Fall Reverie

People need fall arrest equipment protection because even those with experience working at heights can lose their balance or grip; we can slip, trip, or misstep at any time. People may think that their reflexes will protect them, but they’re falling before they know it, and they don’t have to fall far to be seriously injured. People have been falling since Day One. Until people get better at landing, they will need protection from falling.

Falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds account for more than half of all disabling falls to lower levels. Disabling falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds are most frequent within the construction trades. The cause of such falls? Loss of balance caused by slipping, tripping, and shifting or unstable ladders.

Fall-protection equipment is the first thing that comes to mind in protecting against fall potential: personal fall-arrest systems, safety nets, or guardrails, for example. But fall protection means more than equipment. Fall protection is what people do to eliminate fall hazards, to prevent falls, and to ensure that workers who may fall aren’t injured.
Accomplished fall protection is done by the following:
Make fall protection part of your workplace safety and health program.
Identify and evaluate fall hazards.
Eliminate fall hazards, if possible.
Train workers to recognize fall hazards.
Use appropriate equipment to prevent falls and to protect workers if they do fall.
Inspect and maintain fall-protection equipment before and after using it.

Roles of personnel involved in assuring fall protection is effective:

For Employers. Identify fall hazards at the site. Eliminate the hazards, prevent falls from occurring, or ensure that if falls occur, employees aren’t injured. Make sure that employees follow safe practices and are trained to recognize fall hazards.

For Employees. Follow safe work practices, use equipment properly, and participate in training. Learn to recognize unsafe practices, know the tasks that increase the risk of falling, and understand how to control exposure to fall hazards.

For Architects and engineers. Educate employers about hazards that could expose workers to falls during each phase of the project. When designing buildings and structures, consider fall protection and other safety needs of those who will do the construction work.

For Building owners and managers. Ensure that those who do exterior construction or maintenance work know how to protect themselves from falls, are aware of installed anchorages, and know how to use their fall-protection equipment.

For Equipment manufacturers. Ensure that fall-protection equipment meets federal safety requirements and protects workers when they use it properly. Warn workers through instruction manuals and on equipment labels about the danger of using equipment improperly.

For Lawyers. Review your client’s construction bids to ensure that they comply with local and national requirements. The documents should clearly state the client’s responsibilities for protecting workers from falls and for identifying and controlling hazards that cause falls.

For further assistance in fall arrest equipment or other safety issues contact the author.

Fall is just right around the corner and you are getting married during the fall season. Well what better way to add a little bit of color and theme to your Autumn wedding than with fall wedding favors. Their are many different fall wedding favors so we are going to sort them out and give you some great fall wedding favor ideas that you can use for your wedding.

Fall themed wine bottle stopper favor

The stopper has a sturdy metal core lined with a black rubber stopper rim topped with a stylishly-tilted leaf silhouette. Each bronze metal wine stopper is packaged upright in a deluxe clear box with a fall design top and bottom allowing a dramatic 360 degree view of the favor, finished with a sparkling bronze organza bow and a designer leaf shaped thank you tag attached.

These are some really great wine stoppers for your fall event. They perfectly fit with the fall theme and they are great for your cocktail hour. Your guests can take these stoppers home and use them on their favorite bottles of wine and always remember the nice time they had at your wedding.

Autumn themed bookmark favor

Now this favor is great for the book lovers. Give your guests a useful favor that will bring memories of your special event each time they enjoy a relaxing read. The gold toned metal favor has a sturdy clip base with a bronze rhinestone decorated double leaf design top. The favors come individually packaged in a clear topped box with an ivory bottom tied with an ivory organza bow with a fall themed thank you tag attached.

These favors are great for other events other than just weddings. If you know the book lovers then this is a great themed gift for the fall season.

Leaf shaped fall candle favor

Now this fall candle favor will add that added touch to any reception or fall event. Candles add warmth and atmosphere to any room and these candle favors will also add autumn flair to your event. The favor resembles a spectacular fallen leaf in two colors – rust/yellow and green/yellow. Each has a rhinestone decorated poly resin leaf shaped base with a clear glass holder and white candle at its center. Each comes in a clear plastic box tied with an ivory ribbon and an attached fall themed thank you tag.

Well their you go. I didn't want to go on and on about all the latest fall wedding favors that just came out. But their are some nice ones. So what you need to do is just go look around and think of how you would like your reception to look.

Do you want stoppers for the cocktail hour, fall themed place card holders or do you just want candles. These are some things you need to think about when it comes to choosing your fall decor.

