Tag Archives: SAFETY EDUCATION

ARE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINERS TEACHERS TOO?

Life Saving Education, Live Life, Safety as a Responsibility, Teachers day, , , , , , ,

Happy Teachers Day to all my readers across the whole world. The 5th of September in India is celebrated as Teachers Day in honour of the birthday of Dr. Sarvappalli Radhakrishnan who rose from being a teacher and became the President of India. As Maggie and Jaggy are still on vacation and as such their conversations on safety are on hold. Then what to write? I just wanted to communicate to the world that Emergency Response Trainers (ERT) are teachers too.

As human beings how far have we come from the cavemen we were to what we are today? Through centuries of living, while all other creatures have shown marginal evolution, hasn’t human progress been dramatic? Who made this possible? THE TEACHERS!

How did the prophecies of enlightened masters, the logic of mathematicians, inventions and discoveries of scientists, the thoughts and ideas of philosophers reach the common man? THE TEACHERS!

Teaching is that profession that teaches all professions and we can never ever tell where their influence stops as they affect all eternity.

Emergency Response Trainers are teachers to their students and are members of emergency response profession where they apply their knowledge and skills on a daily basis. To do the same they need specialised knowledge, long and intense preparation. They need to maintain high standards of conduct and achievement and commit themselves to the higher value of providing public service. They have an obligation to their students, the organization they work for and to themselves. The work of ERT is brilliantly articulated by DR. Haim Ginott.

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.

It is my daily mood that makes the weather.

As a teacher I possess a tremendous power to make the child’s life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.

I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.                      

Potent, poignant and profound words. An ERT has to teach in such a way the students need to act in an emergency situation to save lives. He or she becomes a motivator, demonstrator and a mentor at the same time. Overcoming fear is the prime objective of the ERT and to achieve the same is an awesome task. One wrong information, one small mistake and one momentary lapse of concentration and the results can lead to an accident which can be painful. In the words of my mentor Moeiz Ahmed who used to say “It is not important to teach how to operate a fire extinguisher but to teach how to operate them safely.” He also adds there is zero tolerance to errors in teaching safety.

The work of the ERT is difficult to measure as it has more intangibles than tangibles. The happiness for the ERT is when the process is implemented thereby improving safety all around and reducing accidents and life loss. They are the epitome of the maxim PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.  

On this teachers day I salute all the teachers, mentors, coaches, healers and ERT for ensuring the evolution of humans all over the universe to become better version of themselves in all aspects of life. Let us all explore new technologies, new methods of teaching and make the world a safe place to live.

I also thank all my readers too who by virtue of you feedback have been my teachers on how to write better. Keep reading and let the constructive feedback keep flowing.

Live Life- Save Life.

Seshadri Varadarajan. 

THE WORLD NEEDS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINERS.

Education, Fire & Life Safety Education, Innovation, Life Saving Education, Live Life, Safety, , , , , ,

Happy Independence to all my brothers and sisters of India. Let us celebrate the spirit of Independence in all splendor, fervor and vibration as we step forward into the 77th year. India to me has always been an emotion and a feeling which one can never really describe in words. Let us make our country India a great and safe nation by following safety at all times.

This will be the 5th year of writing blogs on my web site and I thank each and every reader who read them regularly and have made me improve every time by your critical assessment and by being lavish in your appreciation. I would have not come this far but for all of you. This year I will try to write more and the plan is to write at least 2 blogs a month.

My India Safe India will continue in the next blog as Jaggy and Maggie are busy elsewhere and will be back soon. In this blog I have decided to write about the need, of ERT- EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINERS and the impact they create to the society, country and the world in general. I dedicate this blog to my mentors Jagadish Adapa (JAGGY), Late Mr. Jayasheel Adapa and Late Mr. Moeiz Ahmed.

The world today is in a state of VUCA- Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. The only thing that is certain in this world is SAFETY. Safety can keep us stable, certain, simple and clear in terms of living life happily and to the fullest. But the problem is everyone talks of safety, wants safety but are not sure how to do it and it is where ERT make a big impact. The task of an ERT is to simulate apparently ordinary people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners, it is in making winners out of them.  They achieve this objective in 4 ways.

  1. Explaining the concept.
  2. Show the trainees how to do it.
  3. Make them to do it.
  4. Reconfirm.

Whether it is using a fire extinguisher, giving CPR, conducting a HIRA, doing a TBT or a Gemba walk the trainer first explains the concept has to be explained in clear and simple terms, to the level of understanding of the trainees. This is done by using audio visual presentations, demonstrations, skits and even an element of drama. Only then the trainees would understand the concept. To meet this objective the trainer must provide information that is current, accurate and specific.

