May 8, 2018
Whether if it’s a cat in the tree or an alien life-form looking to destroy Earth, superheroes in film and on television are constantly putting themselves in harms way to save the day. Some have super powers like strength, or the ability to fly, but some are just normal with fancy suits and armor. No matter how big and strong they are, perhaps some safety training could prevent even the most mighty from harm. We’re going to look at some of the key members of the Avengers and learn just how they can implement some safety training to keep themselves safe (let’s face it, compliance is the last thing on their minds).
**Warning: May Contain Spoilers**
Iron Man – Electrical Safety
If you know anything about Iron Man (Tony Stark), he’s a billionaire playboy who is constantly building new toys to help defeat evil from harming Earth. Stark, due to a “workplace” injury years ago, now has to wear an arc reactor in his chest to keep shrapnel from floating into his heart. Between his hobbies and his day job, he’s one electrical hazard away from shorting that reactor and causing himself imminent doom. Let’s hope he stays up to date on some electrical safety best practices to avoid that route.
Black Widow – Workplace Violence
So, whenever Black Widow is on the screen, there’s a really good chance that she’s about to kick or tackle someone. I’m pretty confident her first showings in film were just that – finding the next person to get into a chokehold. Let’s face it, she was a spy turned agent so I guess that’s what the job description asks for.
Hulk – Workplace Stress
The Incredible Hulk (Bruce Banner) might be the most stressed person on the planet. His levels of stress not only causes harm and damage to everyone and everything in his path, the guy literally turns green and changes form. That can’t be good on his body or mind. Maybe if Banner learns to handle stress a bit better with his jobs (scientist and beast), he’d have no reason to change and smash things in his path.
Thor – LockOut TagOut
Sure, looking at Thor, you’re probably thinking Hand and Power Tool Safety make a bit more sense being that he literally uses a hammer to smash away his foes. I think he does a great job, though, with wielding Mjölnir so no immediate training there. In the most recent film, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor is found holding open a door to allow energy to flow to start the molding of his new weapon Stormbreaker (ok, maybe he could use some Hand and Power Tool training after-all). Not to be “that guy”, but a little LockOut TagOut training would of had that broken down machine locked down and prevented energy from a star to pass through Thor to create his weapon. Perhaps waiting for a service team to fix the machine in the first place would have been a good call, though not sure what a machine’s downtime looks like in the middle of space.
(Yes, I do understand that without this axe being created, Wakanda would probably be in greater trouble)
Captain America – PPE
Steve Rogers (Captain America) is pretty much the “poster boy” for all things good about the Avengers. He’s selfless, he’s strong, he’s a war hero…he’s what we would call a great American. Unfortunately, workplace hazards show no prejudice towards anyone and Captain America is no different. Though he possesses superhuman strength, being that his most trusted weapon is a form of medieval style technology reimagined with adamantium, I think he needs to learn a bit more about PPE. For example, Tony Stark is covered with a mechanical suit and Thor is a God, so they’re good but Captain is a human man…plain and simple. When he’s going up against villains; they’re all superhuman. So, if he can work on understanding some better PPE practices, his life expectancy might go up a few years (even with his workplace being a bit dangerous at times).
Spiderman – Fall Protection
Peter Parker (Spiderman) is the high-flying, swinging kid from New York who, from a spider bite, is now “blessed” with special abilities. Besides the clear labor laws being broken for this kid fighting to save the galaxy, Spiderman can certainly benefit from some fall protection training. With him swinging around the tops of buildings hundreds of feet above the ground, one can image that having a fall protection harness could save him from some dangerous falls he endures. Yes, I’m sure that restricts him quite a bit but safety over productivity!
Nick Fury – Eye Safety
Nick Fury, being the leader of SHIELD and, in theory, the Avengers, is a terrible example of workplace safety. With all of these heros violating safety regulations at every turn, there’s no surprise when you see that Fury is heading this organization. Not only does he need some managerial safety training, but at this point, let’s have him focus on Eye Safety. He has already lost one eye from a workplace hazard, perhaps some eye protection could have prevented that injury. If Fury loses another eye, how much more safety standards are the Avengers going to violate – can you imagine?
Ant Man – Confined Space
Whether he’s channeling his inner Ant or turning himself into Giant Man, Scott Lang is a serious hazard in any workplace environment. After stealing his suit to become Ant Man, Lang finds himself with the ability to shrink down to the size of an ant or expand his size to a giant. Because of this “ant transition”, Lang is often running through small pipes and drains to get the advantage on his enemies, which leaves him at risk of injury and illness in confined spaces. Not sure if this training will prevent him from going through those tight spaces again, but it might show him how to operate down there in the very least.
Groot – Fire Prevention
Groot, being a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and an Avenger, is put into some of the most dangerous and compromising places in order to save his teammates. Being that he’s completely made out of wood, one would have to worry about exposure to any fire. One spark could turn Groot into ash and I’m not sure if he’ll come back from that one. Whether is fire extinguisher or general fire safety training, I’m sure these topics can’t hurt Groot’s chances of staying alive.
