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Preparing for the Cold Weather - Idealease Idealsafe Safety Bulletin 10/2/21

Oct. 2 2021 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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This week's Idealease Safety Bulletin provides important tips on how to prepare for the upcoming colder weather!

In this issue:

  • Fuel Additive use during Cold Weather Conditions
  • Cold Weather Survival Kit
  • Tis’ Deer Season. "Oh Deer!"
  • Got Chains?
  • White House Announcement of COVID Vaccine Mandate Raises Questions
  • October 3rd – 9th is Fire Prevention Week

Click here to read the entire bulletin online.  You can also read, download or print a PDF version here. Remember to sign up to receive the newest bulletins each week to your email inbox! 

Want to review past bulletins? Click here to access the full archive. 

WINTER IS COMING, ARE YOU READY? 

With fall here already, it's a good time to start preparing your operations for the upcoming cooler weather.  It is important that your drivers understand what is required to keep their trucks running during the fall and winter months. 

FUEL ADDITIVES TO USE DURING COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS

Fuel additives should be used anytime the ambient temperature drops below 32F degrees to help prevent jelling.  Power Service and Penray are 2 popular manufacturers or fuel additives.  We actually have special pricing through December 31st on Power Service products. Check out all of our parts specials at: https://www.mctrux.com/parts-specials

POWER SERVICE PRODUCT INFORMATION

Power Service 911:

  • Red Bottle, used only when fuel in a unit has already jelled; not to be used as a fuel additive you would regularly put into the fuel tank to prevent jelling

Power Service Fuel Supplement + Cetane:

  • White Bottle; added to the fuel at each fill when the ambient temperature is above 30 degrees F and should be used on a regular basis during winter months

PENRAY PRODUCT INFORMATION

Winter Thaw Emergency Diesel Fuel Supplement:

  • Dissolves already jelled fuel fast and reduces clogging of fuel filters
  • Prevents ice crystal build up in fuel lines and filters
  • Eliminates hard starting, excessive smoking, pounding and helps improve combustion
  • 100% compatible with low sulfur fuel and fuel blends

Winter Pow-R Plus Diesel Fuel Supplement:

  • ULSD compliant
  • Prevents gelling of diesel fuel and ice crystal formation
  • Reduces cold filter plug point b as much as 30ºF
  • Helps enhance cetane and improve fuel economy.
  • Utilizes HAFI® technology.
  • Improves cold weather starting.
  • Stabilizes and prevents corrosion.
  • Helps reduce emissions and improves lubricity

COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL KIT

Having a winter survival kit in each truck is not only smart, it can save lives in an emergency. Here are some examples of items you should include in your kit:

  • Shovel
  • Windshield scraper and small broom
  • Flashlight
  • Battery powered radio
  • Extra batteries
  • Water
  • Energy bars and other snacks like raisins and small candy bars
  • Matches and Candles
  • Disposable hand/foot warmers
  • Extra hats, socks and mittens
  • First aid kit
  • Pocketknife
  • Necessary medications
  • Blankets and/or sleeping bags
  • Tow chain or rope
  • Road salt, sand or cat litter for traction
  • Booster cables
  • Fluorescent distress flag or whistle for attention
  • Cell phone adapter or extra battery supply

DEER SEASON IS HERE! 

That means there's no better time to remind your drivers of the dangers of animals in the roadways! 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates 1.5 MILLION deer-related accidents occur each year. 75% of animal-related accidents involve deer, and collisions cause $1.1 billion in vehicle damage annually in the US.  Not to mention, these accidents kill 150 and injure another 29,000 people a year on average! 60% of fatalities in animal-vehicle collisions were caused from failure to wear a safety belt.  

Cattle, horses, dogs and bears also led to fatalities in collisions.  Accidents involving deer are most likely to occur in late fall during deer breeding migration and hunting season.  They also are likely to occur on rural roads, in darkness, dusk or dawn, where the speed limit is about 55mph.

Unfortunately there is no feasible way to keep deer and other animals off the roadways. Deer whistles have been sold to help collisions and they can work.  Drivers need to be vigilant, especially in areas prone to animal crossing.  

GOT CHAINS?

It's that time of the year again. Like several other parts of the country, chains are required when traveling through certain areas of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming.  It is important to ensure you not only carry chains, but that they are the correct size, properly secured, clean, undamaged and easily accessible when needed.  

McCandless Truck Center is an Authorized OnSpot Automatic Tire Chain dealer.  Call the team at 303-739-9900 or click here for more information on our OnSpot tire chains and installation. We also have Titan Tire Chains and Tire Chain Adjusters on sale through December 31st. Check out the offers here: https://www.mctrux.com/parts-specials 

Need information on chain laws? Here are more details by state: https://www.tirechainsrequired.com/pages/tire-chain-laws

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT OF COVID VACCINE MANDATE RAISES QUESTIONS

September 10th statement mandates large employers to require COVID vaccine or submit to weekly testing has raised questions on implementation.  Biden directed OSHA to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to require all employers with 100 or more employees to:

  • ensure all workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19; or
  • produce a negative test result at least weekly before coming to work

OSHA will likely not issue this Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) until late 2021 or early 2022.  Rather than going through notice and comment rulemaking, the ETS will be issued and take effect without requesting public comment.  

OSHA will probably count all employees per company, not per facility to reach the 100-employee threshold, although it is not certain.  OSHA will also most likely give a certain amount of time for employees to obtain the vaccine and will probably require employers to provide paid time off for employees to get the vaccine and recover from any ill effects. 

It is unknown as to which vaccines and/or tests will be acceptable. Nor do we know if employers or employees will have to pay for the weekly tests, or whether any paid time off will be allowed for testing. 

We also do not know whether the ETS will address persons with natural antibodies due to previous COVID infection. 

Further, there will likely be several lawsuits filed to challenge the ETS as soon as it is released.  It is possible that the ETS will be enjoined before it goes into effect, although the validity of the various legal arguments under consideration is open to debate.  

In regards to enforcement, OSHA has a very small enforcement staff, and even though fines can mount to $14,000 per violation, it is unlikely that OSHA will spearhead a nationwide enforcement effort. Perhaps one or more companies might be cited to make an example for the rest, but over the course of six months there will probably not be a major enforcement effort by the agency. (NPTC Regulatory Update 9-24-21) 

UPCOMING EVENT - FIRE PREVENTION WEEK (October 3rd-9th)

Now is the time to review with your drivers how to prevent and how to react to a fire that occurs in their commercial motor vehicle. Please refer to our September 17th bulletin for more information on fire prevention.