A D V E N T I S T R I S K M A N A G E M E N T, I N C .
SOLUTIONS
Providing Solutions to Minimize Risks
SEPTEMBER 2010 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 9
Inspiration
"By day the LORD
went ahead of them
in a pillar of cloud to
guide them on their
way and by night in
a pillar of fire to give
them light, so that
they could travel by
day or night."
Exodus 13:21
Motivation
"The most important
trip you may take in
life is meeting people
halfway."
Henry Boye
www.adventistrisk.org
Don’t Let Your Guard Down
I
n July, with the 59th General Conference
Session safely in the rear view mirror,
I was happy to be traveling to
“Vacationland” in Northern New England.
On this particularly special trip the entire
family, including our adult children, was on
the way to a family reunion. My grandparents
lived in Camden, Maine for most of their
lives and my father was born there. We have
spent many wonderful summers visiting the
picturesque town, where Mount Battie rises
up above beautiful Camden Harbor.
We had picked up a camper trailer in
Massachusetts and I was driving merrily
along. Suddenly, a Volkswagen Beetle pulled
out right in front of us and the driver was not
bothering to accelerate! With a trailer in tow,
it was all I could manage to avoid an accident.
Immediately, everyone's attention was focused
on my driving.
“Daaadddddddd, you need to watch it!”
cried my son.
“Well, how many
accidents have
you been in
with me
Page 2 Page 4
Steering Transportation
Transporation Safety Begins in the
Programs Parking Lot
driving?” I smugly asked, secure in the
knowledge that the answer was zero. However,
I had forgotten that Mindy was also in the car.
She promptly added, “Well, I have been."
My mind went back to a snowy day
in Indiana. I had just traveled for three
hours in a blizzard to get home. Mindy
desperately wanted to attend a youth
program at Indiana Academy, which was just
six miles from our home.
I tried to get out of it, but she persisted,
so I got in the car and set off on the journey.
"This can’t be all that bad after what I have been
through," I thought to myself. Lulled into
complacency, I wasn't paying as much attention
as I should have been. Just a third of a mile
from home, we hit a patch of ice, spun around
and slammed into a barbed wire fence off to
the side of the road. My daughter’s statement
brought back the memory of painting up all
those scratches on my Chevrolet. “Ouch!" It
could have been much worse though!
Both of these experiences are examples of
why drivers should keep their guard up when
traveling. You never know what you might
encounter on the road!
There are other safety recommendations
in this issue of Solutions. Read them, learn
what the authors have to say and then put the
recommendations into practice. ■
Michael Jamieson, vice president and chief financial officer of
Adventist Risk Management, prepared this article.
Page 6 Page 7
Exercise Intensity Beans Protect
and Blood Sugar Against Cancer
Control?
FEATURE
Steering Transportation Programs
C
ertain responsibilities come along with owning a vehicle.
Preventive maintenance measures, such as regular oil
changes and fluid level checks, help keep the vehicle
running smoothly and safely. The actual operation of the car is
also critical. Good defensive driving principles and adhering
to the rules of the road help drivers and passengers arrive at
intended destinations unharmed.
Unfortunately, due to expense, limited time to take the
vehicle in for service, and other reasons, not everyone maintains
their vehicles as they should. Not everyone has the best driving
habits either. Some even become impatient and aggressive behind
the wheel, an extremely dangerous habit that exposes themselves
and others to injury or even death.
When an organization owns vehicles, there is a crucial duty
to properly select and maintain those vehicles, and provide
qualified and safe drivers. Everything possible must be done to
ensure the safe transportation of Pathfinders, students, campers,
employees, volunteers and others. People and assets are put at
risk when an organization does not replace aging or hazardous
vehicles, adequately maintain its fleet, or do everything in its
power to select and train safe vehicle operators.
Matching Vehicle with Need
Every organization has different, and often multiple,
transportation needs. A church may need a small van or truck for
pickup or delivery of community service items or other uses. It
may also desire a bus for transporting Pathfinders. Some schools
may require buses and other vehicles, including vehicles
2 SOLUTIONS • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
for maintenance and grounds. Camps will very often need a bus
and a variety of other camp vehicles.
A number of factors must be considered when matching
vehicle selection with need. Answers to the following questions
will help define types of vehicles needed and for what purposes.
yy How will vehicles be used: maintenance, transportation
of individuals or groups?
yy How many youth or adults will need transportation?
yy Will transportation be intrastate or interstate?
yy Do state, federal, or provincial laws govern usage?
(Requirements for use of a vehicle as a school bus are
often dictated by local, state, federal, or provincial laws.
While those laws may not apply to religious or private
school in some jurisdictions, it might be prudent to
adopt those standards when safety is the issue.)
yy Should an organization lease, buy, or hire a transportation
service? (Hiring a transportation service may be
determined by a limited need for the transportation,
inability to provide qualified drivers, elimination of the
need for maintenance costs and recordkeeping.)
The same safety principle that applies to tools can be applied
to selection and use of transportation. Just as a wrench is not a
hammer and should not be used as one, a pickup or flatbed truck
is not a bus and should not be used as a bus! If a large number of
people need to be transported, small vans, turtle-tops or full-size
buses may be needed. Just hauling supplies? A pickup or other
small vehicle may be just the thing.
The push for better safety with 15-passenger vans remains
strong. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) over the last few years added five major
rulemakings. One required lap and shoulder harnesses for all
rear seating positions in vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or
less (2004), and another upgraded door locks, door retention
components and side impact protection (2007). Two major
additions were two new crash avoidance standards: tire
pressure monitoring systems and electronic stability control.
According to an NHTSA report (15-Passenger Van Safety
Update, April 2008), most of these safety improvements
were being phased in on vehicles, so the effects on statistics
are too early to gauge.
However, early volunteer installation of electronic
stability control, along with educational and public
awareness, may be starting to reflect decreased single-
vehicle van rollover crashes and fewer deaths. The
instability of the 15-passenger van was also magnified
when operators placed luggage on top and used the vehicle for
towing. Educational programs aimed at halting both practices
may also be making an impact. Keep in mind, 15-passenger vans
still require a greater operator skill/experience level. Until the
verdict comes in on the safety of the newer vehicles, small vans or
turtle-top type buses are recommended.
Whatever the type of vehicle, do not overload. Do not
exceed the allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) and the
allowable weight of tires. The individual allowable weight of a
tire when multiplied times four should be equal to or preferably Stevens Seventh-day Adventist Church (Long Island) Bus

