ONLINE SPECIALS!

Go to http://www.LSS.com and take advantage of temporarily reduced prices on great products. Every month, we present new products, special offers and instant access to over 100,000 products at LSS.com. And don’t miss your chance to win a $250 shopping spree. There’s a new winner every month!

IN THIS ISSUE...

IN THIS ISSUE:
AED: A JOLT IN TIME SAVES LIVES
PARADE OF PLASTICS PROPERTIES
FYI: TRASH TRUCKS CAN CRUSH
FYI: CATCH FLU STRAIN INFO ONLINE
SAF-T-TRIVIA

AED: A JOLT IN TIME SAVES LIVES

Each year, thousands of people die from sudden cardiac arrest. Many of these deaths are preventable, but only with quick reaction in this critical sequence of events: early activation of the EMS system (calling 9-1-1), early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation and early advanced care at a medical facility.

Until recently, administering CPR techniques and dialing 9-1-1 was the standard response to cardiac arrest cases. The survival rate for victims of cardiac arrest has ranged between 5 and 7 percent. This low rate was attributable in large part to the time spent waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive with defibrillation equipment. Recent studies have shown that 60 percent of cardiac arrest victims who received immediate defibrillation were still alive one year after the incident.

Until recently, only highly trained hospital staff or EMS personnel used manual defibrillators. But improved technology has now made it possible for non-medical personnel to perform emergency defibrillation. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a medical device designed to analyze heart rhythm and then deliver an electric shock to victims of ventricular fibrillation, restoring the heart to a normal rhythm. Battery-operated AEDs have the advantages of being compact, light, portable, and relatively safe and easy to use.

AEDs use an internal computer to interpret the heart rhythm and determine if a victim is in ventricular fibrillation, an uncoordinated heart rhythm that is most often responsible for sudden cardiac arrest. A heart in ventricular fibrillation can only be restored to normal by an electric shock. If ventricular fibrillation is occurring, the AED unit displays instructions for the user, signaling when an activation button that causes defibrillation should be pressed.

Nearly five percent of cardiac arrest incidents occur on the job. Electrocution and asphyxiation are common workplace causes of sudden cardiac arrest. The risk of electrocution is naturally higher for anyone working around electrical equipment, especially high voltage equipment. Asphyxiation, caused by an inadequate oxygen supply, is an especially common hazard for those working in confined spaces. Having an AED on hand at work sites where these hazards are common makes good sense.

Onsite AEDs can save precious treatment time and improve survival odds. But having an AED in the workplace does no good if the unit is inaccessible. AEDs should be located to ensure that response to cardiac arrest can come within three to five minutes. Suggested locations include:

• anywhere people work together closely---assembly lines, office buildings
• near confined spaces
• anywhere electrically powered devices are used
• any outdoor work sites where lightning may occur
• health centers where workers seek treatment
• fitness centers and cafeterias
• remote sites such as off-shore drilling rigs, construction projects, marine vessels, power transmission lines and pipe lines.

Manufacturers of AEDs recommend that users undergo a course of training that normally takes several hours. But the defibrillators are so easy to use that most untrained users can attach the pads, allow the unit to analyze the heart rhythm and follow the prompts to deliver shocks. Learning to recognize sudden cardiac arrest and then perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and provide appropriate care for the victim until emergency medical personnel arrives DOES require training.

For more information see EZ Facts® document No. 271, Automatic External Defibrillators. Go to: http://www.labsafety.com/refinfo/ezfacts/ezf271.htm.

For a PDF version of the new OSHA booklet on AEDs, go to: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3185.pdf.

Check out the PowerHeart®, an example of available AEDs, at: http://www.labsafety.com/store/product_group.asp?dept_id=4787&parent_id=76.

To Index

PARADE OF PLASTICS PROPERTIES

In the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” Mr. Robinson (played by Murray Hamilton) tells Ben (played by Dustin Hoffman) that a prosperous future awaits him in “plastics.” Part of the joke was that plastic products were already very common, were considered cheap and generally carried a negative association. Now, nearly forty years later, “plastics” are used more widely than ever for all kinds of products and in nearly every industry. Mr. Robinson’s advice, it turns out, wasn’t so bad after all.

Plastics is a broad term that actually describes a group of chemicals called polymers. The properties and characteristics of these polymers vary greatly. Here is a list of common plastics that outlines their properties and names common uses.

POLYPROPYLENE (PP)
Translucent. Autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 135 degrees Centigrade (C). Brittleness temperature is 0 degrees C. PP has relatively poor impact strength, but excellent compatibility with weak and concentrated acids, bases and alcohol.* PP is commonly used to make bottles, vials, pumps, funnels and clothing.

POLYETHYLENE (PE)
Translucent. Not autoclavable. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) withstands temperatures up to 120 degrees C. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) withstands temperatures up to 80 degrees C. Brittleness temperature for both HDPE and LDPE is minus 100 degrees C. PE has high impact strength and excellent compatibility with weak and concentrated acids, bases and alcohol.* PE is used to manufacture waste bags, bottles, refuse containers, pumps and secondary containment platforms.

POLYCARBONATE (PC)
Clear. Autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 135 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is minus 135 degrees C. PC has high impact strength and excellent compatibility with weak acids.* PC is commonly used to make non-breakable windows, safety eyewear and face shields.

