This week, the International Association of Fire Chiefs is sponsoring its annual Safety Week, where leaders are calling for all departments to “stand down” from their routine daily operations and focus on health and safety issues.
While I believe that every week is “safety week,” I like the concept of a formal review and analysis of all safety practices within an organization.
There is one statement in the press release that grabs my attention:
“Firefighters don’t plan to be lost, disoriented, injured or trapped during a structure fire or emergency incident. But fires are unpredictable and volatile, and they will not always go according to plan.”
This can easily be translated to:
“EMS providers don’t plan to be injured or killed during a routine or emergency response. But EMS calls are unpredictable and volatile, and they will not always go according to plan.”
We need to ensure that we do all we can to reduce the risks from the job. Where are your practices today in regards to the following areas?
- Personal protective equipment
- Driving habits
- Use of safety equipment while in the rig
- Situational awareness sizeup
- Proper disposal of contaminated supplies
- Highway operations
- Training
I am sure there are many more areas where it’s easy to take safety issues for granted. Where else might you promote better safety practices?