So just look around on the internet and we are sure that you can find some great fall wedding favors and some fall wedding favor ideas for your wedding or event.

As families settle into the routines of the new school year, it’s easy to lose sight of having weekends to enjoy. Molly Gold, Family Scheduling Expert and Founder of GO MOM !NC. helps moms focus on steps they can take to protect precious weekend time together with their families, and to enjoy the highlights of the season.”

Looking to make Fall a fantastic array of fun? Here are some tips to help:

Plan – If we said it once, we will say it a thousand times…the best way to make way for fun in your weekend is to plan for it! Use family-oriented planning tools, such as the new GO MOM!® Wall Organizer, to merge all family member schedules into one place. Map your time and use this tool as your compass to show you when you can adjust commitments to claim time for Fall. If activity schedules dominate for months on end, hold a family meeting now to decide the best weekend to make family come first. Notify coaches and teachers alike that for that weekend, all family members are unavailable. When you communicate this at the beginning of the season, you are respecting fellow teammates and coaches or activity leaders as they can also plan ahead.

Clean – Forget the notion that it’s only meant for Spring. The change of seasons brings a host of both outdoor and indoor tasks that when left unchecked, can drag on forever. Decide now if you work best claiming one weekend for a full assault on your list or if you’d prefer protecting a few hours each weekend to tackle one task at a time. Consult the Mr. Clean family of products to find a great selection of time-saving cleaning tools, such as the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power for everything from cleaning the grout in your tile to scrubbing down plastic patio furniture before placing it in winter storage. Assemble your project supplies in advance to maximize your time and accomplish your chores in the time allotted. Enlist the age appropriate help of all family members, providing them with their own supplies when possible to allow them to accomplish their task independently. And remember, when kids are involved, the more fun the better.

Protect – Who doesn’t remember the fun of Fire Safety Week at school, when the firemen visit and if you’re lucky, you get to sit in the cab and wear their hats? Fall is a great time to take inventory of your safety measures and update where you can. We all are reminded to replace our smoke detector batteries with the time change each year, but who thinks to clean them when unassembled. Also, it’s important to review emergency plans with family members, including holding a mock fire drill and talking through natural or unnatural evacuation plans that need to be followed. And while updating all those emergency contact forms at school, do the same with the Emergency Documents box, including any evacuation plans outlined. Visit www.AmericanRedCross.com for the most complete resources for Emergency Preparedness. Complete supply lists and document preparation procedures to suit personal needs are provided.

Play – From the first of September through the last day of October, our wonderful country is full of Fall celebrations. Street festivals abound, highlighting the best crafters every region has to offer. And the fruits of the harvest are just waiting to be enjoyed, including apple harvests and pumpkin patches. Check local Convention and Visitors Bureau websites or newspapers for listings of regional events and cross reference these calendars with the family planner to see when the family can enjoy the best the season has to offer. Families with younger children can expand on units of study specific to Fall and work weekend activities into their schedule, thus making the school and home experience a wonderful partnership of hands on learning. For the older set, there is nothing like the fun of Homecoming at the local high school to remind us all of how fast our children grow and the blessing parenthood provides. Participate in booster clubs that support children’s activities this fall. Get a window into your teenager’s world while enjoying the memories of your own high school years.

To enjoy the best the season has to offer, prepare yourself with all the tools that GO MOM !NC has to offer. GO MOM !NC is based in Apex, NC and promotes the use of the GO MOM!® product line which is based on unique scheduling solutions for everything family. GO MOM !NC helps mothers make positive mothering a daily reality within the structure GO MOM!® Schedule. Organize. Grow.® Founder Molly Gold is a 40-year-old mother of three and the creator of the GO MOM!® product line, which is produced via license partnership with Mead Westvaco Consumer and Office Products and sold at major retailers nationwide, including Target, Staples, and Office Max. Gold is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air media alike.

To learn more about GO MOM !NC, visit http://www.gomominc.com. For interviews with Gold, e-mail her directly at mgold@gomominc.com.

A fall story is very common among all rock climbers who have been climbing outdoors for more than a few months. Those climbing sport or trad routes can take some pretty big fall than those in a gym climb which only allows for a few feet fall.

The biggest fall I ever had was a twenty-five footer which ended with my head hanging only five feet or so above some jagged rocks.

Why didn’t I hit the ground? You may ask. My belayer saved me from bashing head on the rocks. It caught me and because all my gears, including my climbing harness, the most important pieces of gear were working perfectly.

