Submitted by Steve Winicker
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
Monday DJ and I cleaned and put in the washout plugs loosened for the boiler wash. The plugs still need final tightening which I started to do on Wednesday, plus gave a tour of the shop. Thursday, I spent the day mowing the East end of the property. Friday, more washout plugs were tightened with Broady tightening up those in need of a small flexible person to reach. Spent some time moving things around to create access for coal deliveries Also moved in the gon from the interchange which Sarah and I moved into position to load Sunday. Finished the day checking underneath the 765. Looked at the oil level in the driver bearing boxes and found all to be in order. Also found a few more grease fittings that needed lubrication and added grease.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Some coal is scheduled to arrive this week and some additional rearranging of the furniture to make this easier is planned. Saturday, we hope to get both the gon and 765’s tender loaded with coal in the morning for the open house and CVSR. Filling the tanks with water and washing the locomotive will commence after that job is finished.
SAFETY SENSE
EMERGENCY EYEWASH….THE FIRST 10 SECONDS ARE CRITICAL
Toxic Substances, when coming in contact with the eye, immediately begin to damage sensitive eye tissue. The longer they remain in contact, the greater the damage to the eye. Besides tissue damage, acids and alkali, such as Alk-Plus, can change the pH in the eye itself. When the pH of the eye begins to get out of the narrow tolerable range, severe eye damage, including blindness, may result. Therefore, it is imperative to begin flushing as quickly as possible after the eye comes in contact with a harmful substance.
When irritating or corrosive foreign substances get into the eye, the eyelids involuntarily clamp shut. Therefore, the person requiring the use of an eyewash device frequently needs assistance to find his/her way to the eyewash station and to hold the eye lid open. If a portable eyewash system is available, it can be quickly brought to the effected person. Helpers can activate the eyewash device and position the water stream so that the injured person can flush the eye from the inside corner to the outside corner. This procedure prevents contaminating the unaffected eye.
As mentioned before, since eyelids involuntary clamp shut when irritated, the victim may be able to use his hands, if they aren’t contaminated or dirty, to hold open the eyelids to allow emergency eye flushing otherwise a helper may be needed to keep the eyelid open during flushing.
PREVENTION IS THE KEY TO EYE SAFETY…PPE
It must be remembered that the first line of defense against toxic chemicals and any other eye irritant is proper eye and face protection coupled with proper handling techniques. Ensure you are wearing the proper PPEs including goggles and a face shield when handling liquid chemicals that can splash up on you. The Society requires that safety glasses be worn at all times when working in the Shop and on the surrounding grounds.
SAFETY IS JOB 1
SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS
