I am excited to return to the Pavilion Lake Research Project as the First Aid Attendant for the second year in row. My job is to help make sure that nobody gets hurt, and if someone does, that they are tended to appropriately. The research team is great because they are passionately involved in their work as well as being committed to the safety and well being of each other. This makes for an excellent work environment because safety is an attitude more so than a set of rules one must adhere to.
Providing services for a unique project like this poses several challenges (this is just the kind of challenge I like to take on). First of all the site, though situated on a highway, is relatively remote. There are not many services nearby when compared to, say, Vancouver, where medical services and supplies are readily accessible. This means I must do a lot of preparation to ensure that in the event of an injury, a patient can get the best medical service in a reasonable amount of time. The work area also is quite diverse. Scientists and other team members are working at base camp, in the wilderness, and both on and under water. In all these environments, they are performing tasks which include running mobile crane equipment, cooking, sampling, diving and operating submersibles. Managing these diverse situations draws on my experience working in remote sites, in laboratories, and in the wilderness.
Another challenge is that the number of workers on site will be higher than in any previous year. To manage such a large group doing such a wide range of activities in different locations, we make use of  a ‘whistle board’ similar to those used in mining operations. With this system we can effectively track each member of the team and keep tabs on them. Each person gets a numbered whistle and signs in and out with their location and when they expect to return. At a glance I can determine who is out, where they are, and if anyone is overdue.
They say “defence is the best offence” and “prevention is the best medicine,” and I very much agree. If all goes well, the preparations will be successful at keeping the team safe, and I will not have had to ‘work’ very hard in the field!
-Damien
The Whistle Board: helping to keep the PLRP team safe since 2005