Let me briefly describe climbing harness for you. It allows a rope to be safely and comfortably attached to a climber which stops him or her from hitting the ground.

The rope is passed through one or two webbing loops (depending on the harness) and these loops are one of the most important parts of the chain of protection that stops your fall.

These are the rope, rock protection and belay device. The webbing loops allow you to attach a belay device to your harness, thus allowing you to belay your climbing partners.

All the manufacturers of climbing gear make sure that their climbing harnesses meet rigorous safety standards but it’s highly advisable that you pay attention to your gear and inspect it for any wears or tears.

Its safe if the nylon webbing of your climbing harness is a little fuzzy, a result of wear but if it’s torn or has any visible damage, you’re advised to get a new one.

There are different ranges of sizes and designs of climbing harness and it can be pretty tough to get climbers to agree on what climbing harness is ideal. However, all climbers are agreed on one point.

For a climbing harness to be safe, comfortable and effective, it must fit the climber properly. Aside the fact that an ill-fitting harness is uncomfortable, it is also dangerous.

Therefore, it’s advisable that you try it out first before buying a climbing harness. Your gear store should be able to attach you to a rope and allow you to hang in the harness for a while to make sure that it’s comfortable to walk around in and hang in.

You can either go for the stripped-down ice climbing harnesses made to be worn over layers and layers of insulation or bulky, padded harnesses which you could sit in all day. Whichever you go for is completely up to you.

So, you decided to take the most anticipated walk down the aisle and you have chosen the Fall as the perfect accent. Fall weddings are very romantic because the season represents a beautiful transition much like the transition you are about to encounter. The best way to accent the wedding with the season is to choose from an array of fall wedding favors that are ideal for both sexes.

Most seem to think that the wedding is all about the bride. Actually, it isn’t especially when it comes to choosing the right wedding favor for your guests. This is a time for the bride and grooms to come together as one to make practical decisions. The pair of you has already decided on the season of the wedding, now it’s time to work together in honor of your guests. Let’s try this out for size…when you think of fall, what comes to mind – the beautiful changing leaves, the cool atmosphere, maybe even cider and doughnuts. Rest assured, your thoughts were possibly calming to say the least. This could be reflective in your theme and décor. This is a good way to narrow down on what to choose for a good fall wedding favor.

The best gift for both sexes is a gift that both can use. For a fall theme, golden wine bottle stoppers with carved leaf tips are an awesome idea. Coasters detailed with fall leaves and even photo albums with pressed leaves are great ideas and are great additions to the table décor. Make an array of this festive event by adding to the table setting place card holders that hold the card in a leaf, a ceramic turkey place card holder or even pumpkin place card holders for that harvest touch. If you’re looking for something more edible, maple cookies or honey dried in the shape of a maple leaf makes a great ensemble for guests.

For do it yourself projects, try candy corn placed in a silver mint tin with a clear top. Get a bit fancier and tie a personalized ribbon around the mint tin in a festive autumn color to add more spice to the table. Speaking of spices, this is a great idea for fall wedding favors. Another idea is to place fall theme kisses in chocolate colored favor boxes or add chocolate shaped leaves to pumpkin centerpieces and place in the center of the table for the guests to enjoy. A cellophane bag of harvest shaped cookies tied with multicolor ribbon works well with kids. These ideas are all fun and great for both sexes to enjoy.

Aphone call interrupted my reverie. It was Gideon asking if I’d had an interesting morning. I blurted out the incident of the birds and the books and the paper and the music and whatever else I could recall. I commented how curious it seemed that dreams of yesteryear could leap across the crevices of time onto the pages of today.

“When you think about it, John,” he said, “there really is no past nor future, no beginnings nor endings,just the ones that we create in our minds depending on our current perspective. A thousand lifetimes in a million years or a million lifetimes in a thousand years,what does it matter, anyway? We’ve always been alive.”

“Doesn’t it get lonesome being the only one with all the answers,Gideon?” I taunted. “And I’m sorry, why did you say you called?”

“I didn’t say,but since you asked,” he said,“no special reason. Just wanted to tell you it’s not the answers that we have problems with. We have all the answers. What we need are the questions. . . .”

“What did you say about no beginnings or endings just a few moments ago?” I interrupted.

“Words are just symbols of meaning and not the meaning itself. They are not the best representatives of truth, but in their own way, they do express it somewhat. In other words, don’t confuse the map with the territory.By the way,still interested in going on that trip?”

