I have over 40 years experience in Occupational Safety, mostly in the Construction Industry. Now that I am retired, I am able to spend more time on genealogical research.
This week's NOTW photo was courtesy of your safety friends in the US Navy. If you have followed NOTW for some time, you may remember several references to "Bucket Man." Well the Naval Safety Guys refer to this guy as "Gutter Perch," and suggest that the Gutter Perch should become extinct.
You might also notice the inadequate scaffold - where's the guardrail (and the lack of any other type of fall protection). Or the lack of a hard hat - remember that hard hats are required on all scaffolds. And, who knows what other hazards we might find if we could see the whole picture. I'm betting that these guys climbed the crossbraces rather than using a ladder too.
Well, I'm looking for a safety position again so I've some free time to revise the blog. A good place to restart is to visit the NOTW postings that have been so popular over the past several years.
Here's one from April of this year. Once I get my routine down, I'll post some new ones and you are all encouraged to send some "nitwit" photos for the blog.
Unfortunately, this situation is all too common on construction sites. “Hot-Punch” is a term to describe the process by which recently installed circuits are tested before the electric meters have been installed. In this case, our electrician found the nearest power source (see inset) which was the temporary electrical panel outside, opened the junction box cover and installed a temporary wire leaving the junction box open and available for accidental contact by passers-by. He then proceeded to connect his newly energized cord to an open panel inside the building. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Admittedly, the likelihood of a passer-by contacting the energized wiring at the junction box may be slight, but the open, energized panel presents a significant hazard. The really sad thing is that this operation can be accomplished safely by utilizing one of the many knock-outs on the panel while leaving the cover in place. But, that might take a couple of extra minutes.
By now you know that lack of adequate training contributes to many hazards on construction sites. This, however, is not one of those situations. Assuming that the electrician is licensed (which he should be), he was tested on his knowledge of the National Electric Code and should know better.
In November 2006 I started sharing jobsite photos (NOTW) with superintendents and subcontractors on my company's jobsites as a training tool. These provided graphic illustrations on "how not to do things." As time went on, the list of "subscribers" grew - subcontractors who had seen the weekly photo, or others who had heard about them.
Most of the photos were taken by me - on my jobsites or on sites by which I was driving. Frequently, people who subscribe to NOTW send me photos that they had taken and have asked that I use them - and I do. The Friday morning ritual of NOTW has been a huge success. People tend to remember the picture longer than the text that accompanies it.
I have been asked to "recycle" some of those weekly photos here. So, this was the first NOTW that I distributed on 11/17/06. And, ironically, it was provided by an alert project team. We dubbed this guy "bucket man." Oh, by the way, NOTW is an acronym for "Nitwit of the Week." If you are not already on the distribution list for the weekly NOTW, just leave me your e-mail address in the comments section and I would be happy to send them to you. If you wish to contribute a photo for consideration, please send it to safetyduck@gmail.com
As many of you know, I make use of a camera as a training tool. I am a frequent witness to some hazardous conditions and activities on jobsites (and sometimes off site). These photos provide us with some graphic illustrations of how not to do things. It is also fortunate that when we see these things, we correct the hazards BEFORE someone gets hurt.
Since these photographs are such a valuable training tool, I have decided to share some of them with you.
And there is an award specifically designed for these events captured on film – the NOTW Award (Nitwit of the Week).
The “winning photo” for the this NOTW award was provided by an observant project team .They are commended for recognizing the hazard and correcting the situation BEFORE someone got hurt.
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This week's NOTW photo was courtesy of your safety friends in the US Navy. If you have followed NOTW for some time, you may remember several references to "Bucket Man." Well the Naval Safety Guys refer to this guy as "Gutter Perch," and suggest that the Gutter Perch should become extinct.
