You Can Quote Me On That

A company out of Virginia asked for help developing a safety program, since that is one of the things we do best, we gave them a call. We are more than capable of not only determining what is needed at any given company in order to comply with OSHA standards, but also exceeding industry specific best practices. We expressed what was needed to comply with current standards and  they wanted to go above and beyond to give their safety program a personal touch.

This is one of my favorite parts of my job, exceeding compliance. For some some companies it meas designing a monthly newsletter, handing out colored glossy topic cards, or rewriting Material Safety Data Sheets to make them easier to decipher. It is an opportunity to personalize their training and environment to ensure it is conducive to safer work practices, and a more enjoyable safety experience.

This company offered random thoughts and  undetermined ideas that spun around us like a whirlwind. I felt like Dorothy in the midst of the storm, with no definitive direction. They requested that we spend the next undetermined amount of time helping them meet undetermined goals.  How do you quote that?

We need to understand the goals of a company in order to make a plan and fairly evaluate the resources need to reach those goals before we issue a quote.

Never wanting to turn down anyone who who is genuinely interested in improving their safety culture, I was concerned. There have been times when we simply could not fit ourselves into the time constraints of a random company needing training, but to turn down a company for lack of clear goals was a new experience for me.

 I suggested that we just quote them a reasonable annual salary and offer to help them with whatever they need for the next twelve months. At the time, I thought it was an amazing opportunity to be paid (up front) to travel my own yellow brick road back and forth to Virginia and give my professional opinion on all the new and creative ideas. I was excited about getting my nose out of the black and white law book and putting it to use with some colorful new clients.

Our more seasoned safety specialist was able to give me some perspective. He explained that without clear goals, there is no way to determine anything about the project and committing to be at the disposal of this company for the next year, even if they agreed to the quote, could jeopardize the time we have set aside for our current clients.

I know the obvious answer here is to charge them enough to justify anything they may throw at us or put us through in the next year. We should factor in any inconvenience we may encounter, quote enough to justify any client loss, and be thankful we are living the American dream. The truth is, for Safety Source, it's not about the American dream or how much money we can make.

It's about how many people we can influence to become safer people, how many positive ripples spread the idea of educating yourself and eachother. It's about encouraging others to become their best selves and being compensated only for the positive changes we can make in your work environment and in the minds of our students. It's about creating in ourselves a resource for others, a relationship others can trust in when they need some specialized direction. I have that with my clients and I could never justify removing the resource that is "Safety Source," for anything in the world. Our success is not found in money, it is in relationships and the trust others have in us to always do what is best for them.

Although we work nation wide, are impeccably trained, and are among the top safety specialist anywhere, we are not a big name firm with a quota and a business loan. We are a dad and a daughter who see the value in every person we help, whether they own a multi-million dollar company or run the forklift.

We didn't quote the Virginia job, although we knew they would pay whatever we asked for in the annual contract. I won't be off to the Emerald City on my broomstick, because as Dad said when we made the final decision, "When I finally get home, I want to know I earned what I was paid."

Why carry the stress of knowing you quoted someone unfairly, and you don't deserve your wage, into your home? Your home is your place of refuge, to be protected and enjoyed.

 "There's no place like home," and you can quote me on that.

The Other Side

I have always enjoyed school. The classroom setting somehow caters to me. Since I viewed the experience as mostly a social event, I was always ready to return to class. As a youth I enjoyed the idea of gaining useful information and learning from the mistakes of others as opposed to learning “The hard way.” As an adult, much of my research time is spent on that very thing, “What went wrong and how can we avoid it?” I even spent a few years thinking I would end up teaching elementary school. Although I thoroughly enjoyed each of the precious souls I student taught, I realized I had a slightly different calling.

My Dad, who has been my best friend since I was born, began his career in the coal mines of southern WV. (Yes, I was born a coalminer’s daughter.) He had become passionate about workplace safety while serving on a mine rescue team, and with time and pressure (much like what was required for the coal itself) my dad turned his training into a successful business. I had been assisting him with research of OSHA law and the writing of safety programs for several years before I decided I was ready for field work. I’m sure those experiences, and having such an impeccable safety specialist for a father contributed to my desire to make a name for myself in the safety field. More than my desire to become successful, was the urge to help others, make a difference, and use my talent for teaching in a setting where most classes were dry and boring. I may have never mined coal or built sky scrapers, but I had experience some of those guys didn’t.

