Mar. 3, 2014
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Note the name changed to Keep Trucking Safe Blog.
Together we can keep truckers safe!
Best regards
The Keep Trucking Safe Team
Feb. 21, 2014
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Keep Trucking Safe Team (formerly known as TIRES)
Feb. 17, 2014
Do you ever feel that you could medal in what you do, especially considering the time you accomplish it in? Should there be an award for the best in tarping or the loader with the most flair? You battle the cold and often times the ice. After years of training, what about a gold in tire chaining?
While not as coveted as gold, silver or even bronze, getting home safely at the end of the day truly has its rewards. And we at KeepTruckingSafe.org hope to help you get there by providing safety training on a variety of topics for trucking.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, you can never stop training if you want to stay on top of your game.
Training tools for truckers: www.KeepTruckingSafe.org
Feb. 10, 2014
Okay, maybe not the frilly, paper ones, but instead the one that’s beat, beat, beating inside your chest.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but heart disease is preventable and controllable.”
Trivia Test - Who dies more often of heart disease – Men or Women?
If you guessed women, then you’d be correct. Heart disease is a little sneakier in women because their symptoms are harder to diagnose. Since women’s symptoms aren’t the classic intense pain and pressure in the chest that men often experience, they need to be even more proactive in addressing heart disease prevention.
So what can you do to prevent heart disease? Since stress can contribute to poor health in general, let’s not add to it by a long list of changes that you must make TODAY. We all know that would be impossible anyway, but I think we’re all capable of committing (and sticking to) one small change to improve our health.
Here are a few suggestions:
Will you share changes you’ve made in the comments?
So celebrate American Heart Month in February by taking care of yours so it’ll continue to beat, beat, beat.
Strategies from the Mayo Clinic to prevent heart disease: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/ART-20046502
Link to information from the Mayo Clinic on heart disease in women: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/ART-20046167/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=housecall&pubDate=02%2f05%2f2014&7394517=1&pg=1
Link to information from the Mayo Clinic on disease prevention for men: http://www.mayoclinic.org/mens-health/ART-20047764
Link to CDC’s information on American Heart Month: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HeartMonth/
*E-gah!! Here’s the fine print about eating in moderation and balancing your calories out so you don’t gain weight. (You knew it was coming, right?) More on benefits of dark chocolate: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate
Feb. 3, 2014
Exercise might be the best medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever.” That means that even a 10-minute walk listening to music on your MP3 player can help you feel better.
Is it really that simple? Sure, why not!
If you get intimidated when you hear the word “exercise,” you are not alone. According the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics only 16% of the US population ages 15 and over participate in a sport or exercise on an average day. That means 84% of us can improve our health, whether physical or emotional, by just committing to a small amount of additional movement each day.
Remember the movie What about Bob? One of the main characters, Bob Wiley, was a man of many phobias, one of them likely agoraphobia which is characterized by a fear of leaving the house. Bob coached himself to leave his apartment and to get in the elevator with “baby steps.” I think we can do that too. Exercise does not need to be a commitment to the gym or to running a 5k. It can be a 10-minute stroll around a building or your truck to release the stress of the day.
Baby steps are a great place to start.
Link to Mayo Clinic article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/exercise-and-stress/ART-20044469?pg=1
Jan. 27, 2014
If you like to make data-driven decisions, especially when it comes to investing, you will appreciate this recently released study by the TIRES research team entitled Work-related injuries in Washington State’s Trucking Industry, by industry sector and occupation.
The research makes use of Washington State’s comprehensive workers’ compensation data. One of the key findings is: Non-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back and upper extremities are the most frequent injuries across all industry sectors and occupations in the trucking industry. If you’re thinking good grief, what do all those hundred dollar words mean, I’m with you! So let’s break it down:
These types of injuries are sometimes referred to as repetitive motion or overuse injuries and can occur from tasks like throwing straps or tarps, shifting, lifting, pulling or pushing, or driving a vibrating truck for long periods of time without breaks.
Are there ways you can make these tasks easier for yourself or your employees? One way might be to keep the work close to your body and the movements between your waist and shoulders rather than above shoulder level or below knee level. Small tweaks to how a job is done can prevent injuries and save your company money in the long run.
More to come as we delve into what we’ve learned!
If you want to dive into the whole report, it is available here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457513005095
Citation:
Smith, C. K., Williams, J. Work related injuries in Washington State’s Trucking Industry, by industry sector and occupation. Accident Analysis and Prevention 65 (2014) 63-71.
Jan. 20, 2014
Our hope in developing the TIRES blog is to open up conversation with you, our readers, on topics of interest to the trucking community, especially as it relates to health and safety.
We truly believe that by combining our efforts, knowledge and expertise we can make a difference in the industry to make it safer and to keep our valuable workers on the job as long as possible.
