EL PASO, TX — Three Northloop Elmentary School custodians were honored for saving a woman from a house fire on Monday, according to KFOX-TV.
A fire at a house across the street from Northloop Elementary began in a bedroom where a child was playing with a lighter, the story stated.
The custodians said they heard someone pleading for help and instinctively ran toward the screaming, the story added.
According to the story, the custodians had to break the bathroom window to rescue the woman who suffered minor injuries.
Rafael Camacho, Everardo Chacon and an unnamed custodian were honored at an assembly by students, staff and the El Paso Fire Department with certificates of bravery, the story noted.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Wausau Paper mill fire ignited by dust
MIDDLETOWN, OH — A small fire at a Wausau Paper mill Tuesday night started due to excessive dust buildup on a machine, according to the Middletown Journal.
By the time Middletown firefighters arrived at the 700 Columbia Avenue mill, employees had already extinguished the blaze, the story stated.
In the short 34 minutes firefighters were at the scene, they checked all of the equipment to ensure the fire was out and another would not ignite, the story noted.
Though there was a small amount of smoke, there was no damage and the mill was not evacuated, the story added.
By the time Middletown firefighters arrived at the 700 Columbia Avenue mill, employees had already extinguished the blaze, the story stated.
In the short 34 minutes firefighters were at the scene, they checked all of the equipment to ensure the fire was out and another would not ignite, the story noted.
Though there was a small amount of smoke, there was no damage and the mill was not evacuated, the story added.
Thieving house cleaner pleads guilty
GARDNERVILLE, CA — A cleaning lady pleaded guilty to theft after she was discovered to have stolen several items from houses she cleaned, according to the Record-Courier.
Stacia Boddy, who faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, stole jewelry while she was contracted to clean houses by Merry Maids, and then sold the items to a Nevada pawn shop, the story stated.
Boddy claims she stole and pawned the jewelry for money to pay her bills, the story noted.
Boddy said: "I was getting garnished at work. It’s just me and my 5-year-old son."
The jewelry was recovered and returned to its respective owners, the story added.
According to the story, the pawn shop is out the $775 it paid Boddy for the items.
Stacia Boddy, who faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, stole jewelry while she was contracted to clean houses by Merry Maids, and then sold the items to a Nevada pawn shop, the story stated.
Boddy claims she stole and pawned the jewelry for money to pay her bills, the story noted.
Boddy said: "I was getting garnished at work. It’s just me and my 5-year-old son."
The jewelry was recovered and returned to its respective owners, the story added.
According to the story, the pawn shop is out the $775 it paid Boddy for the items.
Hospitals advised against green cleaning
OTTAWA, ON, Canada — The Quebec Health Ministry recently issued a warning to hospitals urging them to ensure that products marketed as environmentally friendly will effectively clean surfaces and keep patients safe and protected, according to the National Post.
Experts warn that many manufacturers are marketing products that are simply diluted versions of traditional chemicals that are often ineffective in combating infections that sicken thousands of patients a year.
There is a growing fear that ineffective green products are making hospitals more susceptible to pathogens like Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and norovirus, the story stated.
Syed Sattar, a microbiologist at the University of Ottawa who specializes in disinfectants, said: "What that does is gives the infection-control professional, the people on the front-line in hospitals, a certain false sense of security. [Custodians and administrators] are all busy individuals and don't have either the time or deeper understanding to be able to look at the product label or brochure to decipher what exactly it is saying or not saying."
According to the story, the drive to make cleaners more environmentally friendly is an important one; however, increased care and vigilance is needed to ensure the right green products are used.
Health Canada, in an effort to end the confusion over the efficacy of green cleaners and to eliminate greenwashing, is planning to mandate more stringent testing, the story noted.
Hospitals are urged to do their research and test new products on the small-scale before they are widely utilized throughout the entire facility, the story added.
Experts warn that many manufacturers are marketing products that are simply diluted versions of traditional chemicals that are often ineffective in combating infections that sicken thousands of patients a year.
There is a growing fear that ineffective green products are making hospitals more susceptible to pathogens like Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and norovirus, the story stated.
Syed Sattar, a microbiologist at the University of Ottawa who specializes in disinfectants, said: "What that does is gives the infection-control professional, the people on the front-line in hospitals, a certain false sense of security. [Custodians and administrators] are all busy individuals and don't have either the time or deeper understanding to be able to look at the product label or brochure to decipher what exactly it is saying or not saying."
According to the story, the drive to make cleaners more environmentally friendly is an important one; however, increased care and vigilance is needed to ensure the right green products are used.
Health Canada, in an effort to end the confusion over the efficacy of green cleaners and to eliminate greenwashing, is planning to mandate more stringent testing, the story noted.
