Tag Archives: tragedy

General Safety Issues

TRAGEDY MARS CELEBRATION FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES

 Owners of U.S. flags in Midland, Texas, have been asked by the mayor of Midland to fly them at half-staff until Monday, to honor the memory of the four Wounded Warriors that lost their lives in a parade/train wreck Thursday, November 15.  It was all planned to be a celebration, with two floats being pulled by 18-wheelers, all decorated with the names of the veterans.  The day’s event, including the parade, had been organized by Show Of Support, a local veterans group. The parade was scheduled to end at a “Hunt for Heroes” banquet honoring the veterans, who were then to be given a deer-hunting trip over the weekend. The events were canceled. 

Four of those killed were veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, including an Army sergeant who saved his wife’s life, by pushing her from the float.  Another vet, also lost his life, but saved his wife.  Those who were in wheelchairs were unable to escape injury.  Along with the four military veterans who died Thursday, seventeen more were injured.  Some have been released from the hospital, but one remains in critical condition.  There were 26 people on the flatbed when it was struck, police said.

Witnesses report that the train was going around 60 mph, (below the speed limit) when it hit the float.  There was so much noise from sirens, etc., that it is unsure that the participants even heard the trains’ whistle, and that the traffic arms came down on the first riders on the second float, according to reports. 

The National Transportation Safety Board will do a full investigation into the accident.  Questions raised included were the permits and everything in order, was the railroad notified in time, and if the timing of the crossing gates was changed to give vehicles time to cross the tracks.  They also are considering that the town’s traffic lights caused the driver of the first truck to slow down, not allowing the second one to cross soon enough.  The black box on the train will answer many questions.  Late Thursday, Union Pacific spokesman Tom Lange told reporters that a preliminary investigation indicated that the crossing gate and warning lights at the tracks were working. He said he did not know if the train crew saw the float.  Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairwoman, said the train was equipped with a forward-facing camera, which could provide images to help in the investigation.

Midland Mayor Wes Perry and pastors Patrick Payton and Roy Smith are scheduled to host a community prayer vigil for the victims and their families, officials said. Midland is about 300 miles west of Dallas.

According to officials, the parade was traveling westbound on Wall Street when it turned south on Garfield Street, crossing the train tracks. The last two floats in the parade were carrying the veterans and their spouses.

Our military and their families make sacrifices every day for us.  This celebration of their contributions turned into a very sad day for Americans.  Remember these brave persons and all who serve, both at home and abroad.  With Thanksgiving coming up, say an extra “thank you” for our military heroes and their families, who wait for their return home.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

A SPECIAL SAFETY MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE WANTING TO HELP!

 This weekend I received the following comment from a very special mother, with regard to  an article, “Drive Safely Work Week.”  Please pay close attention to this message about a subject that we are all familiar with, but don’t  heed the warnings.  Hopefully, this will wake us all up:

We lost our son March 15, 2009 because he was texting while driving. He had everything going for him, he was just 23, a United States Marine and father and he let something as silly as texting take his life. I have made it a point in my life to speak and teach any and everyone I can on these dangers so maybe just one family will not have to go thru the pain and suffering we go thru everyday. Please look at your last text and tell me, is it really worth dying over or possibly killing someone else?? Thank you,
TBreen

In the article, I was trying to convey that a phone conversation is not worth risking anyone’s life over.  I hope my message gets through to all drivers that we must pay attention to our driving, and turn those phones off.  If we must use a cell phone, we need to pull over- to protect ourselves and others on the roads.  I asked for permission to share her message with all of you, and this was her response:

“PLEASE share, my husband and myself have made it our mission now to get our sons story out there and pray that it saves just one life. I am not sure I mentioned but we have done a PSA/Documentary for AT&T and also for a company named Motion Masters a learning video that is for schools and businesses. Your life is changed forever and there is not a waking second that you do not think of your child, a parent is not supposed to bury their child… Keep the articles going.. God Bless..

This mother and father are doing all they can to teach us that we must continue to get out the message: don’t text while driving!  Hopefully,  families will realize how important it is to teach their young drivers that this is one of the most common causes of accidents.  It has been proven that texting and driving is as dangerous as drinking and driving.  It’s time for it to stop!  It can be as simple as turning off the phone.   If everyone would comply, we’d see fewer accidents.

If you wish to comment, please send your wishes to me, and I will be happy to convey them to  this special family, who is trying to save others.  We are grateful to them for sharing their message.

General Safety Issues, Head Protection, Respiratory Safety

DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001?

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There’s probably not one single American (who is old enough) to remember what they were doing on that fateful day when four commercial jetliners were hijacked and intentionally crashed on United States soil.  Two of the planes hit New York City’s twin towers of the World Trade Center, taking the lives of thousands of innocent civilians- persons from more than 90 countries. One other jetliner hit the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania.  The hijackers on that fourth plane were planning to attack our Nation’s capitol, but because brave passengers and the flight crew had been informed of what was going on elsewhere, they fought heroically to retake the plane.  There were no survivors on any flights.  

The grief that Americans felt that day remains.  It’s hard to believe that one can lose their life in such a cruel way by going to work.  Besides the passengers and persons in the buildings, including children,  there were many firefighters, police, EMS personnel and others who lost their lives.  We can only pray that we never see another day such as that one.   

