Cool Science & Engineering - Derby the dog with 3D printed prosthetics

I came across this video yesterday and, like most people, thought, "Oh, no way!" This is a spiffy example of science and engineering. So I had to cross-post it. 



I was also amazed at how much Derby looks like my dog, Shadow. 

This is Derby (image courtesy of 3dprint.com):

Derby without his prostheses - Image from 3dprint.com 

This is Shadow the Arizona-Alaskan Malamute, image courtesy of the bajillions of pictures I take of him:

Shadow in Prescott with his toys.

The resemblance is uncanny. #malamutes

Electronics Recycling for the Conscientious Consumer

So, Christmas is over. You can all breathe a sigh of relief (until you receive your credit card bill, that is). Maybe you received all the presents you schemed for, and hopefully you gave more than you received. Chances are that you received some shiny new electronics � a new cell phone, a new TV, the latest tablet computer. The question is: What do you do with the old electronics?

There are many options for you to choose from:

• If the electronic equipment is still fairly new and functional, the manufacturer might buy it back, refurbish it, and re-sell it at a reduced price. 
• If the electronic equipment is still fairly new and functional, you can always factory reset it and sell it yourself on an online platform (think eBay or something similar).
• If the electronic equipment is still functional, ask around in your social network to see if anyone has use for it � just because you�re done with it doesn�t mean someone else won�t find it useful. 
• If the electronic equipment is still functional, consider placing it back to factory reset and donating it to charities such as Goodwill or Deseret Industries. 
• If the electronic equipment is non-functional, PLEASE don�t just throw it in the trash.

Let�s talk about electronics recycling. The options below are for Arizona residents.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) � There is an �Electronics Donation and Recycling� page that you can visit to learn the benefits and importance of electronics recycling, and see which companies will accept electronics for recycling on a national scale (i.e., Best Buy, Dell, Staples, LG, and others). 
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Recycling Program � This is a useful site where you can just plug in your zip code and select the item(s) you want to recycle. The site will tell you the closest location that will accept the kind of waste you are hoping to recycle. 
• City of Phoenix � No, you can�t recycle your TV or cell phone in your normal recycling container. City of Phoenix recommends contacting Westech Recyclers for electronics recycling. There are community recycling collection events scheduled throughout the year.
• City of Mesa � According to the City of Mesa�s website, �Residents can recycle their old electronic equipment, such as computers, televisions, stereo equipment, etc., through the Salt River Landfill Electronics Recycling Program. In addition, retailers such as Best Buy also offer an electronics recycling program. Computers in working condition and other select electronics may also be donated to AzSTRUT.�
• City of Flagstaff � Flagstaff has a �Accepted Waste Chart� that explains where each type of waste to be disposed or recycled should be taken by homeowners.
• City of Tucson � The City�s �Keep Tucson Clean and Beautiful� website showcases the recycling vendors for various types of materials. 

A simple Internet search will tell you the available options for electronics recycling in your area. The obvious benefits of recycling your electronics are that they won�t end up in the landfill (possibly leaching metals and hazardous chemicals into soils and groundwater) and many of the components can be re-used to make new electronics (reducing the need for more raw resources). Be a good steward of the environment and recycle or donate your old electronics.

Code Pink Hijinks

Healthcare institutions throughout the United States use a standardized color code system to communicate emergencies within the organization. Here are some examples of the color code system, which can differ from hospital to hospital depending on what state you are in.

Code Blue � medical emergency

Code Red � fire

Code Orange � hazardous material spill or incident

Code Pink � infant or child abduction

Code Yellow � bomb threat

Code Gray � combative person

Code Triage � internal or external disaster

There was a Code Pink incident this January in Arizona where a new father smuggled his baby out of the hospital by placing the baby in a shopping bag and wrapping the baby in blankets. He first tried to exit through a locked fire door, and then walked out of the main entrance of the hospital, making it back to his home with the baby. The baby was retrieved by the police and placed under protective custody in the department of child safety. Interestingly, some of the most thorough news coverage was from DailyMail UK.

Based on this incident, many hospitals in the Phoenix metro area staged their annual Code Pink drill this year with the scenario of a family member trying to remove a baby from the hospital using a shopping or tote bag, to test their staff response in the women�s and children�s units, as well as security response.

