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Gratitude Begins in the Heart

  News & Updates , , ,  

November is a month of giving thanks. We extend our gratitude to our US military veterans for their service to our country and its citizens. We also celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving, in which we extend our gratitude for our families and for those less fortunate than us by VOLunteering to help those in need through giving and sharing.

EHS is celebrating this season by thanking all Vols on campus who serve the health, safety, and well-being of our campus community. The year 2020 challenged us all with change, complexity, and for some, loss. And as Vols, we met this challenge together by maintaining a safe campus to learn, work, and live.

From Facilities Services employees ensuring our buildings were functional, clean, and safe, to the faculty, who realigned their teaching and research protocols to accommodate the demands of COVID, to our UTPD Officers who provided for our physical safety, and most importantly to our administration, faculty and staff who worked tirelessly these past months forging a new and undefined path to continue UTK mission and service to our students, EHS extends its thanks!

Graphic of a masked figure with "Safety begins between the ears" and a Heart with "gratitude begins in the heart"Keeping safety alive and well is not something done alone by EHS, by Safety Officers, or Safety committees. It has taken all Vols’ personal commitment in keeping safety and health as an unwavering value to meet the challenges of 2020.

This month, please help us thank those who have exemplified a Volunteer Spirit and contributed to safety this year.

Thank you all for stepping up and keeping All Vols safe!

UT’s Lee Working to Change Stats on US Veteran Suicide

  News & Updates 

A sign from a recent Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike in Knoxville.

About 20 U.S. veterans take their own lives every day. For UT’s Aaron Lee, that grim statistic is personal.

While on active duty in the U.S. Marines, he lost a co-worker to suicide. Then this summer, a cousin took his own life. Lee himself has faced dark seasons on active duty and as a veteran.

“What saved me were close friends from the military reaching out when they noticed my mood and just talking to me and doing whatever needed to cheer me up and show me there was a reason to keep on keeping on,” said Lee, a hazardous waste specialist in UT Environmental Health and Safety.

Lee wants to offer the same lifeline to other veterans through his involvement in Irreverent Warriors, a group committed to fostering friendships among veterans through humor and camaraderie as a way to improve mental health and prevent veteran suicide.

Aaron Lee during the Knoxville Silkies Hike.

The organization hosts hikes around the country called Silkies Hikes—where groups make long treks together often wearing nothing more than short shorts reminiscent of military-issued physical training briefs known as “silkies.”

Lee recently co-coordinated a Silkies Hike in Knoxville. More than 100 people took part in the 10-mile hike that began in South Knoxville and meandered through downtown and the University of Tennessee campus. Many volunteers made the event possible including EHS Director Sandra Prior, a US Army veteran, who participated in the hike and EHS staff who donated to Irreverent Warriors, he said.

During the hikes, participants carry flags representing the different military branches while wearing silkies—a visual that can leave onlookers a bit confused.

“We do stop to explain or hand out cards that takes them to our website where they can get a better grasp of what the organization is about and even make a donation if they like,” said Lee, who has completed three Silkies hikes. We stop for photo ops with people or just for a hug or good laugh.”

Participants in the Knoxville Silkies Hike

The Irreverent Warriors’ key message is this: suicide is completely preventable.

“Many members of the military have developed a strong sense of humor through bad times and that can help bring someone out of a depression,” he said. “I know for me personally, it has helped me several times to just reach out and chat with a friend. Our main message is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we are here to talk 24/7/365.”

A second Silkies Hike in Knoxville is already in the works and is planned for May 22, 2021. Lee has been named the lead coordinator for the event.

For more information about the Irreverent Warriors and the Silkies Hikes, visit https://www.irreverentwarriors.com.

Don’t Get Burned Out: Fire Safety at UTK

  Fire Safety, News & Updates , , ,  

For the month of October EHS will be promoting Fire Safety at UTK. This year has presented many unusual challenges. We are inundated by messages, new procedures, and updates that can leave us tired, confused, or simply burned out.

In support of our annual slogan, “Safety Begins Between the Ears”, we encourage the campus community to not get burned out. Don’t let the challenges we face keep us from thinking about fire safety. All Vols should maintain vigilance and attention to conditions that lead to fires.

  • Stay alert to fire hazards
  • Know how to respond
  • Act when necessary

This month we will support various topics beginning with the National Fire Prevention Association’s Fire Prevention Week (October 4-10). This year, the NFPA is focused on home cooking fires. Many are working or learning remotely than before. Whether at home or in a UT residence hall, cooking fire safety has become more important. Please continue to follow us for some simple tools and guidance.

 

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