Page 3 - February 2022 Track N Times
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FEATURE STORY
What’s My Trigger?
By Marc Hackett, Director Ballast and Road Bet Maintenance
As we look forward to another busy year I would deeper instructions? Many decisions are made
like everyone to stop and ask yourself a question, based on what happened the last time a job was
“when it comes to working safely, what’s my trig- performed. This “experience” may or may not be
ger”? What would cause me to stop and rethink an indication of what will happen the next time that
my course of action? Work habits and compla- same job is undertaken. By focusing on the detail
cency go hand in hand. It’s been proven that the we can all eliminate the potential for bad outcomes
more someone performs a task, the if we understand load ratings, abra-
more risk they are willing to toler- sive wear patterns, proper rigging
ate. In Minnesota we are accus- techniques, and everything else that
tomed to what many consider to be goes into a successful lift. It’s the
a risky endeavor, ice fishing. As the little things!
season begins, early ice fishermen Let’s look at another situation. You
head out onto very thin ice, some- have a bit of a cough and you are
times only a couple of inches thick. thinking it is time to for seasonal
As the season progresses people allergies to hit. You push through,
become more comfortable with the head to work and the next day you
idea of being on the ice. More peo- are sick and in a bad state. What’s
ple hit the lakes, the charts and your trigger for saying you are too
graphs come out that describe how sick to work? Has Covid changed
thick the ice needs to be to support your thinking when it comes to
people, vehicles, fish houses, all the working when you feel ill? Again,
apparatus people drag onto the ice each person has an individual deci-
cover the frozen waters. All sion to make, and it is typically
throughout the season people and based on past experiences. You
their gear break through the ice and know how you feel when you get
sometimes perish. The reality is sick, you know how your body responds, but
that no ice is ever considered to be “safe”, all ice Covid threw the world a curveball. Pay attention
travel involves risk. So, I am asking each of you to the symptoms and take the test, don’t assume
to consider how you determine a situation to be life will never change.
safe versus unsafe. When do you pull the trigger
and stop the line? Let’s look at one more situation and see if we can
define the proper trigger. You are a part of a crew
As we look to define our trigger let’s imagine a that has just been briefed by the pilot and told you
couple of real-world situations. The first, a strap are good to go to work. You look at your briefing
to be used for lifting. As an employee being told book and notice that the limits you wrote down
to do a job that involves lifting, do you know how don’t match the track profile for the track you are
to read the rating on the strap? Do you know on. Your entire crew starts to move to their work
how to inspect the strap and look for serviceabil- locations and your machine is about to move. Do
ity? When do you stop and ask for help and get
Continued Pg. 2
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