May 2015 Safety Meeting Topics

1. May 2015Safety Meeting Topics Spring fever is NOW – FOCUS! Defensive Driving & high wind advisory Bird – animal – insect – reptile – critter awareness Check your work zone tcp and sign deployment Defensive driving & intersections

2. High Wind Advisory – Large TRUCKS • Large rigs rolling fast create a lot of wind resistance. They can also be subject to blow-over in some conditions. • Spring season is notorious for bizarre weather – rain, sleet, high winds, etc. BE ALERT AROUND BIG RIGS! • An empty rig is more susceptible to blow over. We have no way to know if they’re loaded or empty. • Treat them all like blood poison & STAY AWAY! • And while we are on this topic, if there is a heavy rain, you need to remember that DRAINAGE on the highway is subject to a lot of variables. STANDING WATER can occur in practically anyplace on the pavement. • The SPEED of your rig will determine how easily you are going to hydro-plane. Even a film of water at 70 mph will get you out of direct pavement contact. Remember, water does not compress. • Give yourself a lot of room around trucks, make sure they see you (i.e., warning lights) and slow down in rain!

3. Seasonal Reminders • Hydration & diet are actually important year ‘round, but NOW is when the body starts to thin our blood for warmer weather cooling. You can assist this process by staying properly hydrated. • In other words, skip the Red Bull, stay with the watered down lemonade Gator-Ade or whatever has electrolyte replacement. Ascorbic acid with a lot of water helps hydrate. • Diet is important as well. Try to avoid fast food. Have a salad, skip the fries. Measured portions are preferred vs. the all you can eat buffet. • Remember “Circadian Rhythms” govern our internal body clock. The nefarious Post Lunch Dip is what causes us to be sleepy after the mid-day meal. This effect can be minimized by eating a lighter healthier lunch.

4. Wild Kingdom & Highway Infrastructure • Critters love the interstate, because there are no people to hassle them and there are lots of places for them to hang out and forage. It’s their own nature preserve. • Crossing travel lanes can be perilous for them but mostly they can live and let live without a lot of interference. Except when we come along for an inspection. That’s when WE become the invasive species. • Couple of tips: Get in the habit of carrying a tool. Use this tool to make your presence known by banging it around and otherwise creating a commotion, especially when there are places you cannot see into. Reptiles and critters who live in the ground, feel your vibrations from a long way off and will retreat to a safe distance when they have advance warning. Shovel, pitch fork, machete or axe, etc. • Required PPE is your hat with a chin strap, vest, gloves, eye protection, and boots obviously. Rain gear as needed. • Best Maintenance Practices: Avoid reaching or stepping into places you cannot safely see in advance, to avoid a surprise. Ideally we will not ‘sneak up’ on anything and cause it to react defensively. • We are also distributing snake bite kits as a precaution, but avoidance is the best practice. Most reptile bites are to the lower leg, therefore long pants of heavy fabric are recommended. We are also evaluating chaps and leggings to protect the vulnerable areas. • Extra caution around drainage structures, clumps of wet vegetation, concrete structures esp. on warm sunny days when cold-blooded reptiles like to sun bathe. It might not be a stick laying on the culvert. Keep reading – Page 2 on the Wild Kingdom

5. Intersection Safety – Pay Close Attention • NEVER be the first one in line to take off when the light turns green. That’s asking for it. People trying to ‘beat the light’ are common. And they’re usually going pretty fast. YOU do not want to be T-boned. • ‘Defensive Driving’ means exactly what it says: protect yourself in all situations. ALWAYS leave yourself ‘An OUT!” Particularly at a LIGHT. And do not be pressured by the geeks behind you. Defend your position. Move into the cross lanes only when you are SURE no one is coming across. • ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK before pulling out. Other drivers did not attend the defensive driving lesson and did not flip their lights on. They can be in ‘disguise’ against a complex visual background; in other words, you must LOOK in their direction and FOCUS (Not ‘peep’ peripherally) and look AGAIN. This is a very insidious crash pattern. • “ I Never Saw Them” = because you never LOOKED!!! They DON’T come out of nowhere. • Another tip: leave at least one car length between you and the guy in front. If you get rear-ended, at least we’re not contending with yet another party. • Another tip: when YOU are the first in line at a light, avoid crowding the stop line. Stay back far enough to not look like a slacker but do give yourself some additional protective distance. The reason is, when some bone-head loses it and gets whacked in the intersection, they are likely to come sweeping across your front end, since the stop line is right handy to the crash scene. The larger the intersection, the more distance is recommended,