At Your Service Safety Stuff Subscriber,

I hope you're loving life.

I'm home until next Tuesday. Then, I'm off to California to spend some quality time with the safety leaders at Shell Pipeline.

The new BOSS (Best of Safety Stuff Vol 2) is almost here! It's getting printed right now. I'll send you a special announcement when it's ready for sale.

How about a nice round of applause for this week's safety & health meeting/promotion idea winner-- Jackie Lizotte from Propipe Field Services Ltd.!

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

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.

Now, for Jackie's idea:

CRANE FISHING

Here is one very effective and fun trick I use to check competency and teach equipment hand signals for cranes or moving equipment:

First, I set up a welders blind or screen. Then, on one side and operator stands with a fishing rod, with a small weight on the end of the line.

The operator tries to put the weight into a Styrofoam cup sitting on the floor on the other side with the help of a signaller giving hand signals to guide the weight into the cup.

It has really helped with practicing the use of standard and correct hand. Plus it's fun and easy to set up signals.

TIDBITS
(all about lawns)

About 65% of all water used in American households goes to watering lawns. (In summer, that's about 238 gallons per person per day.)

About 65,000 people in the U.S. per year are hospitalized with lawn-mower-related injuries.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as much as 5% of all polluting exhaust in urban areas is from lawn mowers.

Study Reveals Those Without Insurance Die More Often

Man Jumps Off 2nd Street Bridge: Neither Jumper Nor Body Found

Woman Improving After Fatal Crash

Butte Blast Blamed on Leaking Gas

Suicide Squirrels Driving Utilities Nuts

Legislator Wants Tougher Death Penalty

EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCTS

Just want thank you for doing such a great job with our "It CAN Happen To Me, It CAN Happen Today" project. Your unique combination of safety knowledge, creativity, and program development skills provided to be just what we needed for this groundbreaking program.

I will never forget the day we spent together taping the video scenes in Orlando. I was skeptical you would be able to pull off your very ambitious plan to capture such a remarkable variety of images. But as you recall, by the end of the day we all bought lottery tickets, convinced it had to be the luckiest day in our experience. In hindsight, although there was a bit of luck in it, it was primarily your direction, imagination, and exuberance that carried the day.

Thank you again Richard for all the exceptional products you developed for us and for making the project a fun experience. No doubt we'll be using your services in the future.

Sincerely,

Mike Watson
Facilities and Engineering Manager, Eastern Region
US Convenience Retail, BP North America Inc.

If you'd like to get the same type 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.

BUY GOOD EQUIPMENT

(Here's a little something I wrote which you're welcome to use. Since many people are playing outdoors more this time of year it might be a nice addition to your next in-house e-zine or whatever.)

**************************************

Pop! The ball hits you in the face. Your cheek stings and turns red. "Hold up," you holler to your opponent. He waits; you lose the point, but at least you didn't lose any of your face--this time. The game continues and you wonder if maybe you should wear some eye protection when you play racquet-ball?!

What equipment and clothing you need depends upon the sport you have selected. Before buying anything, get the advice of a professional or buy a book on your selected sport which offers a list of the proper equipment you need to play safely. And always buy quality goods.

Of the million people who suffer eye injuries each year 40,000 have permanent vision impairment. Yet, 90 percent of eye injuries are preventable. This is especially true of many sports-related injuries. For example, it has been estimated that certified face protectors for amateur hockey players avert 70,000 eye injuries a year and save more than $10 million in medical expenses annually.

With a direct hit, a ball traveling at 30 mph can easily dislodge a retina. Impact resistant eye guards can protect against the force of a smashed tennis or racquet ball and should be worn whenever these sports are played.

So don't be "cheap" when it comes to buying protective equipment for any sport you play. Actually, besides giving you solid protection, better equipment will last longer and could actually save you money.