My husband lost a good friend to a shooting while on duty as a deputy sheriff, and although as police wives, we have our own ways of dealing with and preparing for the worst, that incident evoked further passion to make sure other families would not go through what his family endured. This was a driving force in making sure that I did all I could to NEVER be wrong about interpreting OSHA laws, and providing the most appropriate training for each individual company and worker that I could possibly provide. Although I am relentless in regards to laws, standards, and proper training, I do believe that the relationship that I have with those I consult for and train with will ultimately make a or break the companies safety program on a fundamental level.

I honestly care for those I train with, and some of the people I train with have become very dear friends. I sincerely pray protection over each of them, just as I do my own family, but if they don’t believe me or believe in me, my training was worthless. I think relationship and knowledge are among the most important things you could ask for in a safety specialist. I want to be sure that when I give an answer, there is never a reason to doubt me. That’s why answers like, “Let’s look that up,” are absolutely OK and in fact very important. I am extremely well versed in OSHA standards, but I am human and very suspicious of those who always seem to have all the answers to everything. I have trained millionaire owners of companies and minimum wage workers who cannot read and I have been blessed to learn from every single one. I am educated in both safety standards and classical education, but would take a field worker over somebody who has a degree in “How to do field work,” every day of the week.

I think that is why it was so satisfying to return to the classroom with some of my favorite guys for CPR training. I thoroughly enjoyed our trainer whose approach to teaching was very similar to mine and I could not help but grin when taking the written test. I knew my college students would love to know that the tables had been turned and I was being tested on what I had been taught that day.

It is so important for those who are blessed enough to become teachers to spend time on the other side of the desk. We gain such valuable insight into the minds of our students when we simply put ourselves in their seats. Evaluating what really worked and what totally bombed can offer us the opportunity to modify the way we handle those same topics or situations. In safety, the rules, standards, and company policies are constantly evolving. In Machine Guarding alone, there is a constant struggle to engineer the perfect machine guard to protect our human worker, and the human worker engineering a way to bypass the machine guard. The result of which is normally the tremendous satisfaction of outsmarting the guard and losing a finger!

 I was thankful for the opportunity to spend time bettering myself, learning proper procedures, and reviewing some key safety issues. I was also blessed to take a few hours to place myself on the other side of the desk, side by side with those I train, and just be one of the guys. My highest value as a safety trainer is not my elite education, my unique personality, or even my sincere concern for my guys, it is, and forever will be, their confidence in me.

10 Days a Month

What could possibly cause a devoted stay-at-home mom to leave the safety of her little nest for 10 days every month? She is protected by a live in deputy, the love of her life for the last 15 years. She is showered with kisses by two of the most precious little creatures God ever created. For all she does to be a proper helpmate to this man, and a precious mother for each of these children, this place is where she is "protected." Allow me to paint for you a portrait of a place where, for all the blood, sweat, and dirt, she cannot resist the allure of "protecting."

As I drive north, I feel the shell of my security of  home and family fall away from me. There is no husband to discuss decisions with, there is no little hug to warm my heart when I am stressed. There is only training, focus, and ultimately the letter of the law. I mentally review the history of each company I will see in the coming week. What questions might they have for me? What violations did I find previously? What training will they need most? How is the season affecting their work?

As I review the coming days, I settle into the joy of the position I have earned. How many times have I stood amazed by the incredibly hard working folks that keep this country running. I honestly feel like I am getting away with something just hanging out with these guys.

I remember the first time I saw them manufacturing bridge beams, I don't know how long I stood there just watching them before I began the official safety audit of their facility. I thought for sure I would be escorted out of there, "It's too dangerous for you to be here, young lady. How did you even get here in the first place?" Dangerous? I snapped out of it. That's why I'm here.

I have had the incredible fortune to become a highly trained safety specialist, with probably the most knowledgeable safety guy in this country for a father. I was there because I had earned the right to be there, and because they trusted me to do all I could to protect them from workplace injuries. They did a lot of things right and I did my best to make suggestions to improve their work practice controls and their environmental controls.

These guys have a great deal to be proud of, and without them you and I would be stuck on one side of the river or the other. They work hard to keep America moving forward, and I learn just as much about their industry as they learn about occupational safety.  I am always truly honored each time I am invited onto their property. I don't think they mind having me there either. I remember the day I was chatting with a small group of guys as they took a break, kidding them about snacking while I was hard at work. My laughter must have carried because I was almost run over by a heard of workers rounding the corner, one of them calling, "I hear a woman!" I found out months later that the voice I heard was that of the supervisor.

That wasn't nearly as embarrassing or public as the time I was on a car lot near the intersection when one of my trash truck drivers leaned out of his cab at the red light. He yelled to me..."You can't get any safety inspectin' done shopping for a new truck!" Honestly, I may have taught that one particular guy more than I learned from him, but he was a fabulous reminder that when we make an impression on the lives of others, we do make a difference.

