Source: www.fleetowner.com

Every year the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) stages an all-out 72-hour inspection effort, called International Roadcheck. This June 4-6 will be no different, as U.S. federal and state inspectors, plus their Canadian and Mexican counterparts, will conduct Level 1 inspections of drivers and vehicles at 1,500 locations. Nearly 15 trucks or buses will be inspected, on average, every minute across North America.

Level 1 inspections are comprehensive, covering every major vehicle system. For drivers, the Level 1 inspection will look at commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), medical certificates, hours-of-service (HOS) records, and recent vehicle inspection reports. Additionally, inspectors will check drivers for seat belt use, illness, fatigue and any indication of drugs or alcohol. For more about Level 1 inspections, see CVSA’s “North American Standard Roadside Inspection Vehicle Cheat Sheet.”

Related: International Roadcheck 2019 puts emphasis on steering and suspension

Each year Roadcheck brings a special focus on one area of the Level 1 inspection. For 2019, it will be on steering and suspension systems. Steering and suspension are critical safety systems, affecting vehicle control, stability, acceleration, braking and tire wear.

There is still time to have your mechanic look over your commercial vehicle in preparation for Roadcheck. A clean inspection, after all, benefits your safety score and helps you qualify or remain qualified for electronic bypass programs, like PrePass, among many other reasons.

Related: Steering into Roadcheck safety

But you want those inspections to be “clean.” Warning signs that something may be amiss with your steering and suspension include:

• • Uneven tire wear
  • Swaying or shaking while driving
  • Problems handling bumps at low speeds
  • Lurching or straying one direction or the other
  • Not sitting level when parked
  • Knocking or squealing sounds during turns

Have your vehicle ready for International Roadcheck, because it is likely you and your truck will be inspected. During Roadcheck most states and provinces will adjust their “pull-in” rate at weigh stations to check as many commercial vehicles as enforcement staffing allows – including those which would normally bypass inspection sites.

If you are going to get inspected anyway, make it count in your favour.

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Visit www.safetydriven.ca for more great resources on Occupational Health and Safety

The annual Cone Zone campaign reminds drivers to slow down, pay attention. This year’s campaign kicks off in May and will run until the end of the summer.

The Cone Zone is a workplace for thousands of B.C. workers. These workers include traffic control persons, road maintenance workers, utility workers, emergency crews, law enforcement personnel, landscapers, and more.

Roadside work is hazardous. Between 2008 and 2017, 12 roadside workers died and 218 were injured as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle.

Every year since 2011, the Work Zone Safety Alliance has reminded drivers to slow down and pay attention in its annual Cone Zone campaign. As part of the 2019 campaign, police officers will be going undercover as roadside workers in active Cone Zones. Throughout the summer, this close-up vantage point will give officers a better chance to spot drivers speeding, breaking distracted driving laws, or not paying attention to signs or traffic control persons.

The campaign also includes an advertising and social media component that will run until the end of August.

Slow down and pay attention
“When we say ‘slow down,’ it doesn’t just mean slow down the vehicle. It also means slow down what you’re thinking about and pay attention to the road,” says Jacqueline Morrison, an industry specialist for Transportation & Occupational Road Safety at WorkSafeBC.

“Instead of thinking about your next stop, dinner that night, or the 12 errands you’ve got to run, focus your attention on that work zone. Is somebody directing you and giving instructions on what to do? If so, follow those instructions. If there isn’t a person, slow down and obey the signs.”

Jacqueline and the rest of the Road Safety team are also reminding drivers about the “slow down, move over” law. When drivers see red, blue, or amber lights flashing on the highway, it means that if the speed limit is 80 km/h or more, you must drop your speed to 70 km/h or slower. If the speed limit is less than 80 km/h, you must drop to 40 km/h or slower. (For more information on this B.C. law in place since 2015, see my post New laws to protect roadside workers). Also see Working in and around traffic for more resources from WorkSafeBC.

Looking for last-minute planning tips for Safety and Health Week? Here’s a crash course!

There are many things a company, big or small, can do to get involved in NAOSH week.  Here’s where you can start:

Establish an NAOSH Week planning committee – consider involving employees, workplace Occupational Health and Safety Committees, CSSE members, representatives from business, suppliers, government, city, municipalities, retailers and other safety organizations.

Develop an outline of events and activities that are being planned, in support of company/ business safety objectives. Promote these plans to senior-level leaders for their involvement and participation.

Plan for broad sector involvement, whenever possible, through a variety of events – public, corporate, private industry and community events.

