Keep Trucking Safe July 2020 Newsletter

Handling the Pressure

Pressure washers make cleaning grimy surfaces a breeze. Truck drivers and mechanics use them often to remove mud, grease, and oil from undercarriages, mud flaps, tires, fifth wheels, dump bodies, mechanical parts, and even bay floors.

While pressure washers make clean-up easier, using one improperly can cause painful injuries and other damage—not just from their high-pressure spray. Preventing pressure washer injuries begins by identifying equipment hazards. First, set yourself up for success by taking a moment to read the manufacturer’s safety instructions. If you don’t have a printed version, you can typically find it online by performing a simple Google search.

Late Won’t Kill, But Speeding Will

Law enforcement agencies across North America will participate in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Operation Safe Driver Week from July 12 to 18. This year’s enforcement and education campaign will target speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors on America’s highways. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2016 reports that “Speeding of Any Kind” was the most frequent driver-related factor in fatal crashes for large truck and passenger vehicle drivers. The study attributes speeding to 32 percent of crashes involving large truck drivers and 89 percent involving passenger vehicle drivers.

Truck Driver Crushed by Hay Bales

A 61-year-old truck driver working inside a semi-truck’s freight container was crushed when a forklift operator loaded hay bales into the container.

The truck driver’s employer was a hay farm that had two separate business entities, farming and hay hauling. She worked as a semi-truck driver hauling hay in intermodal freight containers to a port.