Hospitals frequently use infant abduction protection systems like Hugs� or Cuddlesor MyChild�. These infant tag systems are designed to integrate with a hospital�s existing security technology and raise an alarm if the tag is altered or if the infant moves outside of the approved pre-set perimeter.

HICSCenter.orghas developed an infant/child abduction scenario, including a planning guide, response guide, and incident command chart. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) differs slightly from �normal� ICS in that it is written for hospitals and includes components of continuing medical care in an emergency situation.

Some of my favorite movies and TV shows have had baby stealing as a component of the story: Willow (1988), Labyrinth (1986), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer � Season 3, Episode 6: Band Candy (1998). Not sure what that says about my movie tastes. 

In Season 3, Episode 6 (Band Candy) of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1998), the adults of Sunnydale start behaving like teenagers after ingesting magically modified chocolate candy bars sold by the students to raise money for the marching band to get new uniforms. Yes, I was in marching band. I played the clarinet. Yes, I also sold candy and wrapping paper and a host of other things to support the band. The adults have been more or less incapacitated by demons and vampires so that the leading baddie (the Mayor of Sunnydale) can complete a tribute to a local demon named Laconis. Laconis lives in the sewers and eats babies. Buffy and her team go to the hospital to see if any babies are missing, and the staff and parents are acting like unconcerned, self-absorbed teenagers, so much so that they didn�t notice four babies being taken. The babies are rescued by Buffy after the demon is defeated and returned to the hospital.

The tribute of babies for the demon Laconis in "Band Candy" from Buffy S3 E6.

Lesson learned? Chocolate can be used for evil.

Labyrinth(1986) involves the Goblin King, Jareth, stealing the little brother of the main character, Sarah. Sarah is irritated that she�s been left home to babysit and that her little brother won�t stop crying. She wishes him away to a fantasy world ruled by Jareth and a cadre of muppet characters.  Jareth sings a song about it that�s pretty awesome. Sarah has 13 hours to solve the labyrinth before Jareth turns her brother into a goblin. Sarah ends up saving her brother at the last minute and returns to the real world.

The goblins from Labyrinth - image courtesy of muppet.wikia.com.

Lesson learned? Puppets are awesome. 

In Willow (1988), the main character Willow has become responsible for a Daikini baby found by his children by the riverside. A member of the diminutive Nelwyn people, Willow gives the baby to a disgraced Daikini warrior, Madmartigan, after Madmartigan convinces Willow that taking care of the baby would give him a reason to live and turn his life around. Not long after they part ways, Willow is dismayed to discover that Madmartigan�s child care skills were, in a word, awful. The baby, named Elora Danan, is whisked away from Madmartigan by a couple of brownies named Rool and Franjean. The brownies are working to save Elora Danan from being captured by an evil queen who wants to kill Elora to attain unmeasurable power. Willow and Madmartigan eventually team up with the brownies and lose/regain Elora Danan several times during the movie.

Lesson learned? Don�t leave an infant with unqualified caregivers. And Madmartigan is the greatest swordsman that ever lived.

To commemorate our Code Pink drill this year, I drew the following cartoon/manga of a possible Code Pink incident based on the events of Willow. 

Code Pink planning with Willow, Madmartigan, Rool, and Franjean. 

We're hard at work on our new Sock Puppet Safety videos and will share when they are completed. Thanks for your continued reading!

A close-up of the "We stole the baby!" moment since it is my favorite part of the manga:

Rool and Franjean steal Elora Danan from Madmartigan. 

Activating the Easter Incident Command System

The Industrious Hygienist has been ridiculously busy over the last few weeks making new puppets and manga (and still working three jobs). To help tide you over until the more educational and interesting posts, here's a 2015 holiday greeting for Easter - or the spring/fertility festival of your choice.

Attempting to make Easter enjoyable as an adult - brought to you by Sock Puppet Safety.

Upcoming blog posts include: writing a tabletop disaster drill scenario with Master Scenario Events List (MSEL), Code Pink shenanigans, why every manager should be trained in incident command, and completing an After Action Report (AAR).

Upcoming Posts + Making ART Using Makeup!

