Safety Talks

JHA (Job Hazard Analysis), FLRA (Field-Level Risk Assessments) and JSA (Job Safety Analysis) are just a few of the more common terms used on sites. No matter what name you give them, they are a morning ritual on every site. I know it can feel redundant filling out the same card every day especially if […]

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

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

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

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.

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