Hardwood Floors April/May 2017

A Curve in the Road of Life (Continued) HEALTH & SAFETY FOCUS

was amazing how fast the thoughts ran through my head. Ultimately, the driver safety partition prevented me from getting hit with the tools. It would have been real bad if that wall was not in place. We did have the tools

The moral of the story is, always be safe. Not only when operating the tools, but when transporting them too. Wear seat belts. Make sure you have a safety partition installed in your vehicle and that the tools are locked down and ready for more than a few turns and bumps. Keep yourself safe while driving. Let’s all do what we can to prevent job site accidents and be safe. Please drive with your seat belt on and safety wall in place, but most of all let’s remember the reason we all work and live for: our families and friends. I am truly thankful that no one was hurt that day, and we all were able to hug our families that night. Wayne Lee is business development and technical advisor for Middle Tennessee Lumber in Burns, Tennessee. He has taught thousands of students at wood flooring schools and has his Craftsman, Master Craftsman, Vanguard and Ambassador degrees from the NWFA. He can be reached at wlee@midtnlumber.com.

slow motion, I could see the two cars hitting at 45 MPH. Seat belt on, set, and ready for impact, as it all comes forward. The sound of the two cars colliding, plus the sound of the tools hitting the safety

”We did have the tools locked on the shelves to prevent them from falling during a turn or bump, but not locked in for a 45 MPH impact.”

locked on the shelves to prevent them from falling during a turn or bump, but not locked in for a 45 MPH impact. In this type of scenario, it would be difficult to stop all the tools from jumping off the shelves, so it was very important that we had a safety partition installed. It was also very important

that I was wearing a seat belt. I believe that if I had not been wearing mine, my head would be full of glass. Due to the type of impact, the airbag did not deploy.

partition behind me, was one of the strangest sounds I have ever heard. It was over as fast as it happened and I was in shock. First check, am I hurt? How is the driver in the other car? Should I get out of the van? Double check, am I okay? It

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