Keep all food — and any scented products — well away from your campsite

Thankfully, we don’t need to worry too much about lions and tigers when we take to the mountains and forests to hike or camp. (Well, cougars in some locations, but that seems to be pretty rare). What is not so rare is to encounter a bear! Population sprawl has driven bears into suburban communities and has exposed them to the influence of humans. Namely, human food. Yogi, that pesky cartoon bear, loved those picnic baskets, but you really wouldn’t want to meet up with him face-to-face at your campsite.

Zookeepers at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo recently staged a demonstration with two of the park’s grizzlies to make a point. They set up a mock campsite with typical coolers and tents full of typical camping food, then kicked back to see what would happen. The grizzlies quickly transformed the site into a big bear supermarket. They crushed the coolers and tore apart sleeping bags in search of a hidden granola bar. “They know what they’re looking for,” said Woodland Park’s Julie Hopkins. “They’re following their noses for every good smell they can find.” Wildlife experts say brown bears can remember 10 years later where they found a good food source.

Bear-resistant containers are smooth and rounding to prevent bears from gripping

The lesson learned here is to always, always keep food well away from your campsite’s sleeping area, at least 100 feet away. And while hanging food in trees is one method to keep the bears away, some parks, such as Yellowstone National Park, don’t allow it. Bear-resistant containers have proven to be a far better deterrent. Made from a tough ABS polymer with smooth sides and rounded edges, bears have nothing to grip onto. Lids are secured with stainless steel locks that are easy for humans to open with a coin or a screwdriver, but are difficult for bears to open. Anything with a scent should be stowed in the canister, and this includes sunscreen, soap, mosquito repellent, lip balm, deodorant, medications, toothpaste, and feminine products — along with food, of course. Keep the canisters locked, placed on a level surface 100 feet or more from the campsite, away from cliffs or water sources so a bear can’t knock it down a hill or roll it into the water. Additionally, don’t attach a rope as bears could easily carry it away. Some people place pots and pans on top of the canister to sound an alarm if a bear disturbs the container. For hikers, carry the canister in your pack and replace food that you eat with other items to conserve space.

Wild bears have a natural fear of humans and will attempt to avoid people, but they can become aggressive once they’ve had a taste of human food. In addition to securing your food, are some helpful tips for avoiding bears on your next hiking or camping trip.

• Make plenty of noise so you don’t surprise bears that may be on your path. (Attach a bell to your backpack).
• Try to travel with the wind at your back. Bears can smell your scent from miles away if the wind is in the right direction.
• Some experts say that dogs can provoke a bear attack. It may be advisable to not bring your dog along when travelling in bear country.
• Bears are more active at dawn and sunset from May to October.
• Bear repellent spray is a pressurized cayenne pepper that can be projected up to 8 meters, causing burning and tearing of the eyes and inflammation of the lungs and throat. The effects of the bear spray last up to an hour but do not cause lasting damage. (Carry in an easily accessible holster). Use bear spray only if the bear charges to within a few meters.

Bottom line? Bears are not Yogi or Smokey. They are large, fast, and potentially vicious wild animals, and when we encroach into their habitat, common sense and pre-planning must prevail. Lions and tigers? Not so much. But bears? Oh my.

Technorati Tags: avoiding bears, Bear, bear country, bear encounter, bear repellent spray, bear-resistant containers, brown bears, camping, camping food, grizzlies, hanging food in trees, hiking

Lead poisoning is especially dangerous for children

Even the Romans knew that lead was poisonous, and yet they so enjoyed its diverse everyday uses, they couldn’t stop using it. Roman aqueducts were made of lead, as well as utensils and wine vessels, and the upper crust of Roman society in particular consumed lead in vast amounts over time leading to illness, madness, and death — and probably contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. After their fall, lead continued to serve a variety of functions, including printing presses, alchemy (with hopes of turning lead into gold), and guns and gunpowder. In addition, lead was known to be extremely convenient for eliminating inconvenient relatives.

Lead continued to be important to the economies of modern times. By 1980, the United States was consuming about 1.3 million tons of lead per year according to a National Academy of Science report. Lead was used as a gasoline additive from the 1920s until the late 1970s when the Environmental Protection Agency finally phased it out. Lead has been used in paint and plumbing pipes, and homes built before the mid-1970s are likely still tainted. Today, lead content remains a concern with products and toys imported from other countries — lead poisoning is especially dangerous for children.

Imported toys are a safety concern for lead content

Why is lead so dangerous? The body has no use for it, and yet ingested (or inhaled in the form of lead dust), the body replaces other vital metals such as zinc, calcium, and iron with lead in biochemical reactions. It can then affect blood pressure (causing developmental delays in children and high blood pressure in adults), trigger anemia, and affect sperm production. Lead displaces calcium, adversely altering electrical impulses in the brain which diminishes cognitive and memory functions.

