A First...

I truly believe that people aspire to be "first" in most things they do. People want to finish in first place, they want to reach great achievements first, and generally want to set a high standard. Apparently I settle for other firsts. 1-800 CONTACTS has trained management at least once a year on how to handle workplace injuries. It's always been somewhat of a joke because our job isn't exactly the most "physically straining" job around. To support their associates 1-800 has a Work Care center that they use to send associates to if an associate injures themselves while on the job. It's a good resource to have, but I've always laughed about it and wondered if they ever actually send people to it. Well, I found out today that they do... because yours truly was the 1st ever member of management to get sent to Work Care (hence the #1 below... it's a pride symbol for me, by viewing myself as #1 I'm trying to rebuild my ego.)

Today our Soda Fountain in our break room ran out of CO2 and our associates started complaining. The kitchen staff usually changes out the tanks, but they were busy so I figured I would do it, since afterall, I am pretty dang cool. (Plus my first job was in a restaraunt so I've done it before). So I got the replacement tank. I removed the empty one, and then hooked the new one up. The cabinet the tanks go in though isn't big enough to stand them upright in, so you have to push the tank through the cabinet (it doesn't have a back on it) and stand it up behind the cabinet where there's enough open space for it to stand. Well, these tanks are pretty heavy when they're full, and I was having a hard time pushing it all the way through. So, I got down in the cabinet and layed on my side in order to get a better grip on the tank and to push it through. I put all of my weight on my right leg and tried to use it to push me and the tank through to the other side of the cabinet. Well, the floor was wet, my foot slipped; it twisted around in a weird motion and boom the pain hit. I thought I had blown out my knee. Who are EARTH hurts themselves trying to change out a stupid CO2 tank? Apparently I'm the first. So my company made me go to Work Care and get it checked out so that if needed I could get Workmen's Comp coverage. Luckily the knee was fine, I just have a severely strained ACL, but my pride is suffering. Everyone in HR sat and laughed as I recited to them the story of my "on site injury". Well let me be the first to say, workplace injuries are no laughing matter... (LOL, yeah right, I'm a moron!).