The TIRES research team is working with industry leaders, safety and health professionals, employers, drivers, warehouse and dock workers, and many others to develop educational materials that identify hazards and provide low-cost, simple solutions to prevent injuries in the trucking industry. Learn more about TIRES.
What's your New Year's safety resolution plan for 2018?
Consider making workplace safety your resolution this year! A positive safety culture will ultimately save your company money, it not only keeps workers safe, but studies show it also reduces turnover.
Tips for Management:
• Plan the year according to your safety goals. Setting big goals can be hard to implement, so start out with smaller goals and schedule deadlines throughout the year to achieve them.
• Talk to your employees. Your workers are likely to spot safety hazards before anyone else. Start a conversation in a group setting and see what they think that might improve safety. Then be sure to follow up on their ideas and report back at your next safety meeting.
Want to show appreciation for a truck driver whose career excellence in safety and compliance has consistently outshined the rest? Then nominate them for the 2018 International Driver Excellence Award (IDEA) from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The prestigious annual award recognizes drivers who “go above and beyond the performance of their duties as a commercial vehicle driver, distinguishing themselves conspicuously and beyond the call of duty through the achievement of safe operation and compliance carried out with evident distinction for an extended period of time.”
Use this checklist to make sure you are prepared for the hazards of winter driving and will be able to stay warm, safe and healthy if you are forced to spend an extended period of time in your truck.
Early one morning, while it was still dark, a 62-year-old truck driver was walking around his truck doing the pre-trip inspection. In the darkness, he didn’t see that a railroad tie that was used to separate the parking areas had been knocked out of place and was partially blocking his path. He stepped on the edge of the tie, twisting and spraining his foot. The injury kept him off work for 18 days..
Take time now to lay out and inspect each chain for wear and breaks. Double check by installing all your chains to make sure there isn’t something you missed during the initial inspection. Restock enough extra bungies to keep chains tight.