I'm blessed to have been insanely busy over the last few months - many interesting projects have been completed or are underway.

There are several safety- and industrial hygiene-related posts I am finishing up, look for them soon. I'm working on posts about eyewash and safety shower best practices, hazardous waste management, and hospital safety and health management.

I tried an experiment to make art using only a No. 2 pencil and makeup (liquid foundation, powder, eyeliner, lip liner, and eye shadow). I wanted to see if the image would turn out looking like a painting or not. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Here's what it ended up as:

Portrait using only a No. 2 pencil and commercially available makeup.

Most of my art is usually black and white portraits with graphite pencils or manga-style cartoons with markers and colored pencils. I don't usually paint. Art is part of my personal employee wellness program.

Spoggles Redux

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?

A friend of mine recently noted that if you search for "spoggles" on Google, my blog post from April 23, 2013 was one of the first things to pop up. This was a very exciting thing - I thought I would test it out today.

Imagine my surprise when a FlexiCrew blog post from August 27, 2013 popped up as the first item on Google. 

Me: "Dang, I'm not the first one anymore! Let's see what they have to say. I'll bet mine is better! Mine has cartoons!"

I clicked on their post and immediately realized most of the post was very familiar, because I wrote it last year. I almost always cite my sources or link to original works when "borrowing" material from other blogs or websites. I guess it's silly of me to expect the same effort from other bloggers.

See below for the most obvious examples.

Theirs: So, for those of you not in the environmental health and safety field, Spoggles is an industry term for safety eyewear designed to prevent airborne dust and debris from getting in our eyeballs. Airborne dust and debris is a leading cause of eye injuries in today�s workplaces. Spoggles = Safety + Goggles, with a random �p� thrown in there since �sgoggles� or �sagoggles� or �safoggles� sound even weirder."

Mine: So, for those of you not in the environmental health and safety field [...] Spoggles is an industry term for safety eyewear designed to prevent airborne dust and debris from getting in our eyeballs. Airborne dust and debris is a leading cause of eye injuries in today's workplaces. Spoggles = Safety + Goggles, with a random "p" thrown in there since "sgoggles" or "sagoggles" or "safoggles" sound even weirder.

And it continues...

Theirs: The glasses/goggles are supposed to seal up against your face (via the foam inserts at the interior edges of the lenses), and keep dust out of your eyes. There are potential issues with spoggles, and reasons why people sometimes choose not to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing work in a dusty environment:

• the glasses fog up 
• the glasses can get scratched so it is hard to see 
• the foam can get �smushed� (technical term) and be less effective 
• when you take off your glasses, the dust that was at the top and sides/edges of the glasses (and in your eyebrows) can fall right into your eye anyway 
• some people think they look nerdy (also a technical term) 
• the earpieces can irritate the heck out of the back of your ears 

Mine: The glasses/goggles are supposed to seal up against your face (via the foam inserts at the interior edges of the lenses), and keep dust out of your eyes. There are potential issues with spoggles, and reasons why people sometimes choose not to wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing work in a dusty environment:

• the glasses fog up 
• the glasses can get scratched so it is hard to see 
• the foam can get �smushed� (technical term) and be less effective 
• when you take off your glasses, the dust that was at the top and sides/edges of the glasses (and in your eyebrows) can fall right into your eye anyway 
• some people think they look nerdy (also a technical term) 
• the earpieces can irritate the heck out of the back of your ears 

And then both blog posts end almost the same way.

Theirs: But looking nerdy and having to take care of your PPE and using good personal hygiene while at work are a small price to pay compared to losing your eyesight or getting a nasty infection in your eye from contaminated dust. So our Flexpert�s advice � Keep a supply of spoggles on hand. With some lanyards. And some no-fog. And to sum up: spoggles are real. Spoggles are good. Spoggles may save your eyesight. Wear them if you have them.

Mine: But looking nerdy and having to take care of your PPE and using good personal hygiene while at work are a small price to pay compared to losing your eyesight or getting a nasty infection in your eye from contaminated dust. [...] Keep a supply of spoggles on hand. With some lanyards. And some no-fog. [...] So, to sum up: spoggles are real. Spoggles are good. Spoggles may save your eyesight. Wear them if you have them.