greater than the GVW of the vehicle.
Tire failure is frequently the cause of van and other vehicle
accidents. Inspect tire condition regularly. Look at the age of tires,
as well. Tires deteriorate with age, and the NHTSA recommends
changing tires when they are more than six years old. The last
four-digit number in a series preceded by the letters DOT on the
tire sidewall indicates the week and year of manufacture.
Safety Behind the Wheel
A great deal of safety is factored into the person behind
the wheel. The driver must not only be skilled in the handling
characteristics of the assigned vehicle, but will often be part of
the supervision of riders. Where possible, it is recommended
that another person in the vehicle provide the primary
supervision so the driver can focus on driving. That individual
in partnership with the driver must ensure all riders understand
the rules they are subject to on the trip, such as the prohibition
of boisterous, distracting behavior, and leaving seats. They must
also understand the vehicle is not moving until everyone is
buckled up.
It is the driver who generally must ensure that the vehicle
has had a pre-trip inspection, is not overloaded and seats only
the number of occupants that there are seat belts for. This may
sound simple enough, but far too often, vehicle accidents show
more individuals in the vehicles than the number for which they
are rated. They also show individuals in places not intended for
occupancy. Keep it simple: If there is a seat and a seat belt, put
someone there. If there is not a seat and a seat belt, don’t. Just
to make it clear, since it is done at times, a person’s lap does not
qualify as a seat.
At the end of each trip the driver should properly document
and report any vehicle discrepancies observed. Unsafe conditions
must be repaired before the vehicle goes back on the road.
Ensure that drivers are properly licensed and comply with
all state, federal, and provincial laws for the class of vehicle
driven and that they meet age guidelines of the North American
Division Working Policy (21 years old, unless the conference
grants approval for drivers no younger than 19 years of age).
Motor vehicle records of each driver should also be obtained and
reviewed on a regular basis. The standard in the Working Policy
establishes a limit of no more than two traffic citations and no
at-fault accidents for drivers. Periodic defensive driver re-training
and hands-on observations of drivers will benefit both the driver
and the organization overall.
Establish standards that prohibit cell phone use, texting and
other distracting tasks like eating and reading maps while driving.
Drivers who need to make a call or check directions should pull
into a parking lot when it is safe to do so. On long trips, drivers
must also take ample breaks to prevent drowsiness.
Taking Care of What We Have
Just as buildings are cared for to keep them from
deteriorating, a fleet of vehicles needs regular preventive
maintenance, whether it is one vehicle, five, or more. Regularly
scheduled maintenance is generally based on miles driven or a
specific time if the vehicle accrues low mileage over a long period
of time. All maintenance needs to be thoroughly documented
and kept on file. If a vehicle is involved in an accident, the vehicle
owner may need to prove the vehicle was well maintained.
How Does Your Program Stack Up?
We have the ability and tools to steer our vehicle safety
program. We can guide them properly and benefit from a
positive outcome or we can deal with the tragic results of not
keeping our program on a safe course down the road. Take the
time now to look at yours and make any necessary changes. ■
John Dougan, ARM, ALCM, Senior Risk Control Specialist for Adventist Risk
Management, Inc. prepared this article.

