by Ellery Borow, AFMS Safety Chair
(AFMS newsletter)
You are indeed being watched. While out on a club dig or field trip searching for some nice collectibles, people are mostly interested in looking at the hole they are digging. Next, people are looking at the marvelous “sparklies” they are finding in the hole. Lastly, they are looking at the people all around them to see what is going on nearby.
If you are near one of those intrepid diggers, you are being watched by them. So, because you are being noticed by other collectors, are you setting a good example for them? Are you wearing appropriate footwear? Do you have on suitable protective garments? Might the safety goggles you are wearing be proper for the site? Are gloves being worn? Seriously, people are watching you. Are you setting a good example for them?
Many a time, it has been said kids sometimes do not take instructions well. They are, after all, moving toward finding their own independence. Kids, however, are also little sponges, soaking up information about everything and everyone around them. Kids can’t wait to be grown ups, and so are always watching adults—what we are saying, what we are doing, what we are wearing—all while pretending to be ignoring us. With all that said, kids are hungry for example setters and role models. Therefore, we adults should be aware of the examples we are setting for all the kids around us.
So I ask again: Are you setting a good example for your kids and all the other kids around you? Even adults learn from those who set good examples. Please consider this: Utilizing your personal protective equipment is great for you and your family, and it may be setting a great example for those around you. You can do this: wear good footwear, proper protective clothing, gloves, goggles, and keep those tools in good repair. Be a trendsetter. Be a good example. As a bonus, you will be safer, and you will be helping other people learn to be safer as well! Your safety matters, as does everyone else’s.
