Your list of New Year’s resolutions might include losing a few pounds, taking a dream vacation or reading a book a week. While these resolutions might change from year to year, there’s one goal you should set every January and work to attain throughout the year: improve safety at work.
Every year we hear about a handful of horrifying industrial accidents that either seriously injure or kill someone working in one of our related fields. Your response to those chilling stories may be: “But for the grace of God, that could be me.’’
Late last fall, another one of those tales surfaced in northern Wisconsin. One of the owners of a landfill descended into a pit where accumulated drainage entered the sewer system. He was planning to fix a malfunctioning pump. The worker’s brother looked down and noticed he was gasping for breath, so he followed him through the manhole. Two more men followed into the pit and all four were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes and died.
Where was the awareness of confined space rules? How could several men working at the landfill not be aware of the potential danger of this situation? If they had received ample safety training, proper equipment and constant reminders of dangers at the workplace, they’d have had a better chance of being around for their families today.
Some of the larger waste-pumping companies employ a safety manager who is responsible for regular training including confined space procedures to be followed. Smaller companies often hold daily tailgate safety sessions before going to a jobsite. Other companies send their workers to regional training sessions sponsored by a state or national trade association.
Whatever path you take, please make it a point to continually address safety at work during 2008. If the greater awareness of dangers of the job prevents even one of these terrible incidents this year, the effort will be worthwhile.
Dangers of extreme suction
The Pumper Interview story this month illustrates the importance of working safely. In it, Tom Lewis, the owner of Resource Geoscience Inc. in Colorado, explains what happened the day his arm was sucked into a whip hose while he was vacuum loading debris on the roof of a car wash.
His vision obscured by perspiration on his face shield, Lewis’ hand got too close to the end of the hose that was pulling 3,700 cfm of pressure, and the hose pulled off a glove. Instinctively, he reached for the glove and the hose quickly covered his arm.
“I calculated the force exerted on my arm to be about 300 pounds,’’ Lewis told writer Scottie Dayton. “I don’t care how strong you are, once a vacuum hose seals on you, you’re not going to pry it off.’’
Luckily, Lewis had conducted a safety review before the job that day and had a spotter standing beside him to signal another worker to relieve the vacuum at the truck. Lewis was hurt, but he recovered. Now he generously shares some advice about safety with Pumper readers.
