CPR Training

Did you know that sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the number one cause of death in the United States?  About 300,000 out-of-hospital SCA’s occur annually and 80% of those occur at home!  As only about 8% of those experiencing out-of-hospital SCA’s survive, it seems vital that to increase those odds, we need to increase the number of people trained in CPR.  About 70% of Americans have never been trained in CPR or their training has significantly lapsed.  That’s important today, because in late 2010, CPR standards changed and it’s easier than ever to help a victim of witnessed SCA.

CPR training now emphasizes “Compressions First”, and for adult victims of witnessed SCA, Compression-Only (or “Hands-only”) CPR is something that even untrained bystanders can begin immediately and make a significant difference.  It’s easy!

• When someone collapses suddenly, is not responsive and is not breathing (or not breathing normally), make sure 9-1-1 has been called, and have someone get a portable defibrillator (AED) if it is available.  If no one else is around, do this yourself.
• Kneel directly over your victim and place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest.  Now put the other hand on top and interlace your fingers.  Push hard and fast until help arrives.*

*Hard is at least 2 inches into the chest

*Fast is at least 100 beats per minute (the song “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees is about 103.)

Please watch this one minute video tutorial. It’s the best minute you can ever spend to save someone you care about.

Finally, please consider signing up for Evergreen Safety Council’s next Open Enrollment First Aid / CPR & AED class on June 29, 2012.

Contributed by Kat Spitz, First Aid Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council

43 deaths is 43 too many

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training
As we leave the year 2011, it is time to reflect on the fatalities that occurred on the job in Washington State. According to the Department of Labor & Industries 43 workers were killed on the job in 2011 (as of 12/13/2011). When reviewing the types of fatalities, it is all over the board from workplace violence to allergic reactions to bee stings. Here are just a few from DOSH:


October 22, 2011 - An employee of a self storage unit was stabbed and killed while performing his usual work duties.

September 28, 2011 - A worker who was hanging sheetrock, was stung by a bee and died.

September 15, 2011 - A worker died in a 10 car motor vehicle accident.

August 18, 2011 - A worker surveying fish was found unconscious face down in the water.

August 12, 2011 - A worker was stung by wasps or hornets and died due to venom.

June 6, 2011 - A worker was caught and crushed between a protruding door on the shovel and a stump.

February 19, 2011 - A worker was caught between two tractor trailers as one was pulling out of a designated parking area.

The list does go on, and if you would like to see the complete list it can be found on L&I’s web site.
The point is that 43 on-the-job fatalities is 43 too many. In some of the cases it was just an accident, but in others it was poor training and poor safety programs.

It is imperative that employees receive training on the hazards that they face on the job. This can be anything from working around heavy equipment to protecting oneself from workplace violence.  It is also important that every employer determines what hazards their employees face and how they can be protected from these hazards by appropriate training and/or PPE and the like.

We at Evergreen understand that these can be daunting tasks, but also understand they are extremely important to do. If you need to develop and/or update your company's safety programs or training, please email me or give us a call 800-521-0778.

Workers get injured when they fail to properly lockout/tagout

Contributed by Eric C. Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

As some of you know, I tend to harp on lockout/tagout issues a lot of the time. Well there is a reason for this, many workers get injured when they fail to properly lockout, tagout and try out of a piece of equipment they are going to work on.

Here from Washington State SHARP is another example reported in July of 2011:

A 21-year-old is not expected to regain the full use of his hand after it was caught in a clogged dust collection machine. Four fingers were broken and the skin from two fingers and the back of his hand was removed when the machine was started by the victim’s supervisor. The victim’s hand was caught in the fan as he tried to reach the blockage. Earlier, the victim’s supervisor tried to reach the blockage but was unable to. The victim then tried, believing his longer arms could reach the blockage. The supervisor was unaware that the victim’s arm was inside the machine when she started it.

