Safety Talks

Have you ever made a decision to break a safety rule? How long did it take for you to reach that decision?  What did you gain by taking a chance? It only takes a moment to decide to break a safety rule, yet that one moment could change your life forever.  Today’s publication offers you…...

Warnings and thinking ahead are important means for accident prevention. They often reveal hidden hazards or issues so that the user can avoid injury.Good pre-job planning, effective job briefings, and looking out for yourself and each other are effective ways to prevent accidents and help ensure you go home safe and sound at the end…...

We all take things for granted. Basic things, simple things. It’s normal, isn’t it?  We live in a routine, for the most part, and the more routine, the more dependable the thing is, the more you stop noticing it.  For instance, you don’t really notice each time you take a breath, do you?  You don’t…...

Every driver should have the goal to be as safe as possible on the road.  The 2 most important habits that will prevent collisions are diligent observation and keeping space around your vehicle.  A driver’s eyes should not be fixed on one point for more than 2 seconds, and even less at higher speeds.A little…...

Cell phones can be a great convenience and a great tool . . . however their use at inappropriate times and inappropriate places can certainly be risky.The following two accounts are case studies that have been used to examine the effect of distraction caused by cell phone use.  Of course in both cases the effect…...

Recently David L. Walline, CSP, of Owens Corning Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, wrote an article titled, “What Injury-Free Workers Can Teach Us”.Within that article he highlighted 10 Key Attributes of Injury-Free Workers. He noted that as his injury-free network grew, some uncommon attributes came to the surface associated with many of the personalities of injury-free workers. He…...

The “unexpected” can, and does confront nearly every driver at one time or another.  Our only recourse is to think through possible unexpected situations that might arise and to plan a positive reaction ahead of time.  Usually, the unexpected situation that confronts you is going to be the result of a bad move on the…...

During scaffolding activities the head of a hammer came off and fell 15 meters to the ground, landing between two workers.  Basic causes included: Head came off hammer. The hammer was worn and the shaft had previously been refitted to the head. No overhead protection for people working below. No policy for managing hand tools…....

“Line of fire” is a military term that describes the path of a discharged missile or firearm. It’s the path an object will travel.  In the workplace, particularly, there are many objects that have potential to create ‘line of fire’ exposure.  Examples of line of fire hazards: Electric hand tools which could kick back if…...

Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 accidents are someone’s fault, usually the person involved in the incident. “Unsafe acts cause four times as many accidents and injuries as unsafe conditions.” Accidents occur for many reasons. Unfortunately, too many employees and supervisors tend to look for “things,” or excuses to blame the accident on,…...

Overexertion injuries generally fall into two categories: Sprains – stretching or tearing ligaments Strains – stretching or tearing tendons or muscles Overexertion occurs when the load, whether lifted, carried, pushed, pulled or otherwise handled, exceeds the limits of the human joint system doing the work. Overexertion injuries have been associated with these activities: lifting repeated…...

Gravity never forgets. As soon as you set foot on the ladder’s first rung and pull your body off the ground, gravity works to bring you back to earth.  Therefore, it’s no surprise that ladder safety begins from the ground up.   Start with a good foundation Proper ladder setup will help prevent slips and…...