Once the concept is explained the ERT needs to show the trainees how to do it. The pre use inspection, the correct method of operation, precautions to be taken, safety, procedures to be adopted all have to done by the trainers themselves. This can be scary at times when fire is created, rescue on ladders and confined spaces are carried out. Though the demonstrations are done in controlled atmospheres there is always an element of risk involved.

Once the trainers have done their part, the trainees are asked to demonstrate whatever they saw and learnt. Easy to say but, difficult to do as the trainer has to be in complete command. One lapse of concentration and all hell will break loose. The accountability factor is to provide a safe training environment where safety policies and practices are adhered, to fulfil the duties of an incident safety officer and teaching safe operational practices.

Having taught the trainees practically the trainer needs to reconfirm what has been taught. These are done by using methods like repetition, questionnaires, and even assessments. Only then a training can be considered complete.

Apart from imparting knowledge the ERT have to identify gaps in safety and bring it to the notice of the respective organisations, he should be aware of local and international standards and ensure the teaching methods are to the standards.  The ERT is also obligated to act in an ethical manner at all times. He should also be a good role model and mentor for his trainees to emulate. The basic of being an ERT is to be a good communicator, present skills and knowledge in a positive way.

Emergency Response Trainers through their teaching create Emergency Responders who go a long way in preventing loss of life and reducing accidents. ERT help the society and the country and are always unsung heroes. They are never in the spotlight but their teaching helps in save lives during any emergency.

As an ERT myself, for the past 17 years and on this day of Indian Independence salute all the trainers all over the world who teach and train in emergency response. May this community keep growing and continue to inspire people to save lives.

Do post your comments as this helps the community of ERT Emergency Response Trainers.

Live Life- Save Life

Seshadri Varadarajan.

MY INDIA SAFE INDIA VI

Fire & Life Safety Education, Life Saving Education, Safety, Safety as a Responsibility, , , , , ,

Hello Readers! It has been a while since I had posted my last blog. Sometimes Life throws you into a vortex and it takes time for you to come out of it. March was hectic with the training schedules and travel, April gave me a scare and a shock. Scare on the account of an unexpected health issue, which was immediately followed by the shock of the untimely passing away of my mentor Mr. Jayasheel Adapa, on whom I had written my blogs “Innovate or Evaporate” in 2 parts in 2020. Jayasheel Adapa is the younger brother of our main character Jaggy aka Mr. Jagadish Adapa. Both the incidents had their effect on me and the recovery process took its own time.

The other challenge I was grappling with was the eternal question -what to write? After serious contemplation, I decided to continue with my series “My India -Safe India” for this and the next post; and then move on to another topic.

Maggie and Jaggy continue their conversation on OUR AIM – ZERO HARM.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy! Long time, no see.”

Jaggy: “Yes Maggie, had been busy in March and had a tough April.”

Maggie: “Tough month of April!!!! What happened?”

Jaggy: “The first month of the new financial year is always tough. New plans, new targets and the annual conference.”  

Maggie: “Yes, it is always tough.”  

Maggie: “Jaggy, Now that we have met, can I ask you something?”

Jaggy: “Go right ahead. You don’t need my permission.”

Maggie: “Last time we had discussed the theme for the National Safety Week which was “Our Aim- Zero Harm”. How do we achieve that?”

Jaggy: “There are 2 ways in which we can do that. (1). TBT and (2). Gemba Walk.”

Maggie: “TBT and Gemba Walk? I am just perplexed.”

Jaggy: “These are jargons used by safety professionals all over the world. TBT stands for ‘Tool Box Talk’. Gemba walk is a Japanese concept called ‘Safety walk.’”

Maggie: “Can you explain both of them, in your ‘unique’ style?”

Jaggy: “Let start with the Tool Box Talk (TBT). A TBT is an informal safety meeting that is a part of the organization’s safety culture. It is a meeting which is conducted just before the starting of a job or a shift in a work place like a factory or site.”

Maggie: “Oh I see! What do they discuss in the TBT?”

Jaggy: “The discussion revolves round the work or task for the day, followed by the HIRA to be done and of course the reporting and analysis of any incidents the previous day. Sometimes it is just a topic on safety.”

Maggie: “Hey, that is another acronym that you just tossed into the mix: HIRA. Now, what is this one?”

Jaggy: “HIRA is Hazard Identification Risk Assessment. Do you not remember?”   

