Boost Your Health With a Dose of Gratitude
By Elizabeth Heubeck, www.webmd.com  10/26/10

What would happen if we extended the tradition of giving thanks, typically celebrated just once a year during the holiday season, throughout the entire year? Such gratitude would be rewarded with better health, say researchers….
the connection between gratitude and health actually goes back a long way.  Start today – here’s how:

• Maintain a gratitude journal.
• Create a list of benefits in your life and ask yourself, “To what extent do I take these for granted?”
• Talk to yourself in a creative, optimistic, and appreciate manner
• Re-frame a situation by looking at it with a different, more positive attitude

Ignorance is generally curable. We all started out pretty ignorant of what we now take for granted. That’s mostly the result of education, training and good old experience. Those of us fortunate enough to survive occasionally scary events are now known as “Experienced Workers.” But stupidity is usually incurable and often fatal. People incapable of learning life’s lessons need to be placed in positions where they are less likely to hurt themselves, or others. Removing recognized high-risk employees from jobs may not be easy but it does a favor for them and everyone who has to work with them. You don’t ever want to have to say “That was a stupid accident.” or “Why didn’t I get trained when I thought of it?”

Minnesotacprtraining.com wants to share with our readers some vital safety information that most might already know, but need to be reminded of and need to share!

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motor vehicle fatalities have gone down in recent years because newer cars have better safety features and more drivers and passengers are using seat belts—HOWEVER……. 

the number of traffic deaths caused by distracted driving from the increased use of electronic gadgets has gone up!

What is distracted driving? It is any nondriving activity that takes the driver’s attention from the primary task of operating the vehicle and thus increases the risk of crashing. There are three main types of distraction:

1. Visual—taking your eyes off the road
2. Manual—taking your hands off the wheel
3. Cognitive—taking your mind off your driving

Remind your freinds of these common activities that can distract a driver:

• Using a cell phone
• Eating, drinking, or grooming
• Talking to passengers
• Reading, including map reading
• Using a PDA or GPS
• Watching a DVD
• Changing the radio station, CD, or MP3 player
• Texting

Note: Using a cell phone while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. And talking with another passenger can also be distracting, however a passenger may warn the driver if there is suddenly a dangerous situation on the road.

Share these practical tips on how to focus on their driving. Advise them to avoid distracted driving by following these safety practices:

• Make only emergency cell phone calls while actually driving.
• Have a hands-free phone and speed dialing when you have to make an emergency call while on the road.
• For texting or a routine cell phone call, pull over to the shoulder.

Visit the NETS website at http://trafficsafety.org/drivesafelyworkweek for daily campaign activities and other information on Drive Safely Work Week.

Why It Matters. 

• The NHTSA estimates that more than half a million people are injured, and nearly 6,000 die annually in crashes involving a distracted driver. Most dangerous of all is texting because it involves all three types of distraction—visual, manual, and cognitive.
• Drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting.
• At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road.
• Drivers who text are more than 20 times more likely to get into an accident than nondistracted drivers.

Until next time, stay safe and happy and enjoy our Autumn colors!

Shannon

Breaking news from ECSI.  

YOUTH SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSIONS ON THE RISE

According to a new American Academy of Pediatrics study published in their Pediatrics  journal, the rate of sports-related concussions in young children and high school-age athletes is on the rise. From 1997 to 2007, emergency department visits for concussion in kids aged 8 to 13 playing organized sports doubled while the number of visits by older teens also increased by more than 200 percent.  The study listed football, basketball, soccer, and ice hockey as the organized sports in which concussions were most likely to occur; bicycling and snow sports presented the greatest risk for individual sports.

For information on how to rescue someone with a concussion or other sports-related injury, take a life safety class through our company and become prepared!

Until next time, stay safe and happy!

Shannon Madden

Education Coordinator

Well, there went summer…..hopefully you are all well and safe? CPR/First Aid classes are hot!  Some of September’s classes are off the calendar already!  This is good for business (thanks to all of you!) and it’s good for our student count.  It’s rising and we are getting a great following.  I’m hopeful that you folks will start sharing some of your events!  You are more than welcome to send feedback of class and of our posts. 

October First Responder class is open and we’d like to see students take advantage of the cost for this class.  It’s much lower than others and this makes our students happy.

Safety training for industry is needed as always.  Most businesses start their training in the fall so we’ll be very busy.  OSHA takes time and money, we’ll help by keeping our costs to the community as low as possible.

This is just a small amount of the information included in our training!

Do you think sudden chest pain is a symptom of a stroke? If you answered yes, you’re not only wrong, you’re not alone.

A telephone survey of more than 71,000 adults in 13 states and Washington, D.C., has revealed that shockingly few people know the warning signs of a stroke. The CDC analyzed data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey and found that only 16.4% of persons surveyed correctly recognized all five stroke warning symptoms, knew to call 911, and could identify an incorrect symptom of stroke.

According to the CDC, the five warning symptoms of a stroke are:

• Sudden weakness or numbness of the arms, legs, or face, especially on one side.
• Sudden vision problem in one or both eyes.
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking.
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Would you like to know more?  Take our life safety class and educate yourself so you too can become a part of the growing population that knows how to do CPR and a Defibrillator too!!

Until next time,

Stay safe and happy,

Shannon Madden

Education Coordinator