Three Dangerous Attitudes That Lead To Fatal Falls

“I Don’t Work Very High - I’ll Catch Myself, I Have Good Balance.”

Three Dangerous Attitudes that Lead to Fatal Falls (by John Braun, CSP, CHST, Co-Owner, Signature Safety, LLC): Despite efforts to reduce falls, they still remain the number one killer in construction.  They also account for approximately 12% of fatal occupational injuries across all industries. We educate, inspect, and discipline, yet falls continue to occur. Why? Perhaps part of the answer is that workers seem to have many misconceptions about falling, beginning with ‘it can’t happen to me’. It can, and it does. Beyond that, though, there seem to be a few misconceptions that exist across industry, gender, and age group, beginning with:

“I Don’t Work Very High” - While it’s true that in 2012, 25% of fatal falls occurred in falls greater than 30 feet, it is also true that 25% of fatal falls occurred in falls less than 10 feet.  Let’s allow that to sink in.  Just as many people died from falls less than 10 feet as from more than 30 feet.  Fall fatalities aren’t all about how far you fall and how hard you hit the ground, but also which body part hits.  Striking your head at any height can be fatal. There’s a reason OSHA’s fall protection rules don’t begin at 20 or 30 feet – because you don’t have to fall far to be seriously injured or killed.

“I’ll Catch Myself” - Some people actually believe that their reaction time is so good – that they are so quick – that if they were to fall, they would just catch themselves.  While this might work if a) you felt like you were about to fall and b) there was actually something nearby to grab onto, the fact of the matter is if you do fall, you are out of arms reach in a blink of an eye.  Let’s take a look at how fast you fall..

Six feet in half a second.  It’s probably safe to say that nobody reading this article has arms six feet long or can react in less than half a second.  In one second - perhaps the amount of time it takes for your brain to consciously register “Oh, this is happening” - you’ve already fallen 16 feet.  In many situations, this will mean you’ve already hit the level below.

“I Have Good Balance” Maybe so.  In perfect conditions, this may be enough to keep you safe, but in what job do you have perfect conditions and a perfectly controlled environment?  If we’re speaking about construction or other outdoor work, you may have an unexpected gust of wind or a misty rain that’s making your walking surface slippery.  A co-worker or piece of equipment may have spilled an oily substance that you are unaware of.  Something could swing into you or your path, such as a rigged load on a crane, or equipment being set by a forklift.  Worse yet, you could back up and trip into a skylight and, like Joe, fall several stories to your death.

Or, your own health could work against you.  Anybody who has ever experienced an attack of low blood sugar can tell you that it can be both dizzying and unexpected.  A mild heart attack could be survivable, but probably not at 30’ with no fall protection.  Who hasn’t, at some point, moved just a little too quickly and experienced a ‘head rush’?  Any of these things could result in an otherwise ‘balanced’ worker plummeting to their death.

Conclusion A fall is a fall.  Once it happens, there will be no dramatic life-saving fingertip catch by your co-worker like you see in the movies.  Falls can happen and, unfortunately, do happen.  Every single person who has died from a fall in which the victim was not utilizing provided fall protection most likely believed one of the myths above.  Otherwise, knowing the potential result of their actions, why would they have chosen to forego it?  Wear your fall protection, because nobody can defy the laws of gravity.

3 Cleaners - 3 Different Money Styles

Window cleaner Mick Tate is retiring after almost 40 years.

Ravensthorpe window cleaner retiring after almost 40 years: A window cleaner is winding down after almost 40 years. For almost all of his working life, Mick Tate has been cleaning the windows of houses, shops and factories in Ravensthorpe. But now, at the age of 67, he has decided to cut down on the amount of work he takes on and ease his way into retirement. “When you get to my age, you can’t fly up and down a ladder like you used to at 27,” he said. Mr Tate, of Queen Street, Mirfield, first took over the window cleaning business from a family friend, Walter Barker, in 1974. “He was a wonderful character,” Mr Tate said. “He was retiring and said, would I like to take over. “I worked at ICI at the time, and I didn’t particularly like it, so I worked with Walter for 12 months and the rest is history.”

Mr Tate grew up in Ravensthorpe and is still known to many of the children who live on his window cleaning round as ‘Mr Mick’. He spent many years playing football and rugby with amateur teams in the area and still goes crown green bowling in Lower Hopton. He hopes to use his retirement to spend more time travelling and visiting his son, Daniel. “My son recently moved to Canada,” Mr Tate said. “My wife Brenda and I have just been out there, and I would like to go back.” Mr Tate still plans to work occasional shifts, but he will be winding down over the next few months. “I’m still fit enough to work a couple of mornings a week, which I intend to do, but a lot of my work has now gone,” he said.

