10 Steps to Safety
October 9, 2018Forecast is Safety 2
October 22, 2018Good Morning Team,
As I am writing this, the Wichita area was forecast to have its first hard freeze of the season on Sunday night/Monday morning. Whether they got this prediction right or not, being prepared is about understanding the probabilities and that is what they really do, provide possibilities. This is so us mere mortals can prepare for the worst. We’ve all probably heard the line about wanting to be a weather forecaster? Because it’s the only occupation that allows you to be right less than 50% of the time and still keep your employment? Most of life can seem unpredictable, from the weather to the stock market, and from current politics to winners/losers of sporting events, it can be tough to discern what might happen next and what, if anything, we can do about it. When speaking of safety though, we can say with 100% certainty that if you fail to routinely think about working safely and following established safety rules, it is only a matter of time before you, or someone else, will be injured.
Staying accident and injury free in the workplace requires an attention to detail and action that might seem quite daunting. I mean, WOW! How am I even to know whether I am doing something safely or not? We need to answer this by asking ourselves some basic questions:
- What is my task and do I know how to actually do it?
- What are the risks involved while I am performing this work?
- Can these risks be mitigated and do I have the proper equipment to do that?
- Can others be exposed to these risks and if so, can I eliminate them?
- Is there another possible resource or anyone that I can ask if I have a question?
Hypothetically, let’s say you have been given an assignment of re-caulking some 2nd story window frames. Let’s work our way through the list above, in no particular order, and see what we come up with. Right off the bat you know an extension ladder is required. Is it free of defect and ready for use? Is the area the ladder to be set up in clear of obstruction or other hazards like electrical lines? Will it be stable and secure while I am working from it? Could others walking by below be injured if I accidentally drop a tool? Can I barricade the area off? I will be working at height so some way to get my tools and material up there will be needed. Perhaps a bucket with a hand line or a tool belt, leaving my hands free so I can climb the ladder safely? I’ll be removing loosened caulk and opening up new caulking tubes so I’ll be using tools that are probably sharp. What if I get this caulking on my skin? Gloves and safety eyewear will be needed. Do I have them? What if I am a little unclear on the process or possibilities, has anyone ever done this task before that I might be able to talk to that could provide a little more oversight?
While the example provided above may be overly simplistic, and is based on my internal thought processes alone, my intention is to provide you some ideas of how your own processes should function on every duty you undertake. As you can see, even more questions were raised, but they all lead us to a safer outcome when they are contemplated. (While it wasn’t intended to be inclusive of every action required, is there a sharp eyed individual or two out there that wants to point out something in the assignment example that I didn’t consider, ask or answer? Bring it on! I will find some way to reward you for taking me to task! J) Again, the point I am trying to make is that every assignment will have very similar safety concerns and considerations. If you ever find yourself unclear about something, stop and get the answers before proceeding. We have a leg up on the ol’ weather forecaster here as we are not making educated guesses about our workplace safety like he or she achieves in the predication of our upcoming weather. And seriously, would we really want to be right about that less than 50% of the time?
Have a great and safe week!
Sincerely,
Ray Moore
Director of Facilities Services