POLYMETHYLPENTENE (PMP)
Clear. Autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 175 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is 20 degrees C. PMP has excellent compatibility with weak and concentrated acids, bases and alcohol.* PMP is commonly used to make beakers and cylinders. TEFLON® (TFE) Teflon is trademarked by the DuPont Company. Opaque. Autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 260 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is minus 100 degrees C. TFE has excellent compatibility with almost all chemicals.* TFE is used to produce pumps, stoppers, tubing, containers, non-stick pans and samplers.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC or Vinyl)
Clear. Not autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 70 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is minus 30 degrees C. PVC has excellent compatibility with acids, bases, alcohol and aliphatic hydrocarbons.* PVC is used to manufacture plumbing pipes, raincoats, footwear, earplugs, pumps and tubing.

POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE COPOLYMER (PETG)
Clear. Not autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 70 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is minus 40 degrees C. It has excellent compatibility with weak acids, alcohol and aliphatic hydrocarbons.* It is used to make face shields and bottles.

POLYSTYRENE (PS)
Clear. Not autoclavable. Withstands temperatures up to 90 degrees C. Brittleness temperature is minus 20 degrees C. PS has high strength and impact resistance, and excellent compatibility with weak acids, alcohol and bases.* Ice buckets and scoops are commonly made with PS.

POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE (Acrylic or PMMA)
Clear. Autoclavable. Withstands temperature to 50°C. Brittleness temperature is 20°C. Does not have excellent compatibility with any group of chemicals.* Bench top shields, machine guards, glass substitute.

*Polymers described as having “excellent compatibility” are generally capable of withstanding damage from the chemicals named for thirty days of constant exposure. This is only a general indication. To determine chemical compatibility more precisely, call LSS Technical Support at 1-800-356-2501, or send e-mail to tchsvc@labsafety.com.

For more general information about plastics, go to: http://www.americanplasticscouncil.org/index.html.

To find environmental information on plastics, go to: http://www.plasticsresource.com/s_plasticsresource/index.asp.

To Index

FYI: TRASH TRUCKS CAN CRUSH

OSHA has published a new safety and health bulletin to help workers and employers recognize and prevent hazards associated with the use of rear-loading trash trucks and dumpsters.

In the five-year period ending 2003, OSHA investigated at least six fatalities involving workers crushed when dumpsters were dislodged from the trucks.

The bulletin describes hazards and lists recommended preventative measures for protecting workers. It also outlines relevant provisions from applicable ANSI standards.

To see the bulletin, go to: http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib120903.html.

To Index

FYI: CATCH FLU STRAIN INFO ONLINE

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that “flu season” meant the likely arrival of an illness that was unwelcome but not unknown. But now it seems that each new year brings a new strain of influenza. Last year it was SARS, perhaps one of the deadliest examples in memory. This year, after a number of reported deaths in Southeast Asia, Avian flu, also known as Bird flu, has taken over the headlines.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, provides current data and warnings for these latest flu strains as well as for more common influenza. The organization provides basic facts on the flu strains and updates on current flu activity in the form of maps and infection numbers. Tips on symptom recognition, prevention and treatments techniques are also available, along with information in question and answer formats.

To view CDC information on flu, go to: www.cdc.gov/flu.

To Index

SAF-T-TRIVIA

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

Which of the following messages would not be on a Class 4 DOT Placard?

A. Spontaneously Combustible
B. Flammable Solid
C. Toxic
D. Dangerous When Wet

The Correct Answer is: C. Toxic.

This week’s winner is Danny from Jackson, MS. Congratulations! Danny wins the LSS reusable lunch bag!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Tagout attachment devices are required to have a minimum unlocking strength of how many pounds?

A. 50
B. 25
C. 30
D. 75

Submit your answer to mailto:SafTTrivia@labsafety.com by Monday, April 5th! We’ll select one lucky winner from all the correct entries we receive. If you are selected, we will notify you by e-mail. Good Luck!

To Index

SUBSCRIPTION COMMANDS

SUBSCRIBE by sending an e-mail to
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.LABSAFETY.COM with the words SUBSCRIBE SAFTNEWS-L in the body of the email.

You may UNSUBSCRIBE from Saf-T-News at any time by clicking here.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any specific questions about product specifications, applications or compliance issues, call one of our Technical Support Specialists at 1-800-356-2501 or e-mail them at: TechSvc@labsafety.com.

If you have any questions about the list or its contents, send e-mail to the Editor at:
B.Polce@labsafety.com.

Saf-T-News is copyrighted by Lab Safety Supply, Inc. Those wishing to re-publish a Saf-T-News piece in any other form or medium must first receive permission from Lab Safety Supply, Inc. To request permission, e-mail:
M.Bussan@labsafety.com

The goal of Saf-T-News is to provide accurate information on the subject matters covered. However, it is impossible to guarantee absolute accuracy of the materials. Therefore, the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for omissions, errors or misprinting contained within this publication. LSS Inc. 401 S. Wright Rd, Janesville, WI 53546, USA Tel: 800-356-0783 Fax: 800-543-9910 http://www.labsafety.com.