With the current state of decline afflicting many of the institutions of our country, many people may feel our country is at a tipping point and our lives will revert back to near-pioneer status. Those who feel they are prepared to continue living on separated from the sagging society and decaying government may soon be isolating themselves at their preferred location, whether it is the bug out location, homestead, suburban ranch, or even a bug-in location in a populated area. Once you are at your preferred location it could be for the long haul and things will get harder and harder as time goes on. Good health and being able to maintain a healthy, strenuous lifestyle will be extremely important. Over the long term a person must depend on themselves and be in top form physically.
Preppers often focus on how to do first aid and treat injuries. But in the event of an injury, even with good care the recovery time may be very problematic. This article will focus on personal safety and safe behavior for day to day living to prevent injuries and safety incidents.
Very recently my wife and I were sitting on the couch, doing nothing. The reason? I had strained ligaments in my foot while doing some chores, and she had put a deep cut on her left pointer finger, while cutting some cloth. So, we wasted the better part of a day making no progress on any of our usual tasks. I hope we are both more careful going forward.
If you get even a small injury and are unable to perform your normal tasks, you will be in trouble. Doctors may be hard to find, and travel to and from a remote location to a doctor’s care will be difficult or impossible. Many preppers have good first aid skills, but it is best to avoid the unsafe and risky situation altogether. And the way to avoid that type of situation is – PREVENTION! Ensure you have a safe environment to do all your work tasks around your place – AVOID THE INJURY!
A safe environment doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires an up-front planning process. If you are thinking about safety and accident prevention AFTER you start the job, there is a good chance you missed recognizing a specific hazard and you may have a mishap. SO PLAN AHEAD!
In one of my previous lives, I was the safety and environmental program manager for a major manufacturer in the Midwest. I had Safety Engineers, Industrial Hygienists, and Environment Engineers working for/with me on an 8,000-person site. I also became a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) during this time. We had a very strong, highly funded program to keep people safe. While a homestead/retreat safety program may not require the depth and breadth of a major facility, there are many common requirements that are very similar and the basic components are close to the same. Each person needs to assess their own specific situation. I will present some of the themes and ideas I feel a prepper can use to build their own safety “programs” and hopefully stay healthy and productive for a long time. This information is just common sense, but it is easy to get lulled into complacency as time goes on and we get busy.
In my opinion, the important components that any facility or home can have include: constant safety awareness, a robust safety information/manual full of instructions, a risk identification process, an inspection process, task analysis, training plans, and personal protective equipment guidelines. Finally, have an accident review process that provides information to set up action plans to prevent recurrence.
AWARENESS
The first aim, in my opinion, is constant awareness. We often hear about situational awareness. Practice it. Before you begin any task, stop. Think about how to do it safely…. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? What hazards are associated with the work? What is the area like? What proper tools are needed to best accomplish the task? Can you do it safely alone or do you need help? Everything you do needs to be viewed through the prism of safety.
SAFETY INFORMATION REPOSITORY
In addition to constant awareness, the next concrete thing to do is set up a central safety information location. This is the equivalent of the safety department and the safety manual. It is the go-to source for material to run the retreat safely.
NOTE: This should be kept in hard copy format. Keep the documents you create electronically if you care to, but print the important documents so you can have them with you in the field as needed. There may come a time when the internet, your computer, and/or electricity are not available.
The basic concept is to have one place to start, and go to, if you need something relating to safety. In my mind it would be permanent location, say a filing cabinet or area of a specific room or building that one can go to quickly anytime a question or issue arises. It should be easy and convenient to get to. Here are some of the things I would have there:
A “Map” or directory of where every important safety related item can be found
A list of all your first aid items and medical treatments and their locations
A copy of all operating manuals for the tools, vehicles, appliances and gadgets
A list of all harmful chemicals on premises
A listing of your work/tasks that you need to perform, with safety review results
A list of your protective equipment and where it is stored
A list of fire prevention and fighting equipment locations and maintenance records
Documents that detail how you plan to accomplish the major or complex tasks
Incident/Accident review documents that record the incident and can be used for future analysis
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
Hazard identification is fundamental for every task. It is a simple process but needs to be done BEFORE you actually do the tasks.
It is best to do a general safety audit of your place frequently, regularly and when you are not preoccupied trying to get something else done. First, do a general walk-through of the place, without a specific task in mind. Just wander and look for problems. Are there tripping hazards that could hurt you if you are working?…Low hanging tree limbs…Insect nests?…Sharp nails or screws protruding from buildings?…Exposed electrical wires?…Open or exposed chemicals?…Unguarded saw or knife blades? How far is it to the nearest First Aid kit? If there is an incident, how far are you from other people and how can you let them know you are injured?
Keep a hard copy record of your findings and a to-do list that will be used for removing hazards. Then, think through the tasks you may do.
What are some of the injury risks that can occur during regular activities at the home place?
Fire/Burns
Cuts/Lacerations
Trip/Slip/Falls
Falling Objects
Chemical exposure/Poisoning
Animal and insect bites
Lifting strains, ergonomic injuries
Sprains
Choking
TASK ANALYSIS
It would take a lot of time to list all the work activities that will be needed at your permanent location, so simply start with a few of the most common and list them. What tools are needed? Are the tools ready and in good condition? What protective gear is needed? Then start the process of thinking through the activities and the potential hazards of each. This will help you develop the routine.
A very short example would be cutting up firewood:
Walk the area where you will be working. Look for general hazards as mentioned. Then think “task”. Are the logs secure in place so they won’t jump when being cut? How will you lift them? Are there nails in the wood? Is the saw appropriately sharp? How will you stack the logs? How will you move them? What PPE is required and where is it? PPE would include eye shields, chaps, and gloves, etc.
If you don’t get a satisfactory answer to these questions, add the corrective actions needed to your safety to-do list and make the changes BEFORE you start the work.
Another common injury “opportunity” is moving heavy loads:
Check the item you want to move carefully. How heavy is it? Are there ample handholds? Can it be moved on wheels? If you can’t budge the item, get help. Use a jack or even a skid steer to do the work. If you can lift it enough to get dollies under it by lifting one end, raise it up and then put dollies under each end. Roll it slowly only over level firm ground. Stay alert to avoid getting back strain, or dropping the item on your foot. The best answer in this case is to not try to do things alone if you can get help.
TRAINING
Here is where your safety information repository comes in: Re-read the product manuals for whatever tools you are using. One of the first sections of most manuals is “Safety”. Do this review in order to keep hazards in mind as you do your tasks.
For a complex task, rethink the process in your mind before starting. Go get everything you need to do the job before you start and stage it in a safe place. Use a written procedure for large and complex tasks. It should include a list of actions to be taken, proper tools, and proper personal protective equipment. Practice doing the complex tasks in an environment where the hazards do not exist. Do a dry run to ensure the proper equipment is in place. Practice the exact actions, without hazardous equipment running.
(To be concluded tomorrow, in Part 2.)