Keep Trucking Safe May 2021 Newsletter

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent this bulletin at 05/12/2021 12:45 PM PDT

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Safety Material for the Trucking Industry
May 2021

Safe Cab, Safe Driver

A truck cab has more uses than any other part of a truck. It serves as the vehicle’s control center, an office for paperwork and phone calls, a break area to rest and eat, a shelter from bad weather and environmental conditions, and a storage space for work supplies and equipment. The cab’s multiple uses come with a wide range of hazards. Injuries can result from cab entrance and exit, prolonged sitting, reaching and handling the steering wheel, gear shifter, switches and knobs, and exposure to vibration, noise, chemicals, and fire risks. Take steps toward cab safety by starting with the following tips.

Image of truck driver sitting inside the cab adjusting his chair.

Tips to live by

Well, Well, Well, Global Employee Health and Fitness Month is Back

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month takes place every year in May to promote health and fitness in the workplace. When workers practice healthy lifestyles that include a nutritious diet and physical exercise, they lower their risk of injury and illness and increase productivity. For truck drivers, health and fitness are vital to safe vehicle operation and overall job performance. Healthy and fit drivers benefit trucking companies because they are in better physical and mental condition and are more likely to maintain CDL medical requirements.

Image of human silhouette in front of a globe with the text "Global Employee Health & Fitness Month" above it.

In Memory and Honor

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries held its Worker Memorial Day ceremony on April 28^th to remember the workers who died in 2020 from job-related injuries and illnesses. The virtual ceremony included remarks from Gov. Jay Inslee, representatives from the Association of Washington Business, the Washington State Labor Council, the Washington Self-Insurers Association, and Tina Meyer, whose son Cody was working as a flagger when he was hit and killed by a distracted driver in 2015. This year’s ceremony entered 119 names into the Worker Memorial book, which is on permanent display in the agency’s headquarters’ in Tumwater. The the names of the fallen workers were read aloud with the traditional ringing of the bell after each one.

National Missing Children’s Day is May 25th

National Missing Children’s Day began in 1983 after several high-profile disappearances took place, including the kidnappings and murders of 6-year-olds Etan Patz and Adam Walsh, and the alarming recoveries of twenty-nine bodies of children and young adults in Atlanta. National Missing Children’s Day honors missing and abducted children while celebrating those who have been recovered. It also raises awareness of the need to improve searching for those missing.

Image of colorful tree clip art with a heart in the middle with the text "Bring Our Missing Children Home Safely".

EDUCATION & TRAINING

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Workplace Hazard Reporting and Response System

This training tool will teach you what a workplace hazard reporting and response system is and the importance of having one. This system is used to gather and document information to improve hazard identification, assessment, elimination, and control.

Try our training tool

Conduct an Injury Investigation

image of diverse group representing Injury investigation report

Root cause analysis is a process for finding the what, how, and why something happened to prevent it from happening again in the future.

Try our training tool

MOST COMMON INJURIES

Slips, trips, falls

Strain & sprains (musculoskeletal disorders)

Getting struck by or against an object

The Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis (TIRES) project was developed by the Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) program of Washington's Department of Labor & Industries.

The Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis (TIRES) project team and the TIRES steering committee are working with the Washington State trucking industry to identify causes for the most frequent injuries to develop effective strategies for preventing them. Free safety training materials are available at KeepTruckingSafe.org.

The TIRES steering committee is made up of a diverse group of professionals that includes: drivers, safety people from large and small trucking companies, labor and business associations, insurers and a representative from a publicly funded truck driving school.

Funded in part by a grant from CDC NIOSH 5 U60 OH 008487. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC/NIOSH.

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