The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-04-23, Page 20• Entertainment • Features
• Religion • Family • More
SECTION
o tar Go
mine rescue co
erich
1
S
etition
By Susan Hundertmark
My health is my
responsibility
,When Ontario doctors threatened to
strike, as they overwhelming did over
the weekend, I experienced the emotions
they'd hoped to evoke.
I was scared. Afterall, doctors are the
best people to see when you've suffered a
heart attack, been hit by a car, need a
liver transplant or been placed in any
number of life threatening situations..
With technology at their fingertips, they
have the skills to save lives.
But, the doctors' threats also made me
feel angry and betrayed. And, they made
me wonder if I might not be better off
gaining as much knowledge as I could to
reduce my dependency on their skills.
The extra -billing situation coupled
with accumulating personal experiences
have caused me to do a lot of thinking
lately about health: And, I'm struck by
the question, "Who has my .health and
my best interests at heart?" In light of
recent developments, neither govern-
ment nor doctors seem to qualify as the
answer.
Instead, since I'm hoping to live life to
the fullest for the longest period of time
possible, the answer is me. Only as an in-
formed, defensive and ever -questioning
health care consumer can I hope to
achieve my goal of long and productive
living.
Quite frankly, my experience with a
few doctors have given me cause to be
cautious where the medical profession 4s
concerned. •
As a teenager with a noticeable case of
acne, I was offered a prescription for
tranquillizers to combat the stress my
doctor assumed was the cause. .
I was shocked by the offer at the time
but have since become outraged after
learning of the two million women in the
U.S. addicted to prescription drugs.
Since I've recently discovered that such
addictions can lead to fatigue, depres-
sion, anxiety and even death, I'm glad I
chose to live with my, acne.
When I was 21, another doctor booked
me • for a mammogram soon after he
learned my mother's breast cancer had
taken a turn for the worse. Shaken by my
mother's deteriorating health, the
Burgeon• seemed determined to have me
undergo a procedure once every two
years which he admitted could give me
cancer, the disease he was supposedly
trying to prevent.
I've since learned .that the silver lining
to the dark cloud of my mother's death
was the fact that her dying prevented me
from keeping my appointment with the x-
ray machine. Because of the risks of
mammography, the American Cancer
Society has abandoned routine mam-
mography
for women under age 50.
These experiences added to my grow-.
ing disappoi'htment with a profession'.
which would abandon its patients in a
power struggle with the government,
have only served to reinforce my belief
that I'm the only person who must take
responsibility for my health. It's -my life
that's at sfake, afterall.
I am not, however, judging the entire-,
profession by my experiences with a few
doctors. Neither am I dismissing doctors
altogether.
To their credit, there are a number of
doctors who advocate patients taking
control over their own health and par-
ticipating in preventative activities pro-
moting wellness: I'm sure they're sick of
patients demanding instant cures for
diseases their unhealthy lifestyles have
produced. •
I know I've been\®one of those
uneducated, demanding patients who
places their health entirely in the hands
of their doctor.
But, I'm determined to change all that.
Instead of looking to doctors to rescue me
from disease, I've decided to learn a lot
more about looking after myself.
There's a growing grassroots move-
ment toggs� d self -dare and wellness in
NorthAnerica today. It consists of peo-
ple who want to avoid diseases such as
cancer and heart disease by paying
closer attention to nutrition and lifestyle.
It includes people who'd rather take a
massage than an aspirin to rid
themselves of a tension headache.
The self-care movement attracts peo-
ple who are concerned about the side ef-
fects of drugs which can be more
debilitating than the condition the drugs
are prescribed to treat, It includes
women who want child p"th to be the
natural and joyful even it should be
rather than a dangerous -ordeal filled
with drugs and technological
intervention.
According to my reading, the self-care
movement consists of "ordinary people
who are realizing that the most impor-
tant health decisions are made by
themselves, by their families and by
their communities, not by doctors and
governments. The centre of health power
is slowly moving from the physician to
the informed lay person."
As far as I'm concerned, that's where
the power over health should have been
all the time. Giving'over our livesito doc-
tors who are expected to save us is too
great a burden on both the doctors and
the medical system. Neither has it im-
proved our overall chances for survival
since mortality rates haven't improved
much since the 1950s.
