SAFETY FAILURES Cause & Effect

The Following Slides Represent safety failures in training, management commitment, and in safety culture in general. This is not just theory. This is real stuff. These things CAN happen to you if you don’t keep safety first. Some of these pictures are graphic and hard to look at. If you have a weak stomach, stop now.

Indicators of a poor safety program In addition to high accident / injury counts, Do you see things like the following pictures show at your facility? Why do you suppose conditions like these are allowed to exist in the first place? If you see this stuff, your safety program is not be all that it could be, to say the least.

Wooden cabinet being used as a flammable storage container.

Emergency eyewash blocked

Un-secured air gas cylinders

Bench grinder with improperly adjusted guard.

Un-secured drill press, and operator not wearing face shield

Improperly stored flammable materials

Forklift seatbelt that is never used

Poor housekeeping issues

Broken bench vise

Jump Starting Batteries Truck and car batteries generate hydrogen gas, which is explosive. Improper jump starting procedures can result in the battery exploding and pieces of the battery flying into your eyes. If you are not sure of the procedure, don’t attempt it.

Sometimes they really don’t see... Ever see someone glance at their wristwatch? Wait a few seconds and ask them “What time is it?” What do they do? They look at their watch again. What did they see (or not see) the first time they glanced?

The Result Sometimes an accident witness states “I saw the driver look, and he pulled out in front of the truck anyway”. What did the person see when they looked? Obviously, not the truck. They were mentally preoccupied with something else at the time.

Safety alarms and interlocks are there for a reason Ever have a driver disable a safety alarm or interlock (for example – a boom up alarm) because the alarm bothers them? Ever check your truck for disabled alarms and interlocks? If not, you may wish to consider the following

Why wear seatbelts? Sometimes trucks roll over. If you are not wearing your seatbelt, you can be thrown under the truck as it rolls, or ejected through the front windshield. The driver of the truck in the next picture learned this the hard way

So, what really happens in a roll over accident?

A roll over aftermath... Sometimes a rollover can be very violent. Sometimes there isn’t much left. Excessive speed is always a factor in this type of outcome

Housekeeping is important The area between the truck body and the cab (over the transmission and exhaust stack) must be kept clear of any flammable debris, such as paper or cardboard. It is the drivers responsibility to clean this area as necessary. If the driver doesn’t do this

Sometimes the customer..... Places flammable substances or material in the container without thinking of the consequences. The next picture resulted from a can of improperly disposed of acetone, which burst open and sprayed the exhaust stack. The driver barely escaped

Landfills are not stable ground... Consider carefully the area that you back into to un-load your truck. Large trucks can and do sometimes tip over while dumping their load. You don’t want to be next to the one that tips over

Defensive Driving Never take for granted that the other guy sees you. Not for a second. Use you horn and lights. Make sure they see you. Be ready in case the don’t see you. Leave yourself a way out.

This one always leaves me scratching my head in wonder.... It happens a lot more often than you think. An empty parking lot A driver in a hurry

Another light pole cut down in its prime

A note about tanker trucks... The fluid in the tank will slosh around and cause additional forward “push” when stopping, or sideways “push” when cornering. If the driver is not ready for this, such as when he runs off the road and attempts to correct

Winter driving can be hazardous.. Roadways can become icy. Stopping distance is multiplied. Steering becomes compromised. And

Do you know what to do when power lines are down?

Fall driving too Really, any season can be bad if your drivers have never had defensive driving training or emergency maneuver training.

Experience and Training Count Would you put a new, inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a $250,000 truck? Would you fully train the driver, and validate the training, or trust in luck? Here’s a lesson you can keep from learning the hard way

Backing up with someone on the rear step Is statistically the single most dangerous thing a solid waste employee can do. Despite training and warnings, people still do it. The following picture was a fatality accident where the helper was pinned between the truck and telephone pole while backing down a rural road

NEVER ride on the rear step while backing!!!!!!!

Pedestrians Always have the right of way. Sometimes they are children and don’t realize the danger posed by the truck. Sometimes they are elderly, and can’t see or hear the truck. Never assume that they see you or know what you are going to do.

Container Placement Placing dumpsters and roll off containers in a safe location is, as you can imagine, very important. Take a look at the next picture and see if you can spot several safety issues

Personal Protective Equipment How many times have you heard “I don’t want to wear that stuff” or “It’s uncomfortable”, or “I don’t need it”, or any one of a hundred excuses not to wear personal protective equipment?

I bet that hurts a lot using gloves would have helped.

Do you provide other personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, and do your employees wear it? Are you sure? Or would you rather pay the injury claim?

Hazard Training Do your employees receive job specific hazard training? Do you teach them not to allow any part of their body to get between materials they are crushing in the hopper and the truck body or hopper sill? Do they know to stand to the side while packing a load?

Do your employees know to report all injuries immediately? Or do they wait to see if the injury gets infected or worse before they tell anyone? The following picture is the result of a thorn in the arm, left un-treated for a week.

So, what do you think about safety? Accidents and injuries CAN happen to you. Accidents and injuries are usually a result of un- safe behaviors, and not un-safe conditions. All accidents and injuries can be prevented. You must watch out for yourself and your co- workers. Safety is everyone's responsibility, from the CEO of the company to the line employees.

Questions?