Across the nation, the labor pool is aging with the average age in trucking being over 50. Finding and keeping capable workers is necessary to stay in business. Keeping them safe, healthy and on the job is our mutual goal.
So I hope you’ll join me in the discussion this year. But first, let’s review the top 5 blog articles as accessed by our readers in 2013:
First place: Surprisingly, this one was originally published March 5, 2012, Tire Sock” – an alternative to chains?
Second place: Published December 1, 2011, Santa Claus is coming to town…
Third place: Published January 14, 2013, In Memoriam
Fourth place: Published March 4, 2013 What’s March Madness got to do with trucking?
And finally in fifth place: Published January 4, 2013 Here’s your opportunity to make an impact
What topics do you want to discuss in 2014? Please respond in the comments below.
Jan. 13, 2014
In January of each year, we honor the Washington State trucking industry workers who died in the previous year due to an on-the-job injury by posting this memorial blog. Each year, as we pull the information together, I wish that we didn’t have to, that there would be no truck drivers lost and that this would be an unnecessary blog to write.
Sadly, in 2013, there were five truck drivers lost on the job. Five truck drivers who didn’t come home at the end of their shifts. Five truck drivers whose friends, families, and companies will never be the same again.
We don’t know a lot about the lives they lived but we do know that they worked in an industry that makes our lives better. When you read their obituaries, you see that trucking wasn’t just a job for any of them; it was what they wanted to do. Truck driving was their career of choice. Each driver worked a hard job and lost their lives doing it.
Here is some of the story:
Carl Barnfield, 48, Truck Driver
Died: April 22, 2013
Mr. Barnfield was attempting to disconnect a semi from its trailer, when the driver of the truck pulled forward and ran over him.
http://www.grandforksgazette.ca/obituaries/?cmpRegion=&paper=264&paperSelect=0&submit=&name=&skip=80
Robert Valdez, 37, Truck Driver
Died: October 7, 2013
Mr. Valdez died when his truck carrying a load of potatoes collided with another truck that ran a stop sign at an intersection.
http://washington.obituaries.funeral.com/2013/10/10/robert-g-valdez/
James Morton, 51, Truck Driver
Died: November 13, 2013
Mr. Morton died when his semi-truck left a state highway and crashed.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tricityherald/obituary.aspx?pid=168216540
Dale Weaver, 59, Truck Driver
Died: December 16, 2013
Mr. Weaver died when a vehicle crossed the median of an interstate highway and struck his semi-truck.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/xeniagazette/obituary.aspx?pid=168628277
Michael Webber, 37, Log Truck Driver
Died: December 23, 2013
Mr. Webber died when his loaded log truck crashed after failing to negotiate a curve on a logging road.
http://thedailyworld.com/obituaries/michael-james-webber
Truck drivers, we appreciate you. We will continue to work to keep you safe on the job. I look forward to the year when we don’t have to write this story. Here’s to a safe and healthy 2014!
Link to our previous memorial blogs:
2012: http://tires.lni.wa.gov/post/40523972961/in-memoriam
2011: http://tires.lni.wa.gov/post/15568957315/in-memoriam
Jan. 6, 2014
On Monday, December 16, a horrible collision closed southbound I-5 near Mounts Rd. Two hours later, one lane was finally reopened. That collision impacted many people and resulted in a six hour backup on the freeway.
People were impacted, but life will never be the same again for the friends and family of a truck driver who was killed. Through no fault of his own, 59-year-old Dale Weaver of Jamestown, Ohio lost his life.
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s Blog outlines what happened and who responded to care for the wounded, remove Mr. Weaver’s body, stabilize the cargo, process the crime scene (fatal collisions are investigated as crime scenes), clean up the mess and get everyone moving again.
It’s amazing to see the number of people that quickly work together, putting aside the painful emotions of dealing with the current tragedy to get us back to business as usual. It’s a harsh thing to admit that we must get back to business as usual, but hopefully in those long moments waiting to get moving again we have time to be grateful and also time to consider how we can impact safety on the roads.
WSDOT Blog: http://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/anatomy-of-response-i-5-at-mounts-rd.html
News report on collision: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/12/17/2953050/no-cause-yet-in-big-crash-that.html
Things to consider keeping in your vehicle in case your 5 minute ride on I-5 becomes a 6 hour wait.
Our thoughts go out to Mr. Weaver’s family and friends. We appreciate the hard work and risks that truck drivers take each day out on the busy highways.
Dec. 30, 2013
We are saddened by the loss of another truck driver. We don’t know the details or if a seatbelt would have saved him, but please, in memory of 37-year-old Michael J. Webber, remember to always wear yours.
More details are here:
http://thedailyworld.com/news/local/hoquiam-man-dies-log-truck-accident
http://www.yelmonline.com/news/local_news/article_2eccfd3c-6cce-11e3-9fb7-001a4bcf887a.html
http://kbkw.com/local-news/100871
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