Teaching Kung Fu at Work

For a couple years now I've been teaching kung fu to people who never realized they were my students. I feel that with a different twist to my approach during our "health" and safety meetings, that some of my "students" are seeing our safety meetings as true safety meetings, not just sign the acknowledgement, grab you hard hat and get to work.

Within various safety meeting, I have incorporated the health aspect into our discussions and mentioned that if we are not staying well hydrated and nourished that we could be a hazard or safety concern on site, just like a poorly maintained piece of equipment on site. I have used the muscle memory scenario with operators of equipment; when we climb into equipment we enforce three point contact, which means three appendages must be in contact with the equipment at all times, during access or egress. What I have asked of the workers is to ensure that three point contact is practiced all the time, even during good conditions, so that when it is muddy and slippery that their actions have been instilled and that muscle memory takes over with hopes that a potential incident could be eliminated. I provide my crew with a ERP folder, which contains materials that will hopefully assist in an emergency; what I tell them is that they will not be the same person that they are as we stand here during this meeting, but what they need to remember during an emergency to to remain calm and not to react with emotion. I have gone on in meetings as far as to mention, stretching during micro breaks to maintain blood flow and attentiveness in tasks that are routine and monotonous.

I have found that I like to teach. I like to help people better themselves and with the foundation that kung fu has brought to my life, I find myself bringing it forward in all aspects of my life, to assist myself and others.

Darcy Regier