in

Love ItLove It

Safety in our land

Every year there are people caught out in the roads or drowned in the sea. Sometimes accidents at home or at work.

Some years ago there was an accident at Pike river mine. 19th November 2010 and there were 18 miners in there at the time, only 2 walked away alive. The other miners are still in the mine and the relatives want their loved ones found. They are fighting for the right to go there and have closure. So far they have walked a little way in the mine.

Many people die in forestry accidents in New Zealand.

Accidents happen all the time. Some years ago, a home care client said, “There’s another one down you know!”

I asked her what was down and it was a plane accident. She was frightened of planes and flying. However, you have more chance of dying in a car accident than in the air, because those who are qualified to fly know that this type of transport is less forgiving than on the road.

Any fool can fly a plane, but it is landing the plane that is the art of the pilot and most pilots die because they lose their horizon in the air. Any person who wants to fly must know they need to check their plane properly before they fly it to see that everything is safe.

How do we stay safe. First, you may have all the training in the world but still have an accident. However, if you do get the training to stay safe it is better than not being prepared at all. One hopes you don’t need to use first aid but its great to have the training just in case.

Now I can only speak of what I know.

Road rules need to be obeyed. Keep a cell phone with you, but don’t use the cell phone while driving. Pull over on the side of the road if you have to. Same if you are really tired. Don’t drive tired, pull over and rest or let another driver going in the same direction take over.

Drowning, well, first learn to swim. Obey the safety rules, swim at surf beaches between the flags so that the surf life guards can see you. Don’t go to fish off the rocks alone and tell someone if you are going.

Some people go tramping in New Zealand thinking its all safe!

How very wrong they are!

The above picture is Mt Ruapehu in the Tongario National park. Many people go skiing there in winter every year. Some go tramping around Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongario and Mt Ngarohoe. Just realise, that because you see nothing at the time, these mountains are not tame, they are active volcanoes that erupt every now and then.

New Zealand scenic places can be dangerous, so don’t go alone. Wear the right footwear, have some warm clothing available and stick to the path. Beware of paths by a cliff face and don’t go near noisy insects or animals. Stay away , chances are it’s a nest of stinging wasps.

This is the Ngaruawahia Bridge, one part is for cars and traffic the other for train transportation. Usually goods trains. One 12 year old girl died on the railway bridge, she got run over by a train. The children have often jumped off the bridge into the Waikato river. I’ve seen them do this in the past. This day, I saw no one, as people in Ngaruawahia were grieving for this 12 year girl.

Most who die in New Zealand bush wander off the beaten track, get lost, lose their bearings and die of hypothermia. It gets cold and often places are muddy and very slippery where they walk. Some New Zealand bush is so dense you are lucky if you can see 5 feet around you.

The above photo is of Mt Taranaki, a very beautiful spot. The weather can change within seconds and yes, that too is an active volcano. Many people have died on Mt Taranaki.

If you do get lost, find a water way a river and follow the river to the end, you will get to a town eventually. If you are lucky go up top to see the view maybe. If you can see something at all, follow to a town or road.

Fire! Well, if there is a fire on your stove, don’t use water, pour salt or flour over the fire, Stops it in its tracks. Have some salt or flour on hand by your stove at all times. Never leave a stove on unattended. Best to install a smoke alarm in every room in the house. Hopefully a fire never starts in your house. Fires are very frightening.

Be prepared, and take steps to stay safe. Its a good Brownie motto and wise advice. Safety is everyones priority. Some people think they are immortal, especially young people between 15 and 25 years. Fighter pilots are chosen in this age group. As they age, they realise they are not immortal and some lose their nerve or die in accidents. Fear is for a reason, self preservation.

I guess some never grow up and will always be an adrenalin junkie. I guess that too is a choice.

Yes, I take calculated risks. Life is a risk. Just be careful sometimes.

Report

What do you think?

10 Points

Written by Pamela Moresby

11 Comments