I'm choosing to not be irritated (although, really, how hard would it have been to say something like, "Thanks, Industrious Hygienist in Arizona, for the original content!" with a link to my blog?). I'm choosing to remember that it doesn't matter how the information gets out to workers, as long as it is effective in helping them realize that PPE is important but has limitations.

And I'm choosing to be flattered. But I may continue to post about spoggles and throw the keyword into a bunch of my new posts just to keep the excitement alive. There will also be a new cartoon about spoggles coming up soon.

Happy Father's Day! And a new manga.

In honor of Father's Day, I drew this for my father. He's the guy everyone calls when they have a question about computers, or cars, or electrical issues, or pretty much anything...it makes my mother crazy sometimes, but she appreciates his efforts to serve others.

My freshman year in college, I was in multiple car accidents, all minor, one partially my fault. He kept my 1990 Honda Civic (affectionately named Sterling) running from my senior year of high school until I was able to sell it and buy my first new-ish car after I got my first real job out of college.

I learned most of my computer troubleshooting skills from him as well. 

A few years ago, he had a scary encounter with off-the-job chemical exposure that I have memorialized here. 

Thanks for everything you do for me, Dad!

Happy Father's Day from the Industrious Hygienist!

Celebrate NAOSH Week!

I'm so excited I found a few minutes to post about the 12th Annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. Tomorrow (May 7) I'm celebrating Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day with one of my safety and professional mentors. Courtesy of an awesome new contract, I've been busy as ever and loving every minute of it. 

Per AIHA's website, this year's theme is "Workplace Safety Works for Everyone." I couldn't agree more. My family and friends likely get annoyed when I bring up safety hazards in the work they are doing.

NAOSH Logo

Per ASSE's website, NAOSH week is an opportunity to share your knowledge about the positive benefits a safe workplace provides - for workers, their families, friends, and community. It's a way for us to let people know that they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and that the skills they learn about safety at work are directly transferable to their home life.

More information about Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day here. 

If you like, you can "Salute Your Safety Pro" and recognize them on ASSE's website here. 

A neat aspect of NAOSH week is the two listed sponsors: Disney and URS. Kudos for Disney's commitment to health and safety!

Banner for NAOSH Week! Live it and love it!

So take a minute tomorrow, or this week, or as soon as you can, and please let your safety professional know that you appreciate their efforts. I'll be sending an email to my mentors and colleagues and hope you'll do the same. 

Also, since I'm an artist, I felt these ASSE 2014 "Safety on the Job" posters deserved some additional attention.

My favorite:

Geek Chic - Lab Safety is Always in Style (Abbigael H, Age 8, Massachusetts)

My runner-up (creepy and surprisingly effective):

Gamble with Safety? Risk Your Life! (Riley J, Age 10, Texas)

Say thanks to your safety professional and look for new and intriguing posts soon!

Useful (and free!) training from FEMA for Industrial Hygienists and Occupational Safety Professionals

While preparing the syllabus and course content for my Spring 2014 course in "Emergency Preparedness and Pre-Planning" at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ, I developed a list of free training sources available on the Internet for my graduate students to use. 

Sometimes if I'm in need of a quick refresher, I turn to these sources for additional guidance. 

Today's list of courses is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Their Independent Study Program will give you certificates of completion and even college credit if you need (and pay for) it. The courses are not just about emergency management and preparedness - they cover a range of topics, as you can see below.

Courses that an Industrial Hygienist or Occupational Safety and Health Professional may find useful:

IS-5.a: An Introduction to Hazardous Materials 

IS-37: Managerial Safety and Health

IS-240.a: Leadership & Influence

IS-241.a: Decision Making and Problem Solving

IS-242.a: Effective Communication

IS-340: Hazardous Materials Prevention

IS-454: Fundamentals of Risk Management

IS-613: Technical Writing 

Many of these are on my "to do" list (once I have a little free time). According to FEMA's website, the listed courses will take anywhere from 1.5 to 10 hours to complete.

The next few posts will be on free training in mold, asbestos, lead, safety and health management, and other topics of interest to industrial hygiene and safety professionals. These free training courses won't "certify" you to do the work, just raise your awareness and understanding.

New Equipment for the New Year! Featuring Extech.