The worker was from a temporary help agency and was employed one month at the storm water filtration equipment manufacturer when the incident occurred. The company had a lockout/tagout plan in place to prevent these injuries. The victim had not been trained in the lockout/tagout plan. The victim is likely to be out of work for more than six months.

If you would like to read the entire hazard alert, please follow this link.

Before the Snow Flies, Are Your People Ready for the Road?

PREPARING FOR WINTER DRIVING

By Ross Bentley

Winter is approaching, so let’s get ready... let’s get prepared for some of the trickiest driving we ever face.

Perhaps the most important tip I can give about winter driving is: think ahead - be prepared. How many times have you heard someone complain about hitting a patch of black ice and skidding off the road (or almost off the road; or into another car; etc.) on their way to work in the morning? And yet, most of those drivers had to scrape ice off their windows that morning. If they had to scrape ice off the windows, do you think that might have been a good warning there could be ice on the road?

And even if you park in a garage or underground parking lot, think about the road conditions before they take you by surprise. When ever I pull out of my underground parking in the winter, and there might be even the slightest chance of icy or frosty roads, I check it out. Before even getting on the main roads, I'll brake heavily to see if the car skids easily. I figure it's better to know early, than to wait until the first intersection to find out it's so icy I can't stop.

Being prepared also means having your vehicle prepared. Make sure your visibility is unimpeded. How many times have you seen people driving in the winter with snow stacked up on top of the hood and covering the windows, headlights and taillights? It only takes a couple of minutes to clear the snow off; and be sure to defrost the windows.

Waking up to snow.
It's going to be a long commute.

You should also check the condition of your windshield wipers, and make sure you have lots of windshield washer fluid.

Obviously, it's important to have good winter tires on your vehicle. Before buying winter tires, talk to a knowledgeable tire dealer. They can make sure your tires are the correct size, type and properly inflated. In fact, check your tire pressures more often during the winter, as the temperature changes can affect them significantly.

Many people will tell you to add weight to the rear of your car - putting sand bags or whatever in the trunk. That's not bad advice - sometimes. First of all, it doesn't work with a front-wheel-drive vehicle. I don't know how many times I've talked to people driving front-wheel-drives who have put weight in the trunk. Remember, the reason for this is to add weight - and therefore traction - to the driving wheels. That doesn't work when the driving wheels are in front!

If you do have a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, don't put the weight at the very rear of the trunk. If you do, and the car begins to skid, all that weight hanging way out the back will act just like a pendulum, making it even more difficult to control the skid. Instead, if you add weight, place it as far forward in the trunk as possible - preferably directly over the rear axle.

It's a good idea to keep a blanket, extra clothes and boots in your vehicle, in case you do get stuck. Also keep a candle, matches, flashlight and even food - especially if you're planning a long winter trip. And of course, it's smart to carry a shovel, sand and chains in the trunk.

There's nothing like a snowfall to test those rusty winter driving skills! Whether your employees drive for work or simply to and from, help prepare them to make it safely through the winter before the going gets really tough. Call today to schedule a two-hour onsite Safe Winter Driving seminar covering these critical topics:

• following distance and reaction time
• blind spots and tailgaters
• skidding
• winter travel tips
• emergency stops
• bridge decks and entrance ramps
• how to prepare your car for winter

For more traffic safety resources or to schedule a seminar at your location, contact Tina Bacon at 800-521-0778.

Its Drive Safely Work Week 2011

Contributed by Star Conrad, Director of Operations, Evergreen Safety Council 

Whether your employees drive for work or just do a daily commute, their time on the road is the most dangerous part of their day. Help them focus on safe driving during Drive Safely Work Week, October 3-7. Employers across the Northwest and the nation are taking this opportunity to support the safety and health of their employees by preventing traffic-related deaths and injuries.

Deliver a message to your employees that safe driving is a top priority for your organization. Coordinated by the national Network of Employers for Traffic Safety's (NETS), this year's campaign is focused on distracted driving. NETS is providing free resources designed to help employers raise awareness, develop strategies to minimize distractions, launch a new cell phone policy or reinforce an existing one. The DSWW tool kit includes daily messages, activities and downloadable graphics.

