Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Nov 2013

Safety Meeting Starters (SMS)
November 2013
Happy November! - - Enjoy Safety Meeting Starters, and please share with your supervisors,
managers and fellow safety professionals.
Enjoy this month’s
matt@safestrat.com.

safety

material.

And

as

always,

send

me

your

feedback,

Wishing you and your family a blessed and safe month. Thanks again and Remember, no one
gets hurt today! God Bless, Matt.
What is Safety Meeting Starters (SMS)? SMS is your FREE resource aimed to help you have
more effective tailgates, job briefings, and safety meetings. SMS features all types of safety
information for all types of industries including an Involved Safety Meeting Activity (ISMS), idea
for Safety Awareness Items, links to dozens of safety related articles, tools for safety pros, and
more. Feel free to route and share within your organization and network. Also, encourage your
fellow supervisors, managers and safety leaders to sign up to receive SMS. One may sign up at;
http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001DHL4fuLXGflzE7hcsNgrelxok3N
SWtKGC7SeHf8lIG9y5veytZfQ7ncQGIYShXsVPLiVpsEPMJN6MGSB1McQDdFGyF_EZkbJczlBx_b64
IU%3D
Why Wait for Safety Meeting Starters, instead get real time safety information through Matt’s
Twitter feed. Follow Matt this month and receive a code for 50% off any one book in Matt’s
collection (find Matt’s books here http://www.safestrat.com/review-and-order-safety-books/)
and follow Matt on Twitter from this link: https://twitter.com/Safestrat or @safestrat.
About Matt… Matt Forck is a board-certified Safety Professional (CSP) and former Journey
Lineworker in the hazardous field of electrical line work (JLW). Matt’s recent innovations
include the development of the Safety Committee MAP process, a systematic process for safety
committee success, and the Informal Leader Program aimed at engaging the true safety leaders
within any organization. Matt has published nearly 100 safety articles and written seven books
including his latest release, What Safety Leaders Do. He is a frequent speaker at national and
regional safety conferences and leads corporate sponsored safety, motivational and culture
building keynote presentations. You may contact Matt through his website,
www.safestrat.com. SMS is a FREE monthly newsletter to the safety community.

Matt Forck, CSP, JLW | www.safestrat.com | 573.999.7981

SMS-Powerful Information for a RESULTS driven safety culture!

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S.A.F.E. (See Accidents Forever Eliminated) at Work
- A Motivational Safety Column!
Contribute Your Good to Safety
In 1957 Bangkok, Thailand was expanding many roadways in and around the city. One such
road project required that a Buddhist Temple and monastery be moved, the new road would be
cutting it in half. As part of the relocation, a ten foot statue of Buddha which was in the current
Temple would be moved to the new one. It wasn’t just a ‘normal’ statue, it was a ten foot tall,
2.5 ton statue of Buddha. The monk in charge of the relocation was nervous. The statue was
over 200 years old and the center piece of the temple.
As straps were put around the statue, the monk looked on; he didn’t have a good feeling. The
statue was lifted off of the ground. So far so good he thought but just then it cracked. The
monk’s heart sank. Sit it down, he ordered. So, they did. They placed a tarp around it and left it
for the day. Later, it began to rain. The monk went out to see if the Buddha statue was staying
dry. He lifted the tarp and peered into the darkness. As he did so, his eye caught the crack, and
a beam of light returned the glance. Dumbfounded, he left and returned with a screwdriver.
Scrapping away at the crack, he fell backwards in disbelief. Under the clay figure, was gold!
After the initial shock of such a discovery, the research began. It was discovered that centuries
ago Burmese invaders launched an attack into Thailand. To protect the gold statue of Buddha,
it was covered with clay. The Burmese killed everyone on their attack and the secret died with
them. Several hundred years later, a mistake lead to the discovery of this golden Buddha-now
valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The secret today is to understand that each of us has gold inside. Of course, we have forgotten
this since overtime we have had mud thrown at us-generally from all directions. This mud has
covered our gold. Today, on the job, throw off a little mud and get back in the safety game.
Help out another, make a safety suggestion, use additional PPE. In other words, let your safety
light shine.
©2013-SafeStrat, LLC-All Rights Reserved

Matt Forck | www.safestrat.com | (573) 999-7981

Safety Strategies…for LIFE!