Lead poisoning can occur if a person is exposed to high levels of lead over a short period of time. Symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Memory loss
• Pain or tingling in hands or feet
• Weakness

Lead is listed by the EPA and other agencies as carcinogenic, and exposure has been linked to infertility, risk of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Scientists are concerned that there is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Surprisingly, lead is still prevalent in our society. From artists to battery manufacturers to miners and plumbers, lead exposure is a very real danger. Here are some tips to protect yourself if you work or live in an environment with lead:

• Do not eat, drink, or smoke in areas where lead is handled or processed.
• Use an effective lead removal product to clean your hands if you work with lead, such as stained glass solder. Standard soap and water is not enough to remove lead residues from your skin.
• Shower and change clothes and shoes after working around lead-based products.
• Work in areas that are well-ventilated.
• Talk with our doctor about workplace lead exposure if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• Be diligent about the origin of children’s toys and their exposure to lead in their environment, especially if you live in an older home.

Technorati Tags: high lead levels, lead, lead based products, lead poisoning, lead removal, workplace lead exposure

Craigslist safety boils down to common sense

The headlines are downright scary. “Craigslist Home Invasion Robbery Ends in Murder.” “Craigslist Laptop Seller Held at Gunpoint.” “Medical Student Charged as Craigslist Killer.” Somewhat less frightening but equally disturbing are the abundance of scams attributed to the classified site. One might think it is a depository of depravity, but of the nearly 50 million people who use Craigslist every month, the vast majority are trustworthy and legitimate. Unfortunately, the (very) bad eggs, as everywhere, taint the experience for everyone else, generating the scary headlines and bringing into question the safety of Craigslist. Likely the Little Nickel Want Ads attracted similar criminal activity back in its heyday.

Craigslist was originally founded in 1995 to provide online local classifieds for the city of San Francisco. It now serves over 450 cities worldwide with its focus on providing classifieds and forums for local communities — job hunting, housing, goods, services, and personal ads — all for free. It is the “go to” site for those who seek to buy or sell these goods and services. And as in all things public, exercising prudence is the best way to avoid the possibility of financial or physical harm. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The elderly are prime targets for Craigslist and other online scams

Craigslist Safety Tips for Buyers and Sellers:

Below are some common sense tips to aid you in preventing an unsafe transaction.

• Avoid selling high-end items.
• Never publish your address.
• Don’t just confer over email; ask for a phone number. Set up an appointment personally.
• Never allow anybody into your home; meet out in the front yard.
• If you are selling a car and posting a photo, blur or cover the license plate number.
• Meet in public; banks are best as security is heavy.
• Tell a friend or family member where you are going; better yet, bring someone along with you.
• Take your cell phone along.
• It’s OK to say, “I would rather not go down to the basement with you.”
• Listen to your gut. No great bargain is worth your safety.

Tips for Avoiding Craigslist Scams:

The best protection for avoiding Craigslist scammers is to recognize the warning signs. Keep it local. Most scams involve any of the following.

• Inquiry from somebody in another country.
• Transactions that require Western Union, cashier’s check, money order, shipping, or escrow service.
• Refusal or too distant to meet face-to-face before making the transaction (again, keep it local).

Chances are excellent that using Craigslist will result in a very satisfactory experience, but taking precautions to protect your safety, identity, and financial security is plain old common sense. Pass along this information to your elderly loved ones, as they can often be the target of unscrupulous behavior. Don’t give those bad eggs any opportunity.

Technorati Tags: avoiding scammers, Craigslist, financial harm, physical harm, precautions, protection, safety

Motorcyclists grumble about wearing a helmet. Residents resist evacuating under an imminent threat of a hurricane. Employers circumvent safety regulations. Workers grouse about hard hats, safety meetings, and fire drills. Why in the world do people behave this way?

Safety requires planning, training, and effort

Human nature, mostly. Bombarded with “Breaking News” alerts, people tend to become desensitized to threats to safety and security — the “cry wolf” scenario. Employers focus on production and rebuff distractions that hinder it. Most commonly, there is a prevailing attitude that “It won’t happen to me.” Despite all those breaking news accounts of seemingly constant catastrophe, chances are it really won’t happen to you. Risk-takers generally survive. Dams typically don’t break. And earthquakes happen elsewhere. The assumption that this will always be the case is rewarded time and time again when nothing bad happens. Preparing to prevent injury or avoid calamity feels like a waste of time, money, and effort in the minutia of life when the probability of disaster seems vague or inconceivable.

Until it does happen.

That is when the issue of prevention becomes the rallying cry; in the heat of human emotion in the wake of a terrible event. “How could we/they have allowed this to happen?” “What can we/they do to make sure it never happens again?”

Even a near miss can mean a wakeup call. Talking on a cell phone while driving and suddenly veering into oncoming traffic will often get the blood pumping and the sweat flowing enough to make one hang up once and for all. A motorcycle crash on hard pavement will have the disgruntled helmet-wearer rethink his opposition to wearing one.

Humans expect a predictable, orderly world in which safety is a given. But safety doesn’t occur by simply expecting it to be there; it requires forethought, preparation, training, guidelines, and conscientious parents and employers. It also requires time, money, and effort.

Fighting human nature is a risk worth taking to keep our humanity safe. Because bad things really do happen.

Technorati Tags: fire drills, hard hats, prevention, safety, safety meetings, safety regulations

Welcome to the Buzz About Network.

Our Buzzers are hard at work around the clock, bringing you the latest buzz on every topic imaginable.

Visit the Buzz About Directory to see what we mean…

And stay tuned as our Buzzers get ready to post up the latest buzz on safety!