Region 7 Newsletter

NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
OF WOMEN IN
CONSTRUCTION
“ THE REASON
PEOPLE FIND IT
SO HARD TO BE
HAPPY IS THAT
THEY ALWAYS
SEE THE PAST
BETTER THAN IT
WAS, THE PRE-
SENT WORSE
THAN IT IS, AND
THE FUTURE LESS
RESOLVED THAN
IT WILL BE ”
Marcel Pagnol
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE:
Director’s
Comments
Around the
Region
New
Members
Committee
Reports
NAWIC
Office
Region 7
Chapter
Presidents
Region 7
Committee
Chairs
Future
Convention
Dates
1
2-4
4
5
6
6
7
7
Region 7 Newsletter
Director’s Comments
Happy Holidays!
December? Christmas? 2011?
Slow down and let me catch up. If
you are like me, you are wondering
what happened to 2010. Family,
work, NAWIC, life in general
keeps us all so busy we tend to
lose track of time. As we prepare
for the holidays, let’s not lose
track of what is important and that
is being with family and friends,
loving each other, thanking God
for all we have and being charitable
to those less fortunate than we
are.
Looking ahead, the NAWIC Mid-
Year Board Meeting is scheduled
for February 24 - 27, 2011. Please
let me know by January 15, 2011
of any issue(s) or question(s) you
wish to have presented to the
board.
Remember that any Crystal Vision
Award nominations must be received
by the NAWIC office no
later than March 17, 2011.
The 4th of December I met with
the representative at the Crowne
Plaza Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio
(site of Forum 2011) along
with Jennifer Swinney and Sandee
Morgan of the San Antonio Chapter
to start finalizing all the events,
speakers, and details for Forum.
Just let me say that you will not
want to miss being there April 8 -
10, 2011. Registration and Sponsorship
information will be out
soon.
May you all be blessed this Christmas
Season and through the coming
New Year!
Warm wishes to all!
Sandy
Region 7 Director 2009 – 2011
Sandy K. Field, CIT
Cadence McShane Construction Company
7701 W. Little York Rd., Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77040
Phone: 713.681.8500 Fax: 713.681.9990 Cell: 832.725.6956
Email: sfield@cadencemcshane.com
D E C E M B E E R 2 0 1 0

REGION 7 NEWSLETTER — DECEMBER 2010
Around the Region
PAGE 2
Fort Worth Chapter #1—Pat Meadors, President
Time sure passes quickly – here it is December already! The chapter will be holding our annual ornament
exchange at our December meeting. Please bring a wrapped ornament if you wish to participate.
There will also be a special “surprise” for us all at our Christmas meeting on Thursday that
I know everyone will enjoy. Remember to bring canned goods /contributions / teen gift for the
Community Service Committee. As the holiday season is in full swing, please remember those less
fortunate than ourselves. Pick up an extra canned item at the grocery store for the local food
banks, buy an extra toy for a child in need, send a card to someone you have not heard from in
awhile. These are simple things that mean a lot to others. In these times of unrest around the
world, please remember those men and women who are serving our country to protect our freedom
to live and pray as we choose. With the holiday season upon us and the end of year 2010 only a
few days away, I wish to salute each of you for your hard work and dedication to your Chapters,
our Association and the construction industry. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah,
Happy Kwanzaa; and a safe, happy and prosperous New Year! Happy, happy Christmas, that
can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures
of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his
own fire-side and his quiet home! ~ Merry Christmas!
Dallas Chapter #2—Jill Melancon, President
I am excited to share with you that our chapter collected the following in donations benefiting North
Dallas Shared Ministries: (12) Boxes of Food, (18) Bags of Food, and $300.00 in checks/cash.
Well done Chapter #2! Awards for NAWIC Dallas Chapter #2 include: Region 7 Executive Spotlight
Award—Kim Simmons; Recruitment Pins—Beke Gibson recruited (2) new members, and the following
ladies recruited (1) new member each—Juli Chrispen, Lee Ann Collins, Ann McCullough, Kelly
Melcher, and Jill Melancon. On December 11th we will have fun with our Annual Block Kids Event at
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. Our chair, Beke Gibson has some wonderful things in store for the
children along with a visit from Santa Claus. Happy Holidays!
