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Health and Safety

https://staging.mccneb.edu/About-MCC-Nebraska/News/Features/health-and-safety

Keeping Our College Community Healthy and Safe

We are dedicated to providing a safe, secure and welcoming environment to everyone at Metropolitan Community College. The following Health and Safety Guidance applies to all students, employees and visitors to our facilities.

  • Health and Safety Guidance
  • COVID-19 Self-Reporting & Exposure
  • Personal Safety
  • Victim Assistance Agencies
  • Quarterly Wellness Update

Health and Safety Guidance

To keep our campuses and facilities safe, MCC encourages all students, employees and guests to follow healthy practices. Here are some reminders:

  • Practice frequent hand washing, sanitizing surfaces, and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.
  • Stay home when you don’t feel well.
  • COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are widely available and encouraged. Please see the Center for Disease Control for the most current and detailed information about vaccine and booster safety.
  • Masks and face coverings are still welcome and encouraged, but not required in MCC facilities.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, follow the self-reporting protocols in the Self-Reporting and Exposure tab below.

COVID-19 Self-Reporting & Exposure

If you test positive for COVID-19, self-report through the MCC Covid-19 Reporting Form.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you no longer need to self-report, but do follow this guidance from the CDC:

  • Watch for symptoms for 10 days
  • Wear a mask around others indoors for 10 days
  • Test five days after exposure (sooner if you have symptoms), if positive self-report.
  • Take extra precautions for 10 days when around people more likely to get very sick.
Take action if you're exposed to COVID-19

Personal Safety

We work hard to keep our campuses and facilities safe. Students, employees and the visiting public play a role in campus safety as well. The following resources are meant to help you make the right decisions concerning your own safety and security. We encourage anyone at our facilities to report all incidents of crime by calling 911 or contacting MCC Police at 531-622-2222. With your help, we can provide a safer campus environment.

Victim Assistance Agencies

If you or someone you know is the victim of a crime or currently in an abusive situation, it is important to connect with agencies that can assist.

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7)
  • Love is Respect (24/7)
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (call or text)
  • Nebraska Family Helpline — Any questions, any time: 1-888-866-8660
  • BoysTown Hotline: 1-800-448-3000 or text "VOICE" to 20121 (free resource and counseling service)
  • Crisis Text Line: text HELLO to 741741
  • Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (call or text)
  • Women's Center for Advancement Hotline: 402-346-7273 — offers 24/7 support and services for individuals facing domestic or dating violence, and victims of sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.

Quarterly Wellness Update

Summer is here! Whether you are working, taking classes, planning a vacation or having fun outdoors, MCC is here to provide education and awareness on the trending health and wellness topics for the summer months.

Sun Safety

The heat kills more than 600 people in the United States each year. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion is important to be aware of at all ages, but poses a greater risk for people under the age of 4 and over 65.

  • Heat exhaustion: Occurs when your body loses excess amounts of water and salt, typically from sweating.
  • Heat stroke: Is a serious medical emergency that occurs when your body is unable to control its internal temperature.

Learn more about the signs and symptoms of health exhaustion and heat stroke.

The best ways to protect yourself from the heat is to stay cool, hydrated and aware. Find air conditioning during the hot hours, drink plenty of water, wear cooler clothing and be informed of any heat advisories in your area.

Sunburns

Sunburns are a common summertime injury for people of all ages. It can take as little as 15 minutes for unprotected skin to be burned by the sun’s UV rays. The sun’s UV rays are at its peak between 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunscreen is recommended even on cloudy days. If enjoying the water or outside for extended periods of time, sunscreen should be reapplied every one to two hours at minimum.

Read up on more tips for staying safe in the sun.

Importance of Hydration

Staying hydrated is always important for optimal body functioning, but even more important during the hot and humid months. Fluids are lost through sweating, which happens a lot more in the heat. Not drinking enough water can put you at risk of dehydration.

Dehydration is a harmful and dangerous loss of body fluid. Some common dehydration symptoms in adults are fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and less frequent urination.

Reminders to help stay hydrated:

  • Remember the 8x8 rule (eight 8-ounce glasses) as a baseline goal for water consumption each day.
  • Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day to casually sip on.
  • Consuming foods with a high-water content like melons, lettuce, and cucumbers, can also help with hydration.
  • Try downloading a reminder app on your phone.

Learn more tips and tricks for staying hydrated.

Severe Weather

Severe thunderstorms and tornados typically occur during the spring and summer months in Nebraska. It is important to understand the difference in alerts and to have a safety plan at school, work, or at home. If at MCC, shelter locations are designated and labeled with an orange tornado symbol.

  • Tornado Watch: Typically, last 4-8 hours and cover a large area. You do not need to seek shelter at this time, but be prepared to do so and continue to monitor the weather.
  • Tornado Warning: Radar has indicated tornadic activity. Seek shelter immediately. Warning sirens will sound to remind you to take shelter and typically last about 30 minutes.
  • Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Typically, last between 4-8 hours. You do not need to seek shelter at this time, but be prepared to do so and continue to monitor the weather.
  • Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Storm radar or a spotter reports a thunderstorm producing hail and/or strong winds. Seek shelter immediately. Many times, the warning sirens will also sound as a reminder.

If there is a severe thunderstorm or tornado in your area:

  • Know how your community sends warning signs.
  • Stay inside and away from windows
  • Shelter in the basement of your building or go to an inside room without windows on the lowest level.
  • Make sure to have a charged phone or be charging in case of a power outage.
  • Make sure to have a flashlight in case of an outage.
  • If you have time before severe weather hits, secure loose objects outside.