April Safety Meeting Topics

1. April Safety Meeting Topics This is ‘IT’! Ground Zero for Spring Fever Pay extra attention to whatever you’re doing! Defensive Driving – Glare Advisory Ergonomics tips for drivers Review of Confined Space Awareness Review of Flare Safety Review of PPE for Highway Work

2. Spring Fever is NOW! • Inexplicable behavior by others, especially when driving, can be hazardous. Take no chances. • ALWAYS leave yourself an ‘OUT!” Translation- Protect yourself at all times. • “Make Sure They See You” – use maximum high viz. garments. • Practice Defensive Positioning to minimize your exposure in the vehicle and on the ground. • Remember the statistics about impaired drivers. The later at night, the greater the chance of drunks. • As if drivers did not already have enough distractions, Spring Fever can take what’s left of their attention span.

3. Defensive Driving & Glare Advisory • We talked about this in our Safety Meeting: use your tinted lenses when necessary to reduce glare. • Keep dashboard and windshields clean. Use Daytime Running Lights religiously. • Do not overuse the tinted lenses. It’s not a beauty contest. • Early morning and late afternoon is when glare is most severe. • Study your route- where are the ‘blind spots’ and how can you improve the odds? Local intersections may be especially difficult where a change of direction can cause temporary blindness.

4. Ergonomics Tips For Drivers • Adjust your seat height and leg reach for best control. • Knees should be higher than hips for long distance driving. • Running with the windows down? Wear your eye protection. • Windows up for less road noise and turbulence. • Remove outer garment such as coats for long drives. • Keep cabs clean and floor clear of debris, trash, etc. • Check your traffic patterns in advance. Try to avid congestion by trip and route planning when possible. • Avoid in-cab distractions. FOCUS on defensive driving. • Stay clear of big rigs esp. around intersections. • Check your tire pressures. Seasonal temp. swings can cause loss of pressure. Check tread wear. • An empty rig is actually harder to control. Hard brake can be tricky. Carry enough weight (5 gal. bucket of sand or tools) in mid-ship secured position for best stability. • Brake BEFORE a turn, not in the turn. Avoid acceleration in a turn. Rear end can fishtail.

5. Confined Space Awareness - Review • Know what you are getting into. LOOK for any condition that could constitute a hazard. • Examples: electrical apparatus; bad smell in the air; standing water; mold or algae; dead animals or birds; rotten organic matter; unidentified containers; enclosed areas, vaults, tanks, silos, box vans, container boxes, sealed storage units, etc. Use appropriate caution – do not enter! • If you find a questionable space, mark it off with barrier tape or cones. Get a decision or how to proceed. Do not assume it’s safe to enter until confirmed. • Confined Space Entry requires an air test and permit. • Spaces should be marked with warning signage, but on older infrastructure, this may not be present. • We have enough issues dealing with traffic, we do not need to add to the burden of working safely by taking chances.

6. Flare Safety Review • Emergency Warning Device – highly effective in all conditions. • Flares define your presence. Deploy flares in warning pattern well in advance of your location to alert oncoming traffic. • Read the advisory sheet we sent earlier. Curves and hills and other geographic features can limit sight distances. • Use caution when lighting the flare. Do not hold a lit flare. Place it on the ground well away from any combustible materials. • Do not use the flare as a traffic direction tool. • If you smell gasoline or diesel fuel, do not light the flare. Move to a safe distance. • Be extra careful in dry season. Grass fires can be caused by embers or sparks. • Advised to wear leather gloves when handling. Wear eye protection when lighting. Be careful when trying to extinguish a flare. It may be safer to just let it burn out. • Supplement the warning scene with cones or signage when available.

7. PPE In The Work Zone When you are on the ground outside your vehicle, the following advisory will apply: • Hard hat WITH chin strap or helmet liner. The risk of your hat blowing off into traffic requires that we use a securing device- chin strap or other means. • If your hat blows off into traffic, let it go. Do not ‘rush out’ and try to retrieve it. Back away, assess the situation and when safe to do so, WALK, not run, to go get it, or if too dangerous or the hat is inaccessible, let it go. Not worth the risk. • Eye protection – when outside the vehicle. Clear or tinted, depending on the situation. Night work under bright lights may benefit from light amber tint. • Select the proper PPE configuration for the job. Face shields are available. Ear muffs or plugs are available. • Class III vest or coat is the minimum for daytime. Class E –full body- is required for night work. “Make SURE they SEE YOU”. • Gloves, proper footwear, specialty gear, knee pads, etc. are available depending on the assignment. PLAN this in advance. • Extra caution when heavy DUST is being generated. If this can obscure traffic, we need to re-think the process. YOU should be wearing a dust mask. Contractor should be using some type of dust control.

8. Work Zone Reminders • Check your work zone in advance for overhead lines or obstructions. Are there pipelines crossing the ROW? Look for markers. Identify hazards with signage at the point of hazard, esp. OH lines. Or make the contractor do it. • Park in a defensive area when possible. Avoid getting boxed in between vehicles or machinery. Stay visible to operators at all times. Stay well away from moving machinery. • Entering & leaving the work zone is the largest single category of accident in road work. Use appropriate caution. If line of sight is impaired, use a spotter. • Do not try to ‘beat’ the oncoming traffic. This is how accident occur. WAIT as long as necessary for a clear path. • Use your warning lights and defensive positioning in travel lanes when approaching your work zone. Be sure other motorists understand that you will be slowing & stopping. • Remember the 4 most dangerous words in our safety play-book: • “ I NEVER SAW THEM”!!