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| Top 10 Tips for a Safe Commute |
Next week is National Road Safety Week in Canada and National Bike to Work Week in the United States. That gives us two good reasons to think about road safety involving cyclists. Here’s some advice to share with your workers on how everyone – motorists and bicyclists – can get along and share the road.
The 4-Wheel Perspective: Road Sharing Safety Tips for Motorists
All drivers need to watch out for small vehicles on the road – the compact car hiding in the truck driver’s blind spot, the bicycle courier passing on the right side at an intersection and the oncoming motorcycle. Here are 5 reminders for motor vehicle drivers:
- Show the same respect for motorcycles and bicycles as you would show other vehicles on the road. They are subject to the same laws and have the same rights.
- Use extra caution around bikes of all kinds. They may be faster and more maneuverable than larger vehicles, but their riders are far more vulnerable to injuries.
- Because bicyclists need both hands to control the bicycle, bicyclists often fail to signal for turns. So be prepared for unexpected turns. Also watch for bicyclists traveling against the traffic. It’s illegal, but it happens.
- Do not crowd a bike. By keeping a safe following distance, you will help protect the rider if he has to stop or if he takes a fall.
- Before you open a vehicle door, check the rear and side mirrors for bikes as well as cars.
The 2-Wheel Perspective: Road Sharing Safety Tips for Bicyclists
Cycling is a popular outdoor activity for many people. Unfortunately, with the increase of cyclists has come an increase of bicycle accidents. But biking accidents can be avoided. It’s a matter of knowing your bike, the rules of the road and the potential hazards associated with cycling. Here are 5 pointers:
- Learn the traffic safety rules and guidelines. And abide by them! In many cases, bicyclists involved in accidents either did not know or had a disregard for normal traffic rules and regulations. But the bicycle is a vehicle and has the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle on the road.
- If you haven’t ridden a bike for a while or if you’re teaching your child how to ride, learn how to ride it properly away from the traffic. Try a school yard or an empty parking lot. It’s also a good idea to enroll in a reputable cycling safety course.
- In many vehicle/bicycle accidents, motorists say they didn’t see the cyclist until it was too late. Increase your visibility by using safety flags and reflective devices.
- Don’t be a road hog. When riding as a group, always ride in single file, never side-by-side. Don’t carry passengers on your bike or hitch a ride by holding onto a motor vehicle.
- Always wear a helmet! To minimize possible head injury, choose a safety-approved bike helmet and make sure it fits properly
You’ll find a wealth of safety awareness resources for bicyclists, motorcyclists, motorists and pedestrians in SafetySmart. Here’s a One-Click Safety Meeting on seatbelt use when driving on the job.
Want to try SafetySmart? Sign up for a free 14-day trial now.
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| These workers were exposed to potentially fatal falls of up to six meters (nearly 20 feet) while installing roof trusses without using any form of fall protection. Sadly, this type of safety violation is depressingly common on worksites around the world. (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia) |
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| Are Death Threats Grounds for Immediate Termination? |
One of the things employers are supposed to do to control workplace violence is show zero tolerance. Threatening to kill a co-worker or supervisor should automatically be grounds for immediate termination even if it’s a worker’s first offence, the thinking goes.
But if courts and arbitrators really bought into zero tolerance, they’d automatically uphold any decision to fire a worker for making a death threat, which isn’t what happens.
Read more on this topic at OHSInsider.com.
(note: subscription is required; to get instant access, simply sign up for a No-Cost Trial of OHSInsider.com. Sign up now and you will be entered into a drawing to win an NHL jersey of your choice!)
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| Family Unimpressed Regarding Penalty for Worker’s Death |
A Canadian family calls a penalty given to a drug manufacturer following a worker’s death “a slap on the hand.”
Sepracor Canada was fined $45,000 for failing to provide proper venting at a company plant in Windsor, NS.
Sepracor employee Roland Daigle died in hospital several hours after he was exposed to trimethylsilyl diazomethane in October 2008. His lungs became filled with fluid after the exposure.
Nova Scotia provincial court heard that a venting hood at Daigle’s workstation was not working that day. While workers had been informed that the venting hood wasn’t operational and had been warned against performing certain procedures, they were not told not to work with trimethylsilyl diazomethane.
Daigle started feeling unwell after his shift and he began coughing up blood. He was taken to an intensive care unit in Halifax, NS, where he later died.
Daigle’s family questioned why charges of failure to provide adequate personal protective equipment and failure to instruct a worker on the safe use of a chemical were dropped in a plea deal between the Crown Prosecutor and Sepracor.
Also dismissed were charges of failure to instruct an employee in the safe use of a substance and failure to ensure that no person would disturb the scene of an accident. |
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| Upcoming Events: |
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| Webinar - May 19, 12:00 EST (9 a.m. PST) |
| How to Control Employee Absenteeism in Your Workplace |
| Legal Basics and Practical “How-to” Strategies to Help Employers Reduce Absenteeism, Lower Operating Costs, and Improve Productivity and Morale.
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| Due Diligence: Defining, Establishing & Demonstrating Your Record of Compliance |
Oct 24th & 25th
Hyatt Regency, Toronto, ON |
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| Join the online community of safety professionals |
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