Safe Summer Fun

Safe Summer Fun

Yea! It’s finally summer, and I’m sure most of you are in full swing with those summer time events. For some of you that means following the Show & Shines, and other major auto events. Got all the cobwebs out of the EZ-Ups, and every little space in the primary transport is packed full of supplies. Your ready! Or are you? Everyone thinks about the paint kit, is it stocked with everything I need to satisfy the customers needs…have I got enough supplies to get me through the event…etc, etc, etc. What about a safety check list? That’s right, a little checklist that just might save the day, your hide, or maybe someone else’s.

How do you design a checklist that fits your needs? Sit down and think about what it is you do. How many ways can something go wrong while you’re on the road performing your magic? Write it all down on a piece of paper and then prioritize the list in what you think could be the most important issues to deal with first, and so on. For instance, think about some of these things:

I’m carrying flammable materials. Do I need a fire extinguisher?
I’m carrying materials that can be harmful if they are some how swallowed or find there way into either my eyes or someone else’s. Should I carry a bottle of eyewash in my kit, just in case?
There are sharp objects in my kit that can cause sever cuts. Do I have a first aide kit in my vehicle?

These are just a few things you might want to consider. Some of the other issues that are worth looking into may be things you haven’t thought about. How about that EZ-UP, do you have adequate weights or tie downs so you are prepared if one of those freak summer storms pops up with high winds. I read a write up about an EZ-UP that traveled 150 feet from a spot at a swap meet and injured another vender who could no longer work…lawsuit city, not to mention the thought that it was preventable. Do you carry those break away exact-o knives and are you use to just breaking then off and continuing on with what your doing, there are always small children at any outdoor event, and we all know the first place shinny objects go is the mouth! Bad news for the child, and even worse for you in the after math.

As a personal observation, I think this is the number one safety issue that should be at the top of any merchants list. People just simply do not pay enough attention to what there small children are doing while they are mesmerized by what ever it is that has got their attention. In the mean time the children are wondering off, checking out all the kool stuff they have to discover. It’s not their fault; they are just doing what nature drives them to do…that is why it is so important that you are thinking about their safety. Case in point, a lady came into my shop while I was screen-printing some shirts. I did not notice her small child while I was digging out my portfolio, from behind my counter, so I could show her some examples of my work. As I opened up the folder I noticed her child out of the corner of my eye, and it dawned on me that this child was standing directly underneath the infer-red flash cure unit that is used for curing ink. Thank God the child did not reach up and touch the element, or wasn’t a little taller, it does get hot enough to set things on fire, like hair! I had a chain across the entry way but it was designed for adults, not children. You just can’t predict what a child is going to do, just try to be prepared. Take a serious look at your set-up and try to imagine a small child wondering into you area. Do you keep things up on a table and closed up so it doesn’t look like a delicious cup of juice? Do you have a special place to keep your knives so a small child could not get his hands on one? Do you keep your kit closed?
There are all kinds of safety issues to think about and it really doesn’t take that much time to jot them down on a piece of paper and try to be prepared for them in advance.

One last thing to think about is getting enough rest so that you are alert enough to recognize and react appropriately to a safety related event.

As always, be safe and have a wonderful summer creating all those amazing graphics, and send pictures in so we can all see them.