Houston Chapter #3—Jody Richwine, President
The Houston chapter wishes each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
We are all looking forward to our December Christmas meeting planned by our social chairman,
Kelley Stewart. We will meet at The Melting Pot for dinner and an ornament exchange. This year we
are bringing Walmart gift cards for The Bridge over Troubled Water, an emergency shelter for
women and their children. This will allow the mothers to fulfill their children’s Christmas wishes. We
are going to concentrate on networking and fun for this Christmas meeting. We are excited that it
looks like we have about 29 people joining us including several guests. Thanks to the membership
committee for doing such a good job! Beckye Manzel and Laurie have planned an Aeros social and
fundraiser on January 15 th . The Aeros have offered us discounted tickets and $5.00 from each of
these tickets comes back to the Houston chapter. This is a win-win for us! If any of you are going
to be in Houston that weekend, please feel free to join us! Have fun and help us make money at
the same time! Just contact me, and we will send you the link so you can order your tickets.
Beckye and Laurie have also planned a CPR/First Aid event for February 17 th . The hotel is giving us
the room free of charge so that three of their employees can be trained. Many thanks to Jennifer
Swinney’s company for providing the training for us. Everyone needs to be CPR certified so if any of
you have friends or co-workers in Houston or the surrounding area, please let me know. The cost is
very reasonable.
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
~ Roy L. Smith

REGION 7 NEWSLETTER — DECEMBER 2010
Around the Region - Continued
PAGE 3
Corpus Christi #4—Lisa Huerta, President
Merry Christmas to all of Region 7! We will not be having a meeting in December. We are all looking forward
to January as the Fabulous, one and only Jennifer Swinney will be our speaker for that meeting. We
are continuing to work with Project Linus. For Membership, I have two guests so far coming to the January
meeting. The Corpus Christi Chapter wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Prosperous
New Year.
San Antonio Chapter #11—Sandee Morgan, CDS, CIT, CBT, President
The San Antonio Chapter is full of Christmas cheer this December. As one of the sponsoring associations
of the Construct A Kids Christmas Gala our chapter helped raise approximately $30,000 cash and collected
more than 1,800 toys for children in Bexar County Child Protective Services. This was the 10 th
year for the gala in which the entire San Antonio Construction Industry pulls together to ensure that
every child in BCCPS receives at least one toy at Christmas time. We were honored to have Sandy Field
and her daughter Deanna attend our annual Christmas Party on Friday, December 3, 2010 at the Petroleum
Club. The Christmas committee outdid themselves and planned a glam casino night with a pile of
prizes that made even Santa envious. Be sure to check out Facebook for photos of all of the fun! As
2010 draws to a close, we are thankful for the many blessings our chapter has had this year. Our committees
are busy planning for an eventful new year…… Block Kids, Contractor in a Box, Forum 2011 and
supporting Jennifer Swinney’s Regional Director Campaign are just a few of the things we are working on
this month. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
Waco Chapter #14 - Ginger Ritchison, President
The Waco Chapter held their Christmas Party on December 7th. There were 9 members and 5 guests in
attendance. We had the fiesta dinner and exchanged gifts. Fun was had by all. Two of our guests are
talking about filling out the applications so we may have two more new members. Block Kids contest is
coming up in February and we are talking with the girl scouts about them participating in the contest.
Tricia Warren with Capstone Mechanical has been a guest of our chapter before and she is going to
be our speaker in January. She will tell us about the International Green Construction Code that is due to
come out in 2012. The City of Waco is planning on adopting the code which relates to LEEDs. I want to
wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Prosperous New Year.
Tulsa Chapter #76 - Joani Kelly, President
The fantabulous Tulsa Chapter Ways and Means Committee hit it out of the park with yet another successful
Pancake Breakfast. Many thanks to all of the ladies who, in addition to their hard work for the
breakfast, donated baked goods, used books and craft items as well. A huge team effort all around and a
real success for the Chapter. Our new members jumped right in to help as if they’ve been flippin’ pancakes
and sausages as long as some of the more “seasoned” members. The Tulsa Chapter is having a
slogan competition. We have asked all of our members to come up with a slogan specifically for our
Chapter that we will incorporate into our newsletter, printed materials, website, t-shirts and other fun
stuff. The Chapter will collectively vote on the slogan they believe is the best and the winning slogan will
be “un-veiled” during WIC Week !! A Salute to our Veterans !! Miela Stephens has come up with a terrific
calendar campaign that we are all super excited about. In an effort to pay our respect to our military,
we will be doing a “ Rosie The Riveter” themed calendar and have asked all Chapter members to participate.
