As a licensed professional engineer working on projects such as power plants, industrial plants, chemical and petrochemical plants and oil refineries for over thirty years prior to earning a real estate license, I can tell you that companies such as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BASF, Dow, Bechtel, Fluor, and many many others begin every meeting with a safety "moment".  The subject can be literally anything the meeting organizer chooses. 

Recently in a meeting I attended at Fluor, a Fluor engineer pointed out the fact that injuries have been occurring in automobile accidents when some front seat passengers ride with their feet on the dash where airbags deploy.  Of course we know who does this.  Kids, grandkids, wives, friends.  This has caused some serious injuries.  I had never thought about that.  Since then, I have mentioned this to many people who also were not aware.

Even though I like to think of myself as someone who is very concerned about safety, a former military aviator, I was a passenger a few years ago on a four wheel all terrain vehicle (ATV) which drove off a steep embankment, rolled twice and ended up on top of the driver and me in a remote area with no cell phone service.  We both suffered broken bones and a long difficult hike out of the remote area.  Obviously this was not a home accident but the ingredients of this event, poor planning, lack of preparation and thought given to potential hazards, could have happened anywhere.  My friend who was driving had six broken ribs.  I had a shoulder injury and a broken bone in my right foot.  To this day the pain which has resulted reminds me of what a good use of time a brief safety discussion would have been on that afternoon.  It might even have helped us avoid a serious accident.

I have been in situations in which I felt taking the time to discuss safety was inappropriate...a waste of time.  Now I realize that there is so little thought given to safety that every time the subject is discussed is one more time to be briefly on guard for hazards and unsafe conditions that are all around us.  Is safety a waste of time?  No.  It's not.

A friend of mine climbed a five foot ladder to change a light bulb.  He fell, striking his head on a concrete floor.  The resulting neurological damage was serious and will affect the remainder of his life dramatically.  As we age, balance and concentration can come and go.  As seniors, we like to think of ourselves as fully functional, but the reality is that a brief loss of balance or a small distraction can make even simple acts dangerous.  

This is the first entry in what I hope will be a continuing blog addressing random safety topics.  Heaven forbid it be boring or irrelevant.  If it is, please comment.  I believe that everyone is a potential contributor here and I welcome your comments.  Feel free to critique me.  And please add your own thoughts and ideas that might help someone avoid pain, injury, expense and lost time.

Let's end with a relevant safety tip.  Before using a ladder, consider all means of avoiding a fall from it.  That could be placing the ladder near a wall or structure which provides additional balance or contact.  Inspect the ladder for loose hardware or anything that might affect its structural integrity.  Use the ladder only as it was intended to be used.  Have a helper steady the ladder.  Do not climb above the recommended step.  Wear a tool belt so that hands are free while climbing.

Have a safe day!