CREATING A SAFETY PROGRAM By Bill Giorgis One of the best ways to protect tow truck operators and drivers while on duty is by launching a safety program to raise awareness of job-related dangers and ways they can protect themselves and prevent accidents. Having a safety program is good for drivers because it builds morale as employees share experiences, anecdotes and tips. It’s also good for the company because, know it or not, companies and drivers are being monitored – by insurance carriers, motor carrier enforcement, and federal, state and local transportation agencies. There is no worse ..read more

The following are tips from OSHA on winter driving safety. Safe Winter Driving Winter driving can be hazardous and scary, especially in northern regions that get a lot of snow and ice. Additional preparations can help make a trip safer, or help motorists deal with an emergency. This sheet provides safety information for your residents to help prevent motor vehicle injuries due to winter storms. The Three P’s of Safe Winter Driving: » PREPARE for the trip; » PROTECT yourself; and » PREVENT crashes on the road. » PREPARE Ma ..read more

Nearly a third of Americans are getting inadequate sleep — including police officers, healthcare workers and truck drivers — and it’s getting worse each year says a new study from Ball State University. “Short Sleep Duration in Working American Adults,” an analysis of more than 150,000 working adults from 2010 to 2018, found that prevalence of inadequate sleep — seven hours or less — increased from 30.9 percent of respondents in 2010 to 35.6 percent in 2018. “Inadequate sleep is associated with mild to severe physical and mental health problems, injury, loss of productivity, and premature mort ..read more

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urge employers (owners and operators) to conduct a root cause analysis following an incident or near miss at a facility.1 A root cause is a fundamental, underlying, system-related reason why an incident occurred that identifies one or more correctable system failures.2 By conducting a root cause analysis and addressing root causes, an employer may be able to substantially or completely prevent the same or a similar incident from recurring. A simple, yet effective, way to identify root c ..read more

Changing fleet culture to prioritize safety along with adding advanced technologies to commercial vehicles can have the biggest effect on turning a “high risk” fleet into a safe fleet, according to a recent study. Josh Fisher | Aug 21, 2019 To read more, click here:   https://www.fleetowner.com/safety/it-takes-whole-company-make-fleet-safe ..read more

How to Stay Safe on a Call Traveling To and From -Be sure dispatch knows where you are picking a vehicle up and where you are transporting it to. -Have a planned route and stick to it.  Do not proceed if something appears to be wrong or odd. -Make sure that you are focused, awake and alert.  Be aware of hazards while driving and avoid being in others blind spots. -Follow the speed limit and all posted road signs. Being Safe on Scene -Arrive with your emergency lights already on, leave them on for the duration of the recovery. -Put on your ANSI certified protection equipment and check your sur ..read more

Towing a disabled vehicle can present many unusual and often dangerous obstacles. The more you know about a vehicle the better equipped you will be to combat any issues you may face. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health, you should know the following about a vehicle before towing it. -Check the type of transmission on the vehicle and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for towing front-wheel drive, real-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles. -Tow rather than push a vehicle whenever possible. -Avoid use of flares in case of fuel leaks. -Turn on disabled vehicle fl ..read more

The TowSafe program is proud to announce Hook’s Towing & Recovery Supplies as a 2019 sponsor. Every month Hook’s will feature a safety product on the TowSafe program website. As a TowSafe member you will have access to a unique discount code to use on featured products. We look forward to working together with Hook’s to provide you with everything you need to continue to TowSafe ..read more

The following is an OSHA news release on the importance of staying vigilant during winter weather. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. OSHA News Release – Region 7 U.S. Department of Labor January 8, 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Urges Employers and Employees To Remain Vigilant About Possible Winter Hazards KANSAS CITY, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers to stay vigilant when it comes to weather-related hazards that can put employees at risk when temperatures plummet in winter months. Slippery roads and surface ..read more

Establishing a Safe Tow Work Zone Written by: Maria T. Padilla If Move Over laws are ineffective or spottily enforced at best, what’s the alternative? People like Justin Cruse, president of WreckMaster Inc., advocate for setting up a tow work zone like a construction work zone in which there is greater physical separation between tow operators and traffic, as well as other protections. “I don’t think we have to rewrite the book when it comes to diverting traffic from the work scene. It’s been perfected in the construction world and it’s up to us to see how we can transfer that to the towi ..read more