Toolbox Talk Fatigue : The hidden Killer Edition : 001 Week : 12 Dec 10 Many people consider tiredness to be a symptom of laziness and as something that can be overcome with will power or motivation. Unfortunately, this is not the case and tiredness and its effects are inevitable and catastrophic as you can see. Incident investigations have always identified fatigue as one of the contributory causes of road accidents. It is called "the hidden killer", and responsible for at least 30% of fatal accidents. Yet, it’s taken for granted. How do you know when you are fatigued whilst driving? When you have one or a combination of the following: - You keep yawning; - You have difficulty keeping your head up, or your eyes open; - Your eyes feel sore or heavy; - Your vision starts to blur or dim; - You become impatient and make rash decisions; - You feel hungry or thirsty; - Your reactions seem slow; - Your driving speed creeps up or down; - You don't notice a vehicle until it suddenly overtakes you; - You don't remember driving the last few kilometres. You can prevent fatigue by: - Plan your trip with a good night's sleep (7 to 8 hours) Sleep debt is beforehand; - Plan not to travel more than 9 hours in any one day; cumulative and - Take regular breaks (every 2 hours, take 15-minute rest must be paid or more); back - When you stop for rest, get out of the vehicle and walk Remember the Survival around for a while; - Plan to start your trip early in the day & try as much only substitute No food: as possible not to drive into the night. for sleep is 3 to 4 weeks Don’t forget: sleep. No water: - More than 50% of fatigue related accidents occur Short-term measures 3 to 4 days between 00:01 and 06:00; may help you stay No shelter: - Caffeine is a stimulant that promotes false alert for awhile, but 3 to 4 hours alertness; eventually you will No sleep when - Always follow journey management requirements; need to sleep, even driving: - Sleep is the only thing to cure fatigue. if you are behind the 3 to 4 seconds wheel of a vehicle. NOW !! • Forward/discuss with staff • Display on notice boards • Discuss with contractor drivers • Discuss with family and friends • Forward to Logistics contractors Send your comments/suggestions to : mailto:[email protected] This picture shows the final position of the two trucks after one of the drivers fell asleep and hit the vehicle coming from the opposite direction Toolbox Talk Threats at Parking Edition: 010 Threats at Parking Week: 13 Feb 11 Accidents at parking lots are common these days; they are either caused by careless driving, pedestrians or combination of both. A driver’s assistant slept under a vehicle at a parking lot and got crashed by that vehicle’s driver as he was moving out. All drivers Park and move in and out of parking or Rest areas daily. A lot of things can go wrong between the time you steer your vehicle into the parking lot and the time you move out. Traffic accidents, falls and assaults are just a few of the threats of workplace parking lots and garages. Serious injury and fatality can occur at these low speed maneuvers. In most countries with very hot climates, people often look for a shade and cool area to rest. Parked Heavy Goods vehicles seem to provide this environment and third party fellow workers rest under these vehicles without realizing that they are committing an unsafe act. It is important to follow safe and proper techniques to prevent driving over persons that could be resting under the vehicle. What must a Driver do before starting his vehicle and Driving off? Make it a habit to GET OUT AND LOOK even if the stop was for just a few minutes. Before manoeuvring your vehicle - get out and look around the vehicle; under the vehicle and the immediate surrounding that you are manoeuvring out from. Walk around your vehicle, especially to the rear, to get a complete picture. Proceed immediately before the picture changes. Make certain that mirrors are clean and properly adjusted.Too often, drivers forget to properly adjust and clean mirrors to gain maximum visibility. Some tips: Slow down when driving through a parking lot. Excessive speed is the cause of many accidents in these congested areas. Be alert to inattentive pedestrians, vehicles backing out of parking spaces Remember: Pay attention to where you are parking. Can you find the The combination Poor lighting of vehicles and vehicle promptly upon your return? Will this be a safe place to walk when you get off work after dark? on both the pedestrians in an vehicle and the When you are walking, never assume a driver sees you. area poorly parking area, Don’t get so wrapped up in conversation