6 Myth-Busters for the New Distracted Driving Law

1. You are allowed to call 911 in an emergency situation.
2. A primary offense is whenever a trooper observes drivers making contact with their phone other than the one touch/swipe. This is what troopers will be mainly focused on. Primary offenses will now be reported to your insurance companies.
3. Food, drinks, grooming, and smoking. All of these things are secondary violations/observations. It is pretty common to eat, drink, smoke, or do any other number of activities while driving. These activities are allowed as long as they do not interfere with the safe operation of the vehicle. If the driver does commit another traffic offense and is dangerously distracted, then they are subject to another $99 fine.
4. GPS and music. A good rule to follow, start both of these things before anything else. Drivers are allowed one touch/swipe as long as your device is connected to Bluetooth.
5. Authorized emergency personnel, including troopers, are exempt from this law. Uber, Lyft, and other ride share services are not (Meaning, they also must abide by the one touch/swipe rule).
6. CDL holders will still operate according to Federal Motor Carrier Regulations (The CDL will be disqualified after two or more convictions of any state law on hand-held mobile telephone use while operating a CMV).

Please refer to wadrivetozero.com for additional resources and information.

Contributed by Stephanie Dyck, Director of Operations

Big News! ESC Awarded OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grant for 2017-2018

The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program funds eligible nonprofit organizations to provide training and education for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. Target audiences include underserved, low-literacy, and workers in high-hazard industries. Since 1978, over 2.1 million workers have been trained through this program.

Evergreen Safety Council was awarded a Targeted Topic Training Grant for “Construction Road Zones - heavy construction equipment, backing operations, struck-by/caught-in, caught-between, vehicle accidents.” The main purposes for this targeted training will be to:

1. train and increase construction employee awareness in this high fatality and high-hazard industry, and
   
   
2. educate and train Small Business Construction Owners, Supervisors and Safety Personnel how to develop and implement internal traffic control plans (ITCP’s) that address the hazards of Roadway Work Zone Construction and large building construction work zones while eliminating the incidents caused by heavy construction equipment, backing operations, struck-by, caught-between and vehicle accidents for road way construction workers in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Idaho and Oregon).

ESC’s Project Coordinator will be our new Regional Manager – Inland Northwest, Kevin Proctor.

Kevin has spent the past 25 years working in the area of Risk Management & HR in Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Kevin joined the ESC team this past summer to expand service and client support east of the Cascades.

The End of an Era at Evergreen Safety Council

An end to an era is soon approaching us here at Evergreen Safety Council. Tom Odegaard is retiring.

Tom became Evergreen’s Executive Director in September, 2003, replacing the previous Executive Director, Monty Lish, which were some big shoes to fill. Tom did a great job filling them.

During his nearly 15 year career with Evergreen he had several major accomplishments. His first, and probably biggest accomplishment, was that he could handle the crazies known as “the staff,” especially his ESC trainers.

Although the program existed before he came on board with ESC, Tom took our Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operator (P/EVO) course to new levels. Working with WSDOT, and meeting with industry leaders, Tom grew the course into a nationally recognized program, ensuring Evergreen Safety Council as the leader in that training.

Under Tom’s guidance, the P/EVO Course, along with the Flagger Certification Course, became endorsed by the American Association of Safety Councils in March of 2014–further cementing Evergreen Safety Council as a leader in quality safety training.

Tom played a major role in the development of a Washington State specific flagger training video, “Work Zone Safety Depends on You.”  He spearheaded the effort and partnered with the Northwest
Laborers-Employers Training Trust to receive a Labor & Industries (L&I) SHIP grant. This video has been placed on the L&I video site to help refresh and remind flaggers of the importance of their job and how to be safe.

He helped guide ESC through the economic downturn of 2008. In 2012 ESC had to start the process of finding a new home. Tom worked tirelessly looking at various buildings throughout the Puget Sound to find our current location. The new home provided three training rooms, a computer lab, and our own motorcycle range where training can occur seven days per week. He orchestrated the move so that we were able to keep business open and had very little disruption to our customers.

During his tenure he increased our presence in the community and continued to grow our training programs. Elected President of the American Association of Safety Councils (2010 - 2012), he is also a member of the Washington Governor’s Industrial, Safety & Health Board. Working with staff he helped bring the nationally recognized Certified Occupational Safety Specialist (COSS) program to ESC as well as developing a New Driver Training Program for both teen and adult drivers. Tom also got Evergreen approved as a Department of Licensing Testing Center for cars, motorcycles, and 3-wheel vehicles. Most recently he helped institute the Professional Safety Academy, a series of specialized safety courses that can be taken independently or as a series for certification as a Safety Specialist. He also helped procure a Susan Harwood grant for 2017-2018, with ESC being awarded a Targeted Topic Training Grant for “Construction Road Zones.”

Evergreen Safety Council, like many companies, has had a lot of up and downs over the years. Tom has stayed constant and steady. He has been a friend. He takes the time every day to talk to each of his staff members to see how we are doing. He allowed the staff to celebrate accomplishments both personal and professional, provided encouragement when we needed it, and showed compassion when we lost friends of the Council. While he will be missed by all of us at Evergreen Safety Council, he certainly deserves his retirement. His hard work and diligence have greatly benefited us. His contributions to our overall strategy and the daily operation of Evergreen with the guidance he has provided will be sorely missed.

