Sole Education Fall 2019: Safety First

Safety and personal protective equipment are two of the main things that are often overlooked. Read on to learn what the student's safety protocols are, and what tips they have learned!

Remember Safety First!

I first learned about Safety First in high school Shop class. My teacher began each class with a safety lesson. I remember being so excited to work with the tools, at times I found it hard to listen carefully.What made it real was his safety demonstrations. Wearing personal protective equipment, he would place himself in unsafe conditions and demonstrate how important it wasto always think safety.That worked! To this day, I follow the rule of Safety First. On the job site, I find myself regularly wearing safety glasses, composite toe slip resistant shoes, and a hard hat when required. I will add gloves and a respirator when working with certain materials or cutting concrete to run drain and waste lines.Weare starting a formal Safety program at work which includes Toolbox Talks. These are informal group discussions that will focus on our work for the day and the related safety issues. We will also use these talks to promote workplace safety.Safety is a serious matterso much so I have volunteered to become one of our Safety Directors!

HVAC Safety Protocols

In the HVAC program at DMACC, safety is something our instructors take very seriously and make sure we follow. Whenever we are working in the lab on the equipment, we are required to wear eye protection and gloves when needed.We also discuss how important it is to keep yourself safe and out of harm's way on the job site. My summer HVAC internship even required the service techs to wear OSHA approved boots in order to keep us as safe as possible.Over the past year and a half, I have gained several safety tips, including:

• Whenever you are working with or handling sheet metal wear GLOVES to help prevent yourself from getting a nasty cut
• If you are working with electrical, always use well-insulated tools to protect yourself from being electrocuted

It's very important to try and stay as safe as possible to keep from getting injured.When it comes to personal safety on the job, you can never be too careful. The purpose of completing skilled trades programs does more than just prepare you for the job, it also serves as a place to teach you about the safety protocols that are necessary for keeping you safe while at work. Follow along with our students progress here.Learn more about the Generation T movement here.

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