Safety
Uttarakhand flash floods: fear of epidemic emerges as rescue operations continue
After the massive devastation caused by flash floods in Uttarakhand, India on June 15, it might take years before life crawls back to normalcy. As clean-up procedures start, the fear of an epidemic looms large. However, experts are working to dispel fears, and stress that rescue and rehabilitation should be the first priority. Dubbed the […]
Smoking at work: how much does it cost employers?
There is no doubt whatsoever that smoking is bad for your personal health and those around you. And at work, everyone has long assumed that cigarette smoking “miscreants” are costing the company money. A recent study published in the journal Tobacco Control has put a number to the perception. As it turns out, a smoker can cost an […]
Parking lot in school playground kills activity space for children in Newark
Besides providing a quality education, good schools are defined by good play spaces for their students. Parents, teachers, and community members of Newark, New Jersey, are up in arms about the Lafayette Street School’s take on a playground: a repurposed parking lot. The Ironbound grammar school adheres to a long-standing practice of children sharing their […]
Georgia makes pet evacuation SAFE
As hurricane season approaches, pet owners will have to make some tough decisions. Evacuating with pets during an emergency is often not an option, since most shelters do not take pets in. For Georgia residents, however, there is some respite. Georgia’s new pet evacuation center The SAFE center is the brainchild of George McCommon, currently its […]
Deadly Oklahoma tornado highlights need for safe rooms
The two-mile wide tornado that formed over Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20, 2013 registered at the top of the scale at EF-5. In an EF-5 tornado, cars will be flung into the air, strong houses leveled to their foundation, the structure of high rises deformed and, according to one definition “incredible phenomena will occur.” The […]
Child pedestrian tragedies are close to home
Home should be where kids are the safest, not the most susceptible to danger. When 70% of children hurt or killed by cars are hit several blocks from their own homes, it’s time to elevate safety efforts in neighborhood and residential areas. Some safety messages can blend ineffectually into the background, but it’s been proven that […]
Ethnic distrust complicates the massive cyclone evacuation in Myanmar
After causing widespread panic, Cyclone Mahasen weakened considerably as it reached the Bangladesh coast. Fearing severe devastation, more than 800,000 people had already been evacuated in Bangladesh. Evacuees took refuge in 2000 cyclone shelters, schools, and colleges along the country’s long coastline. A beefed-up emergency preparedness plan was put in place to help the country […]