If you are considering training options, EverSafe Driving can be delivered in a variety of time frames, emphasizing the topics that are important to each particular group of drivers. The program is designed with flexibility in mind, and can be adjusted to fit a brief one hour safety presentation, or a full eight hour long training session

60TH Governor’s Safety and Health Conference coming to Tacoma

Tunnel boring, refinery investigations, and the impact of Japan’s nuclear reactor accident are among the topics that will be covered at the 60th Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference held this year at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on Sept. 28 and 29.

"Even after 60 years, this conference continues to offer safety and health information that is both useful and relevant to modern safety concerns,” said Sharon Ness, president of the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board. “Our goal is to make it worthwhile for both employers and workers to take time from their busy schedules and attend this important event.”

The conference is sponsored each year by the Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries with support from industry partners. This year’s theme is "Sixty years of investing in tomorrow through safety and health today.”

The keynote speaker is Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The conference will begin with the presentation of the Lifesaving and Humanitarian Awards, emceed by “Evening Magazine” television host Meeghan Black.

Workshops will include presentations by Norm Nyhuis Safety Trainer / Consultant with Evergreen Safety Council on distracted driving and Matt Pomerinke, a Longview man who lost his arm to a sawmill accident and now participates in L&I’s Injured Young Worker Speakers’ Program.

Other workshops will cover forklift safety, confined space work, crane and rigging safety, tree falling, excavation and workplace violence. The 38th Annual Poletop Rescue Competition and the 14th Annual Forklift Rodeo will both take place on the first day of the conference. The complete program is available at http://www.wagovconf.org/.

Registration for the two-day event is $180 until Sept. 27 or $200 at the door. Groups of six or more get a $50 discount on those prices; registration for students and apprentices is $25.

To register, visit the website or call (206) 972-1961. For conference information, call toll free 1-888-451-2004. TDD users call 1-360-902-5797. Online registration closes Sept. 27.



Safety Career Development

Contributed by Star Conrad, Director of Operations, Evergreen Safety Council 
A career in safety can take you down many different paths, such as Risk Management, Human Resources, Security or Operational Management.  To help prepare you to move forward in your career, ESC has partnered with the Washington Employers' Association to to bring Human Resources and Management training to ESC members and clients.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

8:00am - 12:00pm
Project Management

Increase your project completion rate. Effectively utilize team members and avoid “meeting burnout.”  Did you know that there is a growing trend in many companies to hire people to do project management exclusively? Currently, most companies expect their existing employees and managers to add “projects” to already full plates. But, the results are often spotty due to a lack of project management knowledge. 

The good news is that there are many tools and techniques that make for world-class project management. This class teaches the best practices for project management based upon current empirical research. Participants will apply the management theories and tools to their own projects and will create a complete project plan in the class.
In this course, you’ll use a simple one-page project management planning guide which will walk you through the steps that make the difference between project success and failure.  And, because your project partners are so integral to the success of your project, you’ll practice interviewing stakeholders and negotiating options.
Topics that will be covered include:
• World-class project management tools
• The importance of clear project goals
• How to ensure project support
• Using a Mind Map to capture ideas
• Getting your team on board

After completing this course, participants will be able to:
• Clarify project goals and deliverables
• Quick-start a project using a simple mapping tool
• Capture details of project action items
• Identify and collaborate with project stakeholders regarding their needs/concerns
• Delegate project tasks in a way appropriate to the person assigned the tasks
• Resolve conflicting expectations and project challenges

Cost for ½ day session: Mbr: $95 / Non: $115
Register Today!


Wednesday, October 5, 2011
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Keeping Your Cool Under Pressure
Research today indicates that EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is twice as important as IQ in an individual’s professional success. Your emotional intelligence is your ability to sense, understand and effectively apply power and depth of emotions as a source of energy, information, creativity, trust and connection. When EQ is absent, teamwork suffers and morale drops.

