# Presentation: 948589

## Work-Life Advisor

**Vol. 15, No. 6, March 2007**

**U.S. Department of**
**Transportation**
**400 7th St., SW, Rm. 2110**
**Washington, DC  20590**
**800/525-2878 (ext. 1)**
**202/366-6389**

**Prevention **
**In 2007:**
***The Year of ***
***the Healthier Fed***
*Article Reprint Source, *
- _[www.healthierfeds.gov](http://www.healthierfeds.gov/)_* *
- _______________________________

**Prevention**
- _[Tips for Preventive Health](slide1.xml)__ _
**Preventing Injury **
**Taking Medicines Correctly **
**Preventing Skin Cancer **
**Tips for Preventive Health**
- Following basic safety rules can prevent many serious injuries. Here are some preventive tips to help you avoid injury.
**Preventing Injury **
**To help protect yourself at home:**
-  Use smoke detectors. Remember to check the batteries every month.
-  Use a reminder to change the batteries every year. For example, change the batteries around your birthday or some holiday.
-  Keep hallways and stairwells well lit
-  Remove or repair things that could cause tripping, such as loose rugs, electrical cords, and toys.
**To help protect yourself away from home: **
-  Wear seat belts.
-  Never drive after drinking alcohol.
-  Always wear a safety helmet while riding a motorcycle or bicycle.
-  Be alert for hazards in your workplace.
-  Follow workplace safety rules.

- BALANCE
-   CAREER     HOME

**MARCH EVENTS happening at DOT**
**HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge Participants, Don’t Forget to Log-In!**
**March 8, 12-1pm: **
- “Living a Brain Healthy Lifestyle”
*(FAA Building B: 3A)*
**March 13, 10am: **
- “Generations of Women Moving History Forward”: Sponsored by the DOT Office of Civil Rights
- (Nassif: 2230)
**March 20, 12-1pm:**
- Fathers and Work-Life Balance
- (Nassif: 4438/4440)
**March 28, 2-4pm: **
*A FHWA Administrative Videoconference*
- ********************
**To Register for  **
**March Events, **
**Please Send an E-mail to:**
**Zakina.Brooker**
**@dot.gov**

- BALANCE
-   CAREER     HOME

**Taking Medicines Correctly**
- Always be sure you know everything about a medicine before you take it. This information will help you get the full benefits from your medicine. It will also help you avoid taking too much or too little of a medicine. Taking medicine in the wrong way can make you worse instead of better.
*Resource for You – “Your Medicine: Play It Safe” (AHRQ Publication No. 03-0019) gives practical tips on how to take medicines safely. To get a print copy, call the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or email at ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov. *
**Preventing Skin Cancer **
- You can lower your risk for skin cancer by:
-  Limiting the amount of time you spend in the sun, especially between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
-  Wearing sunglasses and clothing that protects against the sun-such as broad-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants-when you are in the sun.
-  Using sunscreen when you are in the sun. (But, don't stay out in the sun longer just because you are wearing sunscreen.)** **

**Did  You  Know March is ...**
** ****DOT Departmental Women’s History  Month?**
*In observance of Departmental *
*Women’s History Month, the *
*DOT Office of Civil Rights will  *
*sponsor a program entitled *
*“**Generations of Women Moving *
*History Forward”.   The *
*program will be on Tuesday, *
*March 13**th** at 10am in Room *
*2230 of the Nassif Building.   *
*A special feature of the *
*Program will be a Chapter *
*Ceremony celebrating the *
*charting and official kickoff of *
*the DOT Chapter of Federally *
*Employed Women (FEW), *
*Women on the Move”.* *Directly *
*following the Program, the *
*Chapter will host a reception.*
* *

**DOT WORK-LIFE WELLNESS PROGRAM**
- Provides information on work/life issues such as parenting, childcare, eldercare, telework,
- diversity, personal and professional development, and health and wellness.
- Resources on these topics can be obtained by calling
- 202/366-6389 or 800/525-2878 (ext. 1)

**DOT WORK-LIFE WELLNESS PROGRAM**
- Provides information on work/life issues such as parenting, childcare, eldercare, telework,
- diversity, personal / professional development, health and wellness.
- Resources on these topics can be obtained by calling
- 202/366-6389 or 800/525-2878 (ext. 1)

**Work-Life ****Q & A **
**For March 2007**
- __________________________
**Q: I have heard that DOT is starting a new program called Power Partners.   Could you give me some more information?**
**A: **The DOT Fitness Center has launched a special initiative, Power Partners, to encourage employees to focus on their physical fitness.   Recognizing that having someone with whom to share your fitness goals, workouts and accomplishments can strengthen individual follow-through, the initiative is designed for employees to join with another person whom serves as their Power Partner.
- The promotion will continue through April 13, 2007.   During this period new members will receive a free t-shirt and existing members who bring their Power Partner to join will also receive the t-shirt.   Enjoying the benefits of exercise, active participants have the opportunity for improved energy, endurance, stress relief and overall health.
- For more information, contact the DOT Fitness Center Manager, Vivian Wallace, at _[vivian.wallace@dot.gov](mailto:vivian.wallace@dot.gov)__ or (202)366-9731. _

** **

**American Diabetes**
**Alert**
*Article Excerpt Source and For More*
* **Information, Visit *_[www.diabetes.org](http://www.beatyourrisk.com/)_* . *
*__________________________________*
*     *
- The American Diabetes Alert,
- March 27th, is an annual, one-day
- call-to-action for people to find out
- if they are at risk for diabetes. The
- Alert's goal is to raise awareness
- that diabetes is serious.   You can
- have it and not even know it.
**What is diabetes?**
- Diabetes means that your blood
- glucose (sugar) is too high.  Your
- blood always has some glucose in
- it because the body needs glucose
- for energy to keep you going.  Too
- much glucose in the blood is not
- good for your health.
**Could you have diabetes?**
- Diabetes is a silent disease. You
- could have it for years and never
- know it. During this time, your
- eyes, nerves, and kidneys may
- have been harmed by too much
- sugar in your blood.
**Don't wait for the signs**
- Most people with diabetes do not
- notice any symptoms. However if
- you should have any of these
- symptoms, call your health care
- provider right away; Very thirsty:
- Frequent urination: Losing weight
- without trying.
**What can you do?**
- You can do things now to lower
- your risk for diabetes by: Keeping
- your weight in control; Eating low
- fat meals that are HIGH in fruits,
- vegetables and whole grain
- foods; Staying active most days of
- the week.