Maggie: “Sorry Jaggy! It slipped out of my mind. How long do these meetings last?”

Jaggy: “The meetings are brief, lasting not more than 30 minutes. They may go on for even longer if there were any incidents.”

Maggie: “What is achieved in the TBT?”

Jaggy: “A reminder about keeping the work place safe, not taking any undue risks, stopping the work if there are unsafe conditions etc.”

“The objective is to ensure the work planned is done without any harm to anyone. Our AIM- Zero HARM.”

Maggie: “Who conducts and leads the talks?”

Jaggy: “Good question. Usually the Safety executives lead it but anyone can lead the talks. Visualize the huddle in football or hockey or cricket or before any game starts. In the huddle, any player can give a pep talk.”

Maggie: “What if there are no incidents or accidents to discuss?”

Jaggy: “The meeting is used for a pep talk on safety, sharing safety practices observed or even any news of incidents or accidents elsewhere.”

Maggie: “Tool Box Talk seems to be an excellent way to start the day at work. Do different work places have different names for TBT?”

Jaggy: “Yes, though the nomenclature differs. They are called Safety talks or Morning Safety Meeting or something catchy which people love.”

Maggie: “Thank you Jaggy. You said something called Gemba Walk. What is that?”

Jaggy: “Gemba Walk is a walkthrough done by the safety executives when the actual work is being done.”

Maggie: “Can you elaborate?”

Jaggy: “Not today, Maggie. Too much of information is difficult to absorb for anyone.”

Maggie: “Ok. Take care of yourself.”

Jaggy: “You too stay safe and be safe.”

A Tool Box Talk is a good way to start the day. People and organizations who believe in safety as a Core Value treat these talks with a lot of respect and seriousness. It is never too late to have TBT or safety talks in your work places. Let us make it a habit as habits always tend to remain with us for a long time.

Keep reading, keep enjoying life. More in my upcoming blogs.

Live Life – Save Life!

Seshadri Varadarajan.  

MY INDIA – SAFE INDIA V

Life Saving Education, Safety, Safety as a Responsibility, , , , , , , ,

The 4th of March is celebrated as National Safety Day across India. It was on this day 52 years ago the National Safety Council was established and the day is celebrated as National Safety day. Almost all the industries and establishments across India celebrate the entire week. Competitions are conducted on safety in different ways like making posters, writing slogans, and of course the safety pledge is administered. Every year there is a theme which is given and this year the theme is OUR AIM – ZERO HARM. Coincidentally it was the same Maggie and Jaggy were discussing. Zero Incidents. In this conversation they will discuss the theme of the National Safety day. Let us follow the conversation.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy trust you are on top of the world.”

Jaggy: “Yes Maggie. The month of March is a busy one for all trainers in Emergency Response.”  

Maggie: “Why March only?”  

Jaggy: “March being safety month that’s why.”

Maggie: “Yes you are correct. We are celebrating Safety week.” 

Jaggy: “That is great Maggie.” 

Maggie: “The theme of the Safety day OUR AIM- ZERO HARM, I just could not fathom the meaning behind it.”  

Jaggy: “The theme is quite simple. It matches with the zero accidents theme your workplace has taken up.”  

Maggie: “Oh! A great coincidence but how?”

Jaggy: “The message is very clear. It says we will aim to create a culture, or habits that will not cause harm to anything in the world what we live in.”  

Maggie: “I don’t quite follow you.”  

Jaggy: “When we say no harm to anything it means, People, Environment and Property.”  

Maggie: “I can understand harm to people and environment but property?”

Jaggy: “Yes property too. There are many things and equipment which help us in day to day life. They too must not be damaged is it not?”

Maggie: “But use of these things can cause harm to our health also.”

Jaggy: “Yes to an extent. Only when you use the things without any control. The theme says that too. Limit use of devices that can harm your health.”  

Maggie: “Now I understand. So what should one do, to achieve the aim no harm.”

Jaggy: “To do so first and foremost, one needs to follow safety rules at all times. No violation is permitted. Second, ensure housekeeping is perfect whether at home or the work place. Third, ensure the environment around you is clean and not harmful. Fourth, ensure safety becomes an attitude with everyone around you.”  

Maggie: “Will it help?”

Jaggy: “Yes, as long as you reiterate to everyone around you. Set a standard and then everything falls into place.”

Maggie: “Ok. Does no harm involve animals and plants too?”

Jaggy: “Definitely! When harm is caused to the environment it affects them too.”  

Maggie: “Can you explain better?”

