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Cherokee Lions Club
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Vol. 1-2003 - 11 February 2003
Home Incident - Kitchen - Dangerous Situation - I was cooking with an aluminum skillet on the surface eye of my electric stove. Suddenly the heating element arced to the pan and burned a hole in the bottom. I was using oil to fry chicken and the oil ignited, starting a fire. After getting the fire extinguished we found that the heating element was old and worn on the top. Apparently the insulating material had worn away letting the electric current contact the pan. We were just lucky there was not more oil in the pan or we would have had a bigger fire. So, now I am replacing all the old eyes, not just the one that burned up. Also, I'm changing from thin aluminum pans to iron or steel; some say the aluminum may be a factor in Alzheimer's anyway. JM
Workplace Incident - None Injury Accident - I was working with 24 foot ladder, pressure washing a metal building on a calm day. A unexpected gust of wind came up and the ladder fell like a tree being cut down. Fortunately I was far enough a way that it missed me but it could have killed had it hit anyone. As it turned out, it just hit the water outlet and broke it, delaying work for the rest of the day. From then on I secured the top of the ladder with a safety chain. The slick aluminum on the metal building gave no traction to keep it from sliding. DRT
Home Incident - Dangerous Situation - While filling a glass with ice from the ice maker of the refrigerator the glass just crumbled in my hand and fell to the floor, breaking into a thousand pieces. I did not notice any cracks in it and it was a heavy duty, thick glass. I don't know how to keep another from doing the same thing but I'll have shoes on the next time I get ice! MAT
Yard Incident - Dangerous Situation - I was using a wheeled string trimmer to clear a brushy area. The belt slipped off the idler and I tried to put it back on with out stopping the engine. I was wearing leather gloves and grabbed my index finger and it cut through the glove and into my finger. I was lucky to not loose the finger. I would have, or at least had to visit the doctor for stitches if I had not been wearing good gloves. However, I think that they gave me a sense of safety that was not there. Just because one is wearing gloves does not mean he can not get hurt.
Financial Incident - Dangerous Situation - Have recently discovered several false charges on my credit card billing. One was for a summation of my credit rating which was never received - another was for info about motoring in the USA which was never received and not needed since I am a member of AAA - still another was for a magazine of no interest to us - all were minor billings unauthorized by either Sarah or me - for the safety of your monies check your credit card billing minutely each month. Jimmy McWilliams (Ed. Note: Not only is it a good idea to be careful about the carbon copies of your credit card receipts, it is good to guard the number it's self. It is not necessary for an unscrupulous person to have your card or you signature to make a charge against your account, he needs only know the number and expiration date. Be careful who you give your number to, not only over the internet or phone but even in person (i.e. handing them the card). Only deal with reputable stores who use dependable employees. And, as Jimmy says, check that bill every month!)
Stupidity Incident - Did not take my Flu Shot. Enough said?? JTT
The Incident Reports above are a great improvement over what we had in December and January. Not only was the number up but the "Quality" was better as well. Our program is built on the concept that watching in every day for real risks will make us all lead safer lives. These are the things that we are most likely to encounter in the future. By keeping on the look out for such situations, we will avoid them in the first place. Thanks and congratulation to all who contributed this month. Remember, if you know you HAVE to make report, you will be watching more carefully for dangers. THAT'S THE BASIS FOR THE PROGRAM. If you are not sending in your reports ........
When most people think of a "Safety Program" they think of personal safety or property losses. Financial safety is important as well. Jimmy's note above is an outstanding cases of "watching out" for problems. It does not matter if an accident caused by careless actions creates a thousand dollar "fender bender" or if careless actions cause a thousand dollar financial loss, the net effect to the "bank account" is the same. Keep an open mind as you look for your "Safety Risk" you will report next month.
Change in the Internet Address. The hosting for our Lion's Club Safety Newsletter has changed. In order to get faster loading of pages and better service I have moved it from our personal Hiwaay account to a larger service provider. To access the Safety Newsletter online go to www.TruloveStyle.com and follow the link to "Community Services on the left side of the page. All our past news letters are archived if you want to review past articles.
Participate in our Safety Program: Remember - If you did not turn in an incident report, you deprived other members of an opportunity to learn from your observations and experiences. If you were not watching for incidents, you missed the opportunity to learn from a near miss or unsafe practice. Just watching for "accidents waiting to happen" will make you a safer person.
Give your incident report to David or Jona at the next meeting or e.mail to jona@trulovestyle
or call 370-7910 and leave the message you would like to see appear in the next newsletter. Just make a short description of
risky situation you see like the ones at the beginning of this newsletter.
