- Author: Chris M. Webb
Did you know your local UCCE office is a great place to get fire-safe information? Natural Resources Advisor, Sabrina Drill has done much work to make this knowledge easily available for you.
Two free publications that provide great tips and ideas on how to make your property fire safe are: Making your property fire safe and S.A.F.E. landscapes in the wildland- urban interface.
Other great fire-safe information can be found on our website by clicking the “fire information” button on our home page, or by clicking here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Falling trees, or even a single fallen limb, can cause property damage, personal injury, and even death. These types of problems can happen at any time, but are more likely to happen during or right after a storm.
It is wise to take the time to evaluate trees on your property. The University of California has a publication, “Inspect Your Landscape Trees for Hazards”. It is available for free online in English and Spanish. The publication points out specific signs that may indicate that trees, or pieces of them, are at risk for falling. All evaluations are done from the ground.
As we head into our region’s stormy time of year, it is a good time to evaluate your trees for safety. You might want to share this information with your neighbors too!
Broken branch recently examined by Ventura County UCCE Environmental Horticulture Advisor, Jim Downer
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Did you know your Ventura County UCCE office has another less known name? We are also known as the County of Ventura Farm Advisor office.
The County of Ventura is taking part in a nationwide effort to encourage everyone to be prepared for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. As a County of Ventura agency, we would like to help the effort by reminding our clientele of the importance of preparing for disaster or emergency.
The following is taken from a recent County communication:
When unexpected natural or man-made emergencies occur, our greatest defense is individual preparedness. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services has taken steps to assist our community in becoming educated, trained and better prepared. We invite you to accept our challenge in being better prepared and join our effort in observing September as National Preparedness Month.
For more information, please visit the County of Ventura Disaster Information website . This website will display current information in the event of an emergency, educate residents on the hazards in our area, and provide resources on how to prepare, respond and recover from a disaster in our area. When you are prepared, Ventura County is too.
Thanks for doing your part!
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Did you know that California employers are required to take four steps to prevent heat illness? The steps are:
- Training employees and supervisors about heat illness prevention.
- Provide enough fresh water for each employee to drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage them to do so.
- Provide access to shade for at least 5 minutes of rest for an employee who believes they need a preventative recovery period.
- Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.
Further information can be found at the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/HeatIllnessInfo.html. Main topics for further heat related information are:
- Heat illness training – including seminars and PowerPoint training in English and Spanish.
- Heat illness regulation.
- Heat illness prevention publications – many available in English and Spanish.
- Additional heat illness links.
The University of California has heat stress information as well as many other safety tips at http://groups.ucanr.org/ehs/Safety_Notes/.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
We hear often of exotics pests and invasive species. We know that plants, pests and disease can spread in many ways. We also know new problems arrive regularly – seemingly with increasing speed.
In the Ventura County UCCE office people often show up with samples of soil, plants, and insects. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people that moving these, and related items, across geographical borders (countries, states and counties) often require permits. Permits may even be required when working with government agencies. Not obtaining a permit when required can lead to unpleasant consequences including: regulatory action, fines, or loss of research funding.
To help protect yourself and reduce the spread of exotic and invasive species, please do not move samples across geographical borders without checking if a permit is required. UC ANR Safety Note #146, “Quarantined and Regulated Pest Permit Requirements” can help. It can be found at http://groups.ucanr.org/ehs/files/68310.pdf.
Other UC ANR safety topics can be found at http://groups.ucanr.org/ehs/Safety_Notes/.