The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A few years ago, I was instructing health and safety training at an industrial manufacturing plant. One of my co-instructors was on a fastball team, and always wore sunglasses when he played baseball. Actually, he wore CSA approved safety sunglasses. There was one brand he really liked, and he purchased them at a safety supply store. I asked him why the safety sunglasses, and not just regular ones. He stated, he liked the style of the ones he wore, and wanted to ensure his safety, should he get hit with a ball in the face. We discussed some of the injuries that people suffered over the years in our district. We concluded it was a good idea to wear any personal protective equipment, to ensure ones safety, even when playing sports. A year later, during baseball season, my co-instructor still wore safety sunglasses every time he played. He was playing baseball one day and was up to bat, when suddenly? a fast pitch hit him in the face. The ball had hit him square in the eye! He was very fortunate that he had his safety sunglasses on. The imprint of his glasses was around his eye. He did receive a serious eye injury! He was sent to a health and science centre. Doctors told him that if he had not been wearing safety glasses, he would have been blind in one eye! He was very fortunate. He has a family, a good job, and it is still early on in his career. He took responsibility for his safety, and this is an excellent example of why all of us need to make time for safety. This incident that happened to my co-instructor is just one example of the injuries that continue to plague our country. Safety and the role it plays in your life depend on many things, including your attitude. All of us need to learn how to protect ourselves, and family members from the potential injury hazards that can strike at any giving time. We all need to be made aware of and reminded to be responsible, to think, and to make time for safety!
