Tidbits – 12/26/07

Go ahead…saddle up
“Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.”
--John Wayne

Ladder Safety Tips
Ladder use leads to approximately 25,000 on-the-job injuries every year and accounts for 25% of all falls in the home (where 1,200 people suffer serious injury every year). Remind workers to inspect ladders before using them (at home or on the job), regardless of which ladder they choose for the task they perform. Tell workers to check:
-The shoes – all of them! Workers should avoid leather soles because they're often slippery and unsafe. And try to keep their shoes free of mud, grease, oil and snow. If working with electrical equipment, make sure there are no nails or screws lodged in the soles of their shoes. Then check the ladders' shoes. Ladders should have non-skid safety feet and be in satisfactory condition. Warn workers not to use a ladder whose safety feet are loose or worn.
-Inspect the whole ladder, including the side rails for flaws and cracks, and the rungs for looseness.
-Check for sharp edges on side rails or rungs. These can usually be filed down. But if extensive repairs are required, they should always be done by a qualified service person.
-Check pulleys and extension locks on extension ladders to ensure that they're functional and in proper working order. Ropes should be replaced if they show signs of aging or wear.
-Watch for dents, rust or corrosion. Some chemical compounds such as potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonia are known to corrode and weaken aluminum over time.
-Anything loose? Look for loose rivets and fastenings and other signs that the ladder needs replacing.
-Don't skimp! Buy a quality ladder to start with and maintain it!

For what its worth
"If you refuse to be made straight when you are green, you will not be made straight when you are dry." --African Proverb

Say What?
-30% of all fatal crashes are a result of a driver traveling at an excessive speed and account for an average 1,000 American deaths, every month.
-26% of drivers, in a recent poll, said they run red lights "daily." Use caution at those intersections!
-(At least) 6% of all US car accidents are directly attributed to drivers talking on their cell phone, according to a recent Harvard study.
-11 miles the approximate distance you would have to run to burn off the calories from a fast food meal of a cheeseburger, medium fries, and medium soda. Source: Pryor Creek Recreation Center.
-20.9% of the U.S. adult population (persons 18 and older) consider themselves smokers. In 1965 the number was more 42.4%.

Quote of the week “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” --Chinese Proverb