We all have bad habits, nail biting, swearing perhaps chewing with an open mouth. These don’t seem too harmful but what about at work? Maybe never using a shield while grinding, or painting without a respirator or forgetting pre-work inspections? These habits won’t be quite as forgiving. Bad habits have been formed over long periods of time and won’t be changed overnight. It takes on average 66 days for a new habit to be automatic; so we better get started now.

First, pinpoint all your dangerous habits, write them down along with when and why you do them. Once you have your list, pick a “punishment” for when you slip up. This isn’t a real punishment like self lashing or something, I mean a swear jar or something similar. Every time you catch yourself without a shield while grinding, throw a dollar in a jar or you don’t get your sweets at break. This is totally up to you. Make some changes. If the grinding shield is on a hook far away, consider moving closer to the grinding area. This will help remind you to put it on. Write on your JHA every morning. This is exactly why you have them, to keep you alert and safe. Set reminders. Maybe you always have grinding after your second break? Set a reminder on your phone, telling yourself to put on your shield first thing. Add some positivity to your thought process. Don’t think “oh this awkward face shield always gets in the way”. Try thinking “wearing this shield will protect my face and eyes to go home in one piece”.

There are a million different ways to change your habits, do what works for you. Put the work in, it will lead to a safer and much happier you.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of extension cord safety is Clark Griswold from Christmas vacation. You know the Christmas light scene, where he has probably 3000 Watts running through a single 16 gauge cord with a power bar plugged into another power bar. As funny as that scene was, it’s a movie. In real life while working on site, that kind of negligence would be shocking to see. Here are some pointers to keep you safe.

Always use a cord rated for the job you’re doing, make sure the cord gauge of the extension cord is the same size or larger than what you’re plugging into it. Check the rating. Never jam a three prong plug into a two prong extension cord. Never remove the ground prong. Always inspect a cord before use, if there is any damage, replace the plug with a new one or tag out the whole cord if needed. Always remove by holding the plug, not the cord. Keep out of stairways and high traffic areas. Use drop covers or pull them overhead. Keep away from anything that can expose the wiring, such as welding and grinding.

No matter if you’re pulling cords to the high line to do some cutting or you’re decorating your house for Christmas, make sure you exercise safe extension cord use. The alternative could be jolting.

I know, I know another PPE post! We can’t drill this in hard enough. Not wearing the correct safety glasses or any at all just for a second could cause you a lifetime of pain. Think about life without your sight… It doesn’t look good. I know they are not the most fashionable accessory but neither are eye patches? Here are a few things to think about when it comes to protecting your eyes.

In some cases you will need double the protection or a different kind of eye protection. When grinding, it’s advised that you wear a face shield… This doesn’t mean your safety glasses come off. Same with welding, make sure your glasses are under that lid. There are tons of hazards on site that are harmful to your eyes, grinding dust, wood particles, welding flash, chemical splash, slag or even the dust flying around.  You need something protecting those eyes every second.

If you wear prescription glasses you have two options, you can get prescription safety glasses, make sure they are CSA approved and have side shields or you can add them after too. You can also wear an over the glasses type of goggles. These will fit right over your day to day glasses. Wearing contacts to site is not recommended.  

You may need extra accessories for specific jobs. When working at heights you will need a strap, working with chemicals requires fully enclosed goggles and a foam gasket always helps keep debris out. Whatever the task is, make sure your eyes will see the light of another day. Always protect them with CSA approved safety glasses.

A forklift lifting a forklift? I’ve seen it all now. I don’t think we need to go over this with our readers but just in case… Don’t EVER do this. Here are some forklift basics to keep you on your toes not your derriere.

Pretty basic stuff here guys… first off, make sure you’re certified and competent. Follow everyday traffic rules. Always wear your seatbelt, follow posted speed signs (if your site or workplace has them) and use your best judgement. Use your horn! Let people know you’re there, don’t surprise anyone. It’s not a race, so that means no passing and give a few car lengths if you’re behind another driver. If you are parking it, always put your forks to the ground and never leave a running forklift unattended.

While carrying a load make sure you can see, if the load is extra high, drive in reverse. You may have to reverse depending on the incline or decline of the terrain. Watch your counterbalance. If you’re not carrying a load your forks should be low but off the ground. Never let anyone under your forks and please no forklift rides… It may look fun but I guarantee, that will be the minute that Safety comes for a visit, or worse someone WILL get hurt.

This is just the very basics. If you’re interested in driving a forklift please get certified. Click the link to book your forklift class with us.   We will make sure you don’t end up like the senseless workers in this meme.

What does this have to do with work site safety? Well, yearly suicide rates are actually increasing in Canada, around 4000 a year or approximately about 10 a day. This is affecting everyone. 1 in 10 people have suicidal thoughts. The numbers alone tells us that there is probably someone on your crew or in your lunch room that is experiencing this. It could be the guy that is suddenly quiet and withdrawn, it could be the girl that always seems “fine” or it could be the successful GM. Most of the time there are no sure fire signs. There  are many reasons for these thoughts…depression, financial stress, grief, substance abuse and many, many more. Most people who attempt or commit suicide, talk about it at some point. They are not just looking for attention and should be taken seriously. Even if it seems like a casual comment. We need to start listening and being there for one another. You never know what someone is going through.

I know trades people think they are tough as nails, but, we need to stop and have these hard talks. We are losing our family members, our friends and yes…our co-workers. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please get help! There is a way out. Please go to suicideprevention.ca for a crisis line in your area or call 911.