Radon and the Dangers

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.

You can't see radon. And you can't smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home.

Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Radon can be found all over the U.S.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building — homes, offices, and schools —and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

You should test for radon.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. EPA also recommends testing in schools.

Testing is inexpensive and easy — it should only take a few minutes of your time. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon (see How to Test Your Home).

You can fix a radon problem.

Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

New homes can be built with radon-resistant features.

Radon-resistant construction techniques can be effective in preventing radon entry. When installed properly and completely, these simple and inexpensive techniques can help reduce indoor radon levels in homes. In addition, installing them at the time of construction makes it easier and less expensive to reduce radon levels further if these passive techniques don't reduce radon levels to below 4 pCi/L. Every new home should be tested after occupancy, even if it was built radon-resistant. If radon levels are still in excess of 4 pCi/L, the passive system should be activated by having a qualified mitigator install a vent fan. For more explanation of radon resistant construction techniques, refer to EPA publication, Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes (see www.epa.gov/radon/rrnc).

Being Safe at School

School is hard enough without having to worry if you will be safe on your way or while you're there. But McGruff can help. Read his advice on how to start the school year safely.

Getting to school and back home again 

• Find an easy way to walk to school or the bus stop. Ask your parents if there is anything you should watch out for along way. Always walk with a brother, sister, neighbor, or friend.
• Don't talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or take anything from them.
• Know your phone number and address, even your area code and zip code. If you have trouble remembering them, write them down and keep them in a safe place.

After School 

• If you stay home alone for a few hours after school while your parents are at work, call and check in with them as soon as you get home. And remember McGruff's home alone rules.
• Ask your parents what the rules are. Are you allowed to watch TV before you finish your homework? Or have ice cream as a snack?

In the classroom 
Most teachers have their own rules for what goes on in their classroom but there are a few other things you should remember when you're in class.

• If another kid, even a friend, asks you to do something you don't want to, don't do it.
• If you get into an argument, talk it out. Fighting will hurt you and will probably get you in trouble. It may even give you a reputation as a bully.
• Know that tattling is VERY different from telling. Tattling gets someone into trouble, and telling gets someone out of trouble. It's always okay to tell.
• If anything bothers you or makes you feel weird, like a fight with a friend, a run-in with a bully, or ANYTHING, talk to an adult you trust.
• Study hard. You can be anything you want to be if you work hard and don't give up.

Dangers of nightshift work

If you work during the night, or in the graveyard shift, as it is commonly known, there are certain health effects that you might have to deal with. Working in shifts can jeopardize your body and brain, both. Read on to find out the night shift health effects.

Night Shift Health Effects 

• It becomes quite impossible to have a sound sleep during the daytime. Not only because a human brain is programmed to rest and sleep during the night, but also because of the noise, which is perhaps the biggest  disturbing factor. People who sleep during the day have to deal with noisy neighbors, children, traffic, etc.
• The brain generally requires atleast 8 hours of sleep to feel nourished and rested. But because of the busy environment during the daytime, it is not always possible to sleep 8 hours everyday. As a result, your body will be tired and you will feel fatigued the whole time.
• The sleep/wake cycle of the body is disturbed because of working in shifts. When you are awake during the night and asleep during the day, your body does not receive the proper, positive biological cues because of the amount of light that is present in the environment during the daytime. These signs are very important to regulate the circadian rhythms that control the sleep/wake cycle of the body and brain. Inturn, this will pose difficulty in sleeping.
• Working in shifts can have an effect similar to jet lag. The body, on an average, needs one hour per day to adjust to the changes in the sleeping habit but working in shifts disrupts this. Hence the person who works in night shifts finds it quite impossible to sleep properly.
• Working the whole night can also cause heart attacks. People who work during the night and sleep during the day are more susceptible to heart diseases and even heart attacks, mainly, because of their work pattern. This is because of lack of proper sleep, stressing your body during the night, chronic stress, etc.
• Not only heart attack, an irregular heart beat is a good indicator of the condition of your heart and your body as well. Irregular heart beat can occur when you work during the night and try and sleep during the day. It is also a good indicator of how your body is taking this whole change in the sleep cycle. An irregular heart beat can cause several other diseases in the body as well.
• Another very important problem that night shift workers face is they are not able to relax from the work environment, after their shift is over. This might not seem to be an important thing, but it sure is. People who work during the day time mostly have 3-4 hours before they go to bed. But night shift workers generally come home and get right into the bed with all the stress and tension of work with them. It is very important to relax and distance yourself from the stress of the work before you go to bed. One can listen to music, eat something healthy or watch some kind of TV show to relax.

Whats Yours is Mine?

State mine safety workers are meeting face-to-face with coal miners at the job site to urge them to be vigilant about potential underground collapses, which have killed four miners in Kentucky this year.

Mine Safety and Licensing Director Johnny Greene said he has pulled two-dozen mine safety analysts off their regular duties to meet with groups of workers going into or coming out of the mines.

"I have searched and thought about how we can stop this,'' Greene said in a phone interview. "It's alarming and I'm trying to figure out how to make it better.''

Greene said the goal is to meet with every underground miner in Kentucky. He said they will be told about the deadly collapses that have happened this year and to watch for potentially hazardous underground conditions.

Safety analysts began the meetings about two weeks ago, and should be finished making the rounds by the end of the week, Greene said.

Franklin Reed, Greene's director of safety analysis said miners are being urged to "pay close attention to the roof conditions in their immediate work area at all times.''

Greene said the state's safety analysts typically go into mines and observe workers on the job, advising them on good safety habits.

Greene said he wants no more mining deaths in 2010.

Underground collapses have killed four miners in Kentucky this year.

A collapse at the Abner Branch mine in Leslie County killed 29-year-old Travis Brock in January. Two miners, 27-year-old Justin Travis and 28-year-old Michael Carter, were killed in a rock fall inside the Dotiki mine in Hopkins County in late April.

The latest underground collapse death occurred last month, when 42-year-old Jim Carmack was hit by a falling steel beam at the Clover Fork Mine No. 1 in Harlan County.