There is a group of maintenance guys at the metalworking facility that are making a difference for the betterment of their company, and the safety of their workers every day. They can fix anything.  I call them the A-Team and I think if these three guys had been in charge of the oil spill in the gulf, we probably would have never even heard about it. Every time I visit them, they are engulfed in a mammoth project that seems so complex, I could watch for hours and still not know what is going on.  Each time, as they explain, I always end up saying, "How in the world will you guys be able to do that?" They are all younger than me and still so knowledgeable. Having had one-on-one time with each of them as they escorted me through each facility during safety audits, I can tell you, they are among the most humble people I have ever met.

I go out of my way to explain safety regulations and offer them a chance to spot violations. I believe that we can learn something from every person we know, and I want my time with each of them to be valuable. I want them to be safer people because of their time with me. I have taught them that safety is the #1 priority, and they have shown me that they appreciate the lesson. I truly believe my A-Team, with their strength and skill, could fix anything, but it is their heart I value the most as they check my tires and add a little air before I leave their shop.

Another group of exceedingly impressive workers represent a natural gas compression company. These are strong family men who excel at a technician position, that I could probably never hold. They are among the most intelligent skilled workers I have ever met. Their respect and acceptance has allowed me tremendous assurance that I have picked the perfect career field for me. Our discussions of the philosophy of occupational safety have filled me with a love for the kind of work in which they are engaged, and reminded me of how I am different from so many other safety specialists.

I'm not a boring trainer who reads from the OSHA law and expects you to live in a bubble of protection without mistake. I am a mom, and I am a cops wife that runs a ministry and prays God's loving hand of protection over those I train with, just as I pray over my children, my husband, and his fellow deputies.

These gas compression techs know me so well, mostly because of my opportunity to inflict my over-dramatic personality on them for several hours every month. Once during truck inspections, I was handed a Material Safety Data Sheet binder to review. Seeing the rubber bands securing it from opening during a bumpy truck ride, I had a decision to make...Remove the rubber bands or reveal my completely unwarranted, but severe dislike for (not phobia of) rubber bands. Finding that my dislike for (not phobia of) rubber bands won out, these guys had a field day. I don't know why I was shocked when the following month, my safety training was interrupted by a a flock of rubber bands sailing toward me during my opening lecture. I'd hate to see the way they treat people they don't respect and accept.

I guess as a police wife, I am frequently reminded of the detriments of this country, of those who put themselves above the good of their neighbors and commit crimes of selfishness and stupidity. Lazy misguided folks who possess a supernatural sense of entitlement get tiring after a while. My career offers me the opportunity to renew my faith in this country every month.

Everywhere I go I train with, and learn from, hardworking Americans who have a drive to provide for their families in a country when so many jobs have been shipped overseas, and sometimes it seems easier to just "draw a check." My guys contribute so much to our society providing strong bridges, reliable machinery, and even much needed energy to heat our homes. Most importantly they do it with impeccable work ethic, impressive skill, and superior intellect.

I am proud to be associated with these valuable workers and I am thankful for their continuous reminder of how proud I am to be an American.

_Katrina Harman Roper
Safety Source LLC

30 Hours of College

We could only watch as her body shook with the full force of an electrical current. As she turned to face us, slid down the wall, and landing in a violent plop beneath the fire extinguisher, I burst into laughter. This 30 hour class was going to be all I hoped for. Although I did expect a proper presentation of the NIOSH case studies, I had no idea they would be acted out with such dramatic talent. The class only got better from there.


The final projects from this group were among the best I had ever experienced. While presenting blood borne pathogens, the nurse in the class covered the hands of the women in blue "germ" glitter and the hands of men in red "germ" glitter. As she encouraged us to shake hands, we ended up covered in a purple reminder of how easy it is to transmit germs and disease through casual contact.

I wondered what the dean would say if she were to hear about the glitter in my classroom. I decided I would tell her we got bored with safety topics, and decided to try pole dancing. We laughed about it but I was a bit concerned for the couple of guys who had not only spent ten hours in my class yesterday, but had spent most of the night repairing a piece of machinery at the plant. It wouldn't look good to send them home to their wives after another ten hours covered in glitter.

I was also impressed with an ergonomics project that placed each of us on a paper airplane assembly line. We were able to discuss what ergonomic problems we might encounter if we were to execute our individual tasks on a daily basis.

One presentation was simply a collaboration of first hand accounts. The plethora of general industry related "near misses" flowed like chocolate at the Wonka factory. I stood amazed at the explosions, chemical burns, caught betweens, and split second fall rescues. I swear I learn more from my students than they do from me.

