Where to start...

With prayers for the family members.  js

Work safe, go home safe...

I know that many of you are working today...  Christmas day.  How quick that we forget that many jobs still need to be covered off during the holidays.  I am especially aware of this due to traveling north to isolated sites.
Christmas is a time of year where our expectations may cause us to become distraught as life rarely lives up to our dreams. 
If you need to work today, please take care pay close attention to what you are doing... and get home to spend time with your loved ones.

Merry Christmas.  js

Last set of photos

Second course repeling.

Suiting up for the search exercise.

 Garbage bags to reduce visibility and to increase heat to rescuer.

Last morning onsite, waiting for bus to runway.  I love the north.  Enjoyed working with these fellows, look forward to training with them again.  js

Even more photos

Posing in his 'spring' butterfly harness.

The outside view.

The inside view, looking up.

Letting myself be used as a training aid (ya that's a pillow.... ;-).  js

More photos

Here's Gerry going over the edge. 

Crawling under obstacles.

 First course, last day.  js

Photo's

This is in front of the Municipal Airport in Val D'Or PQ.  I have not been in this area of Quebec since I was a young man, just flying through to Nunavut.

I am demonstrating a 'low anchor high repel no wall.  One of the course members was acting as repelmaster (Gerry O).

Letting my hand creep a little forward...

Here's one of the fellows, I demonstrated how to get out of a flip-over (common on a low anchor if you are not sitting and rotating to start your descent).  More pictures to follow.  js

Completion

Completed the second Basic (Surface) Mine Rescue course here at Meadowbank. The trainee's were very enthusiastic and it was a pleasure to teach. Heading out of here Wednesday, pictures to follow on arrival home. Play safe. js

Basic Mine Rescue (Surface) and ERT

Very busy days, conducting second basic course here. Also carried out some more advance sessions for members who are already on the team, focused on Post Fall Arrest type incidents.
The MSA Suretyman is a neat piece of kit and it is simple to adapt it into more complex situations.
Internet here is not very advantageous to upload photo's, so they will need to wait. Play safe today (if you are working). js

Basic Mine Rescue (Surface)

Just checking in, just finished a course here in Nunavut (photo's to follow). Going to be conducting a second one here in a couple of days.
A picture is worth a thousand words, make sure that the picture can be seen clearly and is relevant to what you are describing.
I enjoy working with mine rescue men (and women). js

Instructing

I have been assisting on an instructor’s course (designed to assist knowledgeable folks in getting in front of a class and passing on their experience and an approved subject matter).  A question that has come up (several times), is why on these types of course's, the Instructor Trainers not 'teach' the actual material to demonstrate to the student instructors the standard.
When I was in the military this was a common way of developing instructors.  In the basic class we followed 'EDI' i.e.: 'explanation' ‘demonstration' followed by 'imitation'.  The instructor breaks things down into manageable parts; explains it, demonstrates it and has the student imitate the skill.  The main instructor (depending on the type of course) 'taught' every subject, and then the student instructors did the same.  Yes I know; time is of an essence and this may not always be possible in the work world, but the principal can and should be followed for maximum results.  People learn best by watching successful people.
Instructing is a skill (yes I know it is also partly an art) it can be taught.  Many instructor's are out there making rookie mistakes that they don't recognize... and no one has taken the time (nor in some cases are they {the instructor} willing to listen) to point out their errors and shortfalls (in presentation and instructing ability not subject knowledge).
Every good instructor must allow feedback that is trouble free to the student (i.e.: is not going to cause the student grief if the instructor doesn't like what he hears).  Every instructor must review the results of training and decide if the shortfalls are because of his or her shortcomings in passing the knowledge or skill and not because of a lack of some sort among the student group or his or her materials.
This all seems like common sense, but as we all know there is very little 'common' sense out there, too often we all do 'what is right in our own eyes'.
Take confidential feedback from all of your classes or course's, review results and your efforts.  Recognize your shortfalls, your equipment or training aids deficiencies and take steps (within your abilities) to improve.
Students will enjoy taking your classes.
Have a safe day.  js

Remember

Back to work

It has been a slow summer (maybe the downturn...?). Things seem to be picking up again. I have been busy with home renovations so little time to post. I have some thoughts I want to work out then I will post again.
Hope you all had a safe relaxing summer. js

Home Renovations

Runway and one of the pits at Ekati Diamond Mine

Last minute on camp. 