3

Safety Tidbits—the most information packed pages in safety!
Quotes worth Repeating!
There are 4 different levels of commitment; I'll try, I'll do my best, I'll do
whatever it takes, and it's a DONE DEAL.
1) Work your hardest. 2) Dream your biggest. 3) Be your greatest.
The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is
disappointment. -William Arthur Ward
Living without a goal is like driving without a destination. You never
arrive.
(G) get (R) ready (I) it's a (N) new (D) day
I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. Michael Jordan

Safety, Leadership and Management Resources from
November:
Safety and Management News from Safestrat’s Twitter Feed - - why wait for the end of the
month Safety Meeting Starters when you can get near real time safety updates from my Twitter
feed! Join today; https://twitter.com/Safestrat or @safestrat.
Charges Laid in Electrical Lineman's Death http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnianews/2013/11/01/labour-ministry-charges-laid/ …
The 3i approach to slips and trips http://lnkd.in/bCCXihP
Jack Canfield's 10 Keys of Wisdom for The Ultimate Success: http://j.mp/GKY2hU
"Drinkers....Unless You Look Good In Handcuffs.....Plan How You Are Going To Get
To Where You Want To Go Without Driving." #HappyHalloween
Injuries account for 1 death every 3 minutes. Can you name the leading cause of injury
death in the US? pic.twitter.com/qCGkwXU5zt


Maybe It's Time Everyone Knows the Names of Workers Who Make the Ultimate
Sacrifice http://ow.ly/q8moy
2 BART workers inspecting a track hit by train, killed near S.F. Saturday. #NTSB is
investigating: http://bit.ly/17468fx
The Use of Humour in Safety http://tinyurl.com/q7pbrkg
100% awareness 100% of the time! OSHA probe in worker's death continues
#safetyawareness; http://www.mercurynews.com/southbayfootball/ci_24367068/santaclara-cal-osha-resumes-probe-into-workers …
Remember, no one gets hurt today! Redouble your efforts; OSHA investigating worker
death; http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/article_c0f052f4-3808-11e3-bfe80019bb30f31a.html …
Cal/OSHA Investigating Local Oil Rig Worker Death http://www.kcoy.com/story/23711448/calosha-investigating-oil-rig-workerdeath#.Umh90MArsZI.twitter …
It is literally impossible for our brains to multitask. http://f-st.co/tdF5XeE
If you say you can or you can't, you are #right either way. - #HenryFord
http://fb.me/1opSrXDSx
Sawmill fined after worker’s arm trapped in machine – Media centre - HSE
http://press.hse.gov.uk/2013/sawmill-fined-after-workers-arm-trapped-in-machine/ …
#hse
Families of Workplace Fatality Victims Struggle to Pay Funeral Costs
http://ehstoday.com/health/families-workplace-fatality-victims-struggle-pay-funeralcosts …
Worker killed at new 49er stadium construction site identified as Vacaville man
http://www.thereporter.com/breakingnews/ci_24308758/worker-killed-at-new-49erstadium-construction-site …
Plant inspection and fines come a little too late for people of West | Editorials ...
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/10/5237070/plant-inspection-and-finescome.html?storylink=addthis#.UmUFpz7SLLM.twitter …
OSHA investigating construction accident http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/OSHAinvestigating-construction-accident-4898664.php?cmpid=twitter …
Start your Monday with "Positive 'Safety' Memory" http://fw.to/wa75TmR



