LP Gas, October 2018

MARK ANDERSON safety first There might be a safer way REASSESSING HOW YOU COMPLETE YOUR TASKS COULD INCREASE SAFETY I have a thing I like good coffee Every morning I heat the water grind my beans and put them in the French press I pour the hot water over the grounds let it steep and enjoy as I peruse the news I clean the French press once Im done Recently I had the glass carafe in my left hand while my right hand was inside of the carafe cleaning it with a soapy sponge I heard a noise that sounded like pink I looked down the carafe was in pieces in the sink and my right index finger knuckle was sliced open I rinsed it applied pressure to staunch the bleeding and then dressed the wound That morning I ran into a co worker She noticed the bandage and asked what happened I said Well I was cleaning my French press and the thing broke She asked how I clean it and once I had explained my method said Have you tried a bottle brush so you dont have to put your hand inside and risk getting cut I found myself saying Do you know how many times Ive done this and never had a problem Thats when I realized I was saying one of the things Ive heard countless times when interviewing my coworkers while conducting an injury or incident investigation Busted We perform a lot of tasks that have procedures and sometimes we dont realize there might be a better way to do them We also fall into routines and might not realize there is a risk present that we can avoid The rules established by industry organizations as well as our own safety policies are in place for a reason to keep us safe Lets also not forget the regulatory end of things The National Fire Protection Association Occupational Safety and Health Administration National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health American National Standards Institute Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency come to mind to name a few The rules established by these organizations as well as our own safety policies are in place for a reason to keep us safe We want to go home at the end of the day free of injury and incident Capt Chesley Sullenberger the pilot who landed the US Airways plane on the Hudson River saving the lives of all aboard said the following about rules Every rule that we have everything we know every procedure we use we know because someone or often many people died We have learned important safety lessons purchased at great cost sometimes literally bought in blood We have an obligation not to forget these lessons and have to relearn them Timely action on recommendations is an important way to honor and remember those weve lost and hopefully to prevent similar accidents Lessons learned Perform personal risk assessments before and while performing tasks whether at home or at work Watch out for one another Remember no matter where you go or what you do there will always be someone who is happy to see you After the conversation with my coworker a package of bottle brushes appeared on my office chair My safety buddy was looking out for me LPG Mark Anderson is safety compliance and fleet manager for Dead River Co in Maine New Hampshire Vermont and Massachusetts He can be reached at mark anderson@ deadriver com or at 207 358 5800 ext 5786 NOTE The opinions and viewpoints expressed herein are solely the authors and should in no way be interpreted as those of LP Gas magazine or any of its staff members 50 LPGas October 2018 LPGasmagazine com ISTOCK COM OLIVIER LE MOAL ARENACREATIVE ULIMI