My faithful readers know that I tend to ramble when I title my blog "Musings". Here goes. First, let me say that I don't think anyone should die doing his job. Many advances have been made in oversight with regulatory agencies and rules. Still, it happens, as witnessed with the tragic death of Dan Wheldon yesterday in an Indy car race in Las Vegas. The story behind the tragedy is odd to say the least. Dan was at the forefront of Indy car safety. He was instrumental in the development and testing of the new car that, ironically, will have a bumper of sorts on the back. This to prevent the exact thing that happened yesterday; the front of an Indy car climbing up the back of another and being propelled upwards-with even more speed generated when the front and rear tires make contact. Also, the talent search that fills the seats of these cars keeps driving the age of the drivers ever downward. You start as a toddler to really succeed in professional racing these days. The days of a thirty plus year old driver getting a job due to experience are long gone. So the tragedies take some of our best and brightest, leaving families and colleagues to grieve and wonder what could have been. We can add to this mans legacy by rethinking what we do, both on and off work. Perhaps drive a little slower and more defensively, use the safety gear we are provided at work, and rethink tasks that might be mundane or a little risky to perform. Something as innocent as waiting to climb a ladder till a colleague can spot for you. That kind of thing. Unlike Dan, we usually can control the environment around us and be around for our loved ones to hold and cherish. R.I.P. Dan.
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