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SAFETY MOMENT, NOVEMBER 6

Heat warm-up areas safely

The hazard

Cold weather can pull heat out of your body faster than you can make it, especially when you are wet or out in the wind. As you cool down, your hands get clumsy and your thinking slows. That makes every other task more dangerous, from climbing a ladder to running a saw. Hypothermia and frostbite can creep up on you, so we watch for them in ourselves and in each other.

The action

Fuel-burning heaters give off carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see or smell. When temporary heaters are used, fresh air must be supplied in sufficient quantities to maintain workers' health and safety (29 CFR 1926.154(a)(1)). Never run a heater or generator in a closed trailer, tent or room without ventilation, and keep heaters away from tarps and anything that burns. (29 CFR 1926.154(a)(1))

ASK THE CREW

Where is our warm-up spot today, and when will we use it?

From the talk: Cold stress. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

See today's safety moment

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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