Importance of Interns

You constantly hear college students talking about the importance of getting the right internship.  Internships are a way for students to dip their feet in the waters of professional life, while still having room to make the mistakes expected of individuals new to a field.  Employers have begun to put a great deal of stock in internships because they’re representative of what to expect in the “real world”, and give students the opportunity to gain practical, first-hand experience.

In the world of safety there are a few colleges/universities that have a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree program in Occupational Safety and one of them is right here in Washington State; the Safety and Health Management (SHM) Program at Central Washington University. 

The SHM program coordinates multiple employer information sessions and on-campus interviews each academic year for employers looking to hire summer interns. The SHM recruiting season typically begins in October and runs through May. However, a majority of the employers (over 35) visit in fall for summer internships. The recruitment trip is typically a two day process which begins with an information session the first day evening at Hogue Technology Building (HTB), followed by on-campus interviews the next day at the CWU career services in Bouillon Hall. Contact Dr. Sathy Rajendran, SHM Program Director at rajendrans@cwu.edu (or) (509) 963-1152, to schedule your information session, and CWU Career Services to schedule your interviews at (509) 963-1921. Once your information session and on-campus interview dates have been scheduled, submit a well-written job announcement and info session flyer to Dr. Rajendran. The SHM program will publicize your visit through mass email to SHM students and post flyers on the bulletin boards in the HTB. Students will sign-up for interviews at the session.

Eye Safety

According to NIOSH each day about 2000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one third of the injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days of lost work. The majority of these injuries result from small particles or objects striking or abrading the eye. Examples include metal slivers, wood chips, dust, and cement chips that are ejected by tools, windblown, or fall from above a worker. Some of these objects, such as nails, staples, or slivers of wood or metal penetrate the eyeball and result in a permanent loss of vision. Large objects may also strike the eye/face, or a worker may run into an object causing blunt force trauma to the eyeball or eye socket. Chemical burns to one or both eyes from splashes of industrial chemicals or cleaning products are common. Thermal burns to the eye occur as well. Among welders, their assistants, and nearby workers, UV radiation burns (welder’s flash) routinely damage workers’ eyes and surrounding tissue.

In addition to common eye injuries, health care workers, laboratory staff, janitorial workers, animal handlers, and other workers may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases via ocular exposure. Infectious diseases can be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the eye as a result of direct exposure (e.g., blood splashes, respiratory droplets generated during coughing or suctioning) or from
touching the eyes with contaminated fingers or other objects. The infections may result in relatively minor conjunctivitis or reddening/soreness of the eye or in a life threatening disease such as HIV, B virus, or possibly even avian influenza.

Engineering controls should be used to reduce eye injuries and to protect against exposures. Personal protective eyewear, such as goggles, face shields, safety glasses, or full face respirators must also be used when an eye hazard exists. The eye protection chosen for specific work situations depends upon the nature and extent of the hazard, the circumstances of exposure, other protective equipment used, and personal vision needs. Eye protection should be fit to an individual or adjustable to provide appropriate coverage. It should be comfortable and allow for sufficient peripheral vision. Selection of protective eyewear appropriate for a given task should

be made based on a hazard assessment of each activity, including regulatory requirements when applicable.

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen SafetyCouncil