Workplace Accident and Lessons Learned with Travis Wilson

NSSGA Podcast

Travis Wilson, a former member of the 82nd Airborne, joins Libby on the podcast this week. As an army veteran with extensive experience in safety and health, Travis brings his wealth of knowledge in hazardous waste management, chemical safety, and industrial hygiene to share a cautionary tale that highlights the importance of safety basics and staying vigilant in the face of potential hazards. As you will, Travis’ story serves as a powerful reminder of the significance of adhering to safety protocols, maintaining effective communication, and understanding the importance of emergency equipment.

Episode Highlights:

• Travis's story demonstrating the need to slow down and always wear PPE

• The importance of PPE and its application even when not directly involved

• The role of communication in preventing accidents

• Being vigilant about emergency equipment locations

• The pitfalls of rushing through tasks

• Lessons from military training: "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast"

• The necessity of preventive maintenance for emergency systems

Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions:

• In this episode, Travis shares a story that highlights several important safety basics. How do you think different safety issues layer onto each other to create more complex situations?

• Take the time to reflect on emergency management systems near you. How can we better our knowledge of where they are and ensure that we know how to use them if necessary?

• Does anyone have a story to share about a lesson learned about communication and taking the time to work safely?

Quotes:

"I learned to always wear my PPE, regardless of whether I was the one that was working or not, if I was near any sort of chemical that was being touched.

“I also learned to always be aware of where an eyewash station was or any sort of emergency equipment, so that if we had another situation like that where I had to get someone to an eyewash station or a safety shower, I could do it quickly.”

“We learned that in these types of situations, to slow down. This all really happened because he felt anxious and he felt like we had to get to the next job. In the army, we have a saying - ‘slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.’”

"You can't rush the job. Communicate and prioritize safety."

"Making sure that you're doing maintenance on those emergency management systems and ensuring that everything's going to work properly in an emergency situation."

Links:

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association website