that have a reaction to poison ivy in addition to its vast presence in our nature, why doesn’t the National Forestry Division do something to get rid of it? Simply put, humans are the only living creatures that have this negative reaction to it. Contradictory, moose, elk, deer and birds seem to be immune to the urushiol in the plants and in fact use the plant as a good source of nutrition. Further, getting rid of poison ivy is very difficult. Trying to burn it only causes the urushiol to travel in smoke which in turn gets inside of peoples nostrils and lungs, thus causing the negative reactions. Finally, because of the vast presence of poison ivy in nature, people are forced to stay on paths. Environmentalists call this “protecting nature by keeping people on paths.” They believe this is important in contributing to help protect our delicate ecosystems.

Clearly the best course of action is to stay on paths and avoid coming into contact with poison ivy. Wear long sleeves and long pants tucked into your hiking boots when out in nature, wear leather gloves, avoid inhaling smoke from an outdoor fire if you suspect poison ivy may be in the area and wear a barrier cream.

If you do come into contact with poison ivy, however, in keeping with our goal of safety, I have included treatment techniques to help ease and relief you of the symptoms of poison ivy.

• If you believe you have inhaled smoke from burning poison ivy, see a doctor immediately. The allergic reaction can be very serious.
• If you come into contact with poison ivy, wash the area as soon as possible with lots and lots of cool water. The sooner you wash and the more water you use, the less likely you will be getting a rash.
• If you do develop a rash, apply calamine lotion to the rash or rub the rash with an ice cube. These remedies may or may not work, but they certainly are worth a try since they will not harm you.
• If the rash covers more than 20 percent of your body, or develops in sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth or genitals, see a doctor immediately. Physicians can prescribe steroids in either cream form or by injections that may decrease the allergic reaction. Extremely sensitive people may have to be hospitalized.

Summer is all about being outside and having fun. But we must always keep our safety in mind. Follow these guidelines and make this information a part of your knowledge bank; hopefully avoiding having to deal with the repercussions of an outbreak of poison ivy.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

The World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations whose responsibility is “to attain by all people the highest possible standard of health” and whose mission is “to improve people’s lives, to reduce the burdens of disease and poverty, and to provide access to responsible health care for all people” (World Health Organization. Jan. 2008).
In regard to our water consumption safety, the WHO considers that “drinking-water” should be “suitable for human consumption and for all usual domestic purposes including personal hygiene” (World Health Organization. Jan. 2008). Further, the WHO goes on to submit that drinking-waters should be safe for lifetime use, taking into account of differing sensitivities that occur across life stages, including drinking water that is safe and suitable for individuals suffering from certain specific immune compromising disorders. Keep in mind, the WHO holds this accountable not just to public drinking water from the tap but also includes bottled water taken from springs and community wells.
In regard to specifics, the WHO presents first and most strongly that drinking water should be treated and that the control of fecal contamination in drinking-water systems and sources, where it occurs, is of primary importance. Fecal-specific indicator bacteria such as E. coli are the parameters of first importance in monitoring fecal pollution in both bottled and tap water. Additionally, bacteria and micro organisms that require treatment and elimination are contained in the definition and requirements of the WHO for both tap and bottled water. All of these requirements are found in the WHO’s Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality :

Guidelines for drinking-water quality, Volume 1

So how do these requirements and expectations of the WHO compare with what we are buying in bottled water and drinking from our taps? First we will look at bottled water.
The WHO’s Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality as we have already determined applies to bottle water, not just tap. Is bottle water measuring up to these guidelines and if so, is there any discrepancy within the consumer product? Research has found that bottled water, because it often sits a period of time before consuming, often times contains a specific growth situation for microbial flora; a harmful bacteria found in untreated water. Further, although bottled water is derived from “pristine” sources, they many contain or have added carbon dioxide to eliminate the bacteria’s however this often times leads to elevated temperatures while waiting to be sold and consumed. This is not good. Naturally occurring micro organisms found in all water is often times found to be higher in bottled water because of this than water that is treated and reaches us through our taps.
In regard to municipal treatment facilities (tap water), because of privacy issues, the World Health Organization cannot list what they may consider the “best” municipal treatment facilities within the United States, however, they do require each municipality to produce and distribute to the public an annual report of the water quality for human consumption. Additionally, if a facility fails to meet the Guidelines for Drinking Water standards, immediate intervention is taken.
The horizon holds many new technologies in the filtering and cleansing of the waters we ingest. Included in these new technologies are advances in: hydrological analysis, geological assessments and land use inventories to determine potential chemical and radiological contamination sites to avoid.
In conclusion, while bottled water may seem more glamorous or appear due to its marketing techniques, to be safer than tap water, the opposite may in fact be true. Consider this research when deciding on which water source you will use for yourself and your family. As always, we are here for your safety and safety education.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Hi,

