Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

Otherwise known as walking or running, perhaps bicycling.

Lieutenant Dan to Forrest Gump and Bubba, "Take care of your feet and try not to do anything stupid! Always change your socks!"

If this goes in the swamps of Vietnam, it goes doubly in pulp and paper mills.

Long before "Forrest Gump," when I was young and foolish, I once walked through a puddle in the pulp mill where I worked. It was only a couple of inches deep and about ten feet wide. When I got out, the soles immediately fell off my safety boots and my feet stung. Not everything out there is water!

Under my desk I kept a pillow, a blanket, a change of clothes and two pair of socks. I should have kept an extra pair of safety boots, too.

It is important that you take care of your body, especially your feet and legs. If your primary job is welding, I even recommend leather welding chaps to keep slugs of molten filler metal from going through your pants or dropping in your boots when you are twenty-five feet in the air (happened to my Dad, along about 1939--made a nice hole in his ankle).

If you don't walk much outside of work, I suggest Pilates or slow-strength training (I do both even now).

For the other means of transportation we talked about this month one can change a tire, rebuild an axle, or otherwise return it to new condition. You only have two feet and two legs, and they need to last you a lifetime.

Going up and down a paper machine all day, including traversing stairs and ladders, takes a toll on your feet and legs. The wear and tear happens slowly when you are young, catastrophically as you get older.

If nothing else, with today's ubiquitous phone cameras, take a picture of each of your feet from different angles ever year or so. This will give you a record to know when things change.

Knees and hips are not to be ignored, either. At the first sign of trouble, get them looked at, if only to set a base line reading for future information.

And then there is your weight. Know what a desired weight is for your height and get there. Lugging around extra pounds is very hard on your legs and feet.

So, we end transportation with a lecture. Tough. It is for your own good!

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Manual Transportation Study Guide

Quiz

1. What is meant by "manual transportation" in the context of the provided text?
2. What advice does Lieutenant Dan give to Forrest Gump and Bubba about their feet?
3. What happened to the author's safety boots after walking through a puddle in the pulp mill?
4. What items did the author keep under his desk at work?
5. Why does the author recommend welding chaps for welders?
6. What physical activities does the author suggest for those who don't walk much outside of work?
7. How does the author compare the lifespan of manual transportation (feet and legs) to other means of transportation discussed?
8. What part of the body, in addition to feet and legs, does traversing stairs and ladders in a paper machine impact?
9. What does the author suggest doing annually to track changes in your feet?
10. How does carrying extra weight impact your legs and feet?

Essay Format Questions

• Analyze the author's argument for prioritizing the care of one's feet and legs in physically demanding industrial environments.
• Discuss the practical safety precautions suggested by the author and explain their relevance to workplace hazards.
• Compare and contrast the author's perspective on maintaining manual transportation (feet and legs) with the maintenance of mechanical transportation.
• Evaluate the author's use of personal anecdotes and pop culture references to convey his message about physical well-being.
• Explain the long-term consequences of neglecting the care of one's feet, legs, knees, and hips as described in the text.

Glossary of Key Terms

Manual Transportation: Refers to getting around by using one's own body, primarily walking, running, or bicycling.

Pulp and Paper Mills: Industrial facilities where pulp and paper products are manufactured, often involving hazardous environments.

Safety Boots: Footwear designed to protect the feet from workplace hazards, such as chemicals or falling objects.

Welding Chaps: Protective leg coverings worn by welders to shield from sparks, molten metal, and slag.

Molten Filler Metal: Metal that has been melted and is used to join other metal pieces in welding.

Pilates: A system of exercises focusing on core strength, flexibility, and posture.

Slow-Strength Training: A form of weight training performed with controlled, slow movements to maximize muscle engagement.

Paper Machine: Large industrial machinery used in the process of making paper, often requiring extensive movement around and on it.

Base Line Reading: An initial measurement or assessment used for comparison with future readings to track changes.

Answer Key

1. Manual transportation refers to using one's own body to get around, including walking, running, and potentially bicycling.
2. Lieutenant Dan advises taking care of your feet, trying not to do anything stupid, and always changing your socks.
3. The soles immediately fell off his safety boots, and his feet stung.
4. Under his desk, the author kept a pillow, a blanket, a change of clothes, and two pair of socks.
5. Welding chaps are recommended to protect against slugs of molten filler metal going through pants or dropping into boots.
6. The author suggests Pilates or slow-strength training for those who don't walk much outside of work.
7. Unlike other means of transportation that can be repaired or rebuilt, you only have two feet and two legs, and they need to last a lifetime.
8. Traversing stairs and ladders in a paper machine also takes a toll on your knees and hips.
9. The author suggests taking a picture of each of your feet from different angles every year or so to track changes.
10. Lugging around extra pounds is very hard on your legs and feet.

________

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