Download Promotional Materials, checklists and sample documents.

More information and ideas can be found at NAOSH BC.

Most importantly, have fun, learn lots, and be safe!  And don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of time.  Taking one of SafetyDriven – TSCBC’s online course offerings is a great way to celebrate the week.  Every step, every effort, matters.

SafetyDriven – TSCBC is pleased to announce Philip Choi as Executive Director of SafetyDriven – Trucking Safety Council of BC, effective June 3, 2019.

Philip Choi was most recently the Senior Manager for SafetyDriven. Philip has worked with the SafetyDriven team since 2014 to make the trucking, moving and storage, and related industries safer by making safety approachable.

Philip’s successes are a product of his strong client focus and business management skills. He is particularly proud of the foundational work he has completed for SafetyDriven, including the development and implementation of financial and operational tracking and reporting, restructuring the organization into clear business units, and developing and executing a marketing strategy that has proven successful in increasing brand awareness and engagement with employers of all sizes, including owner-operators.

Philip also provides strategic guidance to Road Safety at Work campaigns, Shift into Winter and ConeZone, and the BC Road Safety Strategy – Safe Vehicles committee.

Philip holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.

Philip Choi was appointed to his new position as Executive Director following an extensive search with guidance from SafetyDriven Chairperson Matthew May (Coast 2000 Terminals Ltd.), Vice-Chairperson Justin Cheverie (Alchemist Specialty Carriers Inc.) and BCTA President & CEO Dave Earle.

“Philip’s work has contributed significantly to our growth and success. I am looking forward to working with Philip in his new role as we build on the successes that Safety Driven has achieved” – D.Earle

click here for more informationSafetyDriven is holding their Annual General Meeting and Open Board Meeting on May 9, 2019. Members in good standing who operate within the classification unit’s 732019 (General Trucking) and 732030 (Moving & Storage) are welcome to attend.

Date: May 9, 2019
Where: Sandman Signature Hotel
8828 201 Street
Langley, BC

Registration: 8:30 am
AGM: 9:00 am
Open Board Meeting: 10:00 am

RSVP: info@safetydriven.ca

To ensure we have enough space for all attendees, you must pre-register to info@safetydriven.ca.

Please note more than one person from each company can attend however there is only one vote allowed per company.

RICHMOND, B.C. — Many drivers may not think transitioning into spring driving is a big deal. After all, winter is when road conditions are at their worst, right?

But in many areas, particularly in B.C., spring weather can be temperamental, with ideal road conditions one moment and a whiteout the next.

Trina Pollard, manager of industry and labour services, transportation and occupational road safety for WorkSafeBC, said commercial drivers must be prepared to shift into winter again this spring.

“For a lot of drivers, winter is over by the end of March,” said Pollard. “In fact, winter road conditions can be found in plenty of places in B.C. after that. Many highways in our province, including mountain passes and rural routes in high snowfall areas, remain subject to the requirement for winter tires or chains until the end of April.”

Pollard said regardless of the season, falling is the leading cause of truck driver injuries.

Statistics from WorkSafeBC reveal that 37% of fall injuries occur when drivers enter or exit the cab.

Spring is also the time when road construction activity increases, and Pollard said drivers must remember to slow down in work zones.

“Driver safety and the safety of workers in work zones near or alongside the road depends on drivers keeping control of their vehicles,” she said.

According to Pollard, commercial drivers near a vehicle with flashing amber, red, or blue lights must slow down to 70 km/hr if the posted speed limit is greater than 80 km/hr. They must also slow to 40 km/hr if the posted limit is less than 80 km/hr.

“In both situations, drivers should be prepared to move over and increase the space between their vehicle and the work zone,” she said, “if it’s safe to do so.”

For Jimmy Sandhu, occupational health and safety and safety advisory services for SafetyDriven, winter tires, sunlight hours, flash flooding, and driving behaviour are areas commercial operators must focus on when transitioning into spring.

Winter tires are often taken off too early, according to Sandhu. And flash flooding becomes a greater risk in spring.

“As warmer weather approaches, there is a possibility of too much heat melting some recently fallen snow,” said Sandhu. “This could, of course, lead to flash flooding, which requires dispatch to keep an eye on weather reports and ensure staff is adequately prepared.”

As for driver behaviour, Sandhu said added sunlight hours means additional motorists.

“With more drivers on the roadways, and some speeding more so than others, it’s important for truck drivers to be aware,” he said. “As a former truck driver, it’s important to be patient with other road users.”