Hospitals are urged to do their research and test new products on the small-scale before they are widely utilized throughout the entire facility, the story added.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Broward County sued over moldy courthouse
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Broward County is being sued by two judicial aides over health problems they claim developed due to mold exposure in the Fort Lauderdale courthouse, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Former Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell’s law firm is suing the county and three contractors because water damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma created toxic mold that was never effectively remediated and compromised the indoor air quality (IAQ), the story stated.
According to the story, at least five additional employees are expected to file suit this week.
Campbell said he would not only seek damages for his clients, but that he would also seek a court order to force Broward County to meet its obligations of providing a safe courthouse, the story noted.
Campbell said: "The indoor air quality was already judged to be 'sick' when more damage occurred. Burst pipes in December 2008 and January 2009 and a leaky urinal in February of 2009 continued to infect the air quality, making work at the courthouse hazardous to one’s health."
Voters rejected a 2006 ballot initiative to borrow $450 million to improve Broward County's court system, the story added.
Former Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell’s law firm is suing the county and three contractors because water damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma created toxic mold that was never effectively remediated and compromised the indoor air quality (IAQ), the story stated.
According to the story, at least five additional employees are expected to file suit this week.
Campbell said he would not only seek damages for his clients, but that he would also seek a court order to force Broward County to meet its obligations of providing a safe courthouse, the story noted.
Campbell said: "The indoor air quality was already judged to be 'sick' when more damage occurred. Burst pipes in December 2008 and January 2009 and a leaky urinal in February of 2009 continued to infect the air quality, making work at the courthouse hazardous to one’s health."
Voters rejected a 2006 ballot initiative to borrow $450 million to improve Broward County's court system, the story added.
Proctor & Gamble's sustainability goals
CINCINNATI — Proctor & Gamble recently announced a series of updated corporate sustainability goals it hopes to achieve by 2012 , according to the Dayton Business Journal.
The company hopes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, water usage and disposed waste by 20 percent, the story stated.
Proctor & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley said: "P&G’s commitment to sustainability is strategic. It is how our company conducts business. By increasing sustainability goals, we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to innovate continuously to improve results."
Another of Proctor & Gamble's goals is to increase the number of children benefiting from their Safe Drinking Water Program to 300 million, up from their original 2007 goal of 250 million, the story noted.
Proctor & Gamble also hopes to develop and market at least $50 billion in innovative and sustainable products and increase their use of rail transportation from 10 percent to 30 percent by 2015, the story added.
The company hopes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, water usage and disposed waste by 20 percent, the story stated.
Proctor & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley said: "P&G’s commitment to sustainability is strategic. It is how our company conducts business. By increasing sustainability goals, we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to innovate continuously to improve results."
Another of Proctor & Gamble's goals is to increase the number of children benefiting from their Safe Drinking Water Program to 300 million, up from their original 2007 goal of 250 million, the story noted.
Proctor & Gamble also hopes to develop and market at least $50 billion in innovative and sustainable products and increase their use of rail transportation from 10 percent to 30 percent by 2015, the story added.
C. diff outbreak hits St. Joe's
HAMILTON, ON, Canada — St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton has declared that it is experiencing an outbreak of the superbug Clostridium difficile (C. diff), according to the Hamilton Spectator.
The infection, which causes severe diarrhea, nausea, painful cramping and sometimes death, has spread throughout seven wards and sickened 15 individuals, the story stated.
According to the October 2008 cover story from Cleaning & Maintenance Management, C. diff is a spore-forming organism that presents many challenges for cleaners.
Chief of staff Dr. David Higgins said: "In the spring, there is an expected increase in respiratory cases such as pneumonia that require antibiotics. Those drugs are well-known to contribute to the development of C. diff. We did believe our processes and protocols were in place to manage it and we had hoped by the end of March it would have started to fall, but it hasn't. If anything, it's increased."
According to the story, three patients infected with C. diff died in September at St. Joseph's in an outbreak of 26 cases that prompted the closure of two units.
All of the infected patients at St. Joseph's are frail, elderly patients with already-compromised health, the story noted.
The hospital is also treating 10 patients for a gastrointestinal ailment believed to be norovirus, the story added.
The infection, which causes severe diarrhea, nausea, painful cramping and sometimes death, has spread throughout seven wards and sickened 15 individuals, the story stated.
According to the October 2008 cover story from Cleaning & Maintenance Management, C. diff is a spore-forming organism that presents many challenges for cleaners.
Chief of staff Dr. David Higgins said: "In the spring, there is an expected increase in respiratory cases such as pneumonia that require antibiotics. Those drugs are well-known to contribute to the development of C. diff. We did believe our processes and protocols were in place to manage it and we had hoped by the end of March it would have started to fall, but it hasn't. If anything, it's increased."
According to the story, three patients infected with C. diff died in September at St. Joseph's in an outbreak of 26 cases that prompted the closure of two units.
All of the infected patients at St. Joseph's are frail, elderly patients with already-compromised health, the story noted.
The hospital is also treating 10 patients for a gastrointestinal ailment believed to be norovirus, the story added.
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