Safe and responsible driving is an obligation that we each share when we find ourselves behind the wheel of a vehicle or piece of equipment. A serious responsibility that begins the moment we make the decision to drive as we will be exposing ourselves and others to potential hazards if we don’t apply simple rules and techniques as a safety oriented operator. Safe driving and operator techniques have proven over time that when used, they help to mitigate potential accident situations. This week’s newsletter will focus on driving and equipment operator safety techniques.

Let’s Get Focused As we all know, the theme that we have adopted for Safety is that of 200% accountability. In other words, we are all not only responsible for our own safety but also for the safety of our colleagues and coworkers. I’m sure that we can all think of workplace scenarios where we could have, and hopefully did, apply 200% accountability. Reminding a teammate to put on his or her safety glasses or gloves or standing down a work area because of a hazard in the environment are examples that each of us have probably seen multiple times in our careers. But I would guess that we have all been in a scenario where 200% accountability should be used but rarely is. Several years ago I was involved in an automobile accident while driving to the airport for a business trip – a driver coming in the opposing direction turned across my lane and struck my car on the driver’s side front panel. Fortunately neither of us was injured but there was significant damage done to our vehicles and, if the other vehicle had struck the driver’s side door rather than front panel, then who knows what may have happened. Neither of us were speeding, neither of us were impaired, it was mid- afternoon and the weather was clear, there were no visual obstructions. So what was the cause of the accident: distracted driving. The other driver was talking on a cell phone and made the turn right into oncoming traffic. The website distraction.gov reports that “In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in An additional 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 416,000 injured in 2010.” By way of comparison, there were approximately 4600 work related fatalities in The severity is comparable and yet the focus on distracted driving pales in comparison to the other workplace dangers that we face. A couple of the more recent BHI newsletters have focused on attitude and complacency. These are the root causes of distracted driving. We’ve all sent a text while driving (or been a passenger with a texting driver) and nothing happened to us then, so it’s no big deal if we pick up that next text or - right? We need to take our 200% accountability on the road, whether we’re traveling for business, running to the store or taking the kids to practice, and eliminate distracted driving. Jeffrey Miller VP Operations—Turbine Services

Diversity Quote “We inhabit a universe that is characterized by diversity.” Desmond Tutu

Signage—Roadside and in the Plant When we see the same sign day after day, the message has a tendency to lose its impact. Complacency and the lack of consequences causes us to disregard sign messages until it’s too late. If we were actually involved in an accident every time we ran that STOP sign at the plant or intersection, you can be sure we’d remember to stop at it. But chances are this is not the case for most of us, so worst case scenario has to be in our minds—ask yourself “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” If your answer is nothing, then proceed with caution, but if you have any other answer then you have not mitigated the hazards and accepted the risk for your actions. Take a fresh look at roadway signage when you are driving both inside and outside of plant areas…….follow the messages they are trying to give you.

Driver and Operator Distractions Probably one of the single most contributors to accidents that we will experience is distractions. A distraction while we are driving or operating a piece of equipment can have significant consequences depending on where you are and what you are doing. There are a number of ways for a driver to become distracted while operating a vehicle – but there are just as many precautions and measures that can be taken to prevent the same distractions. Awareness of distracters is the starting point to prevention. So what are the common distractions that we may deal with: Visual, Manual and Mental Distractions. The most common that we may encounter are: Moving objects or persons in the vehicle Applying make-up Eating Adjusting climate controls Adjusting mirrors of seat Adjusting radio stations or changing CD’s Reading a map Reaching for loose items in vehicle Looking at an item or event outside of the vehicle A billboard advertisement A scenic view Smoking and dealing with lighting up, putting out cigarettes, or falling ashes Emotional distraction (e.g. fighting or upset) Daydreaming Radar detectors Cell phones and lap tops

Stay Focused, Pay Attention, and Expect the Unexpected Driver distractions reduce your awareness to your driving environment, your decision-making time or response time and your driving performance. This results in crashes or near-crashes and corrective actions having to be taken by you or other drivers on the road. When you are driving, the condition of the roadway you are on and the behavior of other drivers can change abruptly, leaving you little or no time to react. When you are driving, keep your mind on your driving; keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel. Remember – Seat Belts Save Lives. Always wear your seat belt.

Don’t forget conditions can change around your vehicle or piece of equipment, especially after it has been parked or left sitting for some time. Before entering the vehicle or piece of equipment, walk around the entire thing to see if there are any new or unrealized obstructions nearby that were not there when it was parked. Materials can be placed in the path of the vehicle and may not be visible from the driver’s position or mirrors. This also provides a good reminder in case you did park close to a stationary object.

Ground Guides and Spotters For many of us, this is a requirement when operating at a site. But for those that it is not, ground guides and spotters is a Safety Conscious Option. When you find yourself operating equipment in tight, congested, unknown, or areas with limited visibility there is nothing better than having a second or third set of eyes there to help guide you. Ground guides or spotters are an efficient way to mitigate risks and ensure vehicles are not traveling too fast for high-risk or populated areas—they are there to assist operators in identifying potential hazards, obstacles and personnel they may not otherwise see. If you don’t have a program or plan to use ground guides or spotters then get one, but it will need to be implemented with care and sound communication so as to not create an additional hazard. To do this, follow these steps: 1.Develop the plan or program inclusive of Who, What, When, Where and How. 2.Communicate the plan to everyone along with the expectations for use. 3.Provide training to personnel on hand signals and communications to be used between a spotter and operator 4.Implement the program. There is no need to attempt to re-create the wheel. There are sites that already have a plan or program in place—if you have a need for one then let us know so we can HELP.

Stop…...When Unsure Why we use it: Failure to STOP when you have a question = opportunity for an error to occur Proceeding with uncertainties, assumptions, and doubt increases the error rate significantly When we use it: When there is a question concerning the existing job or work scope When the job or work scope changes When communication about the task is unclear or confusing When there are personnel changes during the task How we use it: Understand you have the Duty to STOP and ask questions when unsure Resolve any concerns with a supervisor or co-worker before resuming work Contact Supervisors, Equipment Owners, Project Engineers, or other resources to provide clarification Take ownership and ensure intended results are achieved—BE ACCOUNTABLE!

Staying with The Centers and understanding that we need to remain in the Intellect Center is where we left off last week. We can’t say it enough that if we can Predict it, then we can prevent it! As much discussion as we have had concerning behavior and what drives our decision making process, each of us should have a better understanding of what feeds and drives the results we see. Being responsible Team Players within BHI, think about what you are doing today, tomorrow and each day after to deliver Safe Results. Openly discuss with your crews what is being done today: Stay Fully Conscious at work Focus on Intellect and steer clear of the Emotional, Moving and Instinctive Centers