Health and Safety Fair draws young and old

Health-conscious people came to the library's first health and safety fair. About 90 booths were set up. Some focusing on the dangers of drinking and driving. Some were there to help take blood pressures and demonstrate proper child safety seat installations. Others really took it easy with some back massages. It's an event that's gotten a lot of positive feedback. "We thought we would have 40 vendors and we have 90 today. So we've had a lot of positive feedback. We probably wil host this again next summer," said Sheila Umberger, Director of Libraries.

PABIAC launches phase 2 of health and safety drive

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC) has launched the second phase of its plan to improve the health and safety performances of companies which operate in the papermaking, corrugated packaging and recovered paper sectors.Entitled Making a Difference 2008-2011, the initiative sets out the strategic direction for health and safety in the industry for the next three years and sets targets for firms to aim for, one of which is to reduce the annual injury incidence rates from the current figure of around 1,170 per 100,000 employees to 850.Other areas highlighted include improving health and safety management performance and demonstrating a continuously improving health and safety climate.James Barrett, head of the HSE's manufacturing sector, said: "Making a Difference 2008-2011 will help encourage those companies who have yet to show real progress to make a start on the road to improvement and will encourage those who have already made good progress to maintain their momentum."The PABIAC alliance consists of the HSE, the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry.According to the HSE, the main causes of injury in the paper industry include manual handling and slips and trips.

Health care help for Nevada employee partners pushed, but where's

Despite a legislative panel giving thumbs up to a regulation approving health care benefits for domestic partners of Nevada state employees, a hurdle called hard times might intervene.

The regulation, which includes same sex domestic partners, was approved 3-2 by the Subcommittee on Regulation but it could carry a $4.1 million state general fund price tag the first year and a $4.5 million cost the second. Budget constraints may prevail.

"If the shoe were on the other foot, they'd find the money," said Holly Wilson, former Reno chapter president of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). She felt benefits should be the same for domestic partners, gay or straight, as they are for married couples. She said domestic partnership advocates, including PFLAG, should favor the idea.

News in Brief

Belleville Lake reopens for swimming: The Wayne County Department of Public Health announced last Thursday it was lifting a ban on all swimming and recreational activities for the public bathing beach at Belleville Lake.

According to a press release, the latest surface water sample results taken by the Wayne County Department of Public Health meet Michigan Public Health Code standards for swimming and other recreational use involving body immersion.

"Public swimming and full body contact with the water at Belleville Lake is now safe to enjoy for swimming based on these findings," said Loretta V. Davis, Director/Health Officer, Wayne County Department of Public Health.

The lake had been closed since the last week in July when previous water samples were found to exceed the Michigan Public Health Code bathing beach water quality standard for E.

Open letter to David Caplan, minister of health and long-term care

The creation of the Local Health Integration Network as an appointed provincial agency to oversee management of hospitals does not release your government from its obligation to provide comprehensive accessible health care in an equitable fashion to all Ontarians, for which only your government remains accountable to the electorate.

The Douglas Memorial Hospital from the time of its founding continually operated without deficits and did not surrender its independence to the Niagara Health System willingly.

We deserve and will accept nothing less than what the previous Conservative government provided to us.

We expect and demand that you take whatever legislative steps are necessary to ensure in law the continuation of our hospital as a small rural hospital as previously defined with the capacity to provide 24-hour emergency care, acute care beds and day surgery procedures on site.