In the midst of July 1999, during one of the hottest months of the year, a worker at a New Jersey paper manufacturing mill was in the middle of his night shift. His "day" kicked off with a hectic start, jumping to action to help fix a paper break in one of the mill's paperboard machines. After the repair was complete, his coworkers reported seeing him looking pale and exhausted. Less than an hour later, the worker fell into a paper pulp chest and died from multiple impact and thermal injuries (NIOSH 2014).

Sometimes after a particularly grueling week at work, I like to treat myself to a nice meal at my favorite sushi spot and then unwind on my patio with a hot cup of green tea and the latest revision of the Deepwater Horizon Heat Stress Management Plan. In all seriousness, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform hasn’t enjoyed a great reputation lately after a high-profile oil spill and a Mark Wahlberg film depicting the event. However, while researching heat stress policies, I came across a heat stress prevention plan for workers responding to that spill and discovered some interesting techniques in place. These techniques seem perfect for other industries, like construction or pulp and paper mills, in which workers perform intense labor in hot and grueling conditions.

When you clock out for the day, it's often difficult to maintain that level of safety awareness you have while at work. You don't have hazard communication signs around every corner, there aren't many lines on the ground showing you where it's safe to walk, and you're not surrounded by like-minded safety folk. But, with the right mindset, safety is something that can carry over to all aspects of your life. Watch the video below as Phil sits down at the airport and discusses traveling with a safety-conscious and alert mindset.

When you think about martial arts, you're most likely NOT thinking about any correlation to work safety. These two practices typically aren't paired together, but the foundational aspects of Aikido show that some martial arts principles can be applied to your safety mindset to help you stay safe on-the-job. In the video below, Safety Specialist Phil Aldridge discusses a specific principle and how you can put it to work right away.