Six times a year, the safety manager of Westmark Hotel sets out to make the "howdy rounds" to the 1,500 people he trains. Those people are spread out across Alaska and the Yukon Territories. To say "howdy" to them all this safety manager must drive 2,800 miles.

This is obviously not your normal training trip. But then again, Herb Everett is not your normal safety manager. Let me tell you a little about Herb and his journeys.

Meet Safety Herb

I've met hundreds of people in the safety profession. But "Safety Herb," as he is known, stands out. If you ever have a question about safety in Alaska, he's the guy to call. Herb is also well known for his passion for safety and his willingness to help create and manage mishap prevention programs; it would take pages to list the societies and associations he's served and the community service projects he's helped.

Herb first went to Alaska in 1985 with the United States Air Force. When he retired after serving honorably for 27 years, his first civilian job was with VECO, Inc. as a safety engineer for the Valdez oil spill clean-up. Later, Herb worked with the Anchorage Telephone Utility as safety officer. In 1991 Westmark Hotels' president, Al Parish, offered Herb a job with the Holland America Lines' hotel division to set-up and manage their safety and worker's compensation programs. He's been there ever since.

Making the Rounds

Herb's driving itinerary reads like an exotic travel brochure. First, he travels from Anchorage to North Denali Park at the base of Mt. McKinley; then further north to Fairbanks where temperatures range from -40 to +90 degrees; then east to Tok, Alaska. From there, Herb drives to the Top of the World Highway, travels 168 miles of gravel road and ferries across the Yukon River to Dawson City, Yukon. Leaving the dirt streets and wooden sidewalks of Dawson, it's a six-hour scenic drive to Whitehorse, then down through British Columbia's mountains to Skagway. Here, at the end of the highway, you either swim, boat or fly to Alaska's capital city, Juneau.

On his return journey, Herb goes back to Skagway and up to Whitehorse, where Westmark has a second hotel. Then it's the Alaska Highway to Beaver Creek, Yukon, whose 400-seat dinner theater draws thousands of tourists annually. From Beaver Creek, Herb heads back across Alaska to Tok, to Glen Allen, then back to Anchorage.

Why does he do all of this? Because Safety Herb understands the value of meeting his charges face-to-face.

Conclusion

Safety Herb is the warmest, friendliest, best-informed safety person in all Alaska - and probably the most traveled, too. Keep him in mind the next time you catch yourself grumbling about your "howdy" rounds.

MEMBER FEEDBACK

Bilingual Safety Training

In your most recent article "Translating Safety" it spoke about how language barriers are creating accidents with Hispanic workers. The article puts the burden on supervisors, etc to learn basic Spanish. This is the wrong idea and I believe all workers need to be able to speak and understand English. This is the USA and the national language is English. We handicap people and workers if we do not demand the basics!! This type of thinking is exactly why so many people in New Orleans were not able to help themselves during the hurricane. They were dependent on the system and were waiting for someone to come get them.

Name withheld

Why is it our fault that 277 Hispanics were killed at job sites in 2000 due to the language barrier? It is their responsibility to learn English so as to comprehend the safety programs and policies and adhere to them. It is not our duty to construct such activities in Spanish.

TRAINING BLOOPERS

True stories that safety trainers would like to forget.

I got a call the other day from a safety trainer at a fairly big company (name withheld for obvious reasons). He had just conducted a confined space training course for my past employer, a small industrial paint contractor based in Riverside, CA. None of the painters who took the course spoke fluent English, and of course the trainer did not speak Spanish.

Somehow, and despite knowing better, he went through the training material and he admitted afterwards, in an embarrassed tone, to having given the final quiz at least seven times before the painters had all passed the test. "I finally gave them the answers and they still couldn't get it right," admitted the trainer.

I was of course horrified. When I handled safety for the contractor in question I conducted all my training classes in a bilingual format. I advised my new trainer friend to take Spanish classes ASAP. You can't get by as a safety trainer in California without being bilingual, particularly in the construction field.

Art Pedroza
Health & Safety Coordinator
Orange, CA

Editor's Note: What's the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you during a training session or related to your safety program? Send your stories to catherinej@bongarde.com.

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