Jaggy: “In this world of ours, there are 80 million living species. If all the earth worms of the world, become extinct the world, will be wiped out in 13 years. If all the insects, become extinct the world, will end in 3 to 5 years.”  

Maggie: “Oh! What if humans become Extinct?”

Jaggy: “If you ask me, the world, will simply be better than what it was before. Everything has a place in this universe by design. When the design is disturbed, then the balance collapses. Same with safety. It is upon us to ensure the design is not disturbed. Our Aim- Zero Harm.”  

Let all my readers wherever you are in the world, the theme of the National Safety day of India holds true. By aiming to cause no harm, safety standards can really be improved. Let us all strive for that.  

Keep the comments flowing, and do not hesitate to correct me if you want to. Always open to suggestions for improvement.

Stay safe and be safe.

Live Life – Save Life.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

MY INDIA SAFE INDIA IV.

Education, Life Saving Education, Safety, Safety as a Responsibility, , , , , , ,

Happy New Year to all my readers and to everyone across the world. Trust all are Safe and living up your life. My resolution for this year is to make it the BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I do not know how to do it but will make it happen. I truly appreciate all who have read my last blog on HIRA and expressed their happiness over it. I was overwhelmed with the response I have received for the same. Continuing the conversation, Maggie and Jaggy take it a step forward by discussing about the ‘Incident, Accident and Disaster’. Let us enjoy the conversation.

Maggie: “Happy New Year Jaggy.”

Jaggy: “Wish you too the same Maggie. Trust all is well with you.”

Maggie: “Yes Jaggy, everything is just great and all the conversations with you, have been useful to me.”

Jaggy: “Thanks for the good wishes. The pleasure is always mine.”

Maggie: “One of the resolutions that my organisation has taken for this year is ZERO ACCIDENTS. I was very happy about it but did not know how we are going to achieve it.”

Jaggy: “That’s a great resolution to start the year. It can be achieved if you can minimize the incidents.”

Maggie: “Minimize incidents? Can you clarify the same?”

Jaggy: “Yes Maggie. It is quite simple. Every accident is preceded by an incident. If incidents are avoided, then accidents too can be prevented.”

Maggie: “Can you be more specific?”

Jaggy: “Sure. An incident is any occurrence, situation or happening which can result in injuries or even cause death. In an incident, a person may not necessarily be injured or hurt. In common language, it is termed as a ‘Near Miss’ or ‘Just Miss’.”

Maggie: “Examples please.”

Jaggy: “I will give them once I explain an Accident. An accident is an unexpected event or occurrence, in which a person is either hurt, or in a fatal state. The injury could even be major. For one accident to happen many incidents have to occur.”

Maggie: “You mean to say for one accident to occur we need many incidents to happen. Can you tell me the exact difference?”

Jaggy: “Slipping on a wet floor is an incident, falling is an accident. An object falling near you is an incident, falling on you is an accident. Stopping a vehicle suddenly is an incident, hitting the other vehicle is an accident. There are many examples and you are intelligent enough to understand.”

Maggie: “So how do we prevent accidents?”

Jaggy: “Every accident is preventable if all the incidents are reported. Every incident not reported can turn into an accident.”

Maggie: “You mean to say that even if I slip on a floor, I report it.”

Jaggy: “Yes, as it helps another person avoid falling. It is the old Banana skin on the floor story. There are people who on seeing the skin remove it, and put it in the trash can. Some others see it and just walk by it doing nothing. The attitude of doing nothing after seeing it can result in an accident.”

Maggie: “Now I understand. Our Safety Manager has given us formats to report the same. He calls it a Near Miss report and there are going to be rewards for people who report.”

Jaggy: “Yes exactly. He seems to know his responsibility and may there be many like him in all work places.”

Maggie: “Understood. Then what is a Disaster?”

Jaggy: “A disaster is nothing but the hardships created due to the accidents that occur. It may involve multiple loss of life, or even huge damage to property. That is why the damage caused by natural events like Earthquakes, floods are known as Natural Disasters.”

Maggie: “Oh now I understand.”

Jaggy: “As of now, look out and report the incidents so that accidents can be avoided. It is a responsibility for all.”

Jaggy and Maggie will be continuing to enlighten all of us with their conversations. Keep watching for the updates. As I had said earlier, accidents can be prevented if each one of us act responsibly to report any incidents. Let us aim for ZERO INCIDENTS so that accidents will never occur. Let us make incident or near miss reporting as one of the resolutions of the year.

Stay safe and be safe. Live Life Save Life.

Seshadri Varadarajan.