Working from Home... Cons: Possible loneliness/isolation, taking fewer showers. Pros: Elimination of stress associated with commuting; fewer traffic accidents because less cars on the road; less wear and tear on roads so safer driving; less greenhouse gas emissions; no time wasted commuting; more sleep resulting in greater productivity and healthier workers, which means lower health costs for employers; less office space required... Hmmm, tough call, eh?

Got safety gear? How about you... [here's a thought].. wear it!?! I read an almost unbelievable statistic today: 89 percent of safety professionals polled at the 2008 National Safety Council Congress have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been.

I love it when I find great resources that promote the cause of workplace safety.  I just came across the new campaign that Work Safe Alberta is promoting.  

They have developed a campaign that is getting lots of press... I love the videos because:

Who doesn't love to laugh at a crazy homemade video on YouTube: a cat doing the jig, a sportscaster making an embarrasing blunder, a young guy.... driving his forklift backwards on two wheels??!!

That's right, an Australian 20-year-old thought it would be a hoot to drive his hoon forklift at top speed backwards with the rear wheels off the ground, performing burnouts, and crashing into a concrete pipe...

That was dumb. Deadly dumb.

He then proudly loaded the video onto YouTube... no, really.

That was dumber still.

I used to be an inner city elementary school teacher.  I loved my job.  I loved seeing students' faces light up when they learned something new and I enjoyed going to work everyday knowing that I had the opportunity to make a difference in the world.