The Eclipse: A safety moment

April 8 2024

Safety, Safety and Health, Standards, Training

The solar eclipse that crossed over the country today and dominated headlines for weeks has come and gone. A once-in-a-lifetime event that brought people from all walks of life together hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon blocking out the sun. 

Nearly all of the news coverage surrounding this eclipse began or ended with a simple message, and one that we in the construction industry can never hear enough: ‘remember to wear your protective eyewear!’ Millions heeded this message, donning goofy cardboard glasses as they gazed into the sky. While it may not have looked cool (it did not) or tough (again, it did not), the importance of such protection superseded any thoughts about what others might be thinking when they saw the boxy glasses. People wore the protection because it worked – it kept them safe and allowed them to walk away from the event happy and healthy. 

While the circumstances are different, this attitude of protection over everything exhibited by a vast majority of the American public could serve the construction and maintenance industry well. New and more protective safety measures are being implemented every year, but there is still pushback on construction sites. Everything from a hesitation to make a change or an unwillingness to look a little goofier inhibits our ability to maximize safety on a jobsite. 

Wear the most protective helmets and glasses. Use the best harnesses available. Do everything we can to continue to ensure our jobsites prioritize the safety of the workers. It may sometimes look goofy, or force a change of habit, but we must do whatever we can to walk away from the jobsite happy and healthy.