|
From Tech Transfer Newsletter, Winter 2007
» printer-friendly
Safety Tips for Snowfighters in California
(Yes, It Snows in California!)
As a professional snowfighter, safety should be your number one priority. You need to constantly think safe and act safe so that you will be safe. It's the winning combination for safe winter operations.
Safety Preparation for Winter Operations
Knowing your route is also essential. A "dry run" of your route just prior to winter can be a valuable safety practice. Take notice of what has changed since last winter. Things to look out for are developments with new roads or driveways, new drainage facilities or utilities with poles or manholes, low hanging wires or tree limbs, and new curbs or medians. Make notes of locations and which obstacles could be marked or delineated to allow you to recognize them when covered with all that white stuff.
Actually, dry runs should be called "wet runs," because a good time to run your routes is during rain. This will tell you where those drainage problems are and where ponding occurs, which could result in icy conditions.
Safety During Winter Operations
Crew Safety
Are you ready to fight the storm? The first item is adequate sleep or rest prior to starting work. Plowing and spreading can mean long hours, leaving you tired and exhausted. Proper sleep or rest prior to beginning this task will keep you awake and alert.
The next item is warm clothes. Multi-layers of warm clothing give you additional ability to adjust to changing temperatures or conditions. Other personal protective equipment includes a hard hat with liner, a safety vest, safety shoes, boots, and gloves. In addition, a well-stocked first-aid kit should be in the cab.
Material Safety
Handling abrasives, salt and other chemicals need not be hazardous, if you know what you are handling, and follow common sense requirements for personal protection. All chemical manufacturers are required to have a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each of their products. The law requires that these sheets be available to the user, and the safe user will be familiar with all the information on these sheets and have a copy in the truck cab.
Unless you're the loader operator, you should be inside the truck cab when your truck is being loaded. This action will prevent you from being in the path of any spilled materials during the loading operation.
Vehicles and Equipment Safety
Good preventive maintenance insures the vehicle will operate with optimum performance and fewer breakdowns, resulting in safer operation. Checking fluid levels, tire tread and inflation, brakes, windshield wipers and wiper blades, heater, defroster are all important. Your pre-trip inspection should also include clean windows and mirrors.
Check all lights—you will need them when plowing and spreading. Back-up alarm, plow flags, and warning signs on the rear of the truck are good safety items to consider. Radio communications are a necessity for efficient operations but are also a necessity for safety. Every truck should have a mobile radio for communications.
With a full fuel tank, and a final walk around inspection, your last safety practice when you climb into the cab before driving off is to buckle up. The use of your safety belt should become a habit, a natural action prior to turning the key in the ignition.
Facility Safety
Your maintenance facility or garage can become a safety hazard if not maintained properly. Good housekeeping within and around the facility results in a safe working environment for everyone. Having a well-lit facility and keeping tools and equipment put away when not in use is essential to safety. Keeping the floors clean and free of grease, oil, and debris also lends to a safe facility.
Operations Safety
You already know how to drive a truck. But if you are a new snowfighter, practicing with a plow and a loaded spreader could be very beneficial. The extra weight and the different center of gravity gives a whole new feel to the "monster" that you will be operating in unsafe road conditions.
Know your truck and equipment. Know your safe backing rules. Do the circle of safety, back slowly, back straight, and use an outside guide if possible. Backing accidents number more than any other type of accident in our road maintenance operations. A backup alarm should be standard on all equipment.
If you are spreading material and running with your truck bed up, the bottom of the truck bed should not be higher than the top of the cab. And watch for overhead wires and tree limbs. For safety's sake, keep the truck bed down when moving.
When changing plow blades, raise the plow and block it securely before proceeding to loosen bolts. Never place yourself under the blade or in an unsafe position.
When working on or unclogging a spreader, make sure your engine and all power to the spreader is turned off. In addition, relieve all pressure in the hydraulics and then use a tool to unclog. This bears emphasizing because of actual accidents that have occurred. Even though all power is off, the reserve pressure in the hydraulic lines can still turn the augur as it is freed. Using a tool to unclog prevents the habit of sticking your hands in hazardous places.
This information in this article was provided by the Salt Institute.
|
