Good morning, and Happy New Year! We hope everyone – everywhere had happy holidays with family and friends. Now, we are ready to begin another year, which seems to slip by, faster and faster, as we get older. (I was always told that, and now, I understand what they meant!) Today, I scanned the internet to see what good news we can look forward to this year. Each article would begin with things that sounded good, until a twist, such as “gasoline prices are not expected to fall anytime soon.”
We all understand that because things in the world are not always fine, it’s up to us to make the best of what we have, and create our own “good days.” Look around, and if you have family and friends that are healthy, and you are healthy, what could be better? Every day that we wake up is a gift, given to us to unwrap and choose wisely how we are going to use it.
It is our goal to help you stay safe at home, work, and/or play. According to the National Safety Council, the only safety observance for the month of January is National Radon Action Month, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. You may remember that we did an article on Radon not too long ago, but we’ll add this information:
Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water, and gets into the air you breathe, or sometimes the water you drink. It is located all over the United States, and can be found in homes, offices, and schools. The home is the most likely place to furnish the most exposure, because you are there most of the time. Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. It can enter the home through well water, but mostly it enters the home through the soil. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon. It is thought to cause many thousands of deaths each year. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. Only smoking causes more lung cancers deaths; if you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
The only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon is through testing. The Surgeon General and EPA recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon, as well as testing in schools. Call your state radon office about radon problems in schools, daycare, and childcare facilities, and workplaces in your area. For more information, please go to www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html.
On the list of 2012 National Health Observances, for January, there are several to consider:
- January 1 – 31 Cervical Health Awareness Month, info@nccc-online.org
- January 1 – 31 National Birth Defects Prevention Month, nbdpn@nbdpn.org
- January 1 – 31 National Glaucoma Awareness Month, info@preventblindness.org
- January 1 – 31 National Radon Action Month, www.epa.gov/radon/nram
- January 1 – 31 Thyroid Awareness Month, www.aace.com
- January 8 – 14 National Folic Acid Awareness Week, ncfa@sbaa.org
Source of this information is 2012 National Health Observances, National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. We hope that this will give you a source of research for any of these illnesses that you need to learn more about.
Let’s all think positive about doing our best to make 2012 a very successful year. While doing so, we need to focus on making it a safe year, by driving safely, working safely, and enjoying our hobbies safely. Don’t take chances!
Texas America Safety Company offers safety products at competitive pricing, and Blog4Safety furnishes free safety tips that could help you avoid accidents. Follow your company’s safety rules, and wear the personal protective equipment that they furnish in order to protect you. Whatever is needed to protect your body – whether it’s safety glasses, gloves, hardhats, we hope you will choose us as your first line of defense. Best wishes for the New Year.