Pit & Quarry, February 2014

Personal safety W ith a little free time over the holidays someone I highly regard was doing work at home The plan was to reposition a DVD VCR player that did not fit the shelf it was on after the cable company put in a new box To drop the DVD VCR to the next shelf a hole was needed in a 1 1 2 in thick hardwood shelf to pass wires through There was concern about confusion reconnecting wires so everything was left connected It seemed simple to drill while keeping an eye on the wires to not contact them However the first hole at 1 in was not large enough to accommodate a plug that needed to pass through A 2 in diameter saw bit was at hand but it was a little short for a 1 1 2 in thick shelf It was believed that with enough pressure the cut could be made With force and persistence the hole was completed suddenly with an explosion of electrical wires The wires were forgotten with the exertion of pressing the drill This was a case of a normally cautious person dispensing with precautions Fortunately there was no injury but only because the drill was insulated and regular eyeglasses were sufficiently protective There was a price to pay for this wrongheaded shortcut The rest of the day had to be spent searching stores for replacement electric cables The shortcut was anything but It may be human nature to take risks like this from time to time but it is human nature that needs to be reined in The bigger point In 40 years of accident investigations I have observed how simple jobs can result in sudden injury or death We may believe we can dispense with precautions for expediency We can tell BY MICHAEL T HEENAN ourselves something will just take a minute and nothing will happen The thin ice I am on will not break not right this minute we tell ourselves Many have thought that way with dire consequences In the workplace with an MSHA or OSHA inspector nearby no one for a minute would think of violating safety requirements Left to ourselves however the temptation is always there A mistake in the workplace can take away a life and with it all dreams aspirations and potential accomplishments Family and friends are devastated The entire workforce is upset A pall descends over the operation for a long time And almost immediately protracted government investigations begin Severe legal consequences can follow From accidents I have learned there are times of especially elevated danger If an employee does not regularly do a job past training may be inadequate Many accidents are attributed to deficient training Many of us are disinclined to seek guidance even though we may not be certain how to do a job Lack of understanding can be fatal Even experienced employees encounter difficulties and have been killed while improvising If something goes wrong in the middle of a job that is a time of danger Not blocking equipment capable of causing injury has caused many deaths So has not locking out electrical equipment What went wrong Analyzing the non workplace case I A mistake in the workplace can take away a life Family and friends are devastated The entire workforce is upset A pall descends over the operation And almost immediately protracted government investigations begin described from the outset Training was lacking There was insufficient knowledge of the wiring so the wires were not unplugged It was assumed solutions could be figured out as the job proceeded Something went wrong The first hole was too small and improvisation began Safety procedures were sacrificed for perceived convenience Safety glasses were not worn An improper tool was used because a better drill bit was not immediately available The wires might have been protected with a barrier but they were not Worst of all everything remained energized This type of problem is all too common outside work At work it is the most important problem for us to address Training reminders reinforcement and discipline in the interest of employee well being all help A good example is indispensable Ultimately though personal commitment is most important at work and at home P Q Legal editor Michael T Heenan is an attorney at Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak Stewart one of the nations largest labor and safety law firms He can be reached at michael heenan@ odnss com 92 PIT QUARRY February 2014 www pitandquarry com