The Dangers of Taking Shortcuts With Troy Austin

NSSGA Podcast

Troy Austin is the Value Safety Manager at Luck Companies, as well as a Marine Corps Veteran. Today he tells the story of a friend who was accidentally killed by committing an unsafe act during their service together. Neglecting safety procedures in place, Troy’s friend removed the barrel off of a .50 caliber machine gun without standing to the side of the barrel. Unfortunately, there was a round in the chamber, which went off, and he died as a result. This story highlights why it’s so important to follow safety protocols, think about what you’re going to do before you do it, and never take shortcuts. After all, you never know when that one time you take a shortcut, something could happen.

Episode Highlights

• Troy spent several years in the Marine Corps
• He was on a desert training exercise in California, when a friend of his was accidentally killed by committing an unsafe act
• He was taking the barrel off of a .50 caliber machine gun
• Neglected safety procedures and did not stand to the side of the barrel as he was unscrewing it
• There was a round in the chamber, which went off and he passed away as a result
• This incident showed Troy that his purpose was to train others about the importance of working safely, not committing unsafe acts, and not taking shortcuts
• Troy shares his passion around safety, and his hope that this story might help save a life

Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions

• What are some examples of tasks at work where shortcuts could be taken – and what are some possible consequences if a shortcut is taken and things go wrong?
• Are there any procedures that have not been practiced in a while where refresher training should be done to ensure everyone knows the proper and safe way to do a task?
• Does anyone have a story about shortcuts they’d like to share?

Quotes:

“A friend of mine that I served with - he ended up dying by committing an unsafe act.”

“There were several safety procedures that we had in place to make sure something like this didn’t happen.”

“There was a round in the chamber. The round went off. He was standing in front of the barrel, and he ended up passing away.”

“At the end of the day, just don’t commit unsafe acts, and think about what you’re going to do before you do it.”

“You never know when that one time you take a shortcut, something could happen.”

Links:

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association website