So, no surprise, starting and operating a business is a tad expensive. But Spore Consulting needs to have equipment in order to actually do work and provide services. Go figure.

I really wanted to purchase fancy equipment, but I also wanted to be able to eat and pay my bills. The whole idea of depreciation on equipment is cool for tax purposes, but less cool when you remember that you still have to pay for it up front (usually).

So I went shopping on Amazon. Spouse and I buy pretty much everything but food on Amazon, thanks to living in a rural-ish area. FYI, no promotional consideration from Extech or Amazon was received for these reviews - I just wanted to let the industry know that there are lower-cost alternatives available for new consultants starting out in indoor air quality and industrial hygiene. 

What I've purchased so far:

• Extech MO260 Combination Pin/Pinless Moisture Meter
• Extech EA80 EasyView Indoor Air Quality Meter/Datalogger
• Extech 44550 Pocket Humidity/Temperature Pen
  
  

Thoughts on the Extech MO260 Moisture Meter

This is modified from my Amazon review. The pin and pinless availability is nice - I don't always like to poke holes in walls and other water-damaged materials to evaluate the moisture content. Property owners tend to get flinchy if I put holes in their walls. Bonus: the meter comes with extra pins (look in the battery area). 

The meter's indicator sound for the yellow and red ranges is somewhat annoying - I'll eventually read the manual to figure out if this sound can be turned down or off. Last time I used this, the tenant representatives were freaking out every time it made a sound, asking, "Is is bad? Should we be worried?" Gaah. I'd like it to be quieter so I can attempt to be discreet. More on that later.

This meter is larger than the other moisture meters I have used (i.e. Protimeter Surveymaster). It is handheld-ish but doesn't fit great in my back pocket. Remember that this meter requires "D" batteries, so keep extras on hand. The black fabric case is decent quality and roomy, so you can fit a pen-size temperature and humidity meter in the case as well. 

Thoughts on the Extech EA80 IAQ Meter

This is also modified from my Amazon review. I imagined this would be a similar size to the TSI IAQ meters and Graywolf sensing meters that I used to rent for IAQ surveys, but it is not. It's smaller (think hand-held) and the wand is also tiny (a little bit bigger than a standard highlighter). It has a built-in stand so that you can lean it on a surface while collecting measurements. All in all, I am pleasantly surprised.

The meter itself is green but has a bright orange form-fitted case for if you accidentally drop it (not that I ever would!). The meter requires 6 AAA batteries (comes with 6) and software for graphing data points for use in reports. This comes in a fairly large black plastic case - I use it to hold the IAQ meter and a moisture meter. I haven't used it in the field yet, but have used it in my house and outside. It looks like it will fit my needs for limited IAQ surveys.

Calibration appears to be simple.

Thoughts on the Extech Temperature and Humidity Pen

Ditto on the Amazon review. I needed a temperature/humidity meter that I could use with my moisture meter for initial site assessments after water damage - at the time, I had super-limited flexible income and couldn't afford the EA80 IAQ Meter. I bought this one because it was cheap and readily available. 

My two issues with it: 

1. It turns on (and stays on) while in the case because the buttons are really sensitive, so sometimes it is out of batteries when I have hardly used it.
2. The clip in the back snaps off pretty much the first time you try and clip it to anything (fail).
   

It does what it needs to and works as anticipated. I just have to keep extra batteries in the case.

View of my lovely new equipment:

The Industrious Hygienist's starter IAQ arsenal. Highlighter to show the relative size.

What I plan to purchase in the future:

• Extech 407730 40-to-130-Decibel Digital Sound Level Meter
• FLIR E5 Thermal Imager with MSX Technology 120 X 90 Resolution, 10,800 Pixel
• Extech 480836 3.5GHz RF EMF Strength Meter

Other equipment on my wish list:

• Original Thomas MegaLite High Volume Pump
• TSI 4146 Primary Calibrator
• Pocket Hygro-Thermo-Anemometer with Light Meter
• Zefon Bio-Pump� Plus

I plan to post my *unbiased* reviews after I purchase the remaining equipment. 

This is my Accountability Dalek.

I'm doing this blog post as an extension of my review of this super-fun product on Amazon. 

