Monsoon – Seasonal safety realities

Global and regional companies experience seasonal peculiarities that can have a definite impact on the employees and their families. Last month I received a warning notice from a facility cautioning their employees about “Monsoon June.” The anticipated heavy winds and rains have caused major damage, injuries and deaths during previous monsoon seasons. Many of our readers have their own regional dangers; brush fires, heat index spikes, subzero temperatures, hunting seasons, home repairs and the like.

Many monsoon seasons ago when I was a part of our country’s armed services, every Friday we mustered to hear about anticipated safety realities for those who were granted a weekend pass off base. Each week the message was fresh based on weather, anticipated regional activities in our area and what young people who were footloose and off base might expect to encounter while being outside the control of the service regimen. The Friday after I had a motorcycle – automobile collision I had the opportunity to give the safety briefing based on my personal experience.

You might consider beginning appropriate, timely off-the-job safety briefings on the days your people are most at risk, i.e., when they are on their own away from the work site. A number of studies show that most injuries to industrial employees occur while they and their families/friends are off-the-job.

The Doc