Think you can lift that 40 lb. box or 500 lb. refrigerator all by yourself? Ron Woods, the Lab’s move coordinator since 1995, urges you to think again. He knows from experience that not asking for help is asking for trouble—in the form of injuries from heavy lifting and tripping. “People sometimes have their own idea about how to move, but most of the time, I can think of a better approach, and they see that I’m there to help them,” he says.
The Life Sciences Division recently asked Woods to help move one-third of its staff out of Building 74. Like other laboratory moves, this required his workers, who are mostly outside contractors, to be trained to safely move equipment without causing any injuries or damaging one-of-a-kind instruments. To make sure all his workers understand which equipment should be removed and what hazards might be present, Woods divides them into small groups to explain “what needs to be done, what not to do, and to answer their questions.” As a result of his attention to detail and workers’ safety, Woods has won more than a few fans over the years, including biophysicist Damir Sudar of Life Sciences. “When you have someone like Ron, you not only get moved on time, you also get lessons learned for safety,” he says. Share how you implement safety in your work area.
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