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Safe….To be or Not To Be
By Daniel Fumar
What do we mean when we tell someone to be safe? What is safety?
Safety is defined as - relative freedom from danger, risk, or threat of
harm, injury or loss to person and/or property whether caused
deliberately or by accident.
Throughout the year, we have many different themes on safety. The theme
can be focused on preventing injuries to your back, fingers and hands,
or how to prevent overexertion. It may simply be a reminder to stay
focused on human factors, housekeeping
or the use of personal protective equipment.
They are only themes unless you put them into practice.
I believe one of the most important of these that we can do off the
job would be emergency preparedness.
There are many types of natural disasters
that we have no control over such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes,
tornadoes, tsunamis, etc. Each of these disasters has their own hazards
involved. Although, we have no control over them, we can be prepared.
You can start by making yourself aware of the potential disasters that
may occur in your particular area. For example, California is known for
earthquakes, the Mid-West has tornadoes, Pacific Islandsare susceptible
to tsunamis.
Your family’s safety is most important!
In the event that your family is not together, you should already have
established an out-of-town contact. Be sure to have an “ICE” (In Case of
Emergency) contact in your phone and teach everyone how to use text
messaging. WWW.READY.GOVtells you how to build an emergency supply kit
and establish a plan. This is probably the best website to help you
prepare for a natural disaster.
Being safe takes practice; ultimately, it’s our responsibility to be
safe or not to be. Remember, it’s up to you!
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