Always be safe

Year end accounting always makes for a great time to review procedures , accounting and otherwise and update as needed.
This New Years update is no different , positive changes and adjustements will be made but, one thing that has remained constant over many years and that is Molcsan Electric's solid commitment to Safety of our Employees , Associates and Customers.
After reviewing *hundreds of project archives in the shop , the one theme that reflects well in this enormous stack of specifications , drawings and certificates of completion is all our Electrical jobs were completed safely with no major incidences.
The reason is simple -> We pay attention and put Safety at the forefront ..
Always be safe - sm

On the job safety is enforced here in British Columbia. WorkSafe BC has almost unlimited powers to shut down any job if worker's safety is being compromised.
You will probably know that the worst day on the job can be that first day for a new employee. Not enough training and the desire to make a good showing can be a dangerous combination. I often think of one situation in this area. A foreman got his son a job on a grinder/repaving crew. The job of the son was to sweep the spilled grinding back in front of the grinder. The young man got his push broom caught in the grinder and held onto the broom rather than just letting it go. In less than a second he was through the grinder.
I worked for a large company. I was one the safety committee members. My employer recognised the economy of having the workers stay safe and productive. Work Safe fines for noncompliance are heavy. If a worker is killed or injured, the company, second, and the supervisor, first, are held responsible and could face financial ruin. A recent news worthy Work Safe fine against supervisors was $950,000.
Work Safe BC have forced McD's to supply their employees with reflective gear and traffic awareness training. The McD's workers deliver orders to cars in the parking lot and take waste to the bins.
I salute you, Harvey, for putting safety first. I am convinced an employer will gain more respect through safety than money.
I find it somewhat unsettling that OSHA has many and strict rules for you the private employer and little mandatory safety for public service workers.

I had to stop my veterinarian from climbing on her rolling stool to hang and IV bag. I could just see it go flying and she hitting her head on the exam table! I'm over 6' tall so could reach up to hang it where she wanted. It was Saturday after hours emergency visit and she was working without her normal vet techs to help and was trying to get our animal stabilized, but a fat lot of good it would be if she was on her way to the ER and we were left in the clinic!

Excellent responses and thought for Our next safety meeting , I thank each of you.

My work is done here, the conversation has started, until the next meeting !

I am dead serious about safety I see you gents are as well..

Take care - sm

Doctor Cornbinder 89 keeps my blood pressure up to a healthy level.

I was a building contractor for 40 years. My workman's compensation Insurer was always very helpful with guidance in things like weekly safety meetings with the crew, daily inspections for safety glasses steel toed boots, no one chocking the blade guard up on their circular saw, etc. I'd say we did pretty good and no one was seriously injured, killed or maimed but we had our share of accidents over the years and I have a number of stories. One that comes to mind is one winter we were building a big house and were erecting the walls on a large concrete slab and at the mornings safety meeting I warned everyone to watch out for ice and to work around it.If you see any sand it, basically BE CAREFUL. The meeting no sooner broke up and I was walking toward the back of the house than one of my new guys quickly headed to the front, threw up a ladder scooted up it to work on top plates and fell to the floor breaking his thumb in the process. Yep he set up the ladder on the only patch of ice in that part of The building Sometimes the only way you can have a safe construction site is to have your crew stay home.

Confined space deaths are not uncommon. A few years ago, a welder went inside a barge to inspect the corrosion. The inside of the barge was oxygen depleted from the oxidation of the interior surfaces. The oxygen level was less than 12%. A person needs 18% to maintain life. Normal oxygen is about 20% at sea level.
These industrial accidents often involve more than the first person. This incident claimed four workers. Each one followed the other to save them and died. Finally the fifth person clued in and called for help. The first person to enter the oxygen depleted confided space was their confined space trainer. The company was fined $130,000 for failing to post a confined space warning sign. Their liability was determined and limited to their not ordering this work and their trainer was the first person in.
Danger is always on the prowl for an opportunity.
A few years ago, a father got his son a job on a big construction site. The son was killed on his first day through no fault of his own. The son was assisting at the bottom of a deep hole when he was hit by the 1000 pound cable block. The cable was too short for working at that depth and lift angle and had come off the winch drum. The cable wind system on the crane had not been inspected in a very long time. An inspection would have found the cable clamping at the winding drum had failed and the connection was lost.

An inspection would have found the cable clamping at the winding drum had failed and the connection was lost.

Tomorrow we will be doing a heavy lift of a 750KVA oil filled transformer.
you bet I will be asking my Crane sub-contractor for his last rig inspection , cables ect..
They are a well know crane operator , but that make no difference..
The winch drum story really drives my tenacity about this.. Great timing..

I will never regret being a watchdog when it comes to safety, I really appreciate the input..

Thank you!

Be safe - sm

There are ongoing stories of local roofing companies putting their crews on the roof of a house then driving away with the ladder. The ladder was needed to put another roofing crew on the roof of the next house construction site.
Here is a little thought about health situation that Work Safe BC has an available poster of. It is dangerous to wear grease covered cloths. The sweat from normal body function in combination with the petroleum base soiling becomes a cancer causing situation. This is called testicular cancer. Google it and then take your coveralls to the laundry.
I worked with a guy who thought he was "The Man" and refused to change his company supplied coveralls. His coveralls had gone from safety orange to almost black with petroleum based product and dirt. On his own time, at home, in the company supplied coveralls he set himself on fire. He was doing some welding. He suffered some mild first degree burns because his garden hose was close and he had a fire extinguisher handy. He got the fire out quickly.
The old guy that we bought our service station from told the story of the neighbourhood cat wondering into the service area. The cat boldly drank some gasoline from an open container. Almost immediately the cat started to run around the shop in total panic, finally stopping in the front office where it fell over on its side. I remember some one asking, "Did the cat die?" The old guy answered, "NO, the cat ran out of gas."

I am an EHS (environmental health and safety) manager in manufacturing. Many people regard me as a pain in the...... But I've seen it all.