Emotions have never been welcomed in the workplace. We are conditioned to believe that work decision and business strategies should be based upon fact and logic. However, emotions are part of every interaction in your business and personal life. In the workplace, emotions are often unrecognized; but they are always there, and often interfere with organizational effectiveness.

Topics that will be covered include:
• Daniel Goleman’s research into emotional intelligence
• How fear and stress lead to unproductive behavior
• Why EQ matters to your career
• Keys to professional success: self-awareness and empathy
• What to do when your buttons get pushed!

After completing this course, participants will be able to:
• Identify Daniel Goleman’s EQ principles of self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness and social skills
• Analyze their own stress related quirks and develop alternatives
• Discuss their own issues more openly to increase their empathy skills
• Support other learners in their quest for greater mastery of interpersonal skills
• Practice new behavior within the safe confines of the classroom
• Learn to anticipate and prepare for challenging situations

Cost for ½ day session: Mbr: $95 / Non: $115
Register Today!

Keeping Cool and Project Management are taught by Susan Goldstein:
Ms. Goldstein is President of Puget Sound Training Associates and has been consulting, training and coaching for over 30 years. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from Portland State University and her Master of Arts from Marylhurst College. Ms. Goldstein has been growing leaders since 1976 and specializes in helping companies with their toughest people problems. She offers courses in communication and supervision for Washington Employers and provides coaching services to Washington Employers’ members upon request.

Apollo Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Contributed by Star Conrad, Director of Operations, Evergreen Safety Council 
Have you attended ESC's safety certification series? Have you ever wondered what's next?
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) can help you gain a new perspective on safety:
• A structured form of problem solving
• Generally used after an undesired event has occurred
• Used to understand and control causes, and to prevent recurrence of the problem

Common RCA Techniques:
• 5 Why’s: a linear form of problem solving. The premise is that by asking why five times, the analyst will end up at the “root cause”. Why it’s ineffective: problems are non-liner, multiple things are happening at the same point in time and space. 5-Why’s is too simplistic to capture the whole picture. A good place to start to brainstorm a few causes, but not thorough enough to create a full understanding of the problem.
• Fishbone/Ishikawa Diagram: sometimes referred to as “cause & effect” diagrams, the Fishbone is a brainstorming tool where users try to come up with causes around a set of categories, usually Methods, Material, Manpower and Machinery or something similar. It too is a good tool to start brainstorming. Why it’s ineffective: does not show how causes relate to one another. You have no way of knowing which causes would be affected by certain solutions. Provides no framework to dig deeper into cause paths or even know where/when to stop. Teams vote on the “root cause”.

Apollo Root Cause Analysis:
• Based on true cause and effect logic. Consists of four simple steps: 1) Define the Problem, 2) Create the Cause & Effect chart, 3) Identify Solutions, and 4) Implement the Best Solutions. Start from the defined problem and look back in time, accounting for how causes relate to each other. All causes are backed by evidence and followed through to logical stopping points.

Benefits of Apollo RCA:
• Prevents analyses from stopping too soon
• Removes the “singular root cause” mentality by focusing on controlling numerous causes. This approach more greatly reduces the risk of the problem recurring.
• Highly marketable skill
• Provides quick return on training investment (ROI) – most students can more than pay for their entire on-site class of 25 students (~$12k) with the $ they save the company on their first RCA after class
• Comes with powerful software (RealityCharting) that helps students create better analyses and enables them to easily share results.
• Useful in any industry or discipline (safety, quality, IT, reliability etc.)
• Instructors also lead high-profile investigations in the field – bring these learnings into the classroom.

Register Today!
Root Cause Analysis for Practitioners
October 11-12, 2011
At the Evergreen Safety Training Center in Seattle

Safety & Health Solutions - September edition

Contributed by Star Conrad, Director of Operations, Evergreen Safety Council 
Evergreen Safety Council produces a monthly newsletter covering a variety of safety topics. Each month we will provide a link here to the online PDF.