I have this freaking adorable Dalek sitting on my computer desk, positioned so that I can see the Dalek's "head" over my laptop. 

My Accountability Dalek in action. Watching me work.

Every now and then, when I am bored (Gasp! Say it isn't true!) or needing to smile, I squish the Dalek to make it talk. The sticker on its midsection says "TRY ME!" On some stuffed animals, this is an invitation. With the Accountability Dalek, it's a direct challenge. 

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" I like to play that one when people are getting a little snippy on the phone. If you haven't watched Doctor Who, you're missing out. See a clip here. Summarizes the show quite nicely.

"You would make a good Dalek." I sometimes use that one when I am feeling particularly robot-like or like my hands are glued to my ergonomic keyboard. It reminds me to get up, move around, look around, and experience the world in person, not just through Google.

"You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!" I like to play that one when I break free of my computer and go do something that involves my brain and my body. Or when I am working on something creative.

Mostly, though, the Dalek watches over me and I can feel it silently judging me if I goof around on the Internet too much or get distracted from my report writing and data analysis. 

Everyone should have an Accountability Dalek. 

Lots of BLUE for the Accountability Dalek.

Plus, the Dalek is blue, which is apparently the color of honesty, trust, and dependability in business psychology. It makes you remember what business should be about and what kind of person you want to be. All this in a goofy Doctor Who stuffed robot. We all have to find meaning somewhere, yeah?

Buy yourself one, if you dare. 

Thoughts on proper safety and etiquette for taking down holiday decorations

All of the industry authorities do a social media blitz before the holiday season to remind you to be safe while putting up the various holiday decorations. I haven't seen an article yet about safety concerns when taking down holiday decorations, so I thought I would do one.

Why take down holiday decorations?

1. Your home-owners association (HOA) will make you take them down.
2. Your electric bill. It's scary.
3. Your neighbors were just being nice - they really don't like your 10-foot Santa (including sleigh and reindeer) statues strung with lights and tinsel. They want everything back to normal. And they'll passively-aggressively punish you until you take them down.
4. The holidays are over, yo. Just let them go away until next year.

We didn't put up decorations this year (indoor or outdoor) since we spent the holidays traversing the state to get to various holiday functions. Yes, we're scrooges. On the plus side, the double-wide that we are renting has been ready for Christmas since we moved in (April) - holiday lights line all the fences, and some fake Christmas trees guard the front porch stairs. The lights are questionably deteriorated and the trees look sort of droopy. We haven't bothered to test the lights to see if they work. No need to set the house on fire.

No, I'm not posting a picture of the house...sad enough I have to see it when I drive up. :)

Safety tips for taking down holiday decorations:

• When cleaning up artificial snow, take a look at the container (if you still have it) and see what it is made of before you try vacuuming it up. 
• Please take your live tree down before it becomes even more of a fire hazard. Many cities have Christmas tree recycling programs you can take advantage of. City of Prescott picks them up the week of January 13. 
• Put ornaments and breakables away carefully so that you aren't surprised by broken glass next Christmas.
• Wash your hands after taking down Christmas trees and ornaments - there's a number or allergens/irritants and other less-than-safe compounds that could be present on the surface.
• Take lights down in an orderly fashion (not just toss them in a tangled mess into a box). Next year, you'll be happy you did. And use ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) next year on outdoor lights.
• Be careful taking down lights outdoors - be conscious of weather (wind, rain, etc.) that could affect visibility and safety during removal.
• Be sure to unplug the lights before trying to take them down.
• Next year, please don't use nails or staples to put up lights.
• No standing on counters, chairs, desks, or furniture to take decorations down. A ladder is much cheaper than a hospital stay.
• When using a step ladder near a doorway, find a way to lock or barricade the door and post signs so your family doesn't open it and knock you off the ladder
• When climbing the ladder, always face the ladder and grip the rungs to climb � not the side rails. Always keep three points of contact on the ladder whether two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.
• When on the ladder, keep your hips between the side rails and try not to lean too far or over-reach beyond the rails too far. Get down and re-position the ladder closer to your work area instead.

These tips were developed or modified from the National Safety Council "Holiday Safety Tips" and from past personal experience. Good luck for all you suckers who gave into the "holiday spirit" and decorated. Safe wishes for 2014.

