Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Safety at Work and at Home

In the construction of the Shrine, we as employers, have to have SAFETY as one of our primary concerns. We have a number of people climbing scaffolding and painting, cleaning and doing carpentry work many feet above the ground. That's a VERY high fall if something should happen.

With a lot of finishing work being done to the ceiling and the dome of the Shrine, a must for all workers are Hard Hats. Right. I've maybe seen one or two people wearing one. Next, with the grinding of granite walls and floor tiles, not to mention columbarium vault covers, Safety Goggles are another must-wear safety requirement. I haven't seen anyone with a pair on. Filipinos in general are uber stubborn when we're talking safety here. For some strange reason, there is no pressing urgency to practice safety at work. I'm still wracking my brain to come up with a half-decent reason to give employees to convince them to start practicing safety while in the work place.

Maybe we need more one-stop stores for our safety needs. If we have more of those here, it would show more people that it IS an important concern for everyone. Talk of and practicing of safety starts with the employer, is what I say. With costs of high insurance and medical care nowadays, safety in the industrial workplace is a must.

A nice thing to see in a safety store is a section for Home Use Safety. Things were we can get equipment to ensure a safe environment while at our DIY home bench/garage area. First and foremost, First Aid Kits are a priority. No home (or garage workplace) should be without it. How about fire extinguishers? Emergency lights, flashlights and lanterns are also good.

Thank goodness Japa is conscious about these things. With the exception of fire extinguishers, we have everything else. I hope :)

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