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Department Heads and Supervisors: Please distribute this message to your employees - THANK YOU!
We have some upcoming events scheduled next week for interested employees. Please RSVP if you plan to attend via email horne@duxbury.ma.us or phone 781/934-1100 x143:
‘Creating the Respectful Workplace: Meeting Halfway’ (90 minutes) Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 10AM-11:30AM, at the Duxbury Senior Center, 10 Mayflower Street. Everyone experiences stress from time to time. Each of us would like to be thought of as the employee who positively contributes to the over-all workplace culture. This seminar will focus on respectful communication: the things we can do to create and perpetuate a respectful work environment. We will also examine behaviors that detract from the desired workplace. Attendance is voluntary, but requires advance approval from the Department Head to ensure adequate coverage of your Department. If attendance is approved, the time spent at the training will be paid. Register online using MIIA’s website: www.emiia.org click “Rewards Seminar Registration” and complete the online form.
BCBS January Health Link: Clean Up Your Act! Ok, you’ve made your resolutions - you’re going to eat healthier, exercise, and learn to relax. Here’s a very doable resolution to add to your list – make your home less toxic! The Environmental Protection Agency says that the air inside your house could be more polluted than the air outdoors. Yikes! That’s a scary thought, especially this time of year when our houses are sealed up tight.
You don’t need a cabinet full of chemicals to clean your house. Some common household items can get the job done every bit as well without releasing toxic fumes that can irritate airways, trigger allergies and asthma, and cause skin irritation. Those toxic products are also dangerous for people with lung disease and heart problems. Household cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Half of these involved children under six, who can swallow or spill toxic cleaners stored in easily accessed cabinets.
The Environmental Protection Agency has an interactive site for kids to “Learn About Chemicals Around Your House” (and it’s also informative for adults, too!) http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/
Learn more about what's in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm
To make household cleaners more appealing, manufacturers often add fragrance. These fragrances alone can pose a hazard and can cause respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes, especially in people that have allergies and asthma. In fact, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic.
It’s easy and environmentally friendly to make your own cleaning products. An added benefit is that it will save you lots of money!
Cleaning Product Recipes
· Mix equal parts of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. This is an all-purpose cleaner that also disinfects. Use it on all bathroom and kitchen surfaces (but not on unsealed granite).
· That lowly box of baking soda makes a great cleaner. It effectively scours away most grime on tubs, showers, toilets, and countertops. Simply mix it with water to make a paste, use a scrubbing sponge and that old standby – elbow grease!
· Think you need to buy commercial glass cleaner to get the job done? Think again. Plain water works in most cases. If your windows are really dirty or have greasy fingerprints, fill a spray bottle with water and one-quarter cup of white vinegar or 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. It does the job and you avoid those ammonia fumes found in most store-bought glass cleaners.
With just a little effort you can be clean and green. It’s better for your health, the environment, and your wallet! Isn’t it great to start the New Year off with a win-win!
Best,
Jeannie
Jeannie Horne
Human Resources Officer
Town of Duxbury
878 Tremont Street
Duxbury, MA 02332
Tel: (781) 934-1100; Ext. 143
Fax: (781) 934-9011
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