I think my chances are much better
since I've decided to take control of my
own health. I'll see you in the health food
store! •
Trained rescue teams are
e icien in an emergency
The Domtar Goderich Mine has won the
fourth annual district. Mine Rescue Com-
petition held in Goderich on Saturday. The
Domtar team will advance and represent
the Southern Ontario District, one of eight
Ontario Districts at the provincial finals
which will be held in Sudbury this June. •
Rescue teams from five underground area
mines located in or -near Caledonia, Drum -
bo, Hagersville, Windsor and Goderich
participated. For the past three year the
victors had been the Canadian Rock 'Salt
Company rescue team from Windsor. Last
year they represented their district in a
commendable manner and placed second
in the overall provincial finals.
1 his is the fourth year 'the. Goderich
mine has participated and the first time
they have won the competition. Members
of the team include Dan Boyce, Jeff Sower
by, Don Rivera, Brian MacKenzie, Peter
Vanderheyden and Colin Chisholm. A vice
captain award for proficiency presented
for the first time this year was presented
to Goderich's Don Rivera.
Since the inception of mine rescue all
training efforts have been directed
towards the perfecting of rescue teams. It
is the opinion of the mine operators that
these teams can be made even more effi-
cient if mineemployees and supervisors
are given the opportunity to take part in
special courses, to know and discuss the
limits and limitations of men, apparatus.
and .-sarumcnto and to have a good
111DL1 ulaaa.0 �.a .,., have _
knowledge of modern methods of combat-
ting an emergency requiring. the use of
mine rescue teams.
Development of
mine rescue training
Following a disastrous fire at Hollinger
in 1928, formal Mine Rescue Training was
established in Ontario. Full equipped.
Mine Rescue Stations have §Inde been
established in the major mining areas of
the Province; at Timmins, Sudbury,
Kirkland Lake / Cobalt, Thunder Bay, Red
Lake, Elliot Lake and Onaping.
In addition, thirty sub -stat ons, oca
at points distant from the main stations,
have been equipped with sufficient
breathing apparatus to permit rescue
operations to be started while more equip-
ment is en route. Four sub -stations are
located in Southern Ontario; one of which
is at Goderich Mine.
Mobile units are.maintained at all of the
seven mine rescue stations, and a total of
352 four-hour, self-contained breathing ap-
paratus are in use throughout the
Prowince.
This is the only piece of breathing ap-
paratus that will give the wearer complete
breathing protection against all, gases,
under any condition for a full four hours.
The wearer carries with him his own supp-,
ly of oxygen, and by purifying and, re-
breathing his exhaled air, no oxygen is lost
or wasted. It is fully self-contained and is
safe to wear by men who have been pro-
perly trained in its use.
Costs of Mine Rescue Training, in-
cluding salaries, equipment, buildings,
maintenance, etc., are paid through the
Ministry of Labour and at the end of a
twelve month period, will assess the total
cost of Mine Rescue Training to the mining
industry on a per capita basis.
The owner of a mine makes available
training facilities and workers to be taught
and trained in mine resew work at the ex-
pense of the owner.- The cost of mine
rescue operatons at a mine is at the ex
pense of the owner of a mine.
In an event of a fire the Mine Manage-
ment has the responsibility to locate any
men underground and get them to safety;
locate and extinguish or isolate the fire;
ensure that the Mine atmosphere and work
places are in safe condition before the nor-
mal mining activity is allowed to resume
and ensure that the appropriate 'Ministry
of Labour officials have been informed.
In mine rescue operations, particularly
where it is necessary to wear breathing ap- .
paratus, it requires a team of five men,
Turn to page 4A •
Members of the Winds& mine rescue team are shown solving their field pro-
blem daring the fourth annual district Mine Rescue Competition at the
Goderieh Arena on Saturday. Clockwise from the top left the team receives
their instructions and "then checks their equipment. As .they advance through
the simulated mine, they reseue a miner after putting out a fire, Ie'TA i)Otos
',by Sharon Dietz)