4


5

Safety Leaders are unreasonable about progress and goals! ISHN – October 2013
http://digital.bnpmedia.com/display_article.php?id=1510265&id_issue=176085 …
Eye witness accounts of this tree trimmer contacting voltage are incredible, a must read
and share safety article; http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_24300727/treeworker-suffers-electrical-shock-lunenburg …
70% of construction fatalities occur on small sites, simple housekeeping & good site
order can save lives #safersites pic.twitter.com/WpMCUEojiC
Online Exclusive: 5 Issues OSHA Will Target over the Remainder of 2013
http://ehstoday.com/osha/online-exclusive-5-issues-osha-will-target-over-remainder2013 …
Government Shutdown Reduces OSHA Inspection Force by More Than 90 Percent
http://www.bna.com/government-shutdown-reduces-n17179877504/ …
2 workers seriously injured when scaffolding fails.
http://m.abc17news.com/news/workers-fall-30-feet-after-scaffolding-collapses//19167438/22352418/-/nuvm8v/-/index.html …
Turlock farmer to appeal OSHA fines over worker’s lost leg, #safetyawareness
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/26/2943520/turlock-farmer-to-appeal-osha.html … via
Raise safety awareness today by sharing this; 24 year old man dies when his lift topples
over. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130927/articles/130929725 …
OSHA Cites Georgia Power Co. with $119,000 in violations -- Occupational Health &
Safety http://ohsonline.com/articles/2013/10/01/osha-cites-georgia-power-co.-with119000-in-violations.aspx?admgarea=news …
Challenge safety conventions that restrict progress | 2013-10-02 | ISHN
http://www.ishn.com/articles/96962-challenge-safety-conventions-that-restrictprogress?v=preview …
Good summary of electrical contact risks for utility workers and electricians;
http://www.safety-reporter.com/articleview/18986-ontario-electrical-safety-recordimproves-but-high-risk-behaviour-continues-esa …
10 Ways To Lose Your Best Employees http://f-st.co/Jurm3Xx
NY Worker Fatally Struck By Forklift http://bit.ly/15GZflo
All of the safety material one may need for an entire month!
http://www.slideshare.net/safestrat/safety-meeting-starters-sms-oct-2013 …




6

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instructions? After all, our committees are major
investments in time and resources, yet they all too often
fall short of expectations. Instructions, guidelines and tips
for committees are scattered in procedures, sprinkled on
the Internet, and scribbled on napkins…until now. The
Total Safety Committee Checklist is your one-stop-shop
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SAI - - Safety Awareness Items
(ideas to get raise your team’s awareness!
Dish Soap

Take Time to Clean Up the Work Area.

Disposable Camera The Jobs Will Come and Go but the Example We Set
Will Last Forever.
Dog Treat

Injuries Are For The Dogs.

Donuts

Don't Let Safety Fall Through the Hole!

Door/Window
Alarm

Protect What's Most Important, Work Safe. (Note: a
door alarm is a small device that fastens to a door or
window and sounds an alarm when the window is
opened. Cost about $3.00.)

The Untapped Secret To Selling Safety -And 401½ Tangible Items Guaranteed To
Help Make That Sale! - - How well do you sell safety? The truth is that we are at
the mercy of our ability to sell, no matter how “tight” the presentation.
Regardless of our education or the facts surrounding an issue, we are still in a
position where we have to make the sale in order for a positive change to take
place. And, the better we are at selling, the greater our results. The fact of the
matter is that there are secrets to selling…even selling safety. One such previously
untapped secret is revealed here and your safety results will never be the same!
“Matt’s passion for safety continues to shine through as he drives to inspire us to
be the best we can be” wrote Bill Dampf, safety professional with three decades
of experience. “Through this latest effort, he provides us with hundreds of ways
to promote safety awareness to our employees. Although keeping our workers
safe is always a challenge, this simple approach to helping us sell safety can be a
tool that all of us can use.” Price: $11.99 - - AND use this discount code to save
$2..00
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B9F5UNDN.
Order
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8

ISMA-Involved Safety Meeting Activity
Activity:

What’s in the Box

Estimated Time:

15 minute Safety Meeting, 2 hours prep time

Materials Needed:

Digital Camera and color printer

Reference materials:

