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SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 23

Inspect cords and holiday lights

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Safety moment, December 23

Inspect cords and holiday lights

The holidays bring deadlines, short days, cold weather, parties, travel and a lot on everyone's mind. Rushing to finish before the break can lead to skipped steps. Decorations, extra deliveries, cords and ladders show up in places they normally are not. OSHA has no specific standard for holiday safety; the general duty to train still applies.

SAFETY MOMENT

December 23

The hazard

The holidays bring deadlines, short days, cold weather, parties, travel and a lot on everyone's mind. Rushing to finish before the break can lead to skipped steps. Decorations, extra deliveries, cords and ladders show up in places they normally are not. OSHA has no specific standard for holiday safety; the general duty to train still applies.

The action

Extension cords must be visually inspected before use on any shift for damaged insulation, crushed jackets, missing pins and loose parts. If a cord or a string of lights is damaged, take it out of service. Do not staple cords or run them through doorways where they get pinched, and keep them out of walkways. (29 CFR 1910.334(a)(2)(i))

ASK THE CREW

How is everyone getting home after the holiday party?

From the talk: Holiday season safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

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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