Miela has solicited help from a local beauty college to provide hair and make-up so we can all have
the look of that era and has also solicited the photography from a local college. Proceeds from the sale of
the calendars will go to NEF and Tulsa Chapter 76 OSU Endowment Scholarship Fund. Many Veterans
have donated their memorabilia, including uniforms, hats, pins etc. for our use and are very excited about
the project and are so very proud to participate in any way that they can. This calendar effort has generated
a lot of Chapter enthusiasm as we work together to create costumes from that era, coordinate photo
shoots and work with local museums and members of the community to ensure a respectful and authentic
calendar product. We have recently added three new student members to our roster from Oklahoma
State University – IT and are eager to show them the NAWIC ropes.

REGION 7 NEWSLETTER — DECEMBER 2010
Around the Region - Continued
PAGE 4
Port Arthur-Golden Triangle Chapter #377—Pam Washington, President
The Port Arthur – Golden Triangle (PA-GT) Chapter 377 is closing out 2010 with a “bang”. We are closing
out the financial reports from APC 2010, and would like to thank Beverly Hatcher, APC Chairperson and
her committee again for a splendid job. Members of NAWIC (PA-GT) participated in the Motiva Crude Expansion
Project fundraiser for prostate cancer awareness on November 30, 2010. NAWIC members distributed
flyers to attendees inviting them to attend our NAWIC December monthly recruiting function.
December monthly meeting was determined to be a Holiday Social to recruit new members and participate
in a community function for the Port Arthur Blue Santa Program. We held the meeting at our regular
schedule-meeting place, Dylan’s Bar and Grill with approximately 60 people (women, men, local business
owners, city officials etc.) in attendance. Pamela Washington, PA-GT NAWIC President spoke briefly to all
attendees regarding the purpose and benefits of NAWIC. The PA-GT NAWIC members distributed NAWIC
application packets to all attendees with expectations that women in construction would consider joining
the organization and men that were business owners or project directors would encourage women within
their organization to join NAWIC. Darleen Moody, Treasurer spoke to attendees regarding the Port Arthur
Blue Santa Program sponsored by the police department and collects toys for under privileged children
the ages of 2-12 years of age. The members of PA-GT collected an abundance of toys and cash donations
for the Blue Santa Program. Darleen Moody dressed in a stunning Blue Santa outfit and accepted a huge
cash donation from Performance Contractors for the Blue Santa Program. The night was awesome!!! The
NAWIC (PA-GT) members participated in the City of Port Arthur Holiday Parade on Saturday, December
11, 2010. Betty Keith, Past President drove a fine-looking muscle Convertible Camaro and NAWIC members
threw out beads and candy to Port Arthur residence that attended the parade. Magnetic stickers
with NAWIC logo were placed on the sides of the muscle car and PA-GT NAWIC members wore pink construction
hard hats in the parade. Darlene Moody volunteered to develop a NAWIC PA-GT scrapbook.
Hopefully, when we see everyone at Region 7 Forum in April 2011 we will bring it for Show-N-Tell. The
NAWIC Port Arthur Golden Triangle would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holiday.
Welcome Region 7 New Members!
New Member Chapter Recruiter
Norma M. Lacey Houston Chapter #3 Sandy Field
Stephanie A. Diaz San Antonio Chapter #11 Sandee Morgan
Ashley M. Godsey Tulsa Chapter #76 Miela S. Stephens
Samantha A. Stephenson Tulsa Chapter #76 Miela S. Stephens
Keely J. Morris PA-GT Chapter #377
If you are not listed as the recruiter and should be, please have the new member contact Sandy Fite at the NAWIC Office to add
you as the recruiter. This must be done by the new member, not the recruiter.
Remember, every member is a recruiter! Invite your business associates, co-workers and friends to give NAWIC a try.