Inside this Issue:
Lead/Guest Article – Farm Safety Culture: What Would a Thriving Safety Culture Feel Like?
People In Safety - Al Filmore, Trainer / Consultant, Evergreen Safety Council
Two Students Awarded ESC Scholarship
Portable Ladders: Is it the Right Size?
Aerial Lifts Offer Mobility, Flexibility and Unique Hazards
Safely Operating an Aerial Lift
The Tiger in Your Tool Shed
Are You Required to Wear PPE?

You can also sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.

Summer Safety Series: 1-hour Webinars

Evergreen Safety Council and The Personal Safety Training Group have partnered to bring you a series of webinars to help keep your employees safer.

These webinars
Will…Improve Employee Awareness & Confidence
Help…Reduce Risk & High Stress Situations
You… Keep Your Employees Safer

Employee Personal Safety
Webinar Date: July 20
Do you feel safe at the office?
It is well known that we drop our guards when in and around familiar environments such as home and the workplace. This webinar reminds employees of the importance of remaining relaxed yet aware of their surroundings at all times.

Topics/Issues Covered include

“Condition Yellow” – What is this and why is it so critical?

Threat recognition: “Affective” vs. “Predatory” Violence

Safety in elevators, parking lots & “fringe” areas

Travel Safety
Webinar Date: July 27
It will never happen to me. Will it?
Regardless of how low the probability, most of us are aware that there is some risk involved with travel, whether with the family or on a business trip. These risks range from petty theft to armed robbery and in some cases carjacking, abduction, and hotel room invasions.

Topics/Issues Covered include:

Pre- trip planning, itinerary considerations & hotel room selection

Maintaining awareness & focus in unfamiliar and disorienting environments

What to do when approached by a stranger & recognizing “set ups”

Social Media
Webinar Date: August 10
Who’s watching you online?
This webinar gives learners a look into criminal minds and how they leverage online data to plan and execute crime. Criminals almost always pass up on difficult targets for the more vulnerable or “soft target” as they go through their victim selection process. Social media and location-based services often serve to streamline this process.

Price: $65.00 per 1-hour webinar
Register online today!

EverSafe Driver Training in Spokane

Do your employees/drivers need to improve their driving awareness? Are your drivers accident claims getting out of control?

Evergreen Safety Council’s 2-day EverSafe Driving Instructor Certification in Spokane, WA can help!

EverSafe Driving Instructor Certification

About the Course: This two-day defensive driving course trains candidates to become EverSafe Driving Instructors. Training sessions emphasize the interaction of driver, equipment, and environment. Implementing policies, maintaining records, and supervisory techniques are also covered. Course fee covers instructor materials, continental breakfast and lunch.

Note: Certified instructors are required to purchase a participant guide for each person they train (one certification card is included with each participant guide), which start at $4.35 per guide. Some orders will qualify for a quantity discount. ESC members receive a discount on all book orders.

Location: Spokane, WA

Date: July 11-12, 2011

Course Fee: $415.00 Members of Evergreen Safety Council , $465.00 Non-Members

Registration: You can register for the EverSafe Driving Instructor Certification class by visiting our website and clicking on “Search/Register for Safety & Health Courses” or you can print a registration form and fax or email it to us.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Eastern WA: Ag Safety, Green Energy and Lunch

Next week Executive Director Tom Odegaard and Director of Training Eric Tofte are taking an extended tour of Eastern Washington starting in Kennewick.

March 1, 2011 Client & Member Luncheon at the Hilton Gardens in Kennewick
Tom will start off the luncheon with an open discussion on current safety issues and concerns, and what ESC can do to help. This is a great networking opportunity for safety professionals.

Then Eric will present on Green Jobs, New Innovations: Same Safety Issues. This talk will explore how new industries face similar safety concerns as general industry: fall protection, lockout-tagout, and so on...