S O LU T I O N S • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 3

FORESIGHT
Transportation Safety
Begins in the Parking Lot
T
he phrase, “Security begins in the parking lot” is
mentioned often on various Safety and Security webinars
and in the Christian Security Network e-Newsletter. The
first time I heard this it caught me by surprise. After reflecting
on the meaning, it made sense. Once a person with unsavory
intentions crosses the threshold it will be much harder to
arrest the intentions of that person. Once a thief gets inside
the building, they will likely walk off with something. For best
results incidents must be stopped as far away from the door
of the church, school or other facility as possible. These same
principles could easily apply to transportation safety.
Although there are external risks that we must prevent
often risks are also generated from within the organization. We
can be the risk as we walk out the door and get into our vehicle,
whether a rental car, a church-owned van or bus, or someone’s
personal auto. Too much risk begins in the parking lot and it has
to be stopped.
Recently, I spent two
weeks in Haiti and witnessed
mission groups doing things
that gave me serious pause.
Although volunteers were
doing much good, they were
also involved in actions
that were putting them at
risk. On three occasions I
observed volunteer groups
traveling in the back of
open pickup trucks over
Haitian roads filled with
potholes, cracks from the
earthquake, and detours
around fallen bridges. In
one case teens were even
riding on a luggage rack
over the pickup cab!
How can group
leaders leave their good
judgment in the church
parking lot? In the
United States and
Canada we would
immediately stop or
4 SOLUTIONS • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
avoid this kind of activity during a church outing. Why does it
become acceptable on an international mission trip, where road
conditions are substandard, driving is chaotic, vehicles are often
poorly maintained, and criminal activity abounds?
Statistics gathered from several years of study are now
pointing to a shocking trend and development. The number
one risk and threat to humanitarian workers is not bullets
or kidnapping. It is road accidents. Roughly 50 percent of
humanitarian worker deaths happen on the road! I often say the
most dangerous thing I do each day in my travels for ADRA is to
get into the vehicle!
As leaders who strive for safe and secure settings for
ministry and mission, we must do our homework and find the
safest mode of transportation in the areas we are visiting. That
information is often available at State Department websites.
We must also insist that groups leaving the parking lot use seat
belts, are aware of the risks, and are equipped with basic skills to
minimize their risk, etc. We must especially insist on this before
and after they leave the borders. If the trends are not reversed,
in about a decade, traffic deaths will be the number one cause
of death in many poor countries. Annual traffic deaths will be
more than many diseases we fear and consider killers: malaria,
TB, HIV/AIDS, etc.
There are many good resources to inform and equip leaders
as they lead groups. Start with the highly recommended
Adventist Risk Management DVD, “Safely There and Back."
This should be required viewing for all short or long-term
mission trips. This and other travel safety videos can be watched
in the “multimedia” section of Adventist Risk Management’s
website at www.adventistrisk.org.
Some other favorite resources include:
yy MAKE ROADS SAFE - The Campaign for Global Road
Safety - www.makeroadssafe.org
yy Association for Safe International Road Travel –
www.asirt.org
yy Sara's Wish Foundation – www.saraswish.org
yy Travel.State.Gov: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/
cis_pa_tw_1168.html ■
Ken Flemmer, Director for Agency Safety and Security for Adventist
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), prepared this article.
 ARM RESOURCES
Publisher
Adventist Risk Management, Inc.

