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For those of you unlucky enough to be reading this from your workplace today, I applaud you. Many in the workforce are already in Thanksgiving celebration mode, but I felt it was necessary to come in and inform you of some serious and not-so-serious Thanksgiving risks. Whether you like it or not.
A common mistake during Thanksgiving preparations is people believing they can cook. Regular Joe’s turn into suburban Tom Colicchio’s and many times, this brings about two major risks: fire and more fire. Fire not only from one’s oven or stovetop, but also from the ol’ deep fryer. In recent years deep frying a turkey has spread in popularity from the Southern United States to other regions and with that, the number of calls the fire department responds to and the number of trips to the emergency room has increased exponentially. The following shows a family of geniuses deep frying their turkey on a wooden deck and using water to extinguish a grease fire instead of simply turning off the propane.
Speaking of turkey, another Thanksgiving risk includes excessive overeating. Some reports even claim that one day of turkey, stuffing and continuous snacking can amount to 3,000 to 4,500 calories. That’s a lot, considering you didn’t jog on over to the festivities at Uncle Gary’s house, 13 miles away.
And what goes better with overeating than excessive drinking? Let’s not forget to add alcohol calories to those glutinous food calories. Upon researching this, I was horrified to find out that one glass of red wine amounts to approximately 95 calories. Great.
On a more serious note, alcohol-related accidents soar during the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the National Safety Commission, Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday period of the year with almost 90% of those traveling doing so by car. During the 2008 Wednesday-through-Sunday holiday time period, 389 occupants of passenger vehicles were killed in car crashes while thousands more were injured.
Finally, let us not forget the risk of the all-too-popular family feud. When you combine the stress of the holidays with deadly grease fires, aunt Nancy’s loudmouthed boyfriend, your brother’s temper-tantrum-prone three-year-old, 15 other people (half of which you haven’t seen since last Thanksgiving) and enormous amounts of food and alcohol, there’s bound to be an entertaining argument or two. And if you’re lucky enough, grandma will have one too many hot toddy’s and tell you all how she really feels.
Somali pirates don’t give up — as we see today with the news that the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama was almost hijacked for a second time. Just seven months ago, the ship was attacked and its captain, Richard Phillips, was taken hostage on a lifeboat for five days. The standoff ended with Navy SEAL sharpshooters killing three pirates and rescuing Phillips.
In this most recent attack, a number of pirates fired automatic weapons at the Maersk Alabama, but this time, the ship fired back. On board was a vessel protection detachment (VPD), or a crew of armed guards assigned to the ship, who successfully thwarted the attack by firing their weapons and repelling the pirates.
In our January/February issue, I wrote a piece on the the escalating number of pirate attacks occurring off the coast of Somalia and the effect these attacks have on shipping insurance rates, stating that:
Shipping insurance rates have skyrocketed in the past year. BGN Risk, a corporate and specialty risk consulting firm, was recently reported as saying that piracy in the Gulf of Aden could increase insurance and transport costs by $400 million. The firm also stated that the “special risks” insurance levy for crossing the gulf has now skyrocketed to $20,000, up from $500 per voyage in 2007.
And that number continues to rise as pirates continue their attacks. These brazen ship-stealers try for just about any boat that sails towards their path. Almost three weeks ago, a British couple was taken hostage by Somali pirates as they sailed on their yacht in the Indian Ocean. Though they have spoken to the media through pirate-monitored conversations, stating they are being fed and taken care of, their whereabouts are unknown.
The following video shows how U.S. predator drones attempt to monitor Somali pirates — a feat that proves challenging.
In Risk Management‘s December issue this year, we are including a “Decade of Risk” feature that will recap how the events of the last ten years have seen — or more accurately, forced — a rapid evolution of the risk management.
We hope this will not only add some good perspective on just how far the discipline has come, but also provide a good complement to our annual “Year in Risk” feature, which is also being presented in new way this year that I think you will all enjoy. We wanted to do something a little different and hope you like it as much as we do.
Predictably, however, we’re not the only people who realized that 2010 will soon be upon us and that this makes a good time to look back. Newsweek, for instance, created the really good video I’ve included below, which will “give you every thing you need to know about the first decade of the 21st century.”
Like us, they also recognize that they know they didn’t have the time nor the memory to include every thing important that happened in the past ten years. And like them, we ask that you readers write in to let us know what other things we should have included — or simply to share your thoughts on those things that we do discuss.
So please do look out for our “Decade of Risk” and “Year in Risk” features in the December issue in a few weeks and please do tell us what you think.
