On Saturday, Reddit user u/directinLA asked, "What is a safety tip everyone should know about?" People came through with some super-important tips. Some are basic, some are low-key genius, but ALL of them are important to know.
Here's some of what they said:
1. "Wear safety glasses when working. Wear safety gloves when working. Wear safety boots when working. Do not make excuses — one mistake can cost you your finger, eye, toe."
2. "When walking down the street with a one-shoulder bag, keep it on the building side of your body — not the side on which people pass you. It makes the bag harder to slash/snatch."
3. "The gates on a railroad crossing are meant to break away when driven through. If your car ever stalls out on a crossing, don't bother with 911 — look for the blue sign posted on the crossing gates themselves and call that number. That number will get you in contact with the train dispatcher, who can let oncoming trains know about it immediately."
4. "In the event of a disaster, stay the fuck away from downed power lines! Don’t walk along the street with them, don’t drive your car over them, don’t take selfies with them. They’re thunder noodles and have been known to kill."
5. "If you have a skin mole that has blurry edges, isn't symmetrical, is a weird shade of red, weeps fluids, or acts like an open wound that won't heal, you might have skin cancer. Go to a doctor IMMEDIATELY. Melanoma kills fast."
6. "Do NOT put objects in the driver's foot space. Even things as small as a tennis ball. It's very unsafe for the driver."
7. "Nobody wins in a street fight."
8. "If you're confronted, it's far better to run away if at all possible rather than try to fight your attacker. Even if you think you are a badass."
9. "'Feet first, first time' method — never dive unless you know how deep the water is."
10. "Don't say, 'Someone call an ambulance.' Do it yourself, or directly tell one person to do it."
11. "If you are the passenger, never put your feet on the dash. With or without airbags, don’t do it. Level 1 trauma hospital worker here. Seen a fatality of a passenger who had their legs on the dash during the collision. It literally shoved their (broken) leg back into them and their own leg bone (shard) pierced their chest cavity and heart."
12. "NEVER mix cleaning products."
13. "Deep dents in canned foods, especially on a seam, can be a sign of botulism or bacterial contamination; these cans should be avoided."
14. "Worked in a machine shop. I was told the top three rules were these: 1) Know where the emergency stop button is on every machine. 2) If you wouldn't touch it with your penis, don't touch it with your finger. 3) If something falls, let it hit the floor (don't try to catch anything falling)."
15. "You're more likely to be attacked in a transitional space. Going into and out of buildings, cars, and especially between the two. You let your guard down because you're thinking about what you're going to do when you get there, not what you're doing right now, and not what's going on around you. Stay alert, stay safe."
Did they miss any? Let us know some of your safety tips in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.