See ISMA below:

The ISMA:
Over the course of a week or two, snap a picture of each person in the work group. (If
you have them on file for ID badges you can access those). Print pictures and put them
in a box. Since it is close to the holidays, you might want to gift wrap the box and make
it ‘pretty.’
With the ‘pretty’ box, begin a safety meeting holding the box telling the group that
everything needed for safety success is in the box. Let the group guess what might be
in the box. If you want more interaction, break the entire group into groups of three
instructing each three-some to brainstorm for three minutes on what is in the box.
When time is expired, have each group can report on what they think might be in the
box.
After discussion, let someone draw out a picture. Tell the group for example, “Here is
Joe, a secret to our safety success!” Continue to draw pictures until the point is made,
the people in the room are our secret to safety success!
The Take-a-ways:
The secret to safety is people, people that give feedback. Everything needed for safety
success was in the box, and in the room. If our workers give and receive safety
feedback with the simple focus on a safe work environment, then success will follow—
the formula is that simple.

Want 101 ISMAs?
Check out ISMA (Involved Safety Meeting Activities—101Ways to Get Your
People In Involved! at Matt’s website; http://www.safestrat.com/review-andorder-safety-books/




SPOT-M –(Safety Picture of the Month)

“Who needs PPE?”

Could this be you on a weekend? Your weekend habits
bleed into the workplace…take the time it takes to do
the job right and wear all required PPE.

Choose in favor of your safety!
Send me your pics and if we use them in SMS you receive a free book! Send to matt@safestrat.com.



9


10

The Safety Blog
Oh Yeah, and then there is Safety Leadership!
It was a typical October day for Granite City (IL) high school, located near St. Louis, MO. When
school ended, several members of the lady’s soccer team piled in the back seat of the coach’s
car and they headed toward their afternoon game.
The only problem was that on the short trip to the game the coach checked into his Twitter
account on his smart phone…while driving…70 mph down the interstate!
This concerned the student athletes in the back seat so much that one of them snapped a
picture of the coach driving while reading his phone. Later, the student shared her concern and
picture with a parent. The photo was shared with other parents who quickly became
concerned with their children’s safety.
Parents moved forward to contact Jim Greenwald, the school’s superintendent. Illinois State
Police say this act of driving while reading one’s phone is illegal.
As a parent, this is a very troubling example of putting people at-risk with a mindless act. But,
short cuts happen each minute in today’s workplace. A May 2010 Business week article entitled
“The Peer Principle” said, “In the area of safety, our study found that 93% of employees say
they see urgent risks to life and limb…”
How we LEAD in safety can make a big difference in eliminating short cuts like the one the
soccer coach took, and the ones our employees are taking. Here are four tips to LEAD safety.
L- Look at your Shadow. Each one of us casts a leadership shadow. It is a reflection of what we
do and what we say. The shadow is cast over those who are watching us at any given moment
in time. In the case of the soccer coach, it was his student athletes in the back seat. In your
family it may be your children, spouse and/or parents. And, in the workplace it is your
coworkers.
From time to time, we need to step back and ask what shadow am I casting? I’m sure the soccer
coach would cast a different shadow if given the opportunity. What does your shadow say
about your leadership?
E- Engage in Crisis! There is an old saying, “If there are no good rumors, make one!” This is not
what I am suggesting here. Instead ‘engaging in crisis’ points to the fact that leadership in times
of calm and routine is easier, but decisions in times of crisis is what your people will remember.
It doesn’t matter if it is a small crisis, like a conversation with a crew on a safety rule, and
following that rule will mean the job lasts longer. Or, in the electric industry it could be a
restoration effort after a major storm that has left tens of thousands of customers out of