Executive Publisher
Arthur F. Blinci, ARM, eMBA

Editor
Paula L. Webber

Legal Consultant

For more information on J. Victor Elliott, Esq.

Layout/Design/Webmaster
ARM resources, please Armand Davila

visit our website at: Graphic Designer

Erica St. Louis
www.adventistrisk.org Copy Editor
Deena Wagner

Illustrator

Call: John J. Dougan

Communication Assistant
1-888-951-4276 Junica Voilquin

or email:
customercare@ Solutions (ISSN 1528-7076) is
published monthly by Adventist

adventistrisk.org Risk Management, Inc.,

12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600;
phone: 301-680-6930;
fax: 301-680-6828; e-mail:
armcorpcomm@adventistrisk.org;
Website: www.adventistrisk.org.

Risky Business By John J. Dougan, ARM, ALCM

For subscription changes
please send an e-mail to:
armcorpcomm@adventistrisk.org

Back issues are available while

supplies last. We also welcome
your comments and suggestions.
Address all correspondence and
inquiries to ARM’s Corporate
Communication department.

Texts credited to NIV are from the

Holy Bible, New International Version.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984,
International Bible Society. Used
by permission of Zondervan Bible
Publishers.

©2010 Adventist Risk

Management, Inc.

“After we go back and pick up Fred, you need to start

slowing down on those bumps!”

S O LU T I O N S • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 5

HEALTH ALERT!
Health Tip of the Month
Exercise Intensity
and Blood Sugar
Control?
R
esearchers have known for a long time that exercise is
very helpful for controlling diabetes and its complications.
Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels in the body similar
to the work of insulin. Insulin sensitivity is improved through
regular exercise. In turn, insulin can do its job better. Until
recently it has been unknown which kind of exercise, moderate or
high intensity, is most helpful in lowering
high blood sugar.
To answer this question, researchers
put a group of overweight diabetics, with
high blood sugar levels, on three different
intensity level exercise programs. Their
blood sugar levels were monitored to
identify which program was most effective.
The first day the participants did no
activity, ate standard control meals for
the day, and monitored their blood sugar
levels for 24 hours. This "no intensity"
sedentary day became the standard to
compare moderate and high intensity
activities against.
Next, the study subjects rode a stationary bicycle at a
moderate pace for an hour, and then monitored their blood sugar
levels for the next 24 hours. Between each exercise testing, the
participants were allowed to rest for three days.
Finally, the group exercised at a high intensity on the
stationary bicycle for 30 minutes and monitored blood sugar
levels. Although they exercised for different durations, both
exercise routines burned the same number of calories on a bicycle
ergometer because the intensity changed.
What Researchers Found
Both forms of exercise lowered blood sugar levels
compared to the sedentary day, but the moderate intensity
activity lowered blood sugar levels the most. The moderate
intensity exercise session lowered the prevalence of high blood
sugar levels during the 24-hour period by 50 percent compared
6 SOLUTIONS • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc.
to no exercise. The high intensity exercise session only lowered
the prevalence of high blood sugar during the 24-hour period
by 19 percent, even though the same number of calories were
burned in both exercises.
This was a surprising but welcome finding. The moderate
intensity exercise was more effective than high intensity activity
in reducing high blood sugar levels. These results are encouraging
because most overweight diabetics don't like to exercise at high
intensity levels. People who are sedentary and first starting an
exercise program are more likely to continue with moderate
exercise activities.
An earlier study published by these same authors found that
resistance training was also beneficial in lowering fasting blood
sugar levels. In this case, one weight lifting
exercise session lowered the prevalence of
high blood sugar levels by about 40 percent
compared to non-exercisers. Interestingly,
weight training also proved to be more effective
in lowering the prevalence of high blood sugar
than high intensity aerobic activity.
The Bottom Line
All physical activity is beneficial in lowering
blood sugar levels and improving health
consequences, but moderate activities, such as
brisk walking or moderate cycling, and weight
training are most effective. If your goal is to
lower blood sugar levels, moderate activity may
be more helpful.
Does this principle still apply if you are not a diabetic? Yes, by
all means! Regular moderate and intense physical activity will help
prevent the development of diabetes by keeping blood sugar levels
lower, weight under control, and enhancing insulin resistance.
This means that if you don't like jogging or other intense activities,
moderate activities are still very helpful.
Anytime you help prevent high blood sugar, you also lower
the risk of heart disease and cancer. In diabetics, lowering
blood sugar also helps prevent blindness, kidney disease, and
infections. For good health, aim for at least 30-60 minutes
of moderate physical activity or 20-30 minutes of vigorous
activity most days of the week. Also include weight training at
least twice per week. ■
Jina Kim, MPH, Wellness Coordinator for Adventist Risk Management, Inc. prepared
this article.
 B ro u g ht to yo u by :
w w w.adventistr isk .org/Wellness/