It is ironic that manyof today’s soldiers were just children on that fateful day.  Now, as adults,  they are continuing to fight a war in Afghanistan that began October 7, 2001, in response to the tragedy of 9-11.  Others were involved in the Iraq War, which began in 2003; now our military presence  is being downsized.  However, many of these troops will be sent to Afghanistan.  Their mission is to ensure that the tragedy of 9-11 never happens again.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world without hate or fear?

Along with hundreds of suppliers and businesses in America, Texas America Safety Company sent hardhats and respirators for the dedicated workers to wear in the cleanup and recovery phase, which lasted until May, 2002.  OSHA distributed more than 131,000 respirators, 11,000 hard hats, 13,000 safety glasses and goggles, and 21,000 pairs of protective gloves. They identified more than 9,000 hazards that had to be dealt with during this time. 

We, along with all Americans, salute the workers for the difficult tasks performed during the 10 months of the recovery mission.  As with all Americans, we will never forget that day.  Each year, there are many tributes made to the victims, their families, the first responders who lost their lives, and the thousands of workers in the clean-up phase.  Let’s pledge to never forget what happened to our country on that horrible day, and to keep ourselves, and our country as safe as possible.

General Safety Issues

WHEN WILL WE PUT SAFETY FIRST?

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As the Gulf of Mexico waters continue to be spoiled by oil and chemicals released from the BP oil well, we are reminded that too many times companies “put the cart before the horse.”  Only after an accident such as this, causing the loss of life of eleven people, injuries to many workers, and ruining the livelihoods of thousands who depend on fishing and tourism, do we begin to point the finger of blame.  Congressmen are trying to find out why it happened, but what are they going to do about it?  Where are the ones responsible to initiate plans to prevent these mishaps, rather than wait until it’s too late?
An example of this is the tragedy in West Virginia, where several miners lost their lives in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch South Mine, on April 5th.  Shortly afterwards, we learned about the numerous safety violations that their company, Massey Energy, had committed.   If corrections to the citations had been made, it’s possible that the explosion may not have happened.   According to an Associated Press release of June 15, 2010, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is heading a civil investigation of the explosion, which is also the subject of a federal criminal probe.  Hopefully, something will be done to keep our miners safer in their daily work.
“Safety First” should be the motto of every company, and it should mean just that.  Every employee should have the assurance that he will go home at the end of his/her shift.  There are many dangerous jobs out there, and working on a drilling rig is one of them.  Jobs that provide energy for this country are risky, and the people who do that type of work know that.  But they should be able to trust that the company they are working for is not going to cut corners or take shortcuts to complete the job because of the bottom dollar figure.  The result of this accident is going to cost billions of dollars and years of repair to restore the Gulf Coast region.  It is taking not only a human toll to those who live and work in the area, but birds, animals and sea life have paid with their lives.  We salute those who are working diligently to save as many birds and sea creatures as possible.
It is time that whatever agencies “oversee” safety regulations do what is expected of them. That’s what our tax dollars are paying them to do.   We hope that the people of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are compensated fairly in a timely manner for their losses.  Drilling has gone on in the Gulf of Mexico for years without tragedies such as this.  We need the oil that the Gulf of Mexico can furnish, and those persons who work on drilling rigs need their jobs.  Citizens should expect that our government agencies enforce all employers in every type of business to fulfill their obligation to their employees by abiding by the details of their safety policies and procedures.  This is a hard lesson in “crying over spilled oil” instead of “crying over spilled milk.”
As the Gulf of Mexico waters continue to be spoiled by oil and chemicals released from the BP oil well, we are reminded that too many times companies “put the cart before the horse.”  Only after an accident such as this, causing the loss of life of eleven people, injuries to many workers, and ruining the livelihoods of thousands who depend on fishing and tourism, do we begin to point the finger of blame.  Congressmen are trying to find out why it happened, but what are they going to do about it?  Where are the ones responsible to initiate plans to prevent these mishaps, rather than wait until it’s too late?
An example of this is the tragedy in West Virginia, where several miners lost their lives in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch South Mine, on April 5th.  Shortly afterwards, we learned about the numerous safety violations that their company, Massey Energy, had committed.   If corrections to the citations had been made, it’s possible that the explosion may not have happened.   According to an Associated Press release of June 15, 2010, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is heading a civil investigation of the explosion, which is also the subject of a federal criminal probe.  Hopefully, something will be done to keep our miners safer in their daily work.
“Safety First” should be the motto of every company, and it should mean just that.  Every employee should have the assurance that he will go home at the end of his/her shift.  There are many dangerous jobs out there, and working on a drilling rig is one of them.  Jobs that provide energy for this country are risky, and the people who do that type of work know that.  But they should be able to trust that the company they are working for is not going to cut corners or take shortcuts to complete the job because of the bottom dollar figure.  The result of this accident is going to cost billions of dollars and years of repair to restore the Gulf Coast region.  It is taking not only a human toll to those who live and work in the area, but birds, animals and sea life have paid with their lives.  We salute those who are working diligently to save as many birds and sea creatures as possible.
It is time that whatever agencies “oversee” safety regulations do what is expected of them. That’s what our tax dollars are paying them to do.   We hope that the people of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are compensated fairly in a timely manner for their losses.  Drilling has gone on in the Gulf of Mexico for years without tragedies such as this.  We need the oil that the Gulf of Mexico can furnish, and those persons who work on drilling rigs need their jobs.  Citizens should expect that our government agencies enforce all employers in every type of business to fulfill their obligation to their employees by abiding by the details of their safety policies and procedures.  This is a hard lesson in “crying over spilled oil” instead of “crying over spilled milk.”