11

power. In this case, the entire organization is watching for signals about safe restoration versus
‘timely’ restoration.
“Decisions are easy,” Roy Disney said, “when values are clear.” Values are best shown in
crisis…what are your safety values?
A- Align your words and actions. Being a father to a teenage girl and an eleven year old boy
one of my favor quotes is from Robert Fulghum and it says, “Don't worry that children never
listen to you; worry that they are always watching you."
Students were watching their soccer coach. "I think this was a onetime only case in which he
was wrong, we brought it to his attention that he was wrong, he knows that he was wrong and
it will not happen again," said Superintendent Jim Greenwald.
I’m sure that the coach would have told students to never be on the phone when driving…don’t
do what I do but do what I say doesn’t work…who is watching you? And, do your words align
with your actions?
D- Decide to Lead. John Maxwell, bestselling author on leadership has simply defined a leader
as, “Someone with influence over another.” The fact is that we are all leaders at any given point
in time. At any time someone is watching you, what you are doing, how you are doing it, what
you are wearing and how you are carrying yourself. In fact, the soccer coach was a leader when
he drove student athletes to a game while checking out Twitter at 70 mph. Leadership
understands that people are watching; good leadership simply means that we have decided to
influence in a positive and powerful direction.
Warren Bennis says, "The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there
is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain
charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made
rather than born." Have you decided to lead?




12

Tools for Pros!

What Shape are you in?
How Utility Safety Leaders Build a Better SHAPE.
By Matt Forck, CSP & JLW
Generally speaking, we are not quite as good as we believe we are. If you take a typical college
class, for example, and apply a bell curve to that class you know that exactly 50 percent of
students would fall in the top half, and that same percentage in the bottom half. Richard
Thaler, an American economist, researcher and college professor, has each student take an
anonymous survey before they begin one of his MBA classes each semester. One question on
that survey asks students to rank where they believe they will fall in the class’s bell curve, such
as the top ten percent, top twenty percent, etc. The results of this survey are interesting and
can teach us a lesson in utility safety too. Typically less than 5% of the class believes their
performance will be below the median (bottom 50% of bell curve) and more than half the class
believes they will perform in the top 20% or better!
No one ever believes he will be injured on the job. This optimism is the same overconfidence as
students ranking themselves in the top of a given class. For students, this optimism may mean
that they must adjusted their overconfidence when mid-term grades are mailed home, but
when it comes to utility work overconfidence can lead to an injury, or even cost a life. Because
of that, we must be realistic and ask what SHAPE we are in. And, if we can stay in SHAPE we will
find success and find ourselves in the top of our class.
Here are the key points to getting in Utility Safety SHAPE:
S = Spirit. Spirit, or energy, is now quickly becoming the one key to employee motivation,
engagement and results. One quick question to determine how much energy your team is has is
to compare the last funeral you attended with the last safety meeting you attended, which one
had more energy?
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their insightful book The Power of Full Engagement: Managing
Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal addressed the
importance of energy. They wrote, “Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high
performance.” They also said, “Leaders are the stewards of organizational energy!”
As a leader observe where you invest your energy? Is it around financial returns, operational
quotas or safety? Where you spend energy shows your workers what you think is important.
Infuse safety with spirit and energy, and find a new shape you didn’t think you had.




