I know wearing all your gold and diamonds to work might sound fabulous, but there are some serious flaws with doing so. Most sites don’t allow your to wear it at all. If you do wear it, there is a chance your bling may go unnoticed, giving you the idea that it’s okay or that […]
Jewelry on the Job Read More »
I talked about near misses last week, which got me thinking about an incident that happened to me as a young apprentice. I thought I’d better share it, because if it happened to me it could happen to anyone… And I’m still pretty sore about it. When it’s your life on the line, it’s hard
Regardless of what trade you work in, lifting will be included in your duties. Back injuries are one of the top reported injuries on sites, so know the proper way to handle a heavy lift. First thing is to warm up. You know the warm up your foreman makes you do every morning, this is
Avoiding Back Injury Read More »
Have you ever worked on a site where near misses are usually followed with a quick cover up and an agreement that no one saw anything?…….. I have. Near miss cards usually go empty at the end of the day. This stems from a misconception that admitting you “almost” had an incident will lead to
Whether you’re a welder, crane operator, or a foreman, your company truck or rig will need to be refueled. Most sites have fuel trucks that come around with trained individuals to fill you up. Either way you should know what precautions to take when refueling whether you or someone else is doing it. Always make
Unless you are the only person on site, pedestrian traffic needs to be a factor when using any heavy equipment. Sites don’t come equipped with crosswalks and walk lights, so you have take it upon yourself to make sure no one is injured or worse while you’re behind the wheel. Always try and redirect traffic
Pedestrian Traffic Read More »
Pinch points can occur in a number of places, mostly from machinery with moving parts like a lathe or band saw. But incorrect rigging or even a desk drawer (insert eyeroll here) can be culprits too. Pinch points are a big factor in the trades and every trade has their own hazards to worry about.
When the Canadian Pacific railway was built in 1881, safety was not even a thought. The workers had deplorable working conditions, disease ran rampant and it has been said that two men died for every mile that was built. The CPR at the time was 2920 miles. That’s an estimated 5000 men that died over
Throwback Thursday – Canadian Pacific Railway Read More »
Once working as a second year welder I picked up a quick gig at a lumber mill shut down, doing maintenance welds. Obviously welding and a place covered in wood is an incident waiting to happen. We did all the appropriate permits and lockouts etc; but when it came to a fire watch, I got
No matter how long you’ve been in the trades or how experienced you are, we’ve all been the new guy/girl on site, stuck wearing the green lid and hearing the term “green as grass” on the daily. Being new to site can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to safety . There are a few