Beans Protect Against Cancer

T
he lowly bean is finally getting some recognition.
Studies show that beans help protect against cancer,
especially polyp formation in the bowel which leads to
bowel cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in
the United States.
A study conducted among African-American men and
women showed that those who ate the most legumes had one-
fifth the bowel polyps (early signs of cancer) than of those not
eating legumes (relative risk 0.19). The authors of the study
encouraged a greater consumption of all legumes, especially
kidney beans, split peas, garbanzos, and lentils. The website www.MyPyramid.gov recommends that all
Another study, named the Polyp Prevention Trial, found Americans eat more legumes, at least three servings weekly.
that those eating the most legumes (highest quartile of bean One serving per day provides the best protection. You can
add a variety of legumes to your diet including split pea
intake) had only one-third (relative risk 0.35) the rate of
soup, chili beans, garbanzos, lentils, navy beans, hummus,
advanced polyp reoccurrence compared to those eating the
and soybeans. They are good for the health of your bowel
fewest legumes (bottom quartile).
and are a good protein alternate to meat, which increases the
The Nurses' Health Study found both legumes and fruit
risk of colon cancer. ■
to be protective against bowel polyps. Women eating five or
more servings of fruit daily had 40 percent fewer polyps than
Don Hall, DrPH, CHES
those eating only one serving of fruit daily. Women eating four Journal of National Black Nurses Association. 17(2):6-12.
or more servings of legumes weekly had 35 percent fewer bowel Journal of Nutrition. 136(7):1896-1903.
polyps compared to women eating only one serving per week. Cancer Research. 66(7):3942-3953.

TRY THIS RECIPE OUT! Recipe from Vegetarian Times, Issue: June 1, 2004 p.33

Louisiana Greens and "Sausage" Ingredients (Serves 6) Instructions

A spicy dish with great flavor and texture, this
greens mixture contains a delicious potlikker,
which is the vitamin- and mineral-rich broth
that comes from cooking down the greens.
yy 2 teaspoons olive oil
yy ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
yy 4 cloves garlic, minced
yy 1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
yy 1 14-ounce package bulk-style soy
sausage
yy 16 ounces mixed greens, such as mustard,
collard, turnip and spinach
yy 2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
yy 1/3 cup white wine or vegetable stock
yy 2 cups vegetarian “chicken” stock, boiling
yy ¾ cup tomato sauce
yy ½ tablespoons dried thyme
yy Heat oil and crushed pepper over
medium-high heat in a very large
saucepan or stockpot for 1 minute. Add
garlic and onions. Cook for 2 minutes,
and add soy sausage, stirring and
breaking apart with a large spoon. Cook
mixture for 7 minutes, stirring frequently
until browned. Add greens, reduce
heat to medium-low and cook mixture,
covered, stirring occasionally, for 5
minutes, or until greens cook down. Add
vinegar, wine, stock and tomato sauce.
Reduce heat to low.
yy Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add
thyme, and cook 5 minutes longer, or until
greens are tender, stirring occasionally.

S O LU T I O N S • September 2010 • Adventist Risk Management, Inc. 7

 to
PIXELS Starting in January 2011, Solutions
will be available online to subscribers
via email and on our website at
www.adventistrisk.org.

Sign up today to join our e-list.

www.adventistrisk.org

from
PAGES