Over the last week, we delivered two safety presentations.
One was to the Building Operators Association of Calgary and the other was to the Red Deer Chapter of the Alberta Motor Transport Association.
These presentations are a great opportunity for us to connect with people directly and show them our safety videos and resources.
The presentations provide a different perspective on workplace and traffic safety – the perspective of first responders when they’re out on the roads or attending unfamiliar work sites – and they are perfect for corporations, government agencies, safety associations and anyone who has a stake in workplace or traffic safety.
And, while they are an ideal opportunity to spread the JPMF’s safety messages, they’re also very important for what comes back to us.
Q&A sessions and feedback provided during these events give us constructive criticism and safety insights that are invaluable for future safety initiatives. Not only are the presentations educational for those we’re presenting to – they are educational for us. Ultimately, we hope this will allow us to all work towards making roads and workplaces safer for everyone.
A recent example of this dialogue took place during the presentation to the Building Operators Association, when one person brought up the issue of lighting. “It seems that lighting can be a major problem. What is the best way of directing people to light switches?”
That question got the ball rolling.
Sensor lighting is one solution that is brought up in our safety video. Lighted wall switches are another option that was discussed. Proper signage and directions alerting people to the location of light controls is another potential solution. Another person suggested the possibility of legislating sensor lighting in at least one part of every work site, preferably an area that would allow people on scene to see where they could turn on other lights.
“People will do it if it’s a law,” he said. That isn’t always the case. Countless people knowingly and unknowingly break workplace safety laws all the time.
Nonetheless, the initial question led to a good safety discussion. This discussion got us all thinking about safety and solutions for a specific issue. Sometimes discussions like this lead to more concrete solutions – but not always. The main thing, however, is that these conversations get us all thinking about ways of making our roads and workplaces safer. And hopefully when everyone leaves these meetings, they act on some of the solutions that are discussed.
In 2012 we expect to be doing a lot more safety presentations. We are expanding our public speaker program and are planning on traveling across Alberta (and to other parts of Canada and possibly the U.S.).
If you would like to support this program with a donation or by becoming a sponsor, please let us know. Contact us, as well, if you are a first responder or a safety professional who would like to participate in our presentations.
And, of course, if you’d like us to deliver a safety presentation to your company or organization, let us know and we’ll set something up.