13

H = Have a work plan. Job planning is key to finding and eliminating hazards. For example, in
the first five months of 2008, the tower industry was saddened and rocked by seven tragedies.
The seventh occurred on May 22 as a young man named Joe Reed was climbing a tower outside
of Miami, Florida. He fell off the tower and lost his life that day. In response to these workplace
fatalities, the National Association of Tower Erectors took the lead by sponsoring a webcast for
more than 320 of its members. The message was simple: Hazards must be identified,
communicated, then controlled and managed. The best way to do that is by identifying hazards
through a job briefing or tailgate session before work begins.
In addition, OSHA outlines five key elements to be covered in the briefing: hazards associated
with the job, work procedures involved, special precautions, energy source controls, and
personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.
Failure to have and/or communicate a work plan is a contributing factor in the majority of
utility injuries. Plan your work (using OSHA’s guidelines) and work your plan!
A = Accountability. A recent study entitled The Peer Principle by Bloomberg Businessweek
published in May 2010 stated, “In the area of safety, our study found that 93% of employees
say they see urgent risks to life and limb, and yet less than one-fourth of those who see
concerns speak up about them. Rather, they wait for bosses or others to take action.”
Remarkably, cultures where peer to peer feedback, also called accountability, was the standard
practice found this, “Organizations with cultures of peers coaching peers found remarkable
success - - and not just in safety. Those supervisors and managers with the strongest safety
records were five times more likely to be ranked in the top 20% of their peers in every other
area of performance. They were 500% more likely to be stars in productivity and efficiency and
employee satisfaction and quality, etc.”
Accountability is simply when workers give feedback to each other about safety and at-risk acts.
Do you have accountability?
P = Personal touch. Tony LaRusa, the third most winning major league baseball manager says
that leadership must be personalized. Making leadership personal to each player leads to
engagement, and results.
When I was a safety supervisor for a major mid-west utility, I served over 400 line workers,
substation technicians and heavy equipment operators. With so many people in over twenty
locations, there was no way I could see each worker each week, or even each month. So I set up
a number of ways to communicate, one way was the personal birthday note. For two straight
years, I sent each worker a personal handwritten note on his or her birthday. Some years later, I
was in a workgroup and saw one of my notes on the outside of a locker. I found the worker, he
was a thirty year veteran who some would have labeled as ‘trouble’ and asked him why he
taped his birthday note to the outside of his locker. He said, “In thirty years of working here, no




14

one has ever taken the time to write me a note, and say something so kind. I taped it outside
my locker so I can see it every day.”
Eric Jackson writes, “Sure, people come to work for a paycheck, but that’s not the only reason.
In fact, many studies show it’s not even the most important reason. If you fail to care about
people at a human level, at an emotional level, they’ll eventually leave you regardless of how
much you pay them. Many people assume that it's possible for a person to be an effective
leader without being likable. That is technically true, but you may not like the odds. In a study
of 51,836 leaders, we found just 27 who were rated at the bottom quartile in terms of likability
but in the top quartile in terms of overall leadership effectiveness — that's approximately one
out of 2,000.”
E = Education. I topped out as a journey lineworker qualified to work 100,000 volts or less in
1997. I transferred to a small town outside Columbia, MO where my crew leader was an old
salty foreman named Skip. One day during break Skip took one of our hot sticks and began
cleaning it. A ‘hot stick’ is an insulated fiberglass stick used to touch, switch and maneuver
voltages as high as 69,000 volts, and it must pass a dielectric test for safety every six months.
Given how important these sticks are to line work and to safety, there is a procedure for
cleaning them. Skip was using cable cleaner to clean the hot stick which was not an approved
cleaner for hot stick. So I told Skip. I explained that we needed to get the approved cleaner, and
not use cable cleaner. To his credit he stopped using cable cleaner but only after shaking his
head and saying, “What is the world coming too…darn educated lineman.”
If we took a loved one to a doctor but the doctor failed to follow a medical procedure which
caused much harm to your loved one it would be inexcusable. The utility business is the same
way. We are utility professionals. We need to continue our education daily, whether it is
around hot sticks or any of the other rules, processes or tools we work with each day. Be an
‘educated linemen’ and be proud of it!
Matt Forck, CSP and JLW, is a former journey lineworker and current board certified safety
professional and keynote speaker supporting clients in over ten countries. Matt works with
clients to eliminate mindless shortcuts including his new safety resource called Bucket List:
Eliminate Shortcuts Today to Live Your Dreams Tomorrow. This resource includes safety
awareness materials designed to bring focused attention to the elimination of shortcuts
through a video, posters, involved safety meeting activities, safety awareness items and more!
If you are serious about eliminating short cuts this is your one stop resource. If you could find a
month of safety meeting and tailgate materials all for around $100 per safety meeting chances
are you would jump at that opportunity…Bucket List is that opportunity! To learn more and find
other free resources click onto www.safestrat.com. You can follow Matt on Twitter @safestrat.



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Safety Meeting Starters (SMS) Nov 2013