Hazards, risks change with leaves

  • Published
  • By Richard Fleming
  • AEDC Safety

As we enter the fall season, we see changes all around us.

Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November, and everyone’s schedules get altered. Vacation season is drawing to a close, with students going back to school and families getting back into the rhythm of classes, sports and all the other extracurricular activities. Traffic patterns around town change with the addition of parents, students, school buses and school zones in the mornings and afternoons. Leaves on the trees have started changing colors and have even begun to fall off.

With cooler weather coming, our safety emphasis needs to adjust along with it. Leaves on the ground create a slip or trip hazard for pedestrians. Leaves on the road - wet or dry - can make vehicles lose traction, causing a loss of control.

Looking ahead, in just a few weeks there will be frost on your vehicle’s windshield, impairing your visibility. Yes, it is time to find the ice scraper now before you have to look for it on a cold, dark morning. We add bulky clothing that can get in the way of work or get caught in machinery. Gloves to keep us warm can impair dexterity. The list goes on.

There are plenty of other distractions on the way this year, both at work and at home. At work, we have a new contract with new leadership and team members coming on board.  Learning and adapting to new policies and procedures could affect day-to-day operations, so it is important to stay diligent and stay safe.

Holidays can be a big distraction at home and work as well. Halloween is only about a month away, then on its heels comes Thanksgiving and, as I write this, it is less than 100 days until Christmas. Whew!

Every year, falls, cuts, sprains and bruises result from decorating for holidays. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, over 15,000 people end up in the emergency room every year due to holiday decorating accidents. Do not use a chair for a stepstool or a screwdriver to drive in a nail. Be sure to use the right tools for the job.

So, as we enter this season with so much change going on around us, be sure you keep safety in mind in all that you do whether at work or at home.