After the devastating news of Senator Ted Kennedy’s brain tumor, we need to turn our attention to the reality that this could happen to any one of us at any given time. Are there precautions we can take? Let’s take a look at facts about malignant brain tumors, symptoms and courses of treatment that are available.

Prevention in regard to our safety and health is always our first priority. Although there is no known single cause of malignant brain tumors, there are recommended symptoms that if noted, can contribute to catching the cancer in its early stages; thus encouraging greater chance of survival and/or less permanent neurological damage. Let’s first look at some facts about brain tumors.

Brain tumors account for 1 percent of all cancers in the United States. This equates to approximately 13,000 cases per year, causing 2.5 percent of all cancer related deaths. Brain tumors themselves are cancers that arise in the brain rather than spreading to the brain from other parts of the body. Normally brain tumors are found in children. There has been a steady increase among individuals between the ages of 50 and 55, but the vast majority of brain tumors are again, most common in children. As you can see, brain tumors are not a high cancer risk. There incidence is low, but unfortunately, they are among the most difficult to treat with the greatest risk of highly damaging effects on the individual’s quality of life.

As already mentioned, there is no discernable cause for brain tumors; however there are symptoms of brain tumors. Let’s take a look at these symptoms.
• Headache - A persistent, worsening headache, particularly in the nighttime and morning hours
• Vomiting - This may or may not be associated with nausea
• Seizures - An adult who has no history of seizures and yet experiences one is at a high suggestion of a brain tumor. This was the case for Senator Kennedy.
• Change in mental ability or personality - The family or close friends usually notice this more than the individual
• Lethargy
• Body Effects -
1. Weakness of various parts of the body, especially an arm or a leg
2. Difficulties in coordination or balance
3. Impairment of memory
4. Various vision defects
5. Speech problems
6. Changes in sensations

Note: Each of these symptoms is indicative and helpful for doctors in regard to where the tumor maybe located in the brain.

What courses of treatment are available? First, if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, we encourage you to see your doctor immediately. Catching cancer in its earliest stages possible provides the greatest opportunity of recovery at its highest possible point.

The courses of treatment for a brain tumor depend on the site and type of tumor as well as the condition of the patient. Surgery is the principal treatment for the most common brain tumors, particularly if caught early. Additionally, there are drugs available to decrease brain swelling which in turn will help in removing significant amounts of the tumor while being a relatively safe course of treatment.

If surgery is not an option due to the site and/or stage that the tumor is in, then radiation and chemotherapy, as in Senator Kennedy’s case, are the suggested courses of treatment. Further, if surgery is performed but the entire tumor is not able to be removed, then radiation and chemotherapy may be advised.

Clearly the diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor is a devastating finding. Make sure if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above that you make an appointment to see your doctor immediately. As always, we are wishing and supporting your safety and health.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Is your home safe from burglars? You probably thought so until you saw this video. Bump keys are things most of us have never heard of before. If you have heard of these before you may have had a hobby breaking into places, or you are probably a police officer. Believe it or not, this burglar tool has been proven to work for over 50 years. So much for feeling your home is secure when you leave. The Bump Key burglar tool could be made by a 3rd grader with a file, thanks to the simple directions made available by sites such as YouTube. The question now is how safe are you and your material possessions considering how easy it is to acquire and make the bump keys. Bumpkey.us sells keys as cheap as $3.50 while offering bigger packages. Everything the burglar ever wanted to enter your home. Are you scared? Maybe, we all should be a little scared knowing how easily a burglar can enter our houses.

