A TV news account of a septic system installer rescued after being pinned by a concrete tank is a sober reminder about the dangers of your job and the importance of stressing safety in a work zone.

According to this report from WFXS 55 in Wausau, Wis., the unidentified worker luckily escaped serious injury after a cable snapped and trapped the lower half of his body under the tank. Firefighters took 30 minutes to carefully raise the tank and pull the man to safety. The incident happened Monday near Hatley in central Wisconsin.

http://www.myfoxwausau.com/story/23384344/2013/09/09/update-worker-pinned-under-concrete-transported-with-non-life-threatening-injuries

Little has been reported about this situation, and you have to wonder how many similar near-tragedies go unreported every summer as installers work at a frenzied pace to get all of their work done. But what we know about this incident prompts two important safety reminders. First, be sure to always situation your workers out of harm’s way in the event of an equipment failure. And second, check your equipment every day to make sure it’s working properly and won’t let you down. That includes the condition and proper use of cables, chains and straps used to move onsite system components.

The worker in this case is fortunate to have escaped without serious injury. You can turn this bad situation into a learning opportunity by talking about it at your next tailgate safety meeting.

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