March 2, 2011 Agriculture Safety Day
ESC will be hosting a booth at the 7th Annual Agriculture Safety Day Conference at the Three Rivers Convention Center, Tri-Cities! Stop by our booth and tell Eric or Tom you read our blog to receive an extra gift.

March 3, 2011 Client & Member Luncheon at the Moses Lake Events Center
This luncheon will follow the same format at the Kennewick luncheon.

Hint: We gave the guys the weekend off, but then they will be travelling again, this time to Portland for the GOSH Conference. More on that later...

Train at Your Location

Investing in employee safety is smart for your business. Bring Evergreen to your location to advance employee safety and health.

Not only is on-site training cost-effective, but it helps ramp up the speed of your learning objectives. Nearly any topic in Evergreen's curriculum can be customized and presented at your site.

On-Target Content - We work with you to determine your training objectives and to develop content that hits the mark.

Lasting Impact - Instructors help you identify follow-up measures to maximize long-term effectiveness and return on investment.

Cost Savings - A custom-designed on-site program is often more cost-effective than sending a group of employees to off-site courses.

Give Stephanie a call to discuss if on-site training will benefit your organization. 800-521-0778

Safety & Health Solutions - February edition

Evergreen Safety Council produces a monthly newsletter covering a variety of safety topics. Each month we will provide a link here to the online PDF.

Inside this Issue:
Lead Article – Why is safety training for employees important?
People in Safety – Brion Beaver, Safety Manager, Cascade Natural Gas
Articles -
Another life saved because two individuals were trained in first aid/CPR
Tractor Safety
How to Brake-Release-Steer
Improve Response to Major Incidents with Better Preparedness and Training
Fun with Forklifts

You can also sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.

Going home whole and healthy is priceless

Contributed by Mary Czaja, Safety Intern, Evergreen Safety Council

$1.1 Million is a lot of holiday bonuses, raises, new hires, and money for reinvestment in employees and infrastructure. The violations range from $300,000 for exposing workers to hazardous chemicals to $46,200 for failure to adequately train forklift operators at the Post Office in Des Moines, Iowa. That $1.1 million is from two weeks. Two weeks. Multiply that by the 52 weeks we work in a year. It adds up to millions and millions of dollars that could be going back to business and workers.

Washington State, according to Dianna Jackson of L&I, fined business for a total of 3,301,349 dollars in 2009. The average fine for a serious violation was $479.00. Money sent to the state in the form of fines affects the bottom line. In this economy, the 2.9 average number of violations per initial inspection may add up to an unprofitable year.

According to the Washington State OSHA Annual Report, the ultimate goal of DOSH in partnership with OSHA, is for every worker to go home whole and healthy every day. Until employers make this a reality, inspections and fines are the primary tool for shedding light on the unsafe working conditions faced by the average worker. These fines are punitive in nature and can never replace the lives lost, damaged or scarred by the conditions cited.

Committing to safety starts with the employer and ends with each worker. Initial training, re-training, and a culture that values the well-being of employees will go a long way towards stemming the tide of fines, death, and lose of productivity due to injury. The $1.1 million levied by OSHA would be better spent on educating and training workers in fall protection, forklift operations, respiratory protection, first aid and CPR. Seeing hazards for what they are and fixing them before an inspection would reduce the amount of money lost to fines and increase the bottom line. Keeping workers safe is the right thing to do and makes good fiscal sense.

In this economy who can afford fines, increased claims costs and the loss of productivity associated with inspections and incidents? Safety may have some upfront costs, but in the end, it pays back. It pays towards the bottom line, it pays off in productively and most importantly, it saves lives. Going home whole and healthy is priceless.

Friends in High Places

Contributed by Norm Nyhuis, Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council
Recently, Evergreen Safety Council was contacted by Nancy Abel, the Risk Manager for the City of Marysville, Washington, requesting training for employees in the Public Works department who operate the city’s Terex Highranger equipped “bucket truck”.

The truck has a 40’ maximum reach and is specially equipped; from a load leveling suspension system, to copious numbers of public warning lights, to allow for safe work on traffic lights, and other tasks requiring access to elevated locations, such as placing banners over the street, announcing special events and activities around the city.

