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Employees set record low in 2001 for days lost  It was a very good year. “An excellent year,” said Occupational Safety and Health Program Director Joe Avant. MUSC employees set a record low in 2001 for days lost due to work-related illness and injuries, and Avant has the awards to show for it. MUSC and MUHA received the Commendation of Excellence Award from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, awarded to recognize MUSC's 2001 safety programs. On April 4, in Columbia, the award was handed to Avant, Nancy Sifford, manager of Workers Compensation; Cindy Allen, manager of Employee Health Services, and Mary Allen, Environment of Care coordinator. “We had a lost day and injury rate lower than 1.0, which qualified us for the Commendation of Excellence Award for the third year in a row,“ said Avant. “There were only two institutions in the health care industry to receive the award.” MUSC was the only university in the state to receive the award. He cited reorganization several years ago that created a new Division of Finance and Administration called University Risk Management, headed by Wayne Brannan, as a significant reason for the reduction in injuries and illnesses. The new division includes Workers' Compensation, Radiation Safety, Insurance Programs, occupational safety and health programs and the administration of MUSC's Employee Health Services Contract. “Our close working relationship with Employee Health Services, which is managed by Cindy Allen, of the College of Nursing, has allowed for a closer evaluation of injured employees for light or restricted duty employment instead of sending the employee home,” said Avant. Also contributing to the success are new committees that track injuries and illnesses to see how they can be prevented and to anticipate dangerous situations before they occur, Avant said. Among them are the Injury Task Force Committee, Blood Borne Pathogen Committee, and Worksite Evaluation Program, which concerns itself with ergonomics or the physical aspects of the work process. MUSC's safety committees also have an annual safety fair, which highlight MUSC's various safety and health programs. “We contribute to MUSC's overall employee morale as well,” said Avant. “Also, people expect that when they send a loved one off to work, they will come home healthy.” Avant said, “Excuse the pun, but safety is no accident.”