Too Many Attacks On Employees!

Anthony, Cynthia and I spent the first week in June at the National Meter Reader Conference in Memphis, TN. We were there to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.  On the first day Cynthia saw Andy Duryk of Florida Power and Light, he had come by our booth to talk about his employee who had been attacked by Pit Bulls. Andy was very worried about his employees because it was reported that she was in critical condition, she had been life-flighted to a near by hospital for treatment. The story was still not completely clear but this much he knew.
 

Carol a 52 year old female employee with 22 years experience was scoping the meter over the fence, when the Pit Bulls behind her in another yard jumped the 4-foot fence they were behind and attacked her.  The first dog grapped her by the back of the head. Taking her to the ground.  Then the other dogs joined in and drugged her around by her head.  Carol said at this point what went threw her mind was Diane Whipple, the woman in San Francisco that was killed by two Presa Canaries in the hallway of her apartment building.  The dogs were pulling and shaking her so hard that they pulled off a 6x9 inch potion of her scalp, including most of her right ear.  She was able to scare one of the dogs off with pepper spray. She then got to her feet and into her truck, she went to her next customer’s house but no one was home.  She then continued to the next house where she found help. The owner of the Pit Bulls saw where Carol was getting help and he walked towards the emergency workers carrying a metal bowl, he was bringing Carol back the back of her head and ear.   Carol was then flown to a hospital that could take care of her plastic surgery needs. She would spend the next 6 hours in surgery.   Carol will recover physically; she will take a little longer to recover from the terror of the attack.
 

Andy and I spoke about this attack I told Andy, “I guaranteed you these dogs have attacked before. Dogs build on every experience they have. A dog does not run out and attack a person never having some prior experience.  When the customer watches a dog attack you and does nothing it is the same as praising the dog. Absence of correction is praise.   I know many employees talk about the experiences they have in the field and how they can recognize the dog building in aggression.
 

We’ve have had two horrible dog attacks to field employees in Florida in the last 10 months. Both attacks were by groups of dogs that have attacked before.  Everyone involved in employee safety must look at the facts, we can no longer wish for the best when working around the dogs in your area. Steps must be taken to protect employees from future attacks.  Documenting dogs that are either living in un-secure areas or that have been allowed to attack employees supervised or unsupervised by the customer. Policies must be amended to include employee evaluations of property conditions and if dog are allowed to run loose.  It will be up to the employee to let management know when problems arise.  Paper trails need to be started so if there is a “BAD DOG”, the dog now has been documented and all future contact with the dog is a matter of public record.
 

I know if you’re reading this article you are concerned about your safety and others in the field. We would like to hear what you have to say, please write us with your comments.   If you have thoughts on how to manage the problem please let us know that too.  I know there is a solution to this problem, together we can solve it.
 

We wish Carol a speedy recovery and our prayers go out to her and her family.
 

Mitzi Robinson