Category: Workers Safety


Demonstration

Filed under: Environment, Public health, Social Activism, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — 1 Comment
October 4, 2012

There is a couple of people on Voght Street  with signs against the Smart Meters that Hydro is installing. One a women about 45  is saying her motivation is because of burying a relative with many brain tumors in the head area around the ear , she says that her relation used cell phones with regularity.

In the 10 odd minutes we talked to her there were no honks from passing traffic.

Today in history: October 4 1957

The Arrow  Jet Fighter’s rolled out in ceremony at the  Avro plant in Ontario Canada.

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22-wmr

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Environment, Flora, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
October 1, 2012

A spent casing for this weapon was found on the walk path on Voght . The casing was in the middle of the path and was in an area where vehicles don”t often pull over. Baring some child playing with it we remind you readers that discharging a fire arm in City limits is illegal and a wounded bear can be more dangerous then a healthy one with a clear path of escape.

Today in history: October 1st 331 BC

King Darius the third is defeated by the Macedonians in the battle of Gaugamela.

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Fire season

Filed under: Environment, Government Works, Sports and Leisure, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
May 16, 2012

There are the tell tale signs of impending summer around. A tall young fellow in the signature blue heavily pocketed pants with the forestry tan shirt was in the local Starbucks this morning. A fire fighter. He said he was from the Fraser Valley and wore a ball cap with a helicopter on it and Valley Helicopters written about it. He said he was in wild fire suppression.

There is a a fire camp north of here and training school with in days we will expect to see hopefuls running across Voght Park with heavy equipment to qualify for the fire season. Indications are that people are expecting a more pronounced season this year then last.

A fire hazard sign is at the City Fire Hall leaving Merritt towards Highway 8 West,it is operated by the Ministry of Forests and is strategic for those that may be traveling the Fraser Canyon Route. It is sometimes effected by fires.

Today in History, May 16th 2005

Kuwait allows women suffrage.

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Power poles

Filed under: Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
May 2, 2012

There was a pile of old power poles in an empty lot off Voght street, now removed by an apparent salvage contractor.The pile had old cedar poles some with a pieces of galvanized channel iron still attached from a stabilizing project more then two decades ago. some not, also in the pile were some recent pine poles that had been preserved with copper and arsenic solution and replaced in the last few years.

A source with in Hydro says that some pine poles are rotting and there is a swing back to cedar ones.  He also said that concrete poles like  the ones on the Valley View hyway leaving Kamloops going to Vernon are a problem because of  electrifying and disintegration because of it.  The source says that the power must be off to work on the poles because of the electrifying of the poles.

Editors note: the chemistry of some ground makes copper pipes carode  and some does not.

Today in history: May 2,1946

The “Battle of Alcatraz”  kills two guards and 3 inmates.

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Old workings

Filed under: Enterprize, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
March 19, 2012

 The history of the Nicola Valley in the South Central part of British Columbia is only recent;contact with the local indigenous population is about 200 years. However in that time we have experienced a significant amount of mining activity.

William Hamilton Merritt an early 20th century business man was here briefly and  got his name  used when the town incorporated a hundred years ago. He helped bring into the valley the railroad and coal mines. Hamilton Hill to the east of town also got its name from him.

 Merritt ( a corruption of a french name ) came from a family of  some renown and especially in regards to the construction of the Welland Canal in central  Canada. One member of that family is said to have raised 25 thousand dollars to put to gether a regiment to go to the Boar War.  He is credited with volunteer milita work. Another of his family is also said to have paid his own passage to that conflict for the British Crown.

William Hamilton Merritt has been called the Father of  Transportation in Canada. The town here bears his name.

The great depression also caused a flurry of small mines here and the local sidehills sported lots of abandoned head-frames and workings.  Another historic mining community that of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island suffered the loss of a couple of young people to abandoned mines some decades ago. This made it a concern for old workings here and a local Ray Schindler was involved in making them safe, he said that he bought old big cars for local rural residences and turned them upside down and back-filled the entrances to the regulated mines not is service here. He said this was done after going into the limit of  the air supply to investigate for explorers and other trespassers. There is no living memory of people being injured in old workings here.*

Ray Schindler lives in an unicorporated area to the west of Merritt and is retired after capping his working career as a City maintenance worker.       

*Editors note : comes from a single source with no cooberation.

Today in History, March 19, 1931

Gambling becomes legal in the US State of Nevada.

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Airstrip

Filed under: Enterprize, First Nations People, Government Works, Politics and Politicians, Social Activism, Sports and Leisure, Technology, Tourists, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — 1 Comment
February 13, 2012

There is a small airstrip here in Merritt, Saunders Field. It is on a nice little bench just north-west of town. The local city council was inviting people who would be interested to be on the airport committee to contact the city. The strip is 634 meters at 500722 North,1204450 west. It is a public airfield and yes operated by the city.

About two decades ago a premier visited it in a whirlwind working tour and a 600 thousand dollar grant was given to put night landing lights on it. The money was never used and was returned to the Cabinet. However in the last year there has been a new hanger building built and there is a going concern helicopter company at the field.

The Merritt Flying Club operates a website that updates weather every 5 minutes as well as almanac and moon phase.However the last reading shows 29/1/12 and there is a registration offer from ambient weather.

The airstrip has had scheduled  passenger service in its history never lasting long as small planes are not comfortable to use as passengers and there is commercial jet service in both Kamloops and Kelowna, about an hour and a quarter away.

A city committee is usually chaired by a councillor and is a good precursor to running for elected office.

