Idea: Doing a personal safety audit for the past season

[pchapman 279]

I was thinking that it would be a good idea for jumpers to do a yearly review of their past season, to think about any incidents or near-incidents they had. These things can be useful food for thought for the future.

It's a simple idea but I've never heard it mentioned before. Skydivers do study accident reports, and some DZ's might even review the previous season on a Safety Day. But we could do a personal review too.

It is easy to think, "I was safe. I didn’t hurt myself, and no mals either. No problem!"

But that may be glossing over a number of little incidents. Maybe there was that dig out of the corner on a swoop that just avoided hitting the ground, there was that load where separation on opening was too small, that toggle fire that was probably from sloppy packing, that time someone "came out of nowhere" while was under canopy, that time one didn't secure that baggy sweatshirt and it was covering handles in freefall, and so on.

These things may or may not be one's fault or fully under one's control. They don't always mean one screwed up, but they need to be considered as they influence safety. Some of these things -- especially the awkward moments that one would prefer to forget, and didn't actually scare anyone badly -- are easy to forget months later, but if written into the logbook at the time they can be summarized later.

There are those sayings, true or not, about how for every fatal accident there may be 10 accidents that could have been fatal, and 100 incidents that might have been accidents. There are a lot more of the little problems to learn from than the big problems.

These things add up and it can be instructive to catalog them at season's end, despite thinking that one is a reasonably safe skydiver. While jumpers will accept different kinds and levels of risks in the sport, there's still an important difference between an intentional low pull and getting sucked low before one realized it.


Anyone else find that whatever their impression of their last season is, when they really start to think about it, they remember a bunch more little things that didn't go that well?


(Disclaimer: Now don't get the idea I'm just here to harp about safety. I have been known to push a few limits.)

[virgin-burner 1]

Quote

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(Disclaimer: Now don't get the idea I'm just here to harp about safety. I have been known to push a few limits.)

maybe its just me, but i believe i have mentioned in one or two posts that something has "hit close to home".

all of those incidents that have been hitting close to me, have made me stop and think twice. what happened here and what did i do there!? and i try to avoid those traps in my future "career" in skydiving.

it's easy to jump on others, specifically in the numberous downsizing threads and the i-wanna-fly-a-wingsuit-right-off-aff..

but to those, do you ever stop and listen. maybe you're a little light-hearted like i am, but in fact, i have questioned more than one decision of mine. mind you, i try to seek the best possible advice available. i seek education in all my fields of interest. and i question the points of view of those much more knowledgeable than i am. not in the "bad way", but more in the meaning of fully understanding.

as jumpers, we're acccounted to the thrill-seeking kind of people. i believe, we're in the curious type ones also. and maybe the controversives, too! not a bad thing really..

but, its in your interest, also to get into detail about what YOU did wrong, why, when, what happened before.. i know i do. and i know i'll keep on going that way. altough that might be annoying to a lot of people, but better to have 1000 people annoyed than one hurt.

and as i also said, watch out for each other! banter is fun and all, and some might think bounce-bingo is a great way to entertain themselves, but in the end, we're all individuals and want to be treated as such.. in that regard, i dont believe in conservative downsizing-tables and the oh-so-holy jumpnumber-thingy..

i understand that when places get big, unlike in my country, its difficult to keep track of each student, young jumpers, and everybody wanting to earn their living with the sport. maybe take things a little slower..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[skypuppy 1]

Something like "I shouldn't have had that Nth beer and THEN driven over to the beer store.", you mean?

But I don't really remember that anyway. Someone just told me it happened....

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[DeeBeeGee 0]

fantastic idea for a thread - we have an area for mistakes that cost people dear but not one for mistakes that luckily didn't

after a gear check i noticed that i had misrouted my chest strap - the guy who checked me and said i was good to go told me they were waiting to see if i would spot it myself. i half believe him (half as in 10%)
lesson - check your own kit. get someone to check it. then check it again. then again. then again.
if your current dressing routine fails you then reassess why you fucked up in the first place and adjust your routine so it never happens again. then check your change to routine to see if it works. then guess what, check that you didn't ignore your new routine and fucked up putting on the piece of equipment that's going to save your life

only other tip would be not to rely on the breeze to blow away a hangover

[huge 0]

Stupid things I have done is always worth reading.