road to safetyHeartland Asphalt, Inc.

Safety Newsletter

July 2011

Eight Years Incident-Free:

Heartland Safety Spotlight on Mark Kittleson

Mark Kittleson, Heartland Asphalt

Plant Supervisor, knows a thing or

two about safety. He has worked with

Heartland for over thirty years, the past

eight of which he has completed without

a single incident.

Mark’s long-standing clean record is

evidence that safety is probably about a bit

more than luck. With that said, we decided

to ask the man himself what it takes to

make it eight years incident-free.

“You can’t take things for granted,”

said Mark. “You have to be aware of

yourself and what you’re doing at all

times.” And being aware is about

both in-the-moment consciousness

as well as forming and practicing safe habits.

the experience to form consistent safety habits. Mark’s advice: Always

consider the possibilities of what could happen. “You have to expect

the worst.” He went on to recommend that new workers avoid getting

themselves in compromising situations. When workers are still forming

new habits, they need to be particularly cautious of their surroundings

and actions.

For veteran workers like Mark, safe practices look a bit different. As

these guys are so good at their jobs they could practically do them in their

sleep, they tend to rely more on safety habits formed over many years of

experience.

Happy

Birthday

Aaron White - July 1

Meredith Steere - July 5

Steven Meyer - July 5

Mike Caspersen - July 6

Rich Tynan - July 9

Brian Bakken - July 21

Curt Smith - July 21

Jason Foster - July 24

Al Forde - July 29

Continued on back...

Safety Spotlight Continued...

July 2011

1. Oklahoma Department of Labor, “OSHA Consultation’s Construction Industry Series: Electrical Hazards”

“When you’re doing something over and over, more thinking needs to be involved,” Mark noted. “Staying aware is

Whether a new worker or a seasoned veteran, each season is another opportunity to consciously make good choices

and form good habits.

We would like to thank Mark for his commitment to on-the-job safety and his outstanding incident-free record.

***

No Second Chance:

Electrical Safety Tips

Visually inspect all electrical

equipment before use. Remove

from service any equipment with

frayed cords, missing ground

prongs, cracked tool casings, etc.

Use ground-fault circuit interrupters

(GFCIs) on all 120-volt,single-

phase,15 and 20-ampere receptacles,

or have an assured equipment

grounding conductor program.

Ground all exposed metal parts of

equipment.

Use double-insulated tools.

Frequently inspect electrical systems

to ensure that the path to ground is

continuous.1

Highlighting Electrical Safety

During safety meetings and in safety newsletters we

often discuss issues such as slips and falls, wearing safety

vests, and heat exposure, but while these are all crucial,

there are some safety issues which require a bit more

dire consideration. Take, for instance, electrical safety.

Though it may seem a common-place safety topic, it is

one that deserves attention simply for the fact that with

electrical hazards, you don’t always get a second chance.

Electrical shock occurs when a person becomes part

of the conductor of an electrical current. This shock

can range in effect from a slight tingle to immediate

cardiac arrest, depending on the intensity of the current.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of electrical hazards

is that the size of the voltage is typically undetectable

on sight. Touch the down wire, and it may be the last

thing you touch--ever. For this reason it is important to

be aware of where electrical hazards are most likely to

occur and be generally aware around electrical wires of

any kind.