Donald T. Wright, rcdd
bicsi-certified Trainer
Training Director
Compel Corp.
Santa Fe Springs, CA
I was impressed, both positively and negatively, with Cabling Installation Expo `98 held last October in Atlanta, GA.
First the bad news: Many of the fiber-optic cable, tool, and equipment representatives who were demonstrating their products showed little, if any, concern about safety in dealing with fiber scrap. There was no black tape, fiber trash can, safety glasses, or other safety measures. Not only did the representatives put themselves at risk for injury but also the people in attendance at their demonstrations. I commented to many of those who were performing unsafe activities, and I received varied responses, oneof which was, OOh, yeah, [laughter]. We have a fiber trash can right here.O The bare fiber scrap was then put
directly into the regular trash receptacle. Others just gave me a dirty look because I interrupted them in their sales pitch.
Was this a willful disregard for safety? Are these representatives professionals? Is this the way we want our field installers to treat safety issues?
Next, the good news: I feel that you assembled a good mixture of product manufacturers and vendors. The products displayed gave a good picture of the variety of solutions available to meet installation needs. Thank you for a job well done.