The training consisted of a half day of class room time, and an opportunity for each participant to demonstrate their proficiency in operating the truck in performing a task that required the precise positioning of the truck and basket, to place an object in an elevated location.

The classroom portion of the training stressed the full spectrum of safety issues, from identifying site specific concerns and hazards, to the importance of a thorough inspection of the boom and basket assembly, starting with a visual inspection, and performing a functional test of the lifts’ lower controls, before entering the basket. Other topics addressed included selection of the proper PPE for the task, such as the appropriate wearable fall protection, as well as other PPE such as high visibility garments, hard hats and gloves.

On the second day of training, the weather cooperated and allowed each of the 23 participants to demonstrate their proficiency in the actual set up and operation of the truck and lift. Each student donned the appropriate PPE and then determined how best to place a traffic cone on the arched roof of a storage area in the Public Works equipment and materials yard.

Part of the practical test was to demonstrate the ability to understand and comply with the standard hand signals customary to industries that perform their jobs in an elevated location, and where instruction from the ground may be needed for the safe maneuvering around obstacles to reach the work area.

All participants, from those who had never operated a bucket truck previously, to the most experienced operator, successfully completed the training.

At the conclusion of the training, Nancy had the following comments,” I had numerous participants tell me this was “great training”, “very thorough”, and that they all “learned something”, which isn’t always easy to accomplish when you have seasoned operators. I would say that in particular, the hands-on practical demonstration under the instructor’s watchful but encouraging eye made this very effective training.”

ESC extends congratulations to the workers in the Marysville Public Works Department for a job well done.

FMCSA Launches New Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Program for Commercial Trucks and Buses

Contributed by Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, Evergreen Safety Council
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today took a major step toward improving commercial truck and bus safety with the launch of the Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program.

The centerpiece of CSA is the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which will analyze all safety-based violations from inspections and crash data to determine a commercial motor carrier’s on-road performance. The new safety program will allow FMCSA to reach more carriers earlier and deploy a range of corrective interventions to address a carrier’s specific safety problems.

“The CSA program will help us more easily identify unsafe commercial truck and bus companies,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Better data and targeted enforcement will raise the safety bar for commercial carriers and empower them to take action before safety problems occur.”

The program also advances the Obama Administration’s open government initiative by providing the public with safety data in a more user-friendly format. This will give consumers a better picture of those carriers that pose a safety risk. CSA was also tested in nine pilot states before the program was launched.

“We worked closely with our partners in the motor vehicle community to develop this powerful new program,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “CSA is an important new tool that will help reduce commercial vehicle-related crashes and save lives.”
The SMS uses seven safety improvement categories called BASICs to examine a carrier’s on-road performance and potential crash risk. The BASICs are Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service), Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related and Crash Indicator. Under FMCSA’s old measurement system, carrier performance was assessed in only four broad categories.

By looking at a carrier’s safety violations in each SMS category, FMCSA and state law enforcement will be better equipped to identify carriers with patterns of high-risk behaviors and apply interventions that provide carriers the information necessary to change unsafe practices early on.

Safety interventions include early warning letters, targeted roadside inspections and focused compliance reviews that concentrate enforcement resources on specific issues identified by the SMS.

FMCSA will continue to conduct onsite comprehensive compliance reviews for carriers with safety issues across multiple BASICs. And, where a carrier has not taken the appropriate corrective action, FMCSA will invoke strong civil penalties.

PLEASE NOTE: For parties interested in downloading data for more than one carrier, please visit the SMS Download page.

Online training classes for CSA BASICs as well as HAZMAT Transportation are available through ESC. Register Today.