“What and when do I pack?” I asked.

“You don’t have to pack anything. A good part of the trip is internal,” he said. “And as to when? The answer is when it’s most appropriate.”

“Actually,where are we going, Gideon? And what are we searching for?” I asked.

“You are searching for the one secret of life, John. The one that was written in the middle of the book you found beneath the mango tree when you were seven years old. The secret you couldn’t read because you didn’t understand the language.”

“So you knew about that, eh Gideon? Was that really the secret of life written there? There were just a few words.Is that all there is to it? A simple little secret?”

“Simple. Not easy,” he replied.

“Do you think we’ll ever find it?” I asked.

“It’s not the finding that’s difficult,” he replied, “it’s the recognizing.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to all this,” was all I could say.

“Not to worry, John,” he replied in that tone which always brought me a sense of assurance and comfort. “We’ll take care of all that. And of course, Marla will be there, too.” There was a pause, then he added, “That’s all for now. You’ll hear from us soon. Bye.” The phone went dead.

The day hadn’t really started and already it seemed like I’d been awake for many hours. The children must be awake, I thought, because I could now hear footsteps coming downstairs. Malika came into the kitchen, said good morning and casually mentioned a weird dream about birds that read books. But she couldn’t remember any details. Interesting, I thought . . . very interesting.

Time for one of those columns journalists pull out of their hat when no single thread wants to develop into an article…

• Our family camped and toured through the Rocky Mountain House/Nordegg area of western Alberta this summer. Base-camp for a week was at David Thompson Resort located just off Highway 11 and backing onto Abraham Lake. For raw beauty, there are few areas in North America that compare to it. One afternoon, as we stood overlooking the lake, a couple from Washington exclaimed they had never seen anything like it. The pristine shade of blue waters combined with the snow-covered, jagged peaks of the Rockies made for postcard material. Facilities at the campground were comfortable with most amenities available right on the grounds, including gas. A half-mile down the road helicopter tours were available, as well as horseback riding on the opposite side of the highway. The surrounding area is also a hiker’s haven.

We took an afternoon to drive the Ram River Falls Loop which goes south from Nordegg and returns at Rocky Mountain House. The falls are impressive, and there are a number of primitive camping spots located along the loop, many of which are free. Though the main road is good (gravel), you should have the right vehicle to access the remote camping areas. (Your Honda Accord with a tent trailer behind may not cut it.) Again, the scenery is splendid. Friends of ours have even observed one of the few remaining herds of North American wild horses that roam the area. We hoped to see them ourselves but were disappointed.

We also made it to another of my favorite spots this summer: Marten River Provincial Campground on Lesser Slave Lake. The lake is very large, like being on the ocean, except that the water is shallow for quite a distance from shore. This, along with the beautiful sandy beaches, makes for lots of fun for the kids. The campsites are spacious, level and private (surrounded by large evergreens and lush foliage). This campground is reasonably priced and well maintained, has showers and free firewood. The amenities are basic, but clean. Excellent summer getaway spot.

• Rising oil prices are becoming an issue for the camping/RV industry. We spoke with Carston Urban of the RVDA to see if the Association has noticed any trends. Are people venturing out less, making vehicle changes, etc.? The only significant thing he has noticed is a swing from fifth wheels to travel trailers. They are lighter and allow more options for pulling. Certainly manufacturers have made some excellent advancements in the variety and quality of ultralights and hybrids (travel trailers with tent trailer extensions). Look for this trend to continue.

• There is a strange policy among many campground owners regarding reservations/refunds that the industry needs to re-evaluate. One resort we stayed at this summer (booked by phone well in advance) required the full week’s payment by credit card with no cancellations within 14 days and no leaving early (if you wanted a refund, that is). Apparently this is quite common.

The hotel industry is much more reasonable. Many hotels require only a partial deposit and allow refunds up to 24 hours before arrival. In chatting with the owner about this he cited the need to recover costs from vandals and deadbeats, and the difficulty of re-booking a site if vacated early. The logic doesn’t add up though. If the campground is busy (and the customer wants to leave early), there certainly will be no trouble in re-issuing the site. And if the resort isn’t busy, well, what’s the problem? There are plenty of sites to choose from for any new customers.

Owners need to remember the best way to recover costs from vandals and deadbeats is to keep your good customers happy and coming back. And making them swallow half a week’s deposit or forcing them to endure three more days of rain-soaked camping is not the way to do it…