Every now and then the Federal government lands one of its four engine search and rescue aircraft and gets fuel adding to the legitimacy of the strip.

Today in History: February 13,2008

 The Australian Prime Minister makes a historic apology to the aboriginal people ; the indigenous Australians and the stolen generations

Editors note: tomorrow  February 14, 2012, afternoon 12-1, Dr.Cora Voyageur at the local college will be giving a presention open to the public on trends in aboriginal communities: there is also and evening session.

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MInus 22

Filed under: Environment, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
January 18, 2012
Pictograms of Olympic sports - Field hockey

Image via Wikipedia

The temperature outside is about 20 degrees below celsius maybe up mid 20s were it has a wind chill. A long way from the 30 degrees farenheit from my time here as a young man.  It is still cold for people and without clothing dangerous as a frost bite warning  is in effect.

Remember that things can escalate in cold weather and danger come out of simple mechanical failures, so be a critical thinker and stay safe.

And do some warm up exercises before going out to shovel snow..

Today in history, January 18, 1886

The modern game called field hockey is born in England.

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Falling rocks

Filed under: Public health, Tourists, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
December 22, 2011
Country road in the Yorkshire Dales

Image by freefotouk via Flickr

 A truck was parked at the Desert inn  in Merritt this AM and its side window was smashed out. The hotel owner reported that there had been a rock come down from off the bank  and go through the passengers widow. The truck minus its side widow is there as a testimony to its story. and we can confirm that in the past when freezing a thawing occurs on roads with high mountain or hilly dispositions rocks do fall ,and they have caused at least one fatality as a decapitation. Our advice is to be defensive especially when both lanes are full and there is little wiggle room. In some instances ducking beneath the dash ( passenger especially) may be the thing that will help. To do this effectively you need to can the sidehill for tracks and moving stones.

Today in History, December 22,1965

A 70 Kilometer speed limit is applied to all rural roads in the UK ,before there was none.

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.08 administrative or criminal

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Vegtable soup, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
December 5, 2011

The province is saying that they are pleased with the results of a tough new roadside suspension law after a year of activity. The results they say saved lives. There were 40 % fewer deaths accruing over the time of the implementation that saw roadside suspensions coupled with very severe administrative penalties.

There are 4 million people in this province and the death rate is very low, some what over 2 per thousand per year for all causes, that ranks with the Arab emirates that are filthy rich, and is far below Canada’s rate of about 7 per thousand. There are approximately 350 some vehicle related deaths per year here and Stats Can does not break down the ones that are drunk or alcohol related. It would be safe to say that if the general population has enough regard for life and safety to keep the rate of death so low for the general population that we’re not bunch of drunks out there needing constant supervision and scrutiny of our assets . This brings up the specter of political opportunism the great success that they are promoting did not translate into a premium benefit the opposite is true as drivers are facing a 30 dollar increase to the levy dictated by ICBC. Makes you want to go find an occupy movement camp does it. It gets worse the real change is that more public control is welded and less trust and presumption in the population to act above the reasonable prudent person. The Chinese say more laws get more criminals. Now they say a portion of the law is unconstitutional as there is not enough process and appeal for those that blow over the 0.8 that is the criminal benchmark for impaired drivers. You  can bet it was just grease for that application of the non criminal high administration penalty bonanza that the province is reaping; and of course they are not taking it from you the taxpayer but some vilified group who  enjoyed the relief of stress by having a couple of beers with the office staff after work twice a week. Can it be? and I give this to you; that the dynamic contributed to less benign deaths in the general rate of our society. KDG

Editors note: A designated driver is not a hard ship for most people to arrange and rotating is not hard for you sociable types to get a turn….

Today in history, December 5 1945

Flight 19 is lost in the Bermuda  triangle.

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Lay off

Filed under: Politics and Politicians, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
November 22, 2011

A unconfirmed source says that the crew they work on is being layed off till spring complete the sidewalk upgrade and storm sewer  work on Garcia and granite.  A white hat seemingly in charge later confirmed “we are out of here”

When I gave him a Diamond  saw blade, I found he commented I will behave as they do. Some of his crew were seen tossing tools about a day before.

He also seemed unsure who would be finishing the project.

The site had the benefit of a Federal Government Funding credit sign for over a year before any construction began and when it did it was coordinated with the local civic election and a flurry of other work.

Also an announcement that there was no way of accounting back in the job creation projects for the 46 billion spent on the recession fighting  program “The Canada Action Plan by the federal an auditor general may make for interesting applications for laid off job creation workers. 

Today in history, November 22 1995

Toy Story the first computer generated feature film is released.

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pellet plant

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Enterprize, Government Works, Technology, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
November 4, 2011
Inside a woood-pellet heater

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I went by the new wood pellet plant today and took a picture of the a man supervising a bagging operation.
A source says that there may be some hiring when the dryer is finished in about 6 weeks.
The wood pellet plant seems new and modern and clean without clutter or grease. On the way over I upbraided a child that was playing between the wheels of a parked logging truck. He agreed it was a danger and took his plastic gun and played elsewhere. The truck had nothing to do with the pellet plant however; people should pay attention to their own children.

Today in history, November 4,1970

Genie a thirteen year old feral kid is found after being locked in her bedroom most of her life.

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Freeway closed

Filed under: Tourists, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths
August 11, 2011

The Coquihalla is closed by a multiple vehicle accident at the moment. A source says they are rerouting traffic to highway 8 Spence’s bridge and the Fraser Canyon to Vancouver. Exit 286 at the  interchange is closed.

Today in history :August 11 1972

The last US ground forces leave Viet Nam

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