My (Late) Grown-Up Christmas List

I've been planning this blog post for about a month now, but (of course) couldn't get to it until today. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Amy Grant's rendition of "My Grown-Up Christmas List." (Ignore the fire safety issues in the video if you watch it.) It seemed especially poignant this year, so I decided to make my own list of things I am hoping will occur in the future.

I re-wrote the song to fit my wishes. Yay for creative license! Sort of an open letter to the OSHA and NIOSH Santa or other wish-granting djinn. Since it's by the Industrious Hygienist, there's a slight element of sarcasm mixed with my true wish for all workers to come home safely to their families.

"Grown-Up Christmas List"

Do you remember me 
I worked for you, you see 
I wrote to you on disability


Well I'm all healed-up now 
But still need help somehow 
I'm unemployed
But still so full of dreams


So here's my working wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need


[Chorus:]
No more lives thrown away
That workers have a say
And speak up for their rights
Everyone would be well-trained
And want to do their best
And keep each other safe
This is my grown-up Christmas list


As children we believed
That parents would come home
To happy families
Without injury


Insurance surely sees
That claims and penalties
Can never heal a hurting human soul


[Chorus]


What are these concepts called
Prevention and respect
Maybe if we work together now
We�ll learn who we should protect

[Chorus]


So that's it...my wishes. Education, training, respect, and proactive approaches to health and safety for every worker. By the way, rhyming with safety terms is surprisingly difficult.

Look for the annual Industrious Hygienist end-of-year cartoon tomorrow!

The Industrious Hygienist's Favorite Holiday Safety Tips: FEMA and USFA

So far we've covered general holiday safety from CDC/NIOSH and holiday stress management from CDC and Mayo Clinic. Now let's get down to the exciting stuff - fire safety.

FEMA and the NFPA have partnered this year to create the following infographic for their "Put a Freeze on Winter Holiday Fires" campaign:

NFPA and FEMA infographic for the "Put a Freeze on Winter Holiday Fires" campaign.

The Industrious Hygienist would also like to share the following HolidayFire Safety video from FEMA (although I'm still learning how to embed videos, so click the hyperlink if you want to watch it). 

The Industrious Hygienist decided to take the NFPA "Put a Freeze on Winter Fires Quiz" and test her knowledge of winter fire safety.

Result?

Fail. Eeek!

So I feel I should defend myself on some of the wrongly answered questions. See below.

Lit candles should be extinguished when you leave the room.

The place where the Industrious Hygienist currently lives (we don't feel it is right to call it a house) has a "great room" that consists of the entry, family/living room, dining area, and kitchen all encompassed, with a hallway leading down to the bedroom. So if we light a candle, it is usually in the "great room" and therefore extinguished before we walk out the door and leave the home. Semantics. But probably useful information if you have a larger space to live in and lots of candles.

The leading cause of home fires is failure to clean heating equipment and chimneys before use.

I've lived in Phoenix, AZ or Orange County, CA for most of her life and only recently moved to Prescott in beautiful Northern Arizona. So my exposure to cold weather has been limited - I've never lived anywhere with a chimney and never used a space heater before. Now I know that if I happen to move somewhere with a chimney, I should have preventative maintenance done on it. We never used our heater in Phoenix. I did have the furnace checked here in Prescott before it was turned on. Yay for me!

Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every level of the home and outside each sleeping space.

Again, with the size of the place we live, we just have one CO monitor in a central location, equidistant from the gas-fired kitchen appliances, laundry room, and bedroom. This whole idea of a multi-level home is intriguing - I should try it sometime. :) Makes sense to have to CO monitor outside the bedrooms, since you'd want to know what the CO concentration is before it is in your sleeping space and you are susceptible to it. 

Just this week, a family in Breckenridge was exposed to high levels of CO and some of the family members were hospitalized. See news story here. 

Before placing a real cut tree ion the stand, cut 2" from the base of the trunk.

I've never had a real Christmas tree before, we always had an artificial one. Since we got our Alaskan Malamute (Shadow), we haven't bothered to put up a tree the last three years. He likes to try and eat the ornaments. So I'll keep this in mind if I decide to ever use a real cut tree (not likely) for the holidays.

