Thanks to this sign, I stayed safe on the walkway at home.
Recently I came home to this hand-lettered safety sign. My son had posted it on the fence, above a slippery patch of black ice on the walkway.
It was during Vancouver’s early cold snap, and he had been outside at home with a babysitter. He spilled a bucket of water that froze much more quickly than usual.
The ice created a hazard, so my son went inside, made the sign, and posted it. It made a big difference to me and others who could have been seriously injured.
At 10, my son has seen a lot of safety information – in YouTube videos, websites, and magazines. He asks what I’m writing about, and sometimes he’s with me when I talk with people about stories for this blog.
No one asked him to make the sign; he just thought of it on his own. I hope he will keep this awareness of safety and take it into the future when he is an adult with a job.
Do you know any other kids who keep safety in mind? Any kids you’d like to thank for their efforts? I’m especially curious to know what it’s like for kids of people who work in safety-related jobs.
Love this post! Where an adult might only think about putting down salt or sand, your son thought of something clearly within his own means. In terms of safety hierarchy for hazard reduction, a sign might be the last resort, but being aware of hazards is always important – relying too heavily on devices being fail-safe results in many workers’ injuries each year.