Monthly Archives: June 2017

Safety Tidbit for Monday, 6/26/2017

26 Monday Jun 2017

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Last week we marked the official start of summer, even though Memorial Day was a few weeks earlier. Next week we celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July. Some of the popular summer activities are vacationing, fireworks, camping, cookouts, swimming, and the list goes on. Summer is a time to enjoy the warm weather, but make sure you plan and prepare for every activity. A little preparation can help any activity go smoothly. Neglecting proper preparation can lead to First Aid, hospital visits – or worse. Take the time, make good plans, and plan to …

Be Safe!

P.S. If you plan to drink, don’t drive. If you plan to drive, don’t drink.

Safety Tidbit for Monday, 06/19/2017

19 Monday Jun 2017

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I can use one of two doors to go between my car and my desk. Common sense says the closer door would be the shortest route. Out of curiosity, I stepped it off and I’m wrong. It’s not a huge difference, but I save a few steps by using the farther door.  

Earlier this year I had a class on forklifts. The instructors shared the concept that “common sense” conflicts with safety. For example, a crane operator had a “ticket” saying maintainers were working on the crane.  However, when the production foreman saw the maintenance team taking a coffee break, his common sense said the crane was available for use. What these two didn’t know was that one man was on the crane’s track, preparing for the rest of the team. It was a fatal mistake, and more stringent procedures are now in place.  

Common sense says, “Nobody walks in this area.” Maybe that’s true 99.9% of the time. Common sense says, “The other driver will see my blinker.” as you start to change lanes. Maybe that other driver is distracted. I could usea thousand examples, but you get the idea. When you have the choice, ignore common sense and choose to…

Be Safe!

Keith Steele

Safety Tidbit for Monday, 06/12/2017

12 Monday Jun 2017

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I was driving over the weekend when my smartphone alarm reminded me to take my medications. I faced a few problems when this happened. First, my alarm was sounding through my Bluetooth hearing aids, so I couldn’t tell where my smartphone was. Second, I was on a rural section of freeway, in the middle of road construction, and the southbound traffic was in the other lane of the northbound side of the freeway. I couldn’t glance at the other seat for fear of drifting into the oncoming traffic. I couldn’t pull over because it would be a safety risk to get back into the traffic at freeway speeds. I decided to first remove my hearing aids to get that sound out of my ear. Second, I decided to take the next exit and find my smartphone, which had fallen to the floor. When all was said and done, it had taken over five minutes.

I’m sorry for the drawn-out story, but here’s the safety tie-in. Things will happen, and when they do, just take the time, evaluate things, and come up with a plan to …

Be Safe!

Keith Steele

Safety Tidbit for Tuesday, 06/05/2017

05 Monday Jun 2017

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For the last few days, I’ve been waiting for some stroke of genius to inspire my tidbit for this week, or watching for some major event that I could use as fodder for my writing.  Neither has happened, and since I need to leave soon for a meeting, I’m left with hoping that what I write isn’t too mundane.

And perhaps that’s how it should be.  Here’s the safety tie-in.  Most of the time, safety topics lack glamour.   (If anything, they are more inclined towards gore.)  If we do the mundane things – think things through, prepare, communicate, be observant and execute plans with caution – then we will be doing what it takes to…

Be Safe!

Keith Steele