REGION 7 NEWSLETTER — DECEMBER 2010
Region 7 Committee Reports
NEF Fundraiser Report
Submitted by Tamara S. Crooks, Region 7 NEF Fundraiser
PAGE 5
I trust that you are all looking forward to Christmas and the passing of another year! I don’t know about you, but I certainly
wasn’t quite sure where 2010 went! Speaking of the New Year, I don’t know about you, but I can always use a “gimme” kind
of resolution. So how about resolving to sell at least one (1) raffle ticket! This is an easily attainable goal and comes with the
added bonus of putting you one (1) step closer to one of the fabulous raffle prizes we will have at Forum in April. Some of the
prizes available are iPods and a Kindle, but there is always the possibility of many, many more! You can’t win if you don’t
play! So, get out there and sell! Happy Holidays to all, and best wishes for a prosperous and healthy New Year!
Region 7 Membership Committee
Submitted by Jennifer Swinney, CBT, CDS, CIT
You invited a guest and they showed up to your meeting... now what? Make sure to “roll out the red carpet” for your
guests. Everyone wants to feel important and special, and your guests are no different. They will already be a little nervous or
unsure about what to expect. Making the night extra special for them will ensure they leave with excitement as to how they
were treated, and anxious to join a group of dynamic women. Assign a board member or seasoned member to save a seat for
the guest, and welcome them when they arrive. Can you imagine their excitement when they arrive to sign in, and they are
told that Betty Jo Member has already arrived and saved them a seat for the evening? Give your guests a different name badge
to easily distinguish they are a guest, so the other members in the chapter can be sure to introduce themselves, and greet
them. During introductions at your meeting, make sure to recognize the guests, and have the membership applaud to celebrate
their attendance. Make it known that you appreciate the fact that they gave up a free evening after work to join you at your
meeting. Have informative membership packets available for the guest to take home or to their office to read further about
NAWIC. Many times the guests are overwhelmed at the meetings with all the events that our chapters do. Providing information
for them at the meeting allows them to take back and review at their leisure, as well as show their coworkers and employers.
(Be sure to include upcoming events with dates, times, locations & the committee chair info. They might want to jump
right in and get involved!)

National Association
of Women in Construction
327 S. Adams
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Toll Free: 800-552-3506
Fax: 817-877-0324
Fort Worth Chapter #1
Pat Meadors
pat@texoassociaiton.org
Dallas Chapter #2
Jill Melancon
jill.melancon@nationalroofingpartners.com
Houston Chapter #3
Jody Richwine
jrichwine@tellepsen.com
Corpus Christi Chapter #4
Lisa Huerta
lmhuerta@stx.rr.com
Austin Chapter #7
Jennifer Morton
jmorton@brandteng.com
Dede Hughes Autumn Daughetee
Executive Vice President Comm. Director
dedeh@nawic.org autumnd@nawic.org
Timothy Elmore Michelle Milner
IT/Web Specialist Comm. Assistant
time@nawic.org michellem@nawic.org
Lauri McCullough Theresa Price
Membership Coordinator Office & Store Mgr
laurim@nawic.org theresap@nawic.org
Darlene Hutzel
Bookkeeper
darleneh@nawic.org
Region 7 Chapter Presidents 2010 - 2011
San Antonio Chapter #11
Sandee Morgan, CBT, CDS, CIT
sandeedal@yahoo.com
Waco Chapter #14
Ginger Ritchison
ginger@centexagc.org
Tulsa Chapter #76
Joani Kelly
jkelly@smallbuildingsystems.com
Port Arthur-Golden Triangle
Chapter #377
Pamela Washington
pwashing@bechtel.com
Upcoming Events
NAWIC Mid-Year Board Meeting
February 24 - 27, 2011
St. Louis, MO
WIC Week
March 6 - 12, 2011
Region 7 Forum 2011
April 8 - 9, 2011
Crowne Plaza Riverwalk
San Antonio, TX
NAWIC’s 56th Annual Convention
August 31 – September 3, 2011
Renaissance Grand & Suites Hotel
St. Louis, MO
PAGE 6

REGION 7 NEWSLETTER — DECEMBER 2010
More Information
2010 - 2011 Region 7 Committee Chairs
Membership: PR/Marketing: NEF Fundraiser:
Jennifer Swinney, CDS, CIT, CBT Gala Burns Tamara Crooks
jswinney@esc-safety.com gburns@worthamsa.com tcrooks1@aol.com
Co-chair: Sandee L. Morgan, CDS, CIT, CBT
sandeedal@yahoo.com Strategic Planning: NEF Liaison:
Gracie Narey, CIT Katie Loughmiller, CIT
Construction Profession & Education: gnarey@aol.com kloughmiller@acitexas.com
Rebecca Manzel
ewers.roofers@sbcglobal.com NEF Block Kids:
Chair: Robynn Lehr
WIC Week: rlehr@tsbyrne.com
Traci Robinson, CIT, CBT
traci@midwestwrecking.net NEF CAD/Drafting
Barbara Taylor, CIT
Safety & Health: Barbara@jmdavidson.com
Lynda Dodson
L.dodson@sbcglobal.net
If you should have any information you wish to have
included in the Region Newsletter please submit to
me by the first of each month. The purpose of this
newsletter is to communicate that which is of interest
to the members in the region and keep us informed
of NAWIC news, dates and events.
