Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Public Service Message: Tell a Teen



"The study showed that drivers who text and drive become more than one third slower than if they were coherent and not texting – this was compared to a person at the DUI limit or under the influence of illegal drugs. Text messaging lowered reaction time by 35 percent, while people high on marijuana slowed down 21 percent and those who were drunk slowed down by 12 percent."--Transport Research Laboratory, UK

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Workplace Safety Information



Every day in America, according to the Occupational Safety Hazard Administration, sixteen people die while doing their jobs. Of course, some are firefighters or police killed in the line of duty while doing jobs that are by nature somewhat dangerous. But others are just regular folks who become the victims of inattention, ill-training, recklessness or, worst of all, a co-worker or customer's criminal intent or mental illness.

Below are some links that you or someone you know might find informative (or life saving). Pass the information along.

OSHA--The Occupational Safety Hazard Administration--The Federal agency charged with making sure that American workplaces know what being safe means...and with making sure that workers can blow the whistle on those which aren't.

Centers for Disease Control's Workplace Safety--A well-organized and comprehensive resource on occupational and workplace safety, complete with easy-to-understand publications.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety Hazards (NIOSH)--Has a great website that helps you answer the question: "Is my workplace safe?"

The National Safety Council--This hotlink will take you to the website of the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas chapter of the National Safety Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to safer products and workplaces.

The Louisiana Department of Labor's Workplace Safety FAQ--Questions and answers about running a safe workplace.

Fatal Facts--OSHA Reports about specific situations in which workers died on the job. Includes investigator opinions as to how the accidents might have been avoided.

Louisiana's Worker's Compensation Page--Links for if the unthinkable happens.

Safety and Health Topics: Workplace Violence (OSHA)--Dealing with co-workers who may be unstable and potentially violent.

Workplace Violence--An excellent handbook, written by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about the danger of workplace violence and how it can be dealt with by co-workers, supervisors and law enforcement.

The USDA Handbook on Workplace Violence Prevention and Response

Workplace Safety Education

The Terrebonne Parish Library has a wide selection of industrial and workplace safety videos and books available.

Terrebonne Parish Catalog Search: "Industrial Safety."

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Louisiana Legal Resources




Louisiana Constitution of 1974--Searchable by article number, not keyword.

Louisiana Revised Statutes--Search Louisiana's legal code by citation and keyword.

Terrebonne Parish Code of Ordnances

Louisiana Administrative Code--Subject Index

Legal Public Notices--Legal and public notices from around the state of Louisiana.

Lawhelp.org--Louisiana's guide to free online legal help.


Louisiana Boards and Commissions Database


Thomson-Gale Legal Forms Database

Louisiana Advocacy Center--Free legal help for the elderly and disabled.

Louisiana State Bar Association Opinion Service--Registration required. The LSBA Opinion Service allows the public to obtain the latest opinions released from Louisiana appellate courts.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veterans' Day: Repost



Today is Veterans' Day, when America honors all those who have served the country in the military. The Terrebonne Parish Library Reference Department has put together some links to information that veterans and their families might find useful.

The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs is dedicated to providing quality care and service for America's former servicemen.

VA Home Loan Guaranty Services provides home loan and mortgage information to veterans.

Housing and Urban Development has many housing programs for veterans worth looking into.

Mental health resources for returning veterans can be found at the website of SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs tries its best to help veterans--especially those returning from service overseas--find the help and services they need.

The National World War Two Memorial has message boards, a registry and an e-store for veterans of the watershed conflagration.

The Korean War Memorial homepage has information about the monument and the war it commemorates.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall page has information about the memorial and a tool to search for names on the face of the monument.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009