I have deleted the references to any particular company herein, but this is in the spirit of Cliffside Software! (See www.cliffsidesoftware.com)
Obviously this was written in a more northern clime than my present location...
The moral of the story is: If you can't exercise your plan, at least educate plan participants!
(((If only there were a Global Health and Safety Coordinator! I mean...for the globe!)))
Subject: Autumn Safety Reminder
From: Global Health and Safety Coordinator
Autumn is here and presents new challenges to us on the campus. The shorter days and inclement weather present a visibility hazard as we arrive and depart from work. As a driver, please be cautious while driving and obey maximum speed limit of 25 mph on all roads. Use extra caution in and around parking lots by adhering to the 10 mph maximum speed limit and look out for walking coworkers. As a walker, be proactive and assume drivers cannot see you. Wear reflective or light-colored clothing and carry a flashlight to increase your visibility.
Slipping and tripping hazards have also returned in the form of fallen leaves, mossy walkways, ice, and the ubiquitous Canadian geese calling cards. In the last two weeks there have been two serious falls on campus. Please watch where you are walking and avoid areas that look especially slippery. Finally, be patient with the geese as they cross the roads. They will eventually get to the other side.
(Having lived with the many THOUSANDS of Canadian Geese that OVERWINTER near a power plant in Rochester, Minnesota (lake remains ice free, thanks to the effluent from the power plant, and there are official zones where they can forage and eat corn planted for them, but if they stray over the fence they are picked off by hunters during the season!), I can assure you that their "calling cards" are slippery.
When it is warm enough, geese occupy every puddle that ever aspired to be a pond in Rochester, including near the IBM Lab (low spots with a little standing water in the spring or fall all have geese!)
Here's a quick Canadian Goose Story:
We picked up our friend Gina's mom at the airport. She had immigrated from Hong Kong to Boise, ID and never learnt English, since she was a cook in her own restaurant. At the time (1983) she must have been close to 70 years old...wirey and a little twitchy...
So, it was the middle of winter in Rochester. Snow and COLD. As we passed the lake by the power plant, Gina's mom started getting REALLY excited and was shouting in Chinese...she wanted Brian to stop the car so she could catch a goose for dinner...she even tried to climb over Gina to get out while the car was moving...
Gina had to explain, after locking the door, that those were for looking, not for eating...)
(Everyone in my department in Rochester was a hunter. There was a terrific amount of folklore about geese, for example, whether or not they sometimes flipped upsidedown when they were landing, to shed speed...I saw the photos, and believe they actually do this!)
(Here's another Corporate Safety Message I recall...When IBM first opened Somer's NY (a headquarters building for several lines of business (divisions)) there were dozens of deer that seemed to jump in front of cars...so there were a series of notes about looking out for the deer. I believe the cars have won, subsequent, but perhaps a few deer remain!)
