Unfortunately most safety posts involve what injuries or deaths have happened from an unsafe act … I guess in a way, it’s a scare tactic but a truthful one. Every once in a while it’s nice to hear about when a major incident was avoided due to following safe work practices. OH&S reported a great story about a couple of workers doing hot work with an appointed fire watch. The workers were torch cutting and grinding to remove a bearing from equipment and the fire watch didn’t take this opportunity to have a nap on the clock. Nope, they stayed alert and did their job. So when sparks dropped on the floor, starting cables on fire, the fire watch was there to extinguish the flames quickly without incident. You may not think of this worker as a safety champion… But you should. Think about what could have taken place if the fire watch was snoozing or playing on their phone. Things could have ended very differently. So in the future when you have the choice to slack off a bit or be safe, make sure you pick safety every time. Wouldn’t you rather be a champion then a slacker? I sure would!

Pulling a muscle or your back is probably the most common injury associated with shoveling snow… Both are very much avoidable. Always stretch before beginning, warming up those muscles beforehand will help steer clear of an injury. To begin, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Always bend with your knees. When you use your back to lift, is when you end up hurt… So don’t! Use your core to do the lifting. Once the filled shovel is up do not twist your back to place it in a pile. Walk it over, keeping the shovel close to your body and lined up with your legs and chest being careful not to slip. If possible try and avoid lifting all together, push the snow into place. If you are dealing with wet, heavy snow, take less in each load. Listen to your body. Take breaks when needed and stay hydrated.

I know we all try and get out of shoveling at work… especially if we have to go home and do it as well. However some of you may get a pass. If you have a history of heart attacks, other heart issues or high blood pressure you should skip the shoveling. Get another worker to do it and at home get a snow blower or think about hiring the neighborhood kid. Heavy smokers may also want to consider an alternative.

Shoveling snow is just a part of life here in Canada but the injuries associated with it don’t have to be. Always follow safe shoveling procedures and take your time. There is no point in rushing, you’ll probably just have to do it again tomorrow.

Keeping a tidy work site is a little more than keeping garbage and debris off the ground. Yes, we must pick up all our trash, keeping the ground free of tripping hazards. But where are we putting that garbage? If you think at the end of the day you can throw everything into a garbage bin and call it a day… You’re dead wrong. There are so many trades on one site, using everything from solvents to metals to wood. These items can’t be mixed. Every site will have different bins for different types of waste. No, this isn’t to make more work for you. It’s for safety. Do you think mixing combustibles with electrical scrap and wood sounds safe? It’s not! So take the time to put your scrap metals into the appropriate bin. Make sure to round any sharp edges and use proper gloves when handling scraps. Please remove any nails from wood before disposing of it. Not only are nails made of metal and have no business in the wood bin but protruding nails are a serious safety hazard. When disposing of combustibles make sure you are using an approved safety disposal can. No matter what you’re disposing of, be sure not to over fill the bin. Let a supervisor know it needs to be emptied. It only takes an extra two seconds of your time. Plus you can go home not only knowing you helped make a safe work environment but you also helped the planet by properly recycling. Good job!

I know us trades people are way too tough to be scared of a little mouse. Unless it’s a deer mouse, then we should definitely be cautious. As gross as rodents are, deer mice definitely take the cake, mostly because they could potentially kill us. Not all, but some deer mice carry the hantavirus. Both Alberta and BC have deer mice. They are mostly found in rural and remote areas. Such as a sea can on site that is in the middle of nowhere. The virus is spread to humans from the mice by breathing in particles from droppings, urine, and saliva or being bitten by an infected mouse. Even though it is very rare to contract this virus, it is potentially deadly. Around 35-40% of people who contract it, die! So we need to take preventive measures. So, if you pull the short straw and get to clean out that sea can that’s been locked up for a year… here’s what you do. Come back tomorrow and we’ll go through the do’s and don’ts.