Hi, it’s the Spanish OSHA Guy here. This is the second of a series of videos that I have prepared from Binghamton, NY in September of 2011. Click here to see the first video from my previous blog post showing the flood of the city. In this current video you’ll see tables and chairs destroyed out on the sidewalk and full of sludge; you’ll see the hallways, walls, floors and radiators ripped up; as well as seeing some of the workers preparing to enter with their full body PPE.

One of the things that I saw as people were getting trained on HAZWOPER (HAZardous Waste OPerations and Emergency Response) was that they were trying to use their $8 suits for too long!

What I mean is that they would work for their morning shift and then come out and eat pizza or subs; but the problem was they would simply unzip their full-body PPE, roll it down off their shoulders and then tie the arms of the white suits around their waist! This is not okay. You must trash the suit each time you leave the contaminated area and come into the clean (or cold) zone of the job site (like where you eat). The trainers and managers had to correct this!

Sometimes things that seem so simple to people who have an eye toward safety can be the first things that others will skip over. During my OSHA 10 hour or OSHA 30 hour training, sometimes I will think a safety video isn’t worth showing or a question isn’t worth asking because it is too basic. But sure enough, I discover during the training that some people learned about that OSHA rule for the first time in my class. Just like your favorite sport, it’s so important to remember the basics! Those who master the basics, will advance greatly in any career and can help others. Never be afraid to speak up if you see a co-worker doing something unsafe. You just might save their life!

Until next time,

Steve