In 2007, 38 people jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. So far through September of 2008, 19 have jumped. Since 1937 about 2,000 have committed suicide there.
San Francisco officials have decided to put a $50,000,000 stainless steel net under the bridge to catch, or thwart the efforts of would be jumpers. That’s FIFTY MILLION dollars.
The new net will be 20 feet below the bridge and extend 20 feet on either side. It will be the same color as the bridge, and is said to be the least aesthetically cumbersome option that city officials came up with. No one is saying how they will keep people from jumping out of the net. And even if the net idea works there are plenty of other ways to die.
Some tax payers thought their $50,000,000 would be better spent on making mental health facilities more accessible for those considering suicide.
PPE is not always the solution. Injury and fatalities reports often show that the subject was not wearing a seat belt, not wearing a safety harness, not wearing a hard hat or not wearing safety glasses.
Cowboy Safety takes a whole new approach to the subject of safety that considers the problems in a different light. Do we want to actually prevent the incidents? What are the real causes? What are the real hazards? How much will all this cost? Is there a better way to insure safety? Can we go beyond engineering controls?
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