At this writing, we at Cygnus Business Media have just learned of the death of our corporate creative director, JC Suares, a colorful individual with a keen eye for design and a richly complex personality. The news was unexpected, and as it is with all cases of sudden departure, we're left reeling, trying to recall the last meeting, last words, last ideas. It's a sad day.
Often, it takes the unexpected loss of someone close to remind us how fleeting our time really is. As one of our executives said in response to JC's death, "every day is a gift." Tomorrow is by no means a certainty. While not a new idea, this increased awareness is especially poignant now as we present two supplements with this issue: Construction Zone Safety and IPAF Elevating Safety. Both of these publications deal with the very real subject of safety and its life and death implications.
We know the number one goal of all workplace safety programs is to send every employee home alive and safe at the end of each day. Too often, however, we get wrapped up in our jobs and deadlines that we take short cuts on safety because we believe we'll be okay, that it won't make a difference "just this once," and we'll do better "next time," when we aren't so rushed. The fact is, there are no guarantees and it's capricious to believe we are exempt from these concerns and immune to the potential consquences of ignoring them.
No one wants to lose a co-worker, much less a family member or close friend, but the truth is, we're all walking a pretty tight line everyday. The equipment rental business is not the most dangerous occupation, but it's not the safest either. There is the potential for serious accidents with equipment use, maintenance and transport. So with that, remember to take nothing for granted -- not your time, your safety, and especially, your life. We hope you'll find some helpful information in our publications that will help you do that and to keep in mind that your life is too valuable to take lightly, so you must guard and protect it as best you can.
