March, 2015- Safety Meeting Topics

1. Safety info provided by John Meola, courtesy of… March, 2015- Safety Meeting Topics Spring Fever & March Madness WINTER – Accident History Defensive Driving & Potholes Ergonomic Reminders OSHA – 2014 Reports and Posting Now Due Hydration & Diet

2. “March Madness”is Not a TV Commercial • “Spring Fever” is another name for it. Our consciousness is emerging from the cabin fever mentality of winter. • This can cause normal people to do inexplicable things. Also known as negligent, thoughtless, careless, inattentive, forgetful, etc. • Usually the symptoms are harmless, little more than a nuisance. • Sometime, such as when driving or in a work zone, the consequences can be more serious. • Basically we need to be watching for the mistakes and failures of OTHER PERSONS. And to protect ourselves. • Be AWARE of this phenomenon. It is difficult to define accurately, much less protect against, but it is something to account for. • Possible antidotes: adequate sleep, proper diet, exercise, concentration on the task at hand, remember the 5 Keys of Defensive Driving.

3. Winter – A Selected Accident History • Jogger killed by snow plow • Bicyclist struck & killed by plow • Pedestrian killed by Bob Cat plowing in parking lot • ATV passenger, thrown from vehicle, drowned in pond • Municipal worker – caught in snow machinery – leg injury • Also, fires and asphyxiations from CO2 exposure. • Truck Ice flying off on highways • This Season can create some unusual safety exposures. • Protect yourself – THINK – defensive positioning

4. Defensive Driving & PotholesHow a Pothole Can become Deadly • Even an average driver can become a deadly menace when they encounter an ordinary hazard, such as roadway debris or a POTHOLE! • The tendency is to SWERVE sharply to avoid the hazard. WRONG!! • Leave sufficient space ahead of you at all times. This will allow you to SEE a road hazard and take proper defensive action. This could involve a lane change or braking. • The advice is NOT TO SWERVE suddenly. This can lead to catastrophic consequences. Deer or other animal encounters, ditto. • Remember: a leading cause of Road Rage is improper lane change • INTERSECTIONS of all types are high crash hazard locations • Drivers get lazy. They fail to signal. They fail to look well enough AHEAD. • Drivers are susceptible to a range of bad behaviors. See slide # 2

5. Ergonomics For WINTER • Pre-work warm up exercises are very helpful on a number of levels. Helps tone muscles, improve circulation, allows clearer thinking • Use anti-fatigue matting on any hard, cold surface • Use high-grip gloves for manual material handling tasks • Use adequate lighting for the task. New LED lights are highly adaptable – on helmets, headwear, hand-held, etc. • Match the footwear to the task. New designs and materials have made big improvements in fatigue, grip, traction, durability, etc. • Dress in layers for best body warmth & comfort. Add or remove layers as the day warms & cools, especially in areas where the temperature fluctuates significantly.

6. Hydration & Diet – Seasonal Tips • In cold weather, the body will burn a lot of calories just to stay warm. It will use up a lot of fat and scavenge pretty much any nourishment that comes its way. So much for a balanced diet... • Remember: As the season changes and warming begins, our blood will begin to thin. This is because the body needs less mass of hemoglobin to circulate heat to muscles. Staying properly hydrated helps this adjustment process to occur. • Diet becomes more important in warmer weather – less fat, less grease, less red meat, more veggies, more fruits, more liquids, lighter fare. • For the average person, the body has a wide range of tolerance. As the physical demands of a job increase, diet plays an important role in alertness, concentration and endurance levels, as does adequate rest cycles. Refer to slide 2. Hydration, diet and rest can help as antidotes to March Madness & Spring Fever