Submitted by Jim Semeschuk, NCSO, ASHSP - Southern Trucking (a division of Southern Messenger)

Safety Moment: Spring is upon us

Submitted by Dave Davis, Enmax

This Safety Moment is a reminder to slow down and proceed carefully through roadway intersections. Statistics from the Alberta Government show intersection-related collisions increase in the month of January – mostly due to winter conditions. The province says one in four collisions on Alberta roadways occur at an intersection. The risk of intersection collisions increases when pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists converge. Drivers should be aware of the risks and watch their speed, make proper left turns, stop at stop signs and obey all traffic signals.

Jeremy W. Woolward, NHSA, CTSP , Fleet Safety Manager, Chariot Express Ltd.

In industry, we often talk about slips, trips, and falls being some of the most common injuries experienced in the workplace. Hazards, such as water, equipment, and uneven surfaces, can lead to unforeseen and unfortunate outcomes. These are outcomes that you can visually see, and these visual outcomes are easy to manage.

Guest column by Andrew Stacey, Certified Director of Safety, National, Commercial Auto Fleet Safety Consultant, Aviva Risk Management

Fleet managers: do you want to improve safety, ensure your drivers are operating efficiently and reduce the frequency and severity of vehicle insurance claims? Use your telematics data.

Submitted by Chad Eamer, Civeo

According to the National Forestry Database over 8,000 fires occur each year and burn an average of over 2.1 million hectares Also, lightning causes about 50% of all fires but accounts for about 85% of the annual area burned, this is all within Canada.

Submitted by: Don MacDonald, CCA Truck Driver Training Ltd.

We have all seen them out there on the roads. The slow moving vehicle with the dreaded “Student Driver” signs on them. It seems, for most people, the natural response to this sighting is to step hard on the fuel pedal and get out around those vehicles. People tend to feel driver training vehicles are a nuisance on the road. Sometimes, I don’t necessarily disagree with that theory. I will agree, it is somewhat annoying when a traffic light turns green and the driver in front of you is still trying to decide if it is safe or not to go.

Passenger vehicles are sharing busier and busier highways with more commercial vehicles – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in varying road conditions. While the importance of improving road safety is obvious, putting plans and rules into place that the transportation and logistics industry can easily adopt is a significant challenge.

Opening remarks to the House of Commons of Canada’s Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities relating to its study on Anticipated Labour Shortages in the Canadian Transportation Sector