Just one example of the daily emails from Raytheon

Please find the attached safety alert that describes an incident that occurred at McMurdo Station. This alert describes a situation where an employee was removing a metal cover that was stuck in place. Additional effort was applied to the removal (brute force). When the cover slid free the additional force caused the cover to strike the employee in the head. This is a situation that everyone can learn from. Please utilize this safety alert to generate a conversation about how to avoid the use of brute force in your work center. In addition please discuss practical examples of how you can remain outside of the line of fire of hazards while conducting tasks.

Thanks,

Matt Barnes
Health and Safety Manager
Raytheon Polar Services
(720) 568-2450

Flight to Antarctica!

Lotion Story

My favorite part of my day are the two 15 minute stretch breaks. This is when all of the DAs, cook and bakers come into a semi-blocked off area of the dining hall, IN SILENCE, and start stretching. I don't know why I think it's so funny...but most of the time it takes me a few to get it together. There is something really hilarious about sharing a space in that way...especially when stretching turns to yoga and more intimate positions. Now that we know each other better we've been talking more. We make announcements, ask questions, get scolded, clear up rumors (McMurdo is known for it's Rumor Mill).

One day during stretching time I was asked by the Lead DA to "share what I learned today." And what he was referring to was a hazardous situation that occured earlier that day.

Here's what happened:

I was trying to put on lotion (because we wash our hands 27 times a day)...and I couldn't get the lotion to come out of the bottle. This particular bottle is located on the top shelf next to the hand washing sink. I kept pumping the top nozzle hoping it would come out. Naturally, I got on my tip toes and looked into the nozzle (still pumping it) to see if it was clogged. Apparently it wasn't because right as I did that lotion came squirting out into my eye. The Lead happened to be there and was ready to push my face down into the emergency eye wash. I was determined to let my eye sort it out for itself and forget it even happened. Luckily, it did work itself out because that would have been an embarrassing reason to use the emergency eye wash. So, when I was asked to share this story with everyone, while stretching of course, we as a group had to figure out a way to avoid the "almost hazardous situation". Which we determined would have been making it REQUIRED to wear safety glasses while putting on lotion. HAH! I am so thankful I did not use that emergency eye wash station.

Life as a DA

I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I arrived. It feels like years.

I wake up at 5am for my shift. Right now I'm on the morning shift from 6am-4pm, but I'm sure that will change. I like being on the morning shift because I can participate in all of the community events (yoga, soccer, lectures, library, arts and crafts rooms, music rooms, workout classes, bouldering cave, etc). The pm shift gets off at 9pm so the only community activity still going at that point is Gallagher's..."the" bar. It hasn't been easy getting sleep here. When I go into my room it's always dark (I mean, really dark. There are no windows.) and when I leave my room it's so bright. I never spend any time in my room because my 3 roommates and I all have different work schedules, and therefore we all sleep at different times. It's funny that it doesn't really matter though, because it's always light outside.

I've really enjoyed being a dining attendant (DA) so far. I've already become very close with the people I work with and we definitely have fun during the day. When I get there in the morning there is a spreadsheet with your name and all of your tasks for the day. We write them down in our little green notebooks called "Green Brains". (I use mine to write down all of my thats what she saids : ) ) My schedule usually looks something like this:

Kira: 6-7 DISH 7-8 POTS break 8:30-9:30 C3 9:30-10:30 POTS 11-11:30 POTS

11:30-12:30 FLOOR 12:30-1:30 LINE break 2-3:30 POTS 3:30-4 LAUNDRY

I've noticed that when I have a good day at work it's because I've been assigned "DISH" more than once. Everyone loves DISH. If you're on dish then you get to do all the plates and silverware that the community uses (different from POTS which is scrubing all of the pots and pans the community uses). When people are done eating and drop off their trays, plates, untensils and what have you at the window they always talk to you, say thank you, ask you how your day is going, give you millions of compliments, even ask you on dates sometimes. So, as horrible as this job seems, it's incredibly rewarding when doing DISH. But seriously, I feel much appreciated all the time. Even though I realize I'm at the bottom of the food chain here no person ever treats me like I'm inferior. It really says something about the community, I think.

There are 62 people working in the Galley (the Dining Hall), 34 are DAs. It is CROWDED in there. We look like little blue smurfs with our light blue button up shirts and matching clogs running around all over the place—scrubbing, re-filling, re-stocking, sweeping, mopping, serving, carrying…it's absolutely hilarious. You can always tell when someone has finished his or her task because he or she is walking around aimlessly with a rag in hand trying to find something to wipe.

I learned quickly that the word I will hear most often in these next 5 months is "ergonomics". By using ergonomics we, as unskilled dishand pot scrapers, can increase productivity by using proper lifting and carrying techniques to minimize the amount of fatigue, discomfort and horrible pain one might feel during a ten hour shift. So basically, we look like robots with barbie hands when we are carrying, moving or touching anything. It's pretty funny and looks ridiculous, but we're committed to doing it because if we don't we'll most likely get fired.

There is something really wonderful about accomplishing a lot in a day without feeling like my brain is going to explode. It's not that I'm not using my brain, it's that it's free to think about whatever I want. I usually spend my time thinking about one of the following: the significance of my education, the election, places I want to travel to when I'm done, how lucky and privileged I am, and everything else...like games we can play while we're working and what I should write in my blog. I guess what I'm really trying to say is.... I'm really happy to be done with the portion of my life where I was writing papers for 5 hours a day.

My hands have gotten pretty dry. I've definitely lost a few layers of skin. But I've gained humility and patience.

Cheese its. I'm in Antarctica.

I can't believe I'm actually here right now. After "boomerang"ing on our first try (making it 98% of the way there but due to the poor conditions on the Ice we had no choice but to turn right back around)...we were all convinced it was going to happen again. So when we landed I was in shock. Before I knew it I was stepping off the plane into blinding white light, which, once I put sunglasses on, turned out to be beautiful mountains and ice as far as you can see. I didn't have much time to soak it all in, because we were being shoved left and right into these huge raised bus/vans. I managed to sneak one picture with the plane. : ) We bounced around in our seats for about 45 minutes until we finally arrived to "MacTown" (McMurdo Station...noobs). We then went directly to the Galley (the Cafeteria basically. And actually where I'll be sleeping, eating, and working). After orientation, dinner, getting the keys to our rooms, I walked over to the building where all the luggage was dropped off. I think it was then that it finally hit me that I'm in Antarctica. It's beautiful and wonderful and it feels so good to be here. I'm excited. (BTW Kirk, I wish you were here : ( ) I have to go to bed...work is at 6am tomorrow...oh boy. Pictures are coming soon!!!