Future Convention Dates & Locations
August 31—September 3, 2011 Renaissance Grand and Suites Hotel, St. Louis, MO
August 29—September l, 2012 Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver, CO
August 28—August 31, 2013 Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Bellevue, WA
September 3—September 6, 2014 J.W. Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, Indianapolis, IN
PAGE 7

DECember 2010 vol 2 issue 3
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Safety&
Health
In This ISSUE...
Quick Tip: CSA 2010 pg. 1
Holiday Shopping Safety pg. 2
Earth Health / Green Tip pg. 2
Beat the Holiday Stress pg. 3
Working in Cold Weather pg. 4
Region 14 APC Safety Recap pg. 4-5
Jennifer M. Swinney, CBT, CDS, CIT
National Safety & Health Committee Chair
jswinney@esc-safety.com
M O N T H L Y
Quick Tip
Since the 1970s, Federal and State enforcement agencies in partnership with many
other stakeholders have progressively reduced the rate of commercial vehicle crashes
resulting in injuries or fatalities on our Nation's highways. The rate of crash
reduction slowed, prompting FMCSA to take a fresh look at how the agency
evaluates the safety of motor carriers and drivers and to explore ways to improve its
safety monitoring, evaluation, and intervention processes. CSA 2010 is the result of
this comprehensive examination.
With Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010), the Federal Motor Carrier
SafetyAdministration (FMCSA), together with state partners and industry will work
to further reduce commercial vehicle (CMV) crashes, fatalities, and injuries on our
Nation's highways. CSA 2010 re-engineers the existing enforcement and
compliance business process to provide a better view into how well large commercial
motor vehicle (CMV) carriers and drivers are complying with safety rules, and to
intervene earlier with those who are not. As the program is rolled out, FMCSA will
establish a new enforcement and compliance Operational Model that will utilize its
resources, and those of its State enforcement partners, more efficiently and
effectively, making the roads even safer for everyone.
This new CSA2010 Operational Model has three major components:
· Measurement - CSA 2010 measures safety performance in new ways, using
inspection and crash results to identify carriers whose behaviors could
reasonably lead to crashes.
· Evaluation - CSA 2010 helps FMCSA and its State Partners to correct high
risk behavior by contacting more carriers and drivers, with interventions
tailored to their specific safety problem, as well as a new safety fitness
determination methodology.
· Intervention - CSA2010 covers the full spectrum of safety issues – from how
data is collected, evaluated, and shared to how enforcement officials can
intervene most effectively and efficiently to improve safety on our roads.
The components enable investigators to systematically evaluate why safety
problems are occurring, to recommend remedies, to encourage corrective action(s),
and, where corrective action is inadequate, to invoke strong penalties.
For more information, please visit www. csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Kathi Dobson, CHST, CIT, LEED AP
National Safety & Health Committee Co-Chair
kdobson@alberici.com

keep the
earth healthy
The holidays draw out the best in most of us each year. But
they also bring what seems like an environmentalist's
worst nightmare: tons of extra garbage, millions of
chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights.
With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday
gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the
environment, too.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans
throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week,
including holiday wrapping and packaging. So why not
recycle holiday gift wrap? If every family reused just 2 feet
of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could
tie a bow around the entire planet.
The newest energy-saving stars on the holiday scene are
Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.