Over the river and through the woods

Contributed by Norm Nyhuis, Safety Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council
The words to this old song remind us that some of us need to travel during the winter months. Other postings on this and other blog-spots have provided lists of what you should do to get your car ready for wintertime travel. Most of the items on the following list are familiar, but are worth reviewing:

• What is the condition of your tires?
• Do you have “winter tread” type tires, with or without studs?
• Do you have tire chains? Do they fit your car? And, do you know how to safely install and remove them?
• Do you have an adequate concentration of anti-freeze coolant in your car’s radiator?

Typical lists continue to ask about the condition of your windshield wipers, windshield washer solution, are your exterior lights all functional, and so forth. While all of these are great ideas and should be checked, are you aware there is one other check that you should make?

To make the decision as to whether you should even make the trip, or not, we highly recommend you check National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), where you can focus in on a specific city, town or even use a zip code to get the latest conditions and more importantly the latest predictions for the route to, and for your destination. Be prepared, but also be informed, before you start out on that winter trip!

Help Reduce Employee Crashes

Safe habits like buckling up and driving sober and free of distractions are a matter of occupational safety for employees who drive, whether a company vehicle or their own. As employers, you can help save lives on our roadways by providing traffic safety awareness and education programs to your employees. Evergreen has an effective and affordable solution, including general and vehicle-specific driver training, consultation, program development resources and employee materials—and most of them can be customized to fit your specific needs. Before the snow flies again, be sure your employees are prepared!

The best way you can get involved is to offer an onsite defensive driving course for all employees. For more information or to schedule a customized defensive driving program for your employees, contact Stephanie Dyck @ 800-521-0778.

Safety Training Manages Workplace Risks

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training is an important part of managing workplace hazards and risks. Such training may involve instruction on identifying occupational risks and how to control them, learning about safe workplace practices and how to properly use personal protective equipment. The question comes up though – how effective is our training?

Well, thanks to the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) a document to evaluate the effectiveness of training has been developed earlier this year.

How do your training programs measure up?

First Aid Instructor Update for New 2010 CPR Guidelines

Dear First Aid Instructor,

The new 2010 Guidelines for CPR and ECC have been announced by ILCOR and AHA. ASHI has been working very hard to get as much information together as possible for an interim period. Below is an explanation of the process you will be required to partake in order to maintain your instructor certification credentials.

1. Starting November 15th interim materials will be available for download from http://www.hsi.com/ (probably on the instructor portal). This will include instructor supplemental materials and student materials. You will continue to use the current material and handouts for the student.

2. EVERY INSTRUCTOR will be required to go through an upgrade in order to teach the new 2010 guidelines and receive the new books and cards. You will have until 12/31/11 to upgrade to the new guidelines. By completing the Update Process you will have the ability to teach HSI’s new G2010 training programs and issue provider-level certification cards, you will receive a new G2010 Instructor card (new card will use instructor’s current renewal date) and you will have access to digital G2010 Instructor Guides. There are two ways you can upgrade:

a. Starting November 22nd you can go to http://www.hsi.com/, sign in to the instructor portal and upgrade online. At this time the process takes approximately 1-2 hours and the cost is $20 payable to Evergreen Safety Council.
or
b. Attend an upgrade with Evergreen Safety Council in a classroom setting. The class will be about 4 hours and cost $40. You can register online or you can download a registration form (pdf) and mail/fax it back to us.

A benefit to attending a class will be the option of sending in questions you’d like answered and/or topics you would like discussed, as well as additional instructor development techniques.

Current upgrade classroom schedule:
December 15, 2010 – Seattle from 8am-12pm
January 18, 2011 – Seattle from 12:30pm-4:30pm
February 8, 2011 – Shelton area from 8am-12pm
February 28, 2011 – Spokane area - tba
Other areas can be scheduled with enough interest

First Aid, CPR/AED and CPR for the Professional Rescuer materials are estimated to be available to instructors during the second quarter. Other materials such as Oxygen Administration, Bloodborne Pathogens and Spanish FA/CPR are estimated to be available by the end of 2011.

Please do not hesitate in contacting Stephanie Dyck First Aid Programs Coordinator, or call 206-382-4090 or 800-521-0778 if you have any questions or concerns.