Week 8 – U of M LSA – Miranda Zamora
June 29, 2018
Week 7 – GM WTC – Jacob Rhodes
July 3, 2018
Summer is in full swing. The sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and the grass is growing. More importantly, we will be celebrating Independence Day with family, friends, cold beverages, and fireworks. Among all of the fun that surrounds the 4th of July, we all need to remember that accidents are waiting to happen. They can be avoided and these are 4 mindsets that we should be aware of and do our best to avoid this holiday and every day.
Rushing: promotes cutting corners which leads to accidents or injuries. Accidents increase on Fridays, holiday weekends (especially the day before a holiday like this Tuesday), and when we are behind schedule. It’s important to remind ourselves and those around us that Safety is the first priority, even if it means finishing later!
Frustration: sets in quickly. Manage frustration by turning negatives into positives and remember the best of what is around. Conquering your frustration is extremely rewarding so focus on your goal and push forward. If you find yourself frustrated, step back and assess the situation; find the silver lining (just finding a little positivity can help a lot); remember it’s probably happened to someone before; take a deep breath; and communicate- just talk it out!
Fatigue: a tired driver is said to be as dangerous on the road as a drunk driver, which illustrates the dangers of fatigue. Heat stress can arise in hotter climates and can lead to fatigue in workers. It’s important to identify when fatigue sets in and take action to prevent incidents. Avoid fatigue by setting realistic deadlines and attainable goals.
Complacency: perhaps the most dangerous mindset. The first step is a false belief that experience makes you invulnerable. Accidents can happen to anybody at any time and you should always be finely tuned to the risks in each situation. A false sense of security can be deadly. We all need to be quick to intervene when we recognize someone that has become bored or complacent. Especially around fireworks.
Together we can avoid these mindsets and safety incidents!
