Proactive vs. Reactive Safety and Loss Control Program

Read the latest safety bulletin which dives into being a proactive and safe driver, keep yourself and everyone around you safe this holiday season! Make sure you are signed up for future safety bulletins! Need a PDF to download and share?

In This Issue:

• Proactive vs. Reactive Safety and Loss Control Program
• Don't Crowd the Plow
• Holiday Driving Tips
• Alcohol, Drivers, and the Holidays!

Proactive vs. Reactive Safety and Loss Control Program

At the end of the year, you should evaluate your safety and loss control program to determine your performance over the year.  Where do you stand compared to last year and the year before?  Ongoing analysis programs are vital to a proactive and productive safety and loss control program. It always amazes me that companies need to determine their accident frequency rate and how it compares to pass years.   Accident frequency should be specified annually, no less than quarterly, to determine trends and be proactive in controlling losses. Accident frequency rates can be calculated by multiplying the total number of accidents by one million and then dividing by the unlimited number of miles for the same period.  The accident frequency rate can be determined for DOT recordable, preventable recordable, and non-preventable by region, fleet, driver supervisor, injury, etc.  However, accident frequency rates are just one piece of the overall safety analysis program that is in place to provide you with a sense of direction of where your program is going.  Other areas of your internal analysis program should include driver turnover frequency, DOT violation analysis (Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol, driver file), OSHA violations, workers’ compensation injuries, etc.  Another analysis tool that you should review monthly is your CSA SMS data provided to you by the FMCSA  https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ or http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov

 A Proactive, proper safety and Loss control program will adequately address the following areas:

• Driver Selection
• Driver Recruiting
• Carrier-based training
• Management-driver communications
• Driver safety-performance evaluation
• Safety incentives, Behavior-based safety
• On-board safety monitoring
• Event-data recorder
• Accident investigation
• Improved driver scheduling and dispatching
• Fatigue management
• Carrier-based medical programs
• Advanced safety technologies, Industry-based safety standards, and certification
• Preventive maintenance and vehicle inspection    

Don't Crowd the Plow

Much of the update shows that New York and New England will experience a significant snowstorm.  During winter storms, snowplows work around the clock to make roads passable. These large vehicles can present a hazard for drivers who follow too closely. Observe these tips to stay safe while giving snowplow operators room to do their jobs.

• Keep well back from snowplows.
  • Plow drivers can't see directly behind their trucks. Sometimes they must stop or back up. Staying a safe distance behind a snowplow will protect you from possible injury and protect your car from sanding material that plows spread on slick roadways.
     
• Know where the snowplow is on multi-lane highways
  • The plow could be in either lane or on the shoulder. Watch for snowplows on interstate ramps and "authorized vehicle only" turnarounds.
     
• Never drive through a snow cloud or whiteout conditions.
  • You can't be sure if such conditions are caused by crosswinds or by a snowplow, so be patient. Snowplow operators periodically pull over to allow traffic to pass.

Snowplow operators are incredibly safety-conscious, but they need your help. Stay back and let them safely do their job of clearing the road for you. Don't take a chance. Don't crowd the plow!

Holiday Driving Tips

Holiday events and celebrations can be exciting times for family and friends to get together.

But get-togethers with family and friends can be tragic when people are killed or injured in traffic crashes. As the holiday season is approaching, drivers need to be mindful of actions that will make their holiday travels safer. Drivers can protect themselves and their passengers by following these holiday travel rules.  Before your trip, ensure your vehicle is tuned up and in good shape for travel. This is especially important for winter driving conditions. Restrain yourself and your passengers properly in seat belts and car safety seats.  Remember, the rear seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride.  Be flexible in setting your travel plans. Leave early if you can avoid the peak traffic hours. Change your schedule if snow is predicted during your travel time. It is better to reschedule your get-together than to risk the lives of traveling family or friends. Stay fresh and alert when driving. Take plenty of breaks, and do not push yourself to meet an unrealistic schedule. If you get tired, pull off the road into a rest area or business, get out of the car for some fresh air, buy something to refresh you or relax until you feel revived. If that doesn’t work, find a motel or campground where you can spend the night. Forty-one percent of fatal traffic accidents are single-vehicle crashes. These crashes most often occur during the late night/early morning hours and the late afternoon hours to tired drivers who have consumed alcohol or both. Keep your speed down. Give yourself plenty of time and distance to react to the traffic around you. Let impatient and aggressive drivers pass you or go through the intersection ahead of you so that you control the situation.  Do not pass if you cannot see enough clear roads to pass safely.  If there will be drinking at your holiday get-together, choose a designated driver who will remain alcohol-free. Because driving requires your full attention, pull off the road if you must use your cellular phone.

Alcohol, Drivers, and the Holidays!

Now is an excellent time to remind your drivers of the consequences of drinking during the Holiday season and what effect their actions can have on their CDL or operator’s license and, ultimately, their employment with your company.  Advise your drivers to use caution when indulging in alcoholic beverages and have a designated driver to protect their license, job, and the motoring public.

The FMCSA regulations specify that a CDL driver, while operating any motor vehicle, is convicted of being under the influence of alcohol as described by state law and will be disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for one year.  A second conviction would disqualify the driver from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life.

When is Alcohol Use Prohibited?

Alcohol is a legal substance; therefore, the rules define prohibited alcohol-related conduct. Performance of safety-sensitive functions is not permitted: 

• While using alcohol. 
• While having a breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or greater, as indicated by an alcohol breath test. 
• Within four hours of using alcohol. 

In addition, refusing to submit to an alcohol test or using alcohol within eight hours after an accident or until tested (for drivers required to be tested) is prohibited.

Inspectors Place 13.3% of CMVs Out of Service During Brake Safety Week

Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in North America conducted 38,117 inspections Aug. 21-27 during Brake Safety Week, placing 13.3% of vehicles out of service for brake-related violations.

Inspectors in the United States, Canada, and Mexico also identified and documented 6,305 brake hose/tube chafing violations, a common brake-related violation that was the focus of this year’s special brake safety enforcement effort, according to an announcement on Nov. 15 by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

CVSA officials have said that properly functioning brakes may mean the difference between a catastrophic collision and the ability to avoid a crash.

The special operation was certainly not a secret. CVSA announced this year’s Brake Safety Week dates in June. The Alliance announced the dates in advance to remind drivers and motor carriers about the importance of proper brake maintenance and to encourage proactive vehicle maintenance before the special enforcement effort.

Next Year's Brake Safety Week Scheduled for August 20-26

Have you prepared your terminal facility for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend?

It is not uncommon for thieves to target truck terminals over the holidays as they know it is an excellent opportunity are there is no one there.  Ensure you take extra precautions to secure the trucks and items of value at your terminal.  If your units do not have anti-siphon devices or locking caps, instruct the drivers not to fill the units at the end of the day.  Make sure that all security alarms and security lighting is in working order.  Walk the lot’s perimeter to ensure security fencing is in good condition.  Move units and all other materials, such as pallets, tires, etc., far enough away from the fence so they cannot be used to climb on to get over the fence. Consider blocking the entrance and exits to the lot so units cannot be stolen. Throughout the four-day weekend, assign management personnel to check the terminal randomly.  Using a little prevention and common sense can deter a thief from striking your facility.

There will be no Idealease Safety Bulletin next week, Friday, Nov 25th, during the Thanksgiving Holiday week.

Have a Safe and Enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday with your Family and Friends!