It’s summer and the days are getting warmer, the construction sites are booming with energy, and everybody is looking to knock out work to make up for lost time. So what better time for short and simple summer safety tips? Now’s the time, because nothing breaks up the summer fun more than a leg in a cast, a row of itchy stitches, or a concussed co-worker. Watch, read on, and stay safe.

Take an active approach in your testing.

Under stress and over time something is bound to break. The best way to avoid a break leading to major downtime or even serious injury is to catch a possible break before it even happens. Most of the time, it wouldn’t have taken a crystal ball to see an issue coming. Instead, simple steps like keeping your equipment well greased, well oiled, and well maintained will keep your equipment running well and testing and inspecting it often will make sure if a break does happen, it’ll happen at the shop and not in the field.

Replace or repair components before they break down.

Most people have worked somewhere where there was a piece of equipment that seemed to be held together by the sheer will of the machine’s operator, a few rolls of duct tape, and a handful of mismatched bolts. But when it comes to safety, those machines just don’t cut it. Fixing or repairing a machine the right way might seem like an unnecessary delay, but in the long run it could prevent a catastrophe.

Take a break, walk around, look for risks

“The price of peace is eternal vigilance,” said George C. Marshall. And we say that goes for ‘peace of mind,’ too. The whole team works better and sleeps better when they know everyone is paying attention and watching out for risks on the job. Take a stroll when you drink your cup of coffee and have a gander at the worksite. A quick little bout of surveillance will often turn up trouble on the horizon.

Encourage coworkers to protect themselves

A little encouragement can go a long way and a quick callout to your co-worker let’s them know you’ve got their back and helps keep them in the safezone. It also means they might be faster to give you a heads-up when your head isn’t covered or a shoutout when some ear protection would be beneficial. Sometimes when you’re in a rush safety is easy to forget, but if you get in the habit of watching your co-workers' backs, they’ll get in the habit, too.

Be committed to sending every employee home safely every day.

Regardless of how much you love your job, everybody loves the weekend, and making sure we all get to that perfect weekend should be the goal. Part of that is remembering that your work is important, but so is your downtime and putting safety first on the job is a way of making sure nobody spends that downtime nursing an injury, stuck on their bed, or even worse.

Stay safe this summer and if you need anything our Parts Specialists are here for you.