Keep your eyes peeled (that's a weird/gross phrase I should never use again) for the Industrious Hygienist Holiday Card and end of year blog post!

The Industrious Hygienist's Favorite Holiday Safety Tips: Mayo Clinic and CDC

The Industrious Hygienist's post yesterday shared holiday safety tips from CDC/NIOSH.

Today, let's discuss stress. 

Taking part in last-minute holiday shopping blitzes is sort of par for the course for many Americans. The Industrious Hygienist and spouse will be braving a few key merchandisers today to wrap up the holiday shopping. Planning the gift-buying extravaganza can be very stressful. Traveling to and from various family engagements, work functions, and parties with friends can lead to even more heightened stress levels. Finding out how to manage your schedule, pets, family, and work commitments within a ridiculously short time frame is, well, bonkers.

Luckily, with the advent of Spore Consulting, the Industrious Hygienist is able to manage her own schedule and take time off as needed, but few people have that luxury. We gave ourselves memberships to Massage Envy and Lumosity for Christmas and our anniversary in June.

The CDC discussed managing stress in the "12 Ways to Health Holiday Song" and provided the following general recommendations for managing stress. 

• "Avoid drugs and alcohol. They may seem to be a temporary fix to feel better, but in the long run they can create more problems and add to your stress�instead of take it away.
• Find support. Seek help from a partner, family member, friend, counselor, doctor, or clergyperson. Having a sympathetic, listening ear and sharing about your problems and stress really can lighten the burden.
• Connect socially. After a stressful event, it is easy isolate yourself. Make sure that you are spending time with loved ones. Consider planning fun activities with your partner, children, or friends.
• Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, get plenty of sleep, give yourself a break, and maintain a normal routine.
• Stay active. You can take your mind off your problems by giving�helping a neighbor, volunteering in the community, even taking the dog on a long walk. These can be positive ways to channel your feelings."

Ways this goes horribly wrong in holiday events? See below.

• Avoid alcohol? Although many workplaces have "no alcohol" policies at holiday parties, there's plenty of ways to imbibe at after-parties, impromptu gatherings, industry events, etc. Things get said that shouldn't be discussed in polite company, behavior is sometimes less than professional, and you end up spending more money than you have on expensive drinks. Try to rein yourself in and remember that somebody always has a camera.
• Find support? Everyone's going through the same thing as you. If you reach out to someone, they're likely to talk your ear off about the problems they are having rather than listening. Sometimes this is helpful because you realize your problems are paltry compared to those around you. Be the listener, be the friend and support person. It will make you feel better than just venting to everyone around you.
• Connect socially? No, they're not talking about sharing your entire life on social media. They're talking about in-person socialization. Put down your phone, stop texting and tweeting, and really listen and connect with someone. Watch their face and learn their personality quirks. Try to remember all the conversations you've had with them. Spouse and I use the drive between family/social events to decompress and vent and listen to music (never Christmas music though).
• Take care of yourself? Ha. If your family is anything like mine, eating healthy during the holidays is super tricky. My father makes handmade chocolate truffles and fudge, and my grandma sends me a box full of handmade cookies and treats every year. There is no normal routine during the holidays.
• Stay active? Thanks to the Industrious Hygienist's parents, this is pretty easy. Rather than a gift, they want an act of service (photos and documentation required) for their Christmas gift. Could be a donation to a charity, could be a volunteer event, could be anything that requires us to go out and serve our fellow humans.

This year's act of service was with our local ASSE Arizona Chapter, preparing a community garden at a local elementary school through the USGBC Green Apple Day of Service.

Proof:

Spouse and the Industrious Hygienist weeding the playground with ASSE Arizona Chapter during the Green Apple Day of Service on 9-28-2013.

We even brought Shadow (nope, that's not our kid), who was tantalized by the little girl's water bottle and watched us work.

The Mayo Clinic also has holiday-specific tips for stress management. The Industrious Hygienist has a few favorites:

• "Be realistic. The holidays don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can't come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.
• Set aside differences. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.
• Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity. If it's not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time."

Wish us luck in our last-minute shopping. Gaah. I'll be singing Broadway musicals in my head to drown out the holiday music.