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training and Consultation Evergreen Safety Council, and Tina Bacon, New Driver Training Programs Manager, Roadway & Traffic Programs Coordinator

Work Zone Safety for Drivers

Summer has arrived and as usual so has the road construction season. With all the projects going on you are going to be driving through quite a few work zones this summer.

A few facts from the Federal Highway Administration:

• Between 2010 and 2014 in work zone crashes more than:
• 4,400 persons died (85% were the driver or passenger),
• 200,000 persons were injured.
• Drivers are the most frequent fatality in work zone crashes.
• Most work zone fatalities involve working-age adults.
• Rear-end crashes (running into the rear of a slowing or stopping vehicle) are the most common type of work zone crash.
• Fatal work zone crashes occur most often in summer and fall.
• The majority of fatal work zone crashes occurred on roads with speed limits greater than 50 mph.
• Stopping distance for motor vehicles at 50 mph:
• Dry roadway~300 ft
• Wet roadway~400 ft
• Icy pavement~1250 ft
• A loaded 80,000 lb. tractor-trailer requires almost 50% more stopping distance.
• It takes only an extra 25 seconds to cover 1 mile at 45 mph compared to 65 mph.

As you are driving, what can you do to keep yourself safe as you drive through a work zone? According to the Federal Highway Administration you should:

Stay Alert and Minimize Distractions

• Dedicate your full attention to the roadway
• Avoid changing the radio station, using a mobile phone, eating, or other distractions that can remove your concentration from the road

Keep Your Headlights On

Pay Attention to the Road

• “Listen to the signs”
• Watch brake lights on vehicles ahead
• Watch traffic around you and be prepared to react Merge into the Proper Lane
• Merge well before you reach the lane closure
• Be aware that traffic patterns can change daily

Don’t tailgate

• Follow other vehicles at a safe distance

Obey the Posted Speed Limit

• Workers may be present just feet away
• Fines may be doubled for moving traffic violations
• Be prepared to slow down further if conditions indicate the need

Change Lanes Safely

• Change lanes only where pavement markings indicate, and only when traffic conditions permit

Follow Instructions from Flaggers

Expect the Unexpected

• Workers, work vehicles, or equipment may enter your lane without warning
• Other vehicles may slow, stop, or change lanes unexpectedly

Be Patient

Enjoy your summer and everyone STAY SAFE.

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training Evergreen Safety Council

Congratulations to T BAILEY, INC. for earning Evergreen Safety Council’s John D. Spellman Safety Award for 2016

Founded in 1991 and located in Anacortes, WA, T BAILEY, INC. is a diversified heavy-civil/industrial general contractor. Their expertise is construction. They build and repair huge storage tanks, apply coatings, build foundations, excavations, and piping systems. They are also experts in heavy steel plate/structural fabrication. Their vast experience in aboveground, field-erected fuel and water tank projects has established T BAILEY, INC. as one of the Northwest leaders in safety, quality
control, and project management.

In 2015, T BAILEY, INC. cut their number of injuries in half, and reduced the number of injuries in field operations by 60%. They received the Steel Tank Institute Safety Award of Achievement for the fourth year in a row. They also received the Blueprint Award of Excellence from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for achieving the lowest Experience Modification Rating possible for a company of their size. L&I showed that this also saved the company more than $250,000 per year in Worker’s Comp premiums, and put hundreds of dollars more in every worker’s paycheck.

In 2016, T BAILEY, INC. workers again reduced their number of injuries by 67% from the previous year. They received an Award of Excellence from the Steel Tank Institute, and another from Washington L&I, for going more than 365 days with no OSHA recordable injuries.

T BAILEY, INC.’s robust and dynamic safety program starts with full commitment from all workers, from their Owner and CEO to their newest employee. All employees worked very hard to change the safety culture of the company. Their consistent efforts have resulted in fewer accidents and injuries, and a considerable reduction in their experience factor rating. They have networked with other companies, and developed best practices for safety that they have found to be most effective in their line of work. They share their successes, and mentor their neighbors.

Their safety program includes safety and health training for all workers, knowledge assessment testing, periodic inspections, safety audits, and annual recertification. Many of their workers also received Safety Leadership Training in 2016. With their safety committee, they investigate all safety incidents, and then develop a corrective action plan. Their workers were trained to perform a Job Hazard Analysis on all major job functions, and develop posted Standard Operating Procedures from each JHA. Finally, they reward high levels of safety participation by individuals and teams and celebrate success proudly and often.

ESC will present the 11th annual John D Spellman Safety award to the leadership and employees of  T BAILEY, INC. on July 12 in Anacortes.

The annual John D. Spellman Safety Award was created in 2006 to recognize ESC member organizations and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding safety achievements or have shown they are actively pursuing and reinforcing a positive safety culture in their workplace. The award also
recognizes one of Washington’s great public servants, Governor John D. Spellman. King County’s first elected County Executive and Washington’s 18th Governor. Currently serving as Chairman Emeritus, he served as President/Executive Director during ESC’s critical restructuring in 1989 and served as Chairman of the Board from 1998 to 2016.

Contributed by Tom Odegaard, President/Executive Director Evergreen Safety Council