These lessons learned from these incidents are lost forever unless those involved are willing to share the details of these occurrances. If these difficult situations had to happen, I encourage my students to share them with others so that the basic ideas are conveyed.
 
For example, although the near miss may have happened to a machine shop foreman, once the accident investigation is complete, it may be determined that a chemical spill was due to his unwillingness to call for help to deal with something he was not trained to handle. The desire to handle situations outside our realm of control is not exclusive to shop foremen. The root cause of this problem can be applied to most any employee at most any facility. Once we have the main idea we begin to think of situations at our own workplaces in which we are tempted to handle things we aren't trained to handle because of convenience, time management, or maybe we just don't want anyone to know we can't do it.

In my experience, much of Occupational Safety is based on the idea that, "This is what happened to this person under these circumstances, how can we prevent this at our facility?" Even the OSHA and NIOSH websites constantly update fatality and catastrophe reports which are used to review causes of death and serious injury to aid in creation and implementation of environmental and work practice controls. The ultimate goal of this constant flow of information being the avoidance of future incidents.

Teaching at the college provides a wide array of job titles attached to each of my students, but the basic principles regarding the root causes of many incidents are the same. This group really seemed to grasp this concept and ended up forming an email group in order to stay in contact. The value of sharing these experiences among different general industry facilities will be immence. I appreciated the tremendous effort from this group and the impeccably high marks on the instructor reviews. Although I do not hope to hear of any near misses or injuries soon, I do look forward to working with and hearing from each person in the future. In fact, I had one of them to email me an acetylene question today. I was happy to see there were no adverse side effects from her imaginary electrocution.

The Day I met America

I always thought I was the perfect picture of your American girl.


I was born a coal miners daughter, in the hills of WV.

Raised a Southern Belle in South Carolina

Became a pageant queen and married my High School sweetheart

Spent almost 10 years as a stay at home mom to a daughter and a son

Started a ministry for those my police husband found in need

And sang in church…isn’t that the perfect picture of America?

Today I took down that "perfect picture," pulled out the nail it hung from, and smashed in the wall. Know what I found? The real America.



Working in a foundry were some of the nicest men I have ever met, manipulating molten metal, forming it with molds of chemically treated sand. I stood at the end of a row of empty work stations, face shields and gloves left neatly behind. Sadly the men that normally lined the walls had not been working for this foundry for over 20 years, as was required to survive the most recent round of layoffs.

“We have been in business over 111 years and don’t know if we will have work through the end of the week,” I heard them mention as I conducted my safety inspection of their property.

One worker had invested his wages by farming the land around his home and paying the medical bills his wife had accumulated due to her illness. I really thought he was going to cry, “I’d leave today, give the job to a boy who needs it, but I can’t do without the insurance for my wife.”

I continued my tour of the plant, searching for any safety hazard that I could prevent to make the environment more pleasant. (Those of you chuckling- have obviously been in a foundry) I was seriously pondering the huge exhaust pipe with Bible references hand chalked onto it when a grey haired man popped up from nowhere, “Glad to meet you. I use to work with you pawpaw at the machine shop.”

Half startled I stuttered through, “Good to meet you too, yeah, he was something.”

I could feel the tears filling my eyes, I hoped it wasn’t noticeable through my safety glasses layered over my prescription lenses. I am emotional anyway, but the death of my PapPa at age 7 was the first true loss I experienced. I didn’t care for the feeling and it really stuck with me. I focused on shaking the hand of a man who had shaken the hand of my PapPa and was genuinely honored to meet him. Somehow I was thankful we did find a little something, nothing he did wrong, just a machine guard that could be a little bigger to protect him a little better. It was by far the most satisfying find of the day.

I said a prayer for the families affected by the slow down, and continued my inspection while accepting kind compliments on the training I did. "You did real good, you were real relaxed, we really enjoyed it,” I heared from one worker. I thanked him, suddenly aware of just how fortunate I had been to go to college to be a teacher, and how he knew more than I did hands down about the equipment I trained on that morning…he had been using it daily for just about as long as I have been alive.

I said my goodbyes and stepped out into the frigid mountain snow, falling snowflakes stuck to my face like wet kisses. I still had a full day of cinderblock, coffin vault, and bridge beam manufacturing ahead of me, but I couldn’t help but think of how it would take $7,000 just to pay the power bill for the foundry this month. I said another prayer for the workers as I climbed into the truck.

I tossed that "perfect picture" of America in to the foundry dumpster as I drove by, and left cooling metal for drying cement.