Helping to keep workplaces cleaner and safer is what we do!  So when we saw workers slipping, sliding and tripping on traditional multi-layer well pad liners at hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites, we knew we could create a better solution.

The PIG™ Well Pad Liner, recently announced as a Environmental Protection New Product of the Year Award winner,  is a durable, single-layer, nonslip liner that help protects workers from slips and falls;  and the environment from incidental leaks and spills at drilling sites. It is four times stronger than standard HDPE liners used at drilling sites, twice as tear resistant, and is UV resistant for long-term outdoor use.

We’ve been keeping Matt and his crews pretty busy installing them at drilling sites all over Pennsylvania, helping to keep workers and the environment safe at drilling sites.

When I was in college, I was given a wonderful opportunity to follow a group of ROTC cadets for a month as part of a feature article for a local newspaper.

It was a fantastic experience.  I got to meet some really amazing people, tour parts of the Pentagon that most civilians don’t get to see, stay in an army barracks, and really gain a deeper understanding of the level of commitment and dedication that our armed forces has.

So what does this have to do with fall prevention?

One crisp Saturday morning, these cadets boarded a bus to go practice their repelling skills.    After a lunch of MRE’s, (I got lucky and didn’t pull the chipped beef one) we all donned harnesses and checked our ropes as the instructor reviewed safety protocols.  

One part of his instruction has stuck with me to this day: “You can die from a five foot fall or a 50 foot fall.  The only difference is the time it takes to hit the ground.”

Although the likelihood of dying from a five foot fall is smaller than from the 50 foot fall, his point is still valid:  the potential exists.  And, in the workplace, OSHA requires employers to evaluate hazards and create plans to eliminate them.    OSHA is currently working on a general industry standard for fall protection.  The construction standard for fall safety is 29 CFR 1926, Subpart M.

If there is a potential for a “drop” of more than four feet, employers need to provide some kind of fall protection for their employees.    For anyone just getting started on a plan, OSHA  has a dedicated webpage with additional guidance.  http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html

Fall protection harnesses and lanyards may be part of the plan.    Safety rails and ladder safety gates may also play a role.  Even the simplest of plans has the potential to  help someone avoid one of the more than 800 fatal falls that occur in industry each year.

My daughter and son-in-law were at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh this weekend and spotted PIG® Absorbent Mat on a window seal and placed below the window to catch condensation. They sent me the picture to share.

I just received the picture below from Robin, a member of the New Pig family reporting for jury duty on a rainy morning. She noted that a PIG® Chat Mat® Runner is helping citizens stay safely on their hooves!

Take a simple but vital lesson from a story that I just read. I’ll accept it as true because the writer says he saw photographs related to it.

A police officer is chasing an armed robber. The thief pitches his gun. The cop’s shoestring comes loose. He trips on it, hits his head and is knocked out. The criminal circles back, takes the officer’s gun and kills him.

It’s a tragic tale with a common-sense reminder for workers: No shoes, slip-resistant or not, protect against falls if a shoelace is flapping loose. Knot them good.

Image © Lisa F. Young – Fotolia.com

New Pigger Krista Rehm has gained a new level of affection for PIG® Leak Diverters. It happened in Atlanta.

Krista, a project manager for international marketing projects, is one of New Pig’s many SuperMoms. She recently took a trip to Florida with her sons Tyson (age 3) and Trevor (age 2). Work kept her husband at home.

The return trip involved a connection at Atlanta International. Wikipedia says it’s the world’s busiest airport, and Krista tells me that it’s humongous.

“This flight was on April 2,” Krista says. “I hadn’t wanted to fly on April 1, but this flight was like a carryover from April 1.”

Meaning it was hellacious.

“Our flight from Pensacola was supposed to take 40 minutes, but the weather was so bad underneath us, with lightning strikes and rain—the worse flight I’ve ever been on—that we had to keep circling.

“We were supposed to have an hour-and-a-half to make the next flight, but we used up most of that in the sky, so when we finally hit the airport, I’m just booking it, weaving in and out of people to get to my gate.”

While wearing a backback, carrying three bags and pushing a double stroller, mind you.

“And what do I see but a maintenance guy—you know, in an airport uniform—going along as fast as I was. He was carrying a bucket that says “Caution.” It was our Leak Diverter Bucket Kit! The PIG® logo is real big on there, and I was happy to see it. A little piece of home, ya know? It gave me a lift when I needed it!”

It was still pouring rain at the airport, so it’s safe to say that the Leak Diverter Kit was being rushed into action to catch a leak and divert it away to help keep the floor dry. Heck, if Krista had looked around (not that she had time), she may have seen other PIG® Leak Diverters in use. She had walked into the very situation described in catalogs that she had helped produce. She had a big-time need right then for safe floors with good traction, and somewhere in that airport, a PIG® Leak Diverter was helping provide it.

So did Krista make her flight?

“It was four hours late!” She laughs. “At one point, Trevor had three lollipops going—he just kept unwrapping them because he didn’t like the flavors—and a lady says ‘Three lollipops? Isn’t that kind of a lot?’ I said, “We’ve been here for three-and-a-half hours. I don’t care if he has ten lollipops!”

Welcome home, Krista.

Image © design56 – Fotolia.com

My post title steals from a famous quote: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” There’s a similar link in industrial workplaces, between maintenance and safety.

That’s the point of a great new post from Jeff Shiver at Reliable Plant Blogs. In today’s lean times, many company and plant managers move to trim maintenance costs. Jeff suggests this response: “How much are you willing to reduce the amount spent on safety?”

Image ©  peolsen – Fotolia.com

Good question, because an MRO purchase often has implications in many directions.  For instance, we constantly point out that using PIG® Absorbents helps in many areas:

• Safety. Helps keep floors clean and dry.
• Environmental protection. Helps keep oil and other contaminants out of storm drains and landfills (if saturated absorbents are wrung out and/or disposed of by incinerating).
• Compliance. Protecting workers and the environment helps you meet OSHA and EPA regulations.
• Productivity. A cleaner, safer environment helps maximize morale and work activity.

Let’s be fair to company managers dedicated to the greater good and earnestly looking for ways to cut expenses.  Something’s got to give. But there’s no higher priority than safety, so any good manager will appreciate a reminder that it often goes hand in hand (or hand in hoof) with maintenance.

All you fans of the documentary Man On Wire …

About Philippe Petit’s famous walk between the Twin Towers …

Don’t you think the whole incident was … missing something?

See our Fall Protection items:

Harnesses

Lanyards

Lifelines

Anchor Points

Fall Protection Kits