Guess What Safety Stuff Subscriber?

. . . it's that time again--for your weekly dose of fun safety and health stuff.

I'm home this week. (Next week, I'll be back in Philadelphia to "star" in a live broadcast for Montana State Fund.)

It's Off To The Printer! . . .

my next new product:
250 Super Bright Safety Meeting and Promotion Ideas.

Jackie and I compiled five years worth of winning ideas from you dear subscribers. The art work and design is so cool. We're putting together a special offer which I'll let you know about when the book is printed. So stay tuned.

Congratulations Tony Newport from ArcelorMittal Dofasco! You, yes you are this week's safety and health meeting/promotion idea winner!

Safety & health meeting/promotion idea winners get 25 Safety & Health Puzzles on CD which they can copy and give out to their employees. They also get a copy of Spice It Up! 52 Easy Ways to Turn Your Safety Meetings From Bland to Grand! If you'd like to purchase these helpful products just go to: www.makesafetyfun.com or click on the picture of the product on the left.

If I publish your idea on how to use a prop to make a point, or some way to get your audience involved in a safety & health meeting, or an innovative way to promote safety & health on and off the job you'll win the puzzles and booklet.

Send your ideas to me at richard@richardhawkinc.com or click on the link at the bottom of this message.

Enough of that. Let's move on to Tony's idea:

I have enjoyed reading Safety Stuff and thought I would make a contribution to the safety and health meeting/promotion idea. This particular activity you can do with a large or small group.

I utilize this activity to illustrate that even when things are well documented something can still go wrong. (We try to document our work with Work Instructions so we have consistent safe results no matter who does the job.) I perform the exercise in one of two ways:

One: I hand everyone a letter size piece of paper. Usually a white piece of paper. This way everyone starts with exactly the same "worksite and equipment." Then, I ask the audience to inspect their own paper and check for flaws; tears, rips, folds, or holes. I tell everyone that this is their worksite and equipment and it is up to them to ensure that everything is in good order before they begin to execute the work. I then ask them to hold up their piece of paper and let all the other participants look and compare. What they see is a bunch of white letter size paper being waved by the other participants.

The stage is now set because they know everyone is starting with identical equipment. I then tell them that I have the documented Work Instructions for the execution of the work on their equipment. The equipment needs modifications which they will perform. I then say that I have the tools required for proper work execution and give everyone scissors.

I can make this simple or more complex, but here is the gist of the instructions: (Talk quickly so that the employees cannot take the time to look at how everyone else is doing each task.)

1. Take the paper and fold it in half. (Some will fold on the vertical, some on the horizontal axis.)
   
   
2. Take the paper and make sure the folded edge is on your left. Then take the scissors and cut a 1 inch triangle from the top left corner and bottom right corner.
   
   
3. Take the paper and fold it from the bottom to the top and then from the left to right.
   
   
4. Take the scissors and cut a 1 inch triangle out of the middle of the left and the right side.
   
   
5. Unfold your paper and hold it up for all to see.

Not surprisingly, all the papers do not look the same. I'll sometimes joke that it proves no two snowflakes are alike! This demonstration proves that even documented instructions can deliver different results . . .sometimes even dangerous results.

What I'm proving to the audience is that having documented information does not always ensure consistent results. People's actions and attitudes also are an important factor and can make a big difference.

Two: The same Introduction as one. Then give each person the written Work Instructions and allow them one to three minutes, depending on the complexity of the Work Instruction, to execute the work. This way they are reading and interpreting and thus truly responsible for the outcome. The results will be more consistent which shows that having (and following) Work Instructions is important, too.

This demonstration doesn't take long and has a dramatic effect.

I love to laugh. You do too, probably. We don't usually think of it as a "safety/health hazard" but here are a few instances where it may have been a bit dangerous (actually it was deadly!).

According to The Book of Lists, Greek philosopher Chrusippus (third century B.C.) expired from laughing while watching a donkey eat figs.

A few sources site Greek playwright Philemon (c. 236- 263 AD) as laughing to death at one of his own jokes.

Politics indirectly claims Sir Thomas Urquhart (1611- 1660). A Scottish writer died of laughter upon learning that Charles II had been restored to the throne.

In 1989 a Danish doctor, Ole Bentzen, howled himself into cardiac arrest while watching A Fish Called Wanda.

And in 2003, Damnoen Saen-um, a Thai ice cream salesman, is reported to have died while laughing in his sleep at the age of 52. His wife was unable to wake him, and he stopped breathing after two minutes of continuous laughter. He was believed to have died either of heart failure or asphyxiation.

Feedback from attendees at one of my "Spice It Up" seminars:

"The meeting exceeded my expectation. I thought it was very innovative. What I liked the most is that it was not what I anticipated. The meeting really inspired me to be more imaginative and creative."

Edward M. Houston
Environmental Safety Specialist
Coachella Valley Water District

"I liked your enthusiasm and knowledge. The day seemed to fly by!"

Noreen Hunisch
EHS
Biosense Webster, J&J

"Your session has widened my eyes to new approaches to many different ways to deal with management, employees and myself."

Michael Deweese
Safety Manager
J.F. Shea Construction Inc.

If you'd like the same kind of results at your next convention or employee day (or are looking for ways to improve your safety & health culture) contact Michele Lucia (972-899-3411 michele@richardhawkinc.com) or click on the link at the end of this email message.

If you'd like to see a video of yours truly go to my safety website www.makesafetyfun.com

One of the first things they teach you in driver's ed is where to put your hands on the steering wheel--at 10:00 and 2:00. I put mine at 9:45 and 2:17. Gives me an extra half-hour to get where I'm going.

--George Carlin

There's a long standing saying about risk that "Information Reduces Risk." I believe I first heard it nearly 20 years ago when taking a course with the National Safety Council. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to include this information about "Exercise & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome." It's on the back of one of the puzzles in my Puzzle Pak.

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Weight Lifting. For weight lifters, the source of the problem seems to be the bands they wrap around their wrists for support. When wrapped too tightly, the bands place pressure on the wrist and the carpal tunnel. Weight lifters and body builders who use wrist bands should make sure they fit comfortably and use them more as a reminder to keep the wrist straight, as should anyone who engages in the other activities.

Swimming. When lap swimmers reach the end of the pool, they often hit the pool's wall or grab it briefly and push off from it as they start their next lap. Done often enough, this may irritate wrist tendons and lead to the development of CTS.

Running. It may seem surprising that running could actually affect one's wrists, but many runners make tight fists (or open and close their hands) while exercising. Hand weights often aggravate the problem.

Aerobics. Here again hand weights are the source of injury. When too heavy, they cause the hand to flex forward to accommodate the weight, placing the strain on the wrists. If you must use hand weights during aerobics, make sure they're light enough for you to use comfortably.

Racquet Sports. People who engage in sports such as racquetball, which is played in an enclosed court, use their flexed wrists to wield the racquet and to help them bounce back when they hit the walls during play. For frequent players, this may place intolerable stress on the wrist.

Exercise Machines. Exercise bikes, rowing machines, and the continual flexion and extension may irritate tendons in the carpal tunnel. On the stair- climbing machine, many people compensate for increasing speed by leaning on the hand rails, forcing the wrist into an unnatural position that may lead to irritation of the tendons in the wrist.