5 Fall Proteciton Questions for The Solar Energy Industry

Hello Everyone,

It's the Fall Protection Safety Expert here.

We've recently experienced an increase in solar power companies reaching out to us for help in solving their fall protection needs. No surprise here. We've worked with many companies in the past, e.g. Solar Power Inc., Sunlight and Power, Solar Turbine, etc., and we experienced first hand the WIN-WIN for solar companies and their clientele. More on these benefits later!

What we haven't experienced is sufficient feedback from the community as a whole. We are concerned about the industry and general and maybe more so with the small solar power companies, from the mom and pop run cell installation tandem, to the $1.4 million dollar company run from the side streets of your local suburb.

As the safety expert, I set a goal of individually calling every solar company to get an idea of their understanding of OSHA regulations, to get an understanding of their proactivity, to get an understanding of their safety.

With this in mind, I thought, being the 21st Century, it would also benefit to forward these questions through the socially expansive internet. (makes sense, right?) SO, Let me hear your thoughts!

1. If you work for a solar power company, own one, or are around one, write in and share your thoughts with this growing online fall protection community about your general attitudes towards fall protection...what's the first thing you think of when you hear fall protection safety?
2. Let us know what systems/equipment work for you, what risks you find most prevelent (skylights? - maybe leading edges? )
3.Let us know if complacency is an issue in relation to accepting fall safety? (Old dogs don't like new tricks.)
4. If you've worked with a fall protection company before, share your experience. Was it Good? Bad? Ugly?
5. How satisfied were your clients when you offered to not only install solar power, but also install sufficient fall protection devices to eliminate fall related risks? (I bet they felt like they got a steal with such a deal-many do, and should.)

We're interested in learning from you and improving the quality of care and service to ensure a safer workplace for you, your employees and your company; today, tomorrow, and forever and ever and ever.

We're not your average fall protection company. We're Versatile Systems, Inc. Average doesn't work here.

I look forward to our discussion.

Sincerely,
The Fall Protection Safety Expert
(818) 565-5551
 www.versatilefallprotection.com
www.facebook.com/VersatileSystems
www.twitter.com/VerFallPro

Safety Alert! Congressional Bill S.807: Voluntary Protection Program Act

Good Thursday to all you safety conscientious people,

I'm here to inform you of S.807 and what you should do about it.

S.807 is a Bill currently making it's way through Capital Hill, and with your help, hopefully to the oval office.

Essentially, the bill allows the VPPPA to open it's doors to small businesses; by expanding the Department of Labor's voluntary protection program rules and regulations.

What S.807 has the potential to do is eliminate ignorance and counteract complacent mentalities at the small business level by creating a community of proactive safety conscientious companies; thus ensuring the physical and emotional security of workers, families and companies.

Sound good to you? Because it sure sounds good to me.

Here's how you can help:

Contact your state senator!
-Email, snail mail, phone call, skype, text, pigeon carrier, sky writing-JUST CONTACT THEM!

The world has made it so very easy for us to communicate. All it takes is for you to want to.

Read through the Bill here:
Or here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.807:
Or here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s807is/pdf/BILLS-112s807is.pdf

JUST CHOOSE ONE.

And if you read through and agree with all the content therein, and suddenly a passion is ignited within, take the short amount of time to communicate with your state senator about your wants, needs, and hopes for them to Co-Sponsor S.807.

Find your Senator's contact info here.


Fin.

Best Regards,
Jack Guimon
Versatile Systems, Inc.
(818) 565-5551
jack@verfallpro.com

Versatile Systems, Inc at the Region IX VPPPA Conference

Tyler Clark and John McHugh bring Fall Protection Expertise to the Region IX VPPPA Conference in Las Vegas. It was a great event! We met many proactive companies and passionate people. We look forward to working with many of them.

Thought for the Month: What is the correlation between babies and adults?

Falls are one of the greatest threats to both demographics.

Think about this, every year there are more than 2.3 million fall-related child injuries reported. For children 4 years and under, 80 percent of these falls occur in the home and more than half occur at home for children ages 5-14 years. (Safe Kids USA) As a result the child safety industry has boomed. And the results are in. Child Injury has never been lower. 

For example, in New York City a window guard distribution program coupled with legislation reduced window fall-related fatalities by 35 percent after two years. (Safe Kids USA) What a drastic change. What a powerful change. What a positive change.

Babies are fragile; that’s true, but so are teenagers, adults and the elderly…We are human. We are fragile. And despite the heights we reach physically and intellectually, we’re not invincible. Safety is about having the right mindset, finding company with that mindset, investing energy in protecting that mindset.

In 2009, there were 4,340 American worker fall-related injuries; in 2008, 5,214. That is a 17 percent decrease. The decrease can be attributed to OSHA Federal and State legislation as well as exceptionally run companies, the kind of companies that see an employee as an individual and not a dollar sign. This is a harsh reality in a capitalistic society where the almighty dollar reigns supreme. Many companies receive quotes from VSI, and our competitors alike, but find the price disagreeable with their pocketbook; wrong mindset. These are stagnant companies. These are dollar vision companies. These companies fail in comprehending the long term impact of proper safety practice.

To put it squarely, many companies cannot see the forest through the trees. There are emotional and financial costs associated with fall related injuries for both the company and the family, and failure or refusal to understand the big picture is the biggest deterrent in eliminating fall injuries. 

To dispel popular myth, OSHA laws are not enforced to scare companies, or shut them down, or discomfort the worker. These programs are here to protect the emotional and physical safety of your company and employees. That’s all. See the forest. Take a proper proactive stance against the risks associated with elevated work environments. And on matters of importance, place fall protection at the top of your hierarchy.

In the end, if you care for your employees, if you care about your company, child proof your workplace. And in the case this offends your sense of manhood or womanhood, remember that you would never see professional football players running around the gridiron without pads. Their workplace is extremely safety conscious and they adhere to the rules.

Let’s carry the right mindset to the end goal of 0 fall fatalities a year.

We’re not your average fall protection company. 

We’re Versatile Systems Inc.

Average doesn’t work here.

New York City Initiative

The battle cry, "Experience Is Not Enough", will resonate through the city of New York in 2011. It is not a slogan nor is it some sales marketing campaign. It is simply a statement. An absolute truth.

It's meaning is clear and concise. It's target is complacency.

The biggest challenge Versatile Systems faces from client to client is complacency. "We've been doing it this way for years," they say, swashing a hand through the air, brushing aside safety. Sometimes their tone is more of a challenge, a "We don't need you or your protection because we're strong, smart, and invincible."

That's the mentality of an old dog. And from first hand experience, teaching that old dog new tricks can be extremely difficult.

In the office of VSI, we have a Complacency Board. You do not want to be on that board. That board is dedicated to the old dog's of the world, to the old dog's whose mentality relegates fall safety to a category they've entitled "Excessive, Unnecessary Precaution's of Modern America". To these Old Dog's, VSI dedicates a space for their company name on our Board, in bold capitols. Not a month goes by were we don't have to expand the pen, the dogs just keeping strolling in.