When you are doing something you know or suspect to be ‘not quite right’ and someone gets hurt because of it is it an accident?

When you roll the dice and the ‘snake-eyes’ are staring at you is that an accident?

Not really; it is inevitable, it is the odds coming out against you. It was going to happen sooner or later. To call it an accident is to completely discount the obvious. One of these days your bad decision making process is going to catch up with you; it is just a matter of time. Whoever else is unlucky enough to be involved is in the accident, it had to happen to you sooner or later.

DON’T GAMBLE WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE.

“Come on Bob. Enough already!” right?

No, I can’t not do it. I ran a pump for a long time. Some of you have done it longer. I can say I never hurt anyone, ever. Some others of you can make the same claim; that is wonderful and makes me happy. What makes me unhappy is to see and read about those of us that have paid in suffering; ours as well as other co-workers. Like it or not I will continue to preach this safety line. Todd has supported this effort by putting up with me, and that is a heavy burden to tote around. Since I have been doing this expert witness deal I have read a lot of depositions. I wish I could post them, but I can not. I can’t even talk about them in specific terms. If you could read these things you would see how people outside our industry think of us when we do some of the stupid things we do. Hell, we know better! These people; jury members, lawyers and judges have the capacity to punish us for not DOING IT RIGHT. Why give them the opportunity?

Here is a list of excuses that DO NOT WORK.

That is where the guy set up the day before.
The last operator did it that way.
That is how I always do it.
The ground looked harder than that.
I thought that I was far enough away from the power lines.
I didn’t think the sponge would blow out that hard.
I thought that everyone was far enough away.
That has never happened before.
I forgot that the boom was still unfolded.
The list goes on and on. But I GUARANTEE that if you plan on using any one of those excuses to justify something you are getting ready to do; DO NOT DO IT!!!

Before you act, THINK!!! “If I do this what will happen, or could happen.”

Please understand that I am trying to keep you from being the ‘bad guy’ that is my only aim here; there is no motive other than your safety and the safety of others.

Written By Bob Sanderson