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Lindsey Smith <br /> I have been working for the Water Works Department for three summers now and <br /> over that time I have realized how important safety is in the work place. Although <br /> painting fire hydrants might not seem like a dangerous job, there is always the potential <br /> for something to happen. Usually my partner and I do what is necessary to keep <br /> ourselves safe. <br /> Safety means thinking about and planning for what caulci happen. Most people <br /> believe that something bad "could never happen to them". That is, until it does happen <br /> to them. Not all accidents are preventable or even possibly foreseeable, but.it does help <br /> to realize that you aren't indestructible. Then plans can be made in case something <br /> actually does happen. I take simple precautions everyday such as wearing my reflective <br /> vest,putting the truck between traffic and our work area or even just turning on the <br /> truck's emergency lights so that people know that something is going on. I take these <br /> precautions because it is entirely possible that someone who isn't paying attention could <br /> end up crashing into our work area. <br /> However, precautions can only take you so far and safety also involves just being <br /> aware of your surroundings. Being out in traffic, especially downtown, is probably the <br /> most dangerous aspect of our job. Most times, it's necessary to inconvenience other <br /> motorists in order to protect ourselves. They see it as an annoyance, don't understand <br /> why we're in their way and usually feel free to let us know it. Sometimes it is stressful, <br /> but our lives are definitely more important than getting a few more people to work on <br /> time. <br /> Since most people don't understand what's going on when work is being done, <br /> I'm on the defensive while working in heavy traffic areas. A lot of drivers aren't paying <br /> attention, are being careless or even reckless. Some people don't notice or don't care <br /> about people standing in the road or mere feet from the roadway. Therefore, it's my <br /> responsibility to make sure that I'm being as safe as possible. I remember in my driver's <br /> education class we learned to be a defensive driver. That means to lookout not just for <br /> your own mistakes, but others too. The point was that it's not enough to just be a good <br /> driver because there are many other people on the roads who might not be. But if you are <br />