The White Falcon - 12.07.1985, Side 7

Saying careful can be dangerous
By TSgt. Monte J. Christie
That’s a rather bizarre title
for a safety article, isn't it--
but, "careful" can be a danger-
ous word.
A supervisor, who has to fill
out reports on serious work in-
juries, might be tempted to an-
swer the question, "What steps
have been taken to prevent such
mishaps?" with "I've told the
employee to be more careful."
That answer creates the en-
vironment for another work in-
jury. It's an example of care-
ful being a dangerous word.
Why? Because it indicates
the supervisor hasn't told the
employee why the mishap occurred
or how to prevent a recurrence.
Worse, it reinforces the false
assurance that it won't happen
again if we are just more care-
ful .
One has to get specific to
prevent mishaps. For instance,
a person get cut with a knife.
Probably the person thought he
was working carefully with that
piece of equipment. Maybe the
knife was dull. Dull knives
require more pressure and are
apt to slip. Maybe the person
didn't think about the position
of his free hand in case the
knife slipped.
"Careful" is a dangerous
word. It's a quick and easy
word used to explain or prevent
mishaps, but it does neither.
If you've had an injury,
don't promise to be more care-
ful. Instead, review excatly
what must be done to avoid a
recurrence of that particular
mishap. Avoiding the use of
"careful" forces us to find the
reasons for mishaps.
If there is no substitute for
"I'll be more careful from now
on," you're in trouble. You've
just learned that you don't un-
derstand why you were injured
or how you can prevent it from
happening again.
There's danger in that word.
It blankets the real reason for
mishaps, the real way to prevent
them. Every mishap has a spe-
cific cause. Knowing this could
mean the difference between life
and death the next time you en-
counter a hazard.
Prepare for PCS move
You have a lot of things on
your mind in a PCS move. With
all the confusion one important
point sometimes gets overlooked
and that leads to more problems.
Before every move, Air Force
members are counseled to contact
the destination Traffic Manage-
ment Office (TMO) immediately
after arrival at a new station.
Too many people are forgetting
to contact the destination TMO
and provide that office a con-
tact point. This oversight
could result in your property
being placed in storage-in-tran-
sit and could even result in
costly administrative penalties.
When you fail to inform the TMO
of your whereabouts upon ar-
rival, they do everything pos-
sible to locate you when your
goods arrive. But if they can't
find you, they have to assume
you have not arrived and the
goods are placed in storage.
When they finally hear from you,
they might not be able to ar-
range delivery as quickly as
usual, especially during the
summer. So, to help the TMO
help you, remember to call up
and say I'm here when you arrive
at your new duty station. Make
it one of the first things you
do.
Mileage Saver Tune-Up
We will:
• Install new Champion spark plugs
• Set carburetor idle mixture (if adjustable) and speed
• Adjust ignition timing
• Inspect and/or test distributor cap rotor & spark plug
wires
• Inspect air cleaner/filter/PCV & crankcase vent valve
NEX Service Station
| $5 off Mileage Saver Tune-up
I
Name.
Date _
.Phone-
Sales ticket# .
One coupon per tune-up Offer good JULY 1 —3 1
I
LEGAL
continued from pg.7
"will worksheet." Bring a copy of your life in-
surance policies and the names and addresses for
everyone you name in your will. The worksheet
and policies help the legal assistance officer
draft your will. In some cases, where a client
has large property holding, the legal assistance
officer assists in finding a civilian attorney
who specializes in estate planning.
Upon receivingyour will, put it in a safe
place, such as a safe-deposite box, and inform
your executor of its location.
The thought of a will may bring to mind un-
pleasant thoughts of your mortality, but it's
sound planning for the future, putting you in
charge of your estate and saving someone needless
expense.
The White Falcon July 12, 1985
7