Students attend live demonstrations

The smashed-up car with caution tape was one of many exhibits at Liberty University’s first Safety Day. The event was held on the lawn beside the Center for Natural Sciences Oct. 24, and it allowed students to attend live demonstrations, talk with local first responders and learn more about what Liberty is doing to promote workplace safety on the university grounds. 

Organizations at the event included the Liberty University Police Department, Virginia Highway Patrol, Virginia State Police Bomb Squad, Lyn-Dan Heights Volunteer Fire Department, MSA Safety and Fastenal. Other Liberty organizations that participated included the School of Aeronautics, the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Community Life.

Some demonstrations during the event included the Lyn-Dan Heights Volunteer Fire Department showcasing their “jaws of life” tools by disassembling a car throughout the day. Additionally, MSA Safety demonstrated the usefulness of its harness shock absorption systems. Another station expounded upon the dangers of drunk driving. 

“The goal of Safety Day is to promote safety on our campus every day throughout the year,” Director of Environmental Health and Safety Greg Bennet said. “We hope to do it annually to give examples of what our firefighters can do for us, what our own police do for us and other areas that focus on keeping our students safe.”

Bennet said that his office “does safety every day,” looking over the facilities and procedures on campus and evaluating them to make sure that everything is safe for students and workers alike. 

Bennet hopes to hold this event annually with more departments, such as the College of Osteopathic Medicine, to showcase themselves and their commitment to safety at Liberty. 

Wilson is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion