Safety close calls. - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Eric Hemming · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Safety close calls.

John Smith · Lead Tech Certified

I agree Eric, no job, no matter how big is worth getting hurt. This is a thread that should continue to grow and never stop. Not only should we post mishaps, but when we or our workers go above and beyond and point out safety on the job to keep each other safe.

Jeff Thompson · Junior Member

Good idea. I'll share.

The other day I was in a hurry so I put an extension onto my wand and hand tightened it....held the wand and gun over my head to get some extra height. Pull the trigger and SH leaked out, down my head into my eyes. Long way down from the top of a 32' ladder with SH in your eyes. I'm ok, but the lesson I took away from this is don't be in a hurry. Do things right. If I would have tightened down the extension properly and used some teflon tape this would not have happened.

On a side note regarding a helper. Usually I go it alone, but this roof was more difficult and I needed help with the ladder so I brought someone...good thing. After the leak, he was able to help me with the hose line, guide me down the ladder and bring me water to flush my eyes out.

Hank Timmermann · Junior Member

Several years ago one of my guys stored a ladder , on the side rack of one of my landscape trailers,, with only one bungee cord even though he was instructed to use our tie downs. This was a line item in our SOP as well. Low and behold as the trailer was traveling down a back road the cord broke and the ladder bounced off the rack and into someone's front yard. The ladder was destroyed and thank god no one was injured. This was the first of many documented incidents with this employee.

Thereafter, I made a sign in our shop that reads:

"Safety is an obligation that can not be accomplished on a fix it tomorrow basis or take a chance attitude"

Hank

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Roofs can become electrically active once treated. Water conducts electricity and salt water really conducts electricity! One misplaced roofing nail into a wire and active completed circuit through your ladder or other grounding source. Always check your ladder with the back of your hand before grabbing!

AC

John Smith · Lead Tech Certified

Jeff, doing it alone saves money, but having a helper there can be priceless. What if something happens and you fall off the ladder and get seriously hurt. 20 years of Nuclear safety drilled into my head, Always work in pairs.

Jeff Thompson · Junior Member

John Smith wrote:
Jeff, doing it alone saves money, but having a helper there can be priceless. What if something happens and you fall off the ladder and get seriously hurt. 20 years of Nuclear safety drilled into my head, Always work in pairs.

I'm coming around John. I have a young guy working his way through college who likes the extra cash. He will get a call from me when a roof job comes in.

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Some people speed by force of habit, but I learned long ago a mindset that keeps me from speeding (especially for work). A manager was riding with me one day and I was going a little faster than I needed to and he called me out on it, then said, "I don't want to get a ticket on my own time, but I sure as heck am not getting paid enough to get a speeding ticket for my boss. They just don't pay me enough." Drill that mindset into your employees to avoid speeding at all costs.

I'd also make strict rules about using a cell phone in any way while driving...especially texting or anything that requires you to look away from the road. A couple weeks ago my cousin's daughter was in a car wreck while traveling with her family (husband, 3 kids and she was 5 months pregnant). The girl that hit them admitted to the police that she was texting and driving. She lived and was OK, but my cousin's daughter's husband was killed in the wreck, and they also lost the unborn child...all over some freaking text message.

I'm sure this is in your manuals already, but drinking and driving is the worst. I was on the volunteer rescue squad for 12 years and in those 12 years I could count on one hand the number of car wrecks I went to that did not involve alcohol in some way. Anywhere from the person being totally drunk to only having one drink. This is even worse for people that have had a gastric bypass as the alcohol goes directly to the intestines to be absorbed so your blood alcohol level shoots up incredibly fast. Our old roommate has this gastric bypass and she's a tall girl and about 160 pounds, and she had two drinks over a 90 minute period and got into a wreck and blew a 0.12. I saw her receipt from the sports bar and I know when she left the house and saw from her ticket when she was in the wreck. She has a strong German heritage and drinks (drank) frequently so you couldn't tell if she was drinking or not.