with a friend controlled by that you step out in front of a vehicle. isolated areas and rough traffic signs Stick to the pedestrian walkways and agreed circulation makes the typical plan at the site. walking surfaces add to parking lot Wear sturdy shoes with low heels and non-slip shoes for perilous. Stay alert your commute; change your shoes when you get to work, the dangers. as a driver and as if needed. a pedestrian. NOW !! • Forward/discuss with staff • Display on notice boards • Discuss with contractor drivers • Discuss with family and friends • Forward to Logistics contractors Toolbox Talk Headrest for whiplash injury Edition: 011 Headrest for whiplash injury Week: 20 Feb 11 When you enter your vehicle, do you think to check if your headrest is properly adjusted? Did you know that a poorly adjusted headrest can cause serious injuries in an accident? Every year, thousands of drivers suffer whiplash injuries after a road accident. Most cars and trucks are equipped with headrests, but most drivers don’t know how useful these are, some even think headrests are just there for comfort. They have a much more important purpose. The main purpose of the headrest is to guard against whiplash injury. Illustrations from What is Whiplash Injury? Whiplash is an acute injury of at least moderate intensity which causes a strain to the bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, and vertebral discs of the http neck region. It is caused by a sudden, unexpected impact which jerks ://www.rospa.co.uk/roadsafety/info/adjust_head_restraints.pdf the head back and then forward causing the neck to snap out of alignment. How Does Whiplash Occur? Whiplash occurs mainly as a result of a vehicle being struck in the rear or side by another vehicle. The impact causes a transfer of energy that may injure bones or soft tissue (whiplash), which may in turn lead to ailments such as neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, and headaches. What are the Symptoms? Headaches/migraines neck pain, dizziness (nausea/vomiting), problems thinking or remembering, numbness and tingling (arms, face, shoulders), low back pain, hip pain, impaired vision … Some tips to prevent/minimize whiplash injury: For a headrest to be efficient, it should: be made of the same material as the seat; be sufficiently strong to hold up under impact; be sufficiently soft to avoid the occupant's head from bouncing forward Even low speed A poorly adjusted accidents can headrest serves not be more than 10 centimeters from the back of the cause significant no purpose! head. The middle of the headrest should be level with injuries If the headrest is the eyes or the top of the ears depending on too low, the be tilted forward. The closer the headrest is to the where and how hard your car got driver's head will back of your head, the safer you'll be. hit, your position be thrown back Also, remember to check or adjust the headrest each time in the car, the violently in a rear you get into your car, especially if another person has position of your collision. Whiplash recently been driving it. head, type of may occur as a seat, position of result. the headrest NOW !! • Forward/discuss with staff • Display on notice boards • Discuss with contractor drivers • Discuss with family and friends • Forward to Logistics contractors Toolbox Talk Kill your speed….. Edition: 002 Kill your speed before it kills you!!! Week: 19 Dec 10 Some excuses people often give after accident!!! “…… suddenly the vehicle in front stopped. Everyone else was speeding. I slammed the brakes on but I couldn’t stop in time. Suddenly a car pulled out from nowhere. …. “ Speed is one of the main causes of many road accidents. Not everybody understands or realises how fast is “fast”: • At 60 kph one travels 17 meters per second; • At 80 kph, 22 meters per second. • At 100 kph, 28 meters per second. It is really important to know that the braking distance increases dramatically as the speed increases. At three different speeds, the shortest possible stopping Speed Stopping distance distances under PERFECT conditions (a dry road, excellent brakes, and an alert driver) are: 40 kph 28 m 60 kph 58 m NB: Alcohol, drugs, fatigue, food, illness can affect your 80 kph 100 m Reaction Time thus increasing your stopping distance. In order to be prepared for the “unexpected” and react to it, a driver has to: • Always keep within speed limit; A little more speed can result in a • Adjust speed to road, traffic and weather whole lot more conditions; distance that is required to stop. • Maintain a reasonable forward and rear "buffer" of This is often far ABS does not space around your vehicle.