Health and Safety Policies and Guidelines
Hand washing – Whether you are helping with our children, packing groceries for the
homeless, making food or serving food in the kitchen, always start by washing your hands.
You may get germs on your hands when you touch an object like a door handle, tissue or
bathroom faucet; or when you touch another person. And since germs can cause you and
others to get sick, the best way to stop the spread of infection is to wash your hands. You
remove most germs by using friction, soap and warm water and by washing for 10-20
seconds. Be sure to get between fingers and under nails if hands are visibly dirty. Dry
hands with a clean paper towel and use the towel to then turn off the water—if not, you
transfer germs from the handle back onto your hands.
Please wash your hands often. Wash hands….







Before working with children
Before you prepare or work with food in the kitchen
After touching raw meat or chicken
After you use the restroom
After coughing or sneezing
After you change a baby’s diaper
After touching animals
Be sure to teach kids how to wash their hands too!
Illness – If you have a cold or are physically ill or in pain, please stay home! While we so
appreciate you wanting to contribute, we also recognize that taking it easy is the best way
to prevent an illness from worsening—whether it’s a sore back, the beginning of a cold or
an infectious illness. Call in to report that you won’t be in that day. Your body will thank
you and you will be less likely to infect others, should you be “fighting something off.”
Campus Safety – St. Andrew’s is visited by outside organizations throughout the week,
guests during special events, and the needy or homeless on Thursday and Friday
afternoons around lunchtime. Also, at times neighborhood individuals can be seen
“hanging around” the property. Safety has rarely been a problem over the years, but if you
should ever feel uneasy, do listen to your instincts. Remove yourself from the location and
alert someone about your concern. If you have been working on church grounds, and it
becomes dark outside and you need to go to your car, please try to walk with a buddy.
SD County Sherriff – 858-565-5200 or “911”
Emergencies - St. Andrew’s has several First Aid Kits in various locations around the
campus. They are in the following locations:





Main administrative office, Parish Hall – on shelf behind desk
Gillian Campbell’s office, Parish Hall
Kitchen – on shelf next to door leading to Parish Hall
Sacristy, Sanctuary - to left as one faces Altar. Emergency items are on
shelf over vestments/robes and at sink
Narthex – within cupboards to right as one enters Church
All emergency kits contain basic first aid supplies. Additionally, certain areas are stocked
with specialty items. First instance, blankets for providing warmth to an ill individual or for
smothering a fire (if a person’s hair or clothing should catch on fire) are located in the
Sacristy, in the kitchen and in the main administrative office. A fire extinguisher is hanging
in the kitchen—take the time to identify its location if your volunteering places you in or
around the kitchen area. Bandages and first aid treatments for burns are located in the
kitchen kit only. Water repellant bright yellow blankets for covering an individual in the
parking lot or for providing rain protection are located in the Narthex cupboards and in the
main administrative office. Flashlights can be found in the Narthex cupboards, as well as
the kitchen and main administrative office.
Should a fire break out in the kitchen or elsewhere on the grounds, remember the acronym
R.A.C.E.
RESCUE – Rescue anyone in immediate danger first and alert those in the vicinity
ALARM – Call “911” – landline best; cell phone as second choice
CONTAIN – Contain the fire by closing doors and windows. Use fire extinguisher in
kitchen, if possible and safe to do
EVACUATE - Evacuate self and others and wait for emergency personnel to arrive
Remember never to compromise your safety or the safety of others just to be a hero!
If evacuation is required from the premises for any reason (gas leak, fire, etc.), exit the
building and stand along the back of parking lot, south west corner. Take a head count, and
wait for emergency personnel to arrive.
Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s)
There are two AED’s on church property. One hangs to the left of the swinging doors
leading into the sanctuary of the main church building, and the other is positioned to the
left of the interior door that leads from the parish hall into the kitchen. They are intended
to be used if someone on church property has a very weak or absent pulse and might
possible need defibrillation to get the heart pumping again. Someone trained in its
operation should utilize the equipment, but you may be asked to retrieve it for usage. Be
aware that when the mounted unit is opened, a shrill beep will sound.
Emergency Binders
There are two binders, yellow with a green first aid sign on spine, located on church
property—one is in parish hall in main administrative office and the other is in Narthex as
you enter the large front doors of main sanctuary building. Within these binders you will
find emergency phone numbers and information regarding signs and systems and basic
first aid for emergency conditions such as heart attack, stroke, low blood sugar, loss of
consciousness, etc.
Saving Your Back
Some of what you may be doing at St. Andrews could involve lifting. If you have had a
previous back injury and feel that you may be overdoing it, listen to your common sense!
There is most likely someone in the vicinity who can either help or who can do the lifting so
that you don’t reinjure yourself. If you have never had a back injury before, we certainly
don’t want you to walk, or hobble, away from volunteering with a new injury!
Some of us may know how we are supposed to lift heavy objects, but certainly everyone
can benefit from a review. Here’s a list of a number of things that you can do to prevent a
back injury:







Think before you lift that heavy object.
Always bend your knees when lifting anything, whether it’s as light as a
feather or as heavy as a box of cans. If it’s heavy, bend your knees,
keep the load close to your body and lift with your legs.
If you need to move a large or odd-sized object, use a dolly or cart
whenever possible.
Split one large heavy load into several smaller ones, if possible.
Work at strengthening your back muscles at home. Go on-line for
exercises, talk to a trainer at the gym, or call your doctor. Do gentle
stretches every day.
Ware flat or low-heeled shoes when working.
Be careful when lifting heavy loads in or out of the car. Stand with feet
shoulder width apart, bend your knees, then bend at your hip joints,










September 2013
not at your waist. Tighten abdominal muscles as you lift or lower the
object.
Avoid twisting and lifting at the same time. Try and keep your trunk,
knees and feet pointed in the same direction.
If you have to stand for long periods of time, put one foot on a short
footstool if possible.
If you need to lift a heavy object over your head, use a ladder or
stepstool to avoid straining.
Remember that pain from hammertoes, bunions, corns or ingrown
toenails can cause you to shift your weight which can throw your back
out of alignment.
Push, don’t pull, that heavy object. You’ll have twice as much power
and less chance of injuring yourself.
If you see a liquid spill on the floor, take the time to clean it up or alert
someone else if you are in a position where you cannot do so yourself
at that moment. It may prevent an unexpected fall from occurring.
Listen to your body. If you experience pain, stop what you are doing.
Call your doctor if one or both legs are weak; if pain is radiating down
one side of the body or the other or if the pain is a result of a fall or
injury that lasts more than a few days.
Try and maintain your ideal weight. Excess weight around the middle
weakens the back. Try and do some aerobic exercise for 30 minutes or
more on most days of the week. Watch your diet, minimizing
processed foods, alcohol, fats and sugars. Add more fresh fruits,
vegetables and grains.
Men who are experiencing back pain and urinary difficulty should
consider visiting their healthcare provider—these two symptoms could
be related to prostate disease. Back pain on one or both sides of your
lower back could be related to your kidneys. Consult your doctor if pain
is worsening, prolonged and/or is associated with urinary changes.