There is only one bit of knowledge a burglar needs to enter your house when they use a bump key, and that would be, how many tumblers are actually in your lock. That knowledge is required to get the key to work. But, the truth of the matter is that most keys are cut from standard formats, giving the “bump key burglar” a quick and easy guess of which bump key to use on your lock.

BayAreaLocks.com recommends buying secure locking systems that combine digital and mechanical keying. But are they any safer? Will they provide you with a better sense of security? Medeco™ and Abloy™ are companies that sell secure locking systems that combine digital and mechanical keying. They show a key that appears unique. It looks special, and you know immediately from looking at it the bump key burglar tool won’t work. You may feel more secure, but now you have a key that’s warranty will end in two years. As if that isn’t bad enough, you must remember that this is hybrid technology mechanical and digital technologies combined. This places a limit on temperatures within which the technology is useable. For most people, -22° to 122 ° F would be considered normal living temperatures. For someone in Texas or Nevada or, other hot places such as Bahrain, it is possible this technology wouldn’t come close to working correctly. People who live in the Northern regions of the USA and other places in the world, would find the cold temperature margin a big issue. Even in New York State, they close schools for temperatures that go below -20° F.

The only other safety measures you could add to keep thieves out of your house would be a burglar alarm system or a rather viscous dog with a bad reputation.

So are you safe considering how easily accessible this information is for the up and coming burglar? The answer to this has to come in the form of additional questions. Do you trust your neighbors? Do you feel your neighborhood is secure? Do you believe your neighbors are looking out for you? Feeling safe at home has to be founded on these issues, not the ability to keep the burglar out of your home.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford

Hi,

It’s a simple message, but one that is too often ignored. Our society focuses a lot of attention on educating young people on the importance of not drinking and driving, but drivers of all ages are susceptible to doing it. Regardless of who you are; if you drink and drive you risk arrest, personal injury or even death, to yourself and others on the roadway.

There’s a compelling story behind every DUI/DWI-related casualty. Tasha Elliott was the principal of an elementary school. She and her husband loaded their two children into their vehicle after having too much to drink and died when they left the roadway and submerged in a pond.

As was mentioned in a previous blog post and follow-up comments by Kenneth Speegle, the Elliott crash killed a family of four. The possibility of dying probably never entered their minds that evening. As parents they wouldn’t intentionally harm their children. Yet, they’re statistics because they chose to drive after drinking.

As an educator with a life-long commitment to children Mrs. Elliott knew better than to drink and drive or to ride with an impaired driver. Nobody knows who was driving the family car, but both of the Elliott’s were exceeding the legal intoxication threshold. It proves the point that alcohol impairs judgment.

This is a teaching moment for all of us. This couple had a lapse in judgment that had horrifying consequences. It doesn’t mean they were evil people. But it drives home the importance of adhering to the wisdom of thinking ahead. The best time to decide not to drink and drive is before taking that first sip. If you haven’t worked out the details on how you’re going to get home, don’t drink at all.

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has an alcohol awareness safety campaign. It’s message, “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving”, is accurate, compelling and all too real. There is a fine line between slightly impaired and too impaired to drive. As mere mortals we lack the judgment to know the difference.

Instead of taking chances, take a stand. “Use your head” and “Plan ahead” are more than phrases. They’re common-sense statements we should all adhere to before we put ourselves into the position of having to make this sort of life and death decision. The time to decide whether or not to drink and drive isn’t when it’s time to go home.

Every decision has consequences. Don’t let a single decision or lapse in judgment forever define who you are. Don’t climb behind the wheel after drinking. Don’t let anyone else drive after drinking. Don’t ride with someone who has been drinking. If you’re hosting a party or get-together, either confiscate the keys of your guests before they drink – and have designated drivers available – or don’t serve alcohol at all.

It’s not worth the risk. The price is simply too high.

Safe living,
Yovette Mumford