Safety Tips
Landscape Business
Avoid carrying large objects . Avoid wearing headphones . Avoid wearing sunglasses in low-light areas . Use railings on stairs and mirrors at corners . Reduce over-striding when walking . Always choose the safest route over the shortest .
Safety versus convenience
It ’ s always best to take the safest route over the shortest . That can be a difficult thing to balance when there ’ s work to be done within a set number of hours . Even in my own life , I find myself wanting to take shortcuts . We have a natural instinct to be efficient , but that should never come at the cost of safety .
It ’ s common for field employees to work in dangerous , hard-to-navigate , uneven terrain with tree roots and rocks . When the target destination is identified , there are often two choices presented : the shortest route that helps you arrive quickly or the option to get back into your vehicle , drive to a different location , and access the location differently — adding on additional time .
Employees are frequently inclined to take that short route . As humans , we do this a lot in our daily lives . We tell ourselves , “ No , I can do it . I ’ ll be careful ,” and convince ourselves because of those external pressures . As humans , we ’ re good at convincing ourselves of our choices .
As individuals , we must hold ourselves accountable by being aware of our surroundings and avoiding unnecessary distractions . Active safe walking sharply reduces the chances of being involved in a painful and costly incident . By increasing our awareness and improving our daily habits , we can prevent the occurrence of slips , trips and falls .
Adrienne Jones is a safety manager at ACRT and ACRT Services . She has two years of industry experience and is a Tree Care Industry Association ( TCIA ) Certified Treecare Safety Professional ( CTSP ) and a National Safety Council-certified Defensive Driving Course Instructor . Jones also serves as a First Aid / CPR / AED Instructor and is a member of the Utility Arborist Association Safety Committee . She holds a bachelor ’ s degree from DePaul University .
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www . OPEBusiness . com March 2023 OPE Business 33