LEDs incorporate the same computer-chip technology
used to light calculators and watches. The lights, which
use semiconducting material rather than incandescent
filaments, are 90 percent more efficient than traditional
Christmas lights. If everyone replaced their conventional
holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatthours
of electricity could be saved in a month. The savings
would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year!
Recycling fresh trees after Christmas can make a huge
difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of taking up
space in the landfill, trees can be ground into wood chips,
which can be used to mulch gardens or parks or to prevent
erosion at a local watershed. Go to www.earth911.com to
find a recycling center near you!
HOLIDAY SHOPPING SAFETY TIPS
Shopping during the holiday season can
present unique danger. Taking a few
prevention measures can help keep your
holiday season joyous. The holiday season
is a time when busy people can become
careless and vulnerable to theft and other
holiday crime. The following tips can help
you be more careful, prepared and aware
during the holiday season.
Shop during daylight hours whenever
possible. If you must shop at night, go with
a friend or family member.
Dress casually and comfortably.
Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible
Even though you are rushed and thinking
about a thousand things, stay alert to your
surroundings.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
Pay for purchases with a check or credit
card when possible.
Keep cash in your front pocket.
Notify the credit card issuer immediately if
your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
Keep a record of all of your credit card
numbers in a safe place at home.
Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or
purse. They are the prime targets of
criminals in crowded shopping areas,
transportation terminals, bus stops, on
buses and other rapid transit.
Avoid overloading yourself with packages.
It is important to have clear visibility and
freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
Beware of strangers approaching you for
any reason. At this time of year, "conartists"
may try various methods of
distracting you with the intention of taking
your money or belongings.
page 2

Is Stress Making You Cranky?
This time of year can try even the sweetest woman's patience – from
crowded stores, an endless number of parties, and family demands,
to financial issues, and finding just the right gifts! Stressful situations
increase cortisol levels and cause a dip in “feel-good” hormones, and
since women typically do not express their anger in an aggressive
and direct way, we deal with the hormonal changes in what seems like
a more subtle manner: by getting in a bad mood. (Meaning, we get
cranky!) In an effort to avoid losing your mind this season, here are a
few tips on how to stay calm and enjoy the holidays.
Schedule tasks that are making you anxious, like buying a dress for a party or finishing a
tough work assignment, for early in the day. If you leave them for later, you'll spend
more time worrying and could end up snapping at people.
Take a coffee break with friends or coworkers rather than going solo. A study found that
getting a caffeine fix in a group lowered stress levels. Whereas, sipping coffee alone left
people feeling more stressed.
Take time to read your funny emails or visit a humor site online. Anticipating watching a funny video can
reduce stress hormones by up to 70 percent.
Practice saying the word no. Women, being social creatures, tend to feel obligated to show up for
everything they're invited to. But saying yes to something when you don't really want to go leaves you
bitter and annoyed. Tell people you're prepping for a presentation, then enjoy the free time!
Make a budget for gifts, going out, and travel. It may not be fun to do, and you might not stick to
it, but feeling in control of your finances helps squash anxiety.
Do short, high-intensity workouts. Research found they have a greater effect on stress than
slower-paced exercise does. So, instead of an hour of yoga, hit the treadmill on high for 20
minutes.
If you're feeling too beat to work out, skip the treadmill and relax in the sauna at your gym (or
take a steamy shower). Pampering yourself – even for a few minutes – calms you down.
If you feel ready to snap (at the rude cashier), then talk slower. When you're tense you
speak more rapidly, which changes your body's chemistry and can turn you into a yelling
machine. Talking at a calmer pace will ease your tension, and you'll be more likely to get
what you want.
Skip the New Year's resolutions. While you might think that giving yourself goals is a
positive thing, resolutions tend to make you feel inadequate and pressured rather than
hopeful and happy. Instead, make some great plans for January.
page 3

Working in the Cold Weather Accident Investigations,
Buzz Lightyear is Fried,
and Barrel Racing?
Construction Work is difficult. Stress, difficult working
conditions, and job site hazards can all combine to make it
seem impossible to get the job done. However, the job
gets done despite of all the difficulties. One other factor
that can often make the job tough is the weather,
specifically cold weather.
