Career Path > Safety
Safety
Already Gone:
Y'know what? You're right. I have worked at SONGS as an RP - with Chimera the last time, actually. I gotta tell you that your assessment of their safety people just might be correct. I don't know how their record has fared in the five plus years since then, but it was awful when I was there.
Maybe it isn't fair to lay all the blame at their feet, but if a site has people getting hurt so much, and the workforce (you) have characterized them the way that you do, then something must be wrong.
Even if they are smart, hard-working, dedicated, passionate people, they still seem to have failed at their primary job -- getting you on their team. Why has that not happened? Are they as apathetic as you say they are? Is management handcuffing them, contradicting them, spreading them too thin, or what?
Lesson here for anyone wanting to be a safety professional: You can NOT be everywhere, or even at the right place all of the time. Your first priority is to get the workforce to think as you do about safety. You need to motivate them to make the right decisions and to seek you out to help in that process.
So, instead of me banging on MeterSwangin for his bad attitude toward the safety staff, let me pose the question: How did he get that attitude, and what would it take to change it?
MS, if you think you could do a better job, you're probably right. But to do a better job than they do, you have to think differently from the way they do. Yeah, if all they care about is chin straps and speed bumps, you would do well to not emulate them. Just don't paint us all with the same brush, or judge us until you have tried to do our job.
HydroDave63:
--- Quote from: mutant on Dec 13, 2009, 01:39 ---Being spread too thin is definitely not the issue with the SONGS safety staff. SONGS safety is very well staffed (in numbers) compared to their peers. If they are not out in the field it is a matter of priorities and motivation. Priorities are set by the leadership. Leadership is also responsible to provide motivation to those who lack it.
--- End quote ---
Would providing leadership involve leaving the large styrofoam building on the north side of site, or the donut-box shaped one just outside the PA? :P
MeterSwangin:
At Palo Verde we had 3 Safety guys on days typical of the genre. One was a former Security officer fixated on gloves and handrail use. Utterly without a clue about confined space monitoring, fall restraint rules, or rigging safety. Moe.
Larry the world's friendliest guy. Walked around all day greeting people. "How ya doin, Chief?" Did absolutely nothing productive. Several RPs had tried to get him interested in ctmt cleanliness and bump/trip hazards. "How ya doin, Chief?" What a goof. Got one exactly like him working for Bechtel at San Onofre.
Curly was a turd. Former RP, counting the days to retirement. Laid low all day. Hit him with a concern or issue and he fumed "line owns safety...you fix it!" Nice. Took him a week to get a gasket sampled for asbestos. Job was done and gone before Curly got back with positive results. Oh well. Another week closer to retirement.
mostlyharmless:
Lets please keep it cool. But. Can you get passionate about rigging straps? I watched as a man with fluid leaking out of both ears was carried out of a CA on a stretcher.I dropped the ropes for the EMTs. This man ,with a wife and children, died because of a bad strap and a safety manager who said " I can see everything I need to see about safety from my office window". This is fact, I was there. This is not an epistemological debate, this is not about showing off intelect, this is about how we go about our jobs, how we affect each other, how we help ourselves and each other. Its not about saving souls but about saving fingers and eyes,lives. No matter how cliche it seams, safety is important. I very much appreciate the posts. I feel at my site safety is over programed. Its more about the posters and the stats, that to a degree we have lost focus on the job. All flash and no substance. How do I fix this at a site with 10,000 employees? MH
duke99301:
Hum one thing I can tell you safety starts with you and your acts do you ever see the rp done in the safety brief? not unless they are told to go. will I been on both sides I been a house manager two times and many contracts with GE Westinghouse and Shaw, DZ and others . I worked hard to get out of the heard I been to many classes that sites pay for I never gone to collage so what I been in nukes since I was 18 years old I been safety on coal plants and gas plants and clean up sites .and it all comes to one thing management has to back the program. the site I am at now they back the program I am used to help review job plans.
I seen and been one a site where a mans died , a kid broke his back and seen guys fall.I had to do the write up for a21 year old kid lose a thumb.
I been turbine sites where many folks brings leave site for the bar at lunch and pack stuff for drug test.
when a rigger did not check his rigging who fault is it? when the foreman give the brief and just drops the sign in sheet on the table and walks out where did the system fail?
nukes have a better safety program from what I have seen.
All workers must have a role in it . rules to live by are must . how many of you wear sneakers in the can when the book calls for steel toed boots. safety starts with you.
And anyone can stop a job. STAR. self check. all the key words.
house keeping is big clean up after your self.
At palo verde a couple years ago RP had a SAM on a cart that was not made to hold the weight and they covered it with herculite around the base so no one would see it . will we all make mistakes
use your fall protection do not take short cuts. and watch out for your friend.
every accident can be prevented . and safety starts with you.
I just seen a man let go for saying he seen something twice in one week that could have been prevented. and he took no action.
good luck be pro active.
all sites have good programs but you get what you pay for.buddy of mine told me a long time ago when we were working alara I do not fly for 55, my rates gone up since then.
I think Beer court would agree with me safety starts with you. we can give you the tools it is up to you to use them.
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