It is Monday, October 12th at 5:11am and I sit here in # 2 Furnace Skim Shack. I look up and I notice slag splashing over the side of the Skim chute. I leave the shack, put on my Personal Protective Equipment and proceed to adjust the Rosebud until the slag stops spilling over the side. I then remove my P.P.E. and sit down in the old wooden shack.

During the skimming process, you have a lot of time to think and sometimes you have some pretty obscure thoughts.

During the skimming process, I thought to myself if slag were to flow over the chute, down over those 3 steps and hit the end of this shack, how long would it take before this dry, painted, plywood shack would turn into a pile of smouldering ashes.

Before I could even make it out the door, my vision would probably be blurred, I would probably be choking on the stench of burning paint, wood and plastic. I would be stumbling around and would probably bump my head on the big steel thermostat, knock myself out and fall to the floor. (Which is the only part that would not burn, due to the fact the floor is pretty much gone, so it must be wet with rotting wood.)

A little while later, somebody would probably find me charred into a lump of coal because by now the slag line would be plugged and the pit probably full.

The End.

(This little story is just a reminder of how our jobs can sometimes become monotonous and leave us vulnerable and uninspired. In my opinion, this is a legitimate concern and most certainly has the potential to happen. Keeping your mind on your job at all times is of the utmost importance. Work safe! Remember to SLAM and report all concerns.)

cl/cope 342