Cold weather can complicate even the simplest of tasks
by making tools hard to handle, concrete icy or slippery
when there is moisture, and of course cold weather
requires us to dress differently. T-shirts, jeans, and even
work boots have to be replaced by clothing that will
protect the worker from the inclement weather. In
addition, the temperature outside may not be the only
consideration. In the winter seasons we must also
consider the "Wind Chill Temperature." The wind chill
temperature is how cold people and animals feel when
outside. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the
body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the
internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it
FEEL much colder. If the temperature is 0 degrees
Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind
chill is -19 degrees Fahrenheit. At this wind chill
temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.
For this reason it is extremely important that we follow
simple rules to protect ourselves from the elements. First
of all, allow your body to acclimatize. That means before
starting to work out doors in the mornings, step outside
and warm up your muscles by stretching. This will help
prevent strains. Secondly, dress in layers and always
wear your gloves. By layering your clothing you trap air in
between the layers to create warmth. As the day
progresses and temperatures rise you can remove a layer
to make yourself more comfortable. Lastly, eat healthy
and get plenty of rest. You may not realize it but your body
is already working hard to maintain normal body
temperature. By eating healthy foods you will make
certain that your body has enough fuel to burn. Getting a
good nights rest will give your body time to recuperate
from the previous day's work and help fight colds. Stay
safe and warm!
TEMPERATURE ( F)
o
Calm
WIND CHILL CHART
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
WIND VELOCITY (MPH)
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
36
31
25
19
13 71
-5
-11
-16
-22
-28
-34
-40
-46
-52
34
27
21
15 93
-4
-10
-16
-22
-28
-35
-41
-47
-53
-59
32
25
19
13 60
-7
-13
-19
-26
-32
-39
-45
-51
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-81
Frostbite Times 30 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes
NAWIC's Buffalo, New York Chapter #172
hosted Region 14 Annual Planning Conference
on October 23rd, which included an afternoon
safety panel comprised of Donna Shave
(Capital District, NY #261), Patty Stagno
(Granite State Chapter #218) and Catherine
Schoenenberger (Granite State Chapter #218).
Director Sue-Ellen Stoddard facilitated the
discussions as each of the panel members
rolled out her tactic for safety awareness.
Accident Investigations:
First up was Donna Shave. She presented
three different case scenarios; each providing
clues that would later help solve the safety
mystery. The first case told of Careless Connie
Drives to Buffalo, the second was Clumsy Clara
at the Construction Site and the third introduced
us to Off-Balance Olivia at the Office. Donna
broke the crowd into three groups where each
group examined the facts and was able to
actually ask “Connie”, “Clara” and “Olivia”
questions BUT these questions could only be
answered with “yes” or “no”. At the end of a 10
minute investigation, Donna summarized the
events in all three cases, discussing the root
cause of the accident(s) and recommendations
for avoiding similar situations. Everyone in the
audience was engaged in the discussions and
summary.
(continued on page 5)
page 4

Buzz Lightyear is Fried:
Next from the panel was Patty Stagno. Patty
conducted an Electrical Safety demonstration that
not only showed electricity, but also had the
audience hearing and smelling electricity! She fried
Buzz Lightyear and GI-Joe via a home-made model
of overhead electric wires, which included model
scaled utility poles, wires and 110 battery pack
charge. With dolls acting as her props as
vehicles/people, Patty showed how quickly current
can and does “fry”. Patty also addressed the effects
of being electrocuted, both short term and long
term….fantastically frightening.
Barrel Racing:
Catherine Schoenenberger incorporated her young
years as a barrel racer in 4-H horse shows into her
demonstration on the importance of Personal
Protection Equipment. Borrowing three highway
workzone drums (aka barrels) from a local
contractor, Catherine established a cloverleaf
pattern in which each 2-woman team had to follow:
At the first barrel the “racers” had to put on their
Tyvek suits
The second barrel required one racer to assist the
other in getting properly fastened into a fall harness
(properly being the keyword)
At the third barrel was a 5-part ANSI Class 2 breakaway
vest that had to be put back together and then
worn by the racer without the harness
After all three items had been properly
attached/fitted, the racers literally had to sprint to the
finish line!
This was a timed event…the best time was 1 minute
45 seconds….but the best time, was watching the
teams compete!
Submitted by
Catherine Schoenenberger,
NAWIC Granite State Chapter #218
page 5