Look Before You Leap

All too often accidents are caused by people who fail to ​“look.” One of the most important and basic principles of accident prevention is to look where you walk, stand, sit, or climb. You may have heard of the rigger that stepped back to check his rigging, only to fall off the trailer! It is very important to look before stepping in any direction. You might step into a pile of rebar, in the path of a moving piece of equipment, or under a suspended load.

On most jobs, conditions in the work area change constantly. Material and equipment are always handled and moved around. Look up, look down, and look all around to make certain the way is clear, and you are avoiding all hazards.

When you can sit down, look where you sit. How often have you heard the injured worker say, ​“I didn’t see it.”? This is the excuse, not the reason. We all must be aware of our surroundings or risk being severely hurt or killed.

Some of you may have heard of people being injured because they failed to watch where they were stepping. Test a platform before you step onto it; be sure your ladder is secure before climbing it. If work areas are poorly lighted, be especially cautious.

Stay alert, look around you constantly, and do not rush or take chances. Those few minutes you may save could cost you or someone else more than you can afford!

Remember, someone who rushes in headlong, often comes out feet first!