$afety $aves – by Tim McEntire

About a year ago on Father’s Day, my lovely daughter wanted to take her dad on a gondola ride to the top of the local ski hill here in Whitefish.  It had been several decades since the last time I had been on a ski lift as this safety guy sees nothing beneficial from putting on two slick toothpicks on the end of my legs and screaming all the way down a mountain.  My first reaction was no way I was going to go and as the words came out of my mouth they sounded more like “sure honey, sounds like fun”.

So, we load up into what one can only compare to a coffin in the sky.  The doors close and with a hard jerk, we start our journey.  I had ridden the gondolas several times in my youth, but that apparently was before I had seen literally miles of wire rope fray and snap.  As we swung back and forth, all I could think about was the time my father yelled at me that I was trying to yard too much wood in just as I gave the old cat the throttle.  The main line first started fraying and then exploding in a mix of flying metal and wood…and curse words.

What brought this memory from the depths of my brain was that recently in Canada they had a Gondola snap off the main haul line and fall to the ground.  Luckly, they had just left the base and only fell about three feet.  During the investigation, the cause was found to be metal fatigue in some of the bracing.  The ongoing investigation is trying to determine if routine inspections had been done and if the part that broke was part of normal inspections.

I’m going to hit you with two things this newsletter.  First, this is a great time of the year to take a look at stuff that needs yearly inspections.  Stuff like seat belts, fire extinguishers, wire rope, tethering lines, fire tools, etc.  Once you get your iron all washed up, take some time to take a deep look at track frames and other structural components.  It might be time to grab some extra 7018 and get to welding.  Take a good look at hardhats.  If they are beat up, stiff or just old it might be time to hang them on the shop wall and get a new one.   We have some real fancy ones down at the office.  As you are replacing and fixing stuff, especially wire rope, don’t forget to document it.

Second, break up is a time to do some traveling with the family.  Protect yourself as you travel around especially if you hit a theme park.  Don’t just assume that if you are paying to do something fun that its going to be safe.  Just like those folks that were in that gondola in Canada, things do break and you will be the one getting hurt.  A very long time ago when I was much younger, I was on a vacation in Mexico.  We decided to partake in a glass bottom boat excursion.  It was sold to us as a way to see all the fish on the reef.  When we got there, the 12-foot aluminum boat was something that even Mr. Rich T and Safety Ranger Loghunter would not take out.  It literally had a piece of Lexan windshield from a farm tractor siliconed on the bottom of it.  Even in my young age, I knew better than to get on that death trap. 

Most of you loggers know safety and you know it well.  If you feel something is unsafe, it probably is.  Trust your gut and don’t get yourself in an unsafe spot.

I hope you all have enjoyed some time off.  Many of you are probably turning wrenches and getting ready for next season.  Be careful in the shop and make sure you are getting your yearly first aid class in. 

Here’s to a safe and successful season and remember $afety $aves!