Meet the woman who has lived without money for 16 years... and discovered it actually made her happier: A German woman has lived without money for 16 years following a lifetime of guilt about wealth stemming from her time as a World War Two refugee. Growing up in Prussia Heidemarie Schwermer was the daughter of a successful businessman and her family kept a nanny and full-time gardener on their payroll. But when war struck Europe in 1939 for the second time that century Schwermer and her family became penniless and were forced to flee to Germany. After years of hardship Schwermer's father was able to start over with a tobacco company and cash started pouring in again. But Schwermer now found herself at odds with their affluent lifestyle. 'We were well-off but ended up as riff-raff,' she said. 'We became rich again and we had to defend it. I've always had to justify myself, whether we were rich or poor.'

Schwermer, now 69, worked at a teacher and then a psychotherapist on a good wage. But instead of welcoming the hard-earned cash she yearned for those formative childhood years of struggle and strife. As a result she became obsessed with finding new ways to live without money, eventually setting up Germany's first exchange circle in 1994. 'Give and Take Central' helped people swap simple services like babysitting or house cleaning for tangible goods and Schwermer found she need money less and less. Eventually when a friend asked the divorced mother-of-two to house-sit for her Schwermer decided to take the plunge and live without money for one whole year. She sold everything - including her apartment - saving just a few small items that she packed into a suitcase. What was only meant to last 12 months became her life for the next 16 years. 'I only wanted to try to do an experiment and in that year, but I noticed a new life,' she told Business Insider. 'I didn't want to go back to the old life.'

In the beginning Schwermer stayed with old friends but as word of her lifestyle spread she began giving talks on her mission - meeting new hosts on the lecture circuit. She only accepts train fare for her speaking engagements and rejects any other attempts to pay her. At first she also did odd jobs around her hosts' homes, like gardening or window washing, to earn her keep but she says that these days they don't expect anything in return. In a documentary made about her life entitled 'Living Without Money', she's seen foraging for leftover produce at fresh air markets and trading a shopkeeper a few hours of cleaning services in return for food. She often receives clothing from friends, donating what she doesn't have room for in the small suitcase she carts from home to home.

'Cleaning Fairy' defends entering homes without permission: Last month a woman was arrested in connection with breaking into a home, not to steal anything, but to clean it without the owners' permission. Now she's indicating she didn't do anything wrong. In May, Digital Journal reported on a case where a woman took it upon herself to enter a stranger's home, do some cleaning, and then leave a bill for services rendered. She entered a Westlake, Ohio, home and cleaned it while one of the family members was asleep upstairs. She left a bill for her services, scribbled on a napkin, charging the family $75.

Susan Warren, the woman dubbed in the media as the "Cleaning Fairy", was brought into police custody in connection with entering the family's home and charged with burglary. She was released on $5,000 bond after spending two weeks in jail. Media reports indicated she had an earlier trespassing charge for a similar offense. Now the woman is defending her actions and, after her arrest, pleaded not guilty in an Ohio court. Warren says she was not committing a crime, but "doing a good deed." "I needed to make some money, I figured maybe I was doing them a favor," Warren said. "Burglary, I'm being accused. I'm being charged with burglary. I didn't break in." “I opened the front door, but that was all I did,” she noted.

Reporter Dan Deroos asked Warren why she thought her actions didn't equate to burglary and she replied because "I didn't take anything." She indicated to Deroos she doesn't think she should be charged, but if so, should only be charged with trespassing. Fox News reported Warren said, “I never stole anything! I left a bill on a napkin, which I admit, was very unprofessional. I get that. I just needed money.” According to the Financial Post, the "cleaning fairy" allegedly entered two other homes, but charges were not filed. Reportedly, Warren is surprised at the attention her case has gotten, and she says that this publicity has ruined her (presumably legitimate?) cleaning business. She "can't seem to comprehend why she is facing charges," reported Fox.

“That’s how business works in this country. I mean, some people want a piece of paper to look at, they want an invoice, they want a bill. I couldn’t find a piece of paper and I sure as hell was not going to go through their personal things,” said Warren. Apparently, it's not OK to go through personal things, but perfectly acceptable to walk into the home of another, and touch their things to clean them without permission? Aside from all that, last month when the story broke, the family said she really didn't even do much cleaning to warrant the $75, even if hired to do the job. As she defends her behavior, Warren feels the homeowners still owe her the $75 for straightening up the residence.