With your help the people of West Africa have "a chance, not only to change their own lives and their own destinies, but to change the future of an entire generation".

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Wood and Chips

Submitted by Marcel Stieber

Mr Solo, our esteemed Master Carpenter, needed some hardwood boards cut for a project. Our equipment at the airfield is not quite powerful enough to handle the amazingly dense Odanter wood. So off we went on a trip to the local sawmill. An impressive building with a brand new roof, filled inside with saws, planers, joiners, and the lot. Not to mentioned the half-dozen workers milling about busily cutting wood and preparing materials for local construction projects.

It's honestly quite an impressive establishment, complete with lighting and an established electrical panel and fuse box! Sadly, as is often lacking, basic personal protective equipment (PPE) is nowhere to be found. None of the employees had eye or ear protection, not a glove in sight, and most importantly, no appropriate footwear. Flip flops are the closest thing to protective footwear that were worn. One man that arrived _removed_ his shoes at the door and proceeded to work at the table saw barefoot! Fortunately a fire extinguisher stands by the door to help with sawdust fires that are bound to happen amidst the piles of shavings throughout the shop.

We are again reminded that a little bit of training and knowledge goes a long way in protecting the lives and safety of everyone. At the airfield we have strict rules about footwear and PPE to help _prevent_ accidents and maintain a reputation and history of safety at our site. Maybe Mr Solo can speak with the manager about some improvements or maybe they will continue to test their luck into the future to avoid any major accidents.

No comments:

Post a Comment