Middle of a spring snowstorm.

I am in the process (continuing) of home renovations. Currently widening out some area's of my mom’s apartment and looking to add a wheelchair accessible ramp. All basic carpentry and plumbing type work with some minor electrical.

The tendency (yes even for us safety guys) is to fling the safety boots, PPE etc to the wind when we are working at home.

Not going to throw statistics and stuff at you, but I am going to remind you that all of the same distractions are at play when working away from work and the hazards are just as great and unpredictable if not planned for.

Take the time to do the work right, safely, the first time. Play safe.

Above are some more pictures from my last trip up north.  js

Safety Audits

I am currently in an isolated camp north of Yellowknife conducting a Safety Audit.  Just the fact that someone has been sent to site to seriously look into work practices raises awareness.  Play safe this week.

Took this picture out my tent door a couple of minutes back.  js

More Pictures

More improvisation.

Group shot, Ekati.

KED

Securing with triangulars.  js

Advanced First Medical Responder pictures

Extracting a casualty from a Toyota with a KED.

Securing a casualty to a spine board with a set of Spider Straps.

Securing a man to a basket and board with imporvisation.

Even with all of the busy-ness I have been dealing with I have had time to go into two northern diamond mines and conduct a couple of course's (about two months apart).  

It is always fun to work with Mine Rescue men (and women).   Off again tomorrow to northern climes to conduct a Safety Audit.  A little cooler up there than here... not by much however, it was snowing outside today!

Above are some pictures of the guys packaging casualties.  

Play safe.  js

Advanced First Medical Responder

Well, have spent the past week (and a couple more days to come) conducting two AFMR Level One course's for the Snap Lake Mine here in the Northwest Territories.  A young keen bunch of fella's. Pictures will follow.  js

Play safe this month

Earth day is upon us.  Many will do things, some will not.  It is great to live in a free country.  Still very busy with family events but trying to get back into work.

I will try to post here soon.  js

Situation no change...

Still busy with family, will post when able.  js

Been meaning to post...

but I have been caught up in a family emergency.  Funny, the day I posted about air travel safety awareness we were delayed from take off one hour then deverted back to Edmonton due to aircraft problems.  Got into Yellowknife five hours late.  Better feet on the ground than shaky nerves in the air... 

Will post when the dust settles.  js

Be ready...

I travel quite a bit lately, not as much as some, much more than many. One thing I do is that I am always (hopefully) prepared for is something going wrong.

Simple things like missing a connection and having to live off my 'carry on' for a day or two. Losing my luggage and having to work and perform with whatever I have with me... (a horrible state to be in at a remote site). And worse case, something goes terribly wrong with the conveyance I am traveling in.

This has only happened to me twice, a van I was traveling in as a work passenger rolled, no one injured praise the Lord, but it could have been serious. Another time, with my wife and newborn son, the truck we owned decided to die on a semi-isolated highway in an Alberta winter, praise God a passerby stopped and offered help.  

I have been on two planes that needed to conduct emergency landings but the Lord's hands were there and both were so uneventful that in one case I am sure that there were some who were unaware at the time.

I always try to bring some snack food to eat and dress for the worst case, comfortable and warm and loose fitting clothing, footwear that can be 'walked in' being the most important, in winter carry something for the face, neck and hands.

As embarrassing as it is to have to many clothing items and 'stuff' when you get on a plane, it would be far more embarrassing to be short in an emergency. You can always take clothing off, it is very hard to put on what you don't have. There are many small compressible items available that will take very little room in carry on.  

Just some thoughts, you will have to decide what is relevant for you. You never know when you may go swimming in the Hudson...

Travel safe. js

Thank you President Bush

For your service.  js

Back to work

Spent most of this week getting caught up on work that has lapsed while I was travelling or over the Christmas period.  It is easy to get behind and the tendency is to try to quickly 'master' the situation and get back into the flow.  

This can be detrimental as our reflexes after prolonged periods away from the work-site can become dulled.  Care should be taken to approach the job again as a rookie, at least for the first couple of minutes, to get ourselves back into the 'habit'.

Play safe at work, take your time and do it right.  Go home the same way you came.  js