(video via Urlesque’s really great Wrap Up of Wrap Ups, which features a bunch of similar videos like “The History of Music in 5 Minutes” and the fantastic “40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes.” There probably isn’t a better way to end your day than watching that one.)
It was recently reported that a Russian circus bear killed a circus manager, 25-year-old Dmitry Potapov, and critically injured another circus worker who tried to rescue the manager. Though we may not hear about every incident involving a circus animal who turns on its captors, there are plenty of eye-raising instances, such as the one below. Tyke, a 20-year-old African elephant went on a rampage during a performance in Hawaii in August of 1994, killing her trainer and severely injuring her groomer.
(Warning: the following footage contains graphic images)
The Humane Society of the United States keeps a detailed list of circus incidents involving animals, from 1978 to the present. To read this lengthy list is to realize how common these attacks are, and how using (and in most instances, abusing) animals in circus and zoo performances is arcane and unethical. BornFreeUSA.org, an animal protection initiative, lists 10 fast facts about animals in the circus:
Every major circus that uses animals has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set forth in the United States Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year traveling.
During travel, animals may be caged or chained for long distances and hours, forced to stand in their own waste, in extreme temperatures.
Standard circus industry training tools used on animals include bullhooks, whips, clubs, and electric prods.
Animals born in circus “conservation” breeding programs have never been released into the wild.
From 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants have died premature deaths in the circus. Other circus animals who have died in an untimely manner include horses and lions.
Captive elephant and captive feline attacks on humans in the U.S. have resulted in hundreds of injuries, many resulting in death.
In the wild, elephants live in large, sociable herds and walk up to 25 miles every day. Most other wild animals found in circus settings, including lions and tigers, are also constantly on the move in their native habitats. In the circus, animals spend most of their time in cages or chains.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which enforces the AWA) have repeatedly ignored obvious physical trauma to animals, eyewitness accounts of mistreatment, and sworn testimony from former circus employees who report abuse of elephants.
Circuses that feature only human performers are gaining in popularity and provide dazzling, humane, and truly family-friendly entertainment.
In fact, circuses that provide human-only performances and entertainment are not only becoming more popular, but in some towns, they are the only choice. Earlier this year, Michigan State University students pushed to ban the Royal Hanneford Circus, citing allegations of animal abuse. In Queensland, Australia, a city council ruled that circuses involving animal performances are banned as of June of this year. And in Bolivia, both wild and domestic animals have been banned from circus performances within the country. Is this a sign of the times? Have animal circuses become a relic of the past?
Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year traveling.
During travel, animals may be caged or chained for long distances and hours, forced to stand in their own waste, in extreme temperatures.
Standard circus industry training tools used on animals include bullhooks, whips, clubs, and electric prods.
Animals born in circus “conservation” breeding programs have never been released into the wild.
From 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants have died premature deaths in the circus. Other circus animals who have died in an untimely manner include horses and lions.
Captive elephant and captive feline attacks on humans in the U.S. have resulted in hundreds of injuries, many resulting in death.
In the wild, elephants live in large, sociable herds and walk up to 25 miles every day. Most other wild animals found in circus settings, including lions and tigers, are also constantly on the move in their native habitats. In the circus, animals spend most of their time in cages or chains.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which enforces the AWA) have repeatedly ignored obvious physical trauma to animals, eyewitness accounts of mistreatment, and sworn testimony from former circus employees who report abuse of elephants.
Circuses that feature only human performers are gaining in popularity and provide dazzling, humane, and truly family-friendly entertainmentEvery major circus that uses animals has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set forth in the United States Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year traveling.
During travel, animals may be caged or chained for long distances and hours, forced to stand in their own waste, in extreme temperatures.
Standard circus industry training tools used on animals include bullhooks, whips, clubs, and electric prods.
Animals born in circus “conservation” breeding programs have never been released into the wild.
From 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants have died premature deaths in the circus. Other circus animals who have died in an untimely manner include horses and lions.
Captive elephant and captive feline attacks on humans in the U.S. have resulted in hundreds of injuries, many resulting in death.
In the wild, elephants live in large, sociable herds and walk up to 25 miles every day. Most other wild animals found in circus settings, including lions and tigers, are also constantly on the move in their native habitats. In the circus, animals spend most of their time in cages or chains.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which enforces the AWA) have repeatedly ignored obvious physical trauma to animals, eyewitness accounts of mistreatment, and sworn testimony from former circus employees who report abuse of elephants.
Circuses that feature only human performers are gaining in popularity and provide dazzling, humane, and truly family-friendly entertainment.