Enforcement
With the onset of spring, there are several areas of commercial vehicle enforcement officers look at when inspecting commercial vehicles.

Devon Van Dellen, the transport officer and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance instructor for the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch in Alberta, said drivers should look for cracking on stress points of the vehicle due to ice melting off the frame.

“Cold winters in the north take a toll on equipment and metal,” said Van Dellen. “Frame cracks are important to catch early, as failing to do so could have catastrophic results.”

Drivers should inspect any components that were covered by snow or ice, such as suspensions and axles, even rims, which can get overlooked during winter months.

Air brake systems should be looked at to ensure they are holding air and there is no damage from winter driving.

“There are a lot of air system parts that are made from plastic and rubber and those components do not do well in our -40 temperatures,” said Van Dellen. “This, combined with anti-freezing agents (methyl hydrate) used by some drivers in air lines, can cause deterioration that may not be noticed until spring thaw.”

Tire pressure should also be checked. Van Dellen points out. Improper inflation can lead to abnormal wear and blowouts while on the highway.

Softer road surfaces are another spring reality.

“Drivers need to be aware of road bans on their routes as spring arrives,” said Van Dellen. “As well, if a driver does run into highway troubles and has to pull over to the shoulder, be aware shoulders are not as hard as they were in the winter and they could sink into softer shoulders and tip over depending on what kind of unit they are operating.”

Van Dellen reiterated Sandhu’s point about increased traffic once spring arrives.

“Non-commercial roads users tend to drive faster in the nicer weather,” he said, “and they are impatient around the typically slower commercial traffic.”

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Visit www.safetydriven.ca for information on occupational health and safety

Congratulations to our new COR certified companies: RR Plett Trucking Ltd. (pictured below), Walmart Canada Corp. (pictured below) and Pacific Coast Terminals Ltd. who have all achieved a Certificate of Recognition through SafetyDriven – Trucking Safety Council of BC!

RR Plett Trucking Ltd.

The Certification of Recognition is an initiative that recognizes and rewards employers who develop and implement sustainable occupational health and safety programs. Their COR programs meet or exceed provincial requirements by taking a “best practices” approach to health and safety.

Walmart Canada Corp.

Companies who achieve COR – which involves standards for documentation, participation in training, an internal review process, and an on-site audit – are eligible for WorkSafeBC premium rebates of up to 10 percent.

Learn more about the COR program.

List of COR Certified companies.

Across Canada, April 28 has been designated the Day of Mourning.

Every year workers, families, employers, and others come together at ceremonies held around the province to remember those who have lost their lives to work-related incidents or occupational disease and renew our commitment to creating safe workplaces.

There are many ways you can participate:

Visit dayofmourning.bc.ca to:

• Make a dedication in honour of a fallen worker
• Plan your own Day of Mourning ceremony using resources available in the event toolkit
• Find a list of ceremonies across B.C.
• Order complimentary decals and posters for your worksite

Source: Truck News – West magazine

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA WorkSafeBC is expanding its Road Safety at Work campaign from an annual weekly event to a year-long initiative.

“The issue of road safety is one that applies year-round,” said Mark Ordeman, transportation manager of industry and labour services for WorkSafeBC. “So we decided to shift the focus to encouraging employers to take action at any time during the year rather than during one specific week.”

The goal of the Road Safety at Work campaign is to provide resources to B.C. employers so they can develop or improve their road safety programs within their business.

WorkSafeBC’s initial intent when it launched the initiative was to reduce the number of work-related driving collisions, injuries, and deaths in the province.

According to WorkSafeBC, work-related motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of traumatic workplace deaths in B.C., accounting to 34% of all work-related, traumatic deaths.

“On average each year, 19 workers are killed and another 1,350 are injured and miss time from work because of work-related crashes,” said Ordeman.

Over the course of the year, there will be eight, half-day workshops offered throughout the province and four, one-hour webinars on various occupational road safety issues.

On the website, www.roadsafetyatwork.ca, there are also free online resources, tools, and courses employers can use to enhance road safety programs. “One of (the site’s) most popular resources is a road safety plan template,” said Ordeman. “But there are tools for identifying hazards and assessing risks, creating journey management plans, developing road safety policies and procedures, and many more.”

Road Safety at Work will be part of numerous trade shows, events, and conferences in 2019.

WorkSafeBC will launch an advertising campaign – the first in January, then again in February and March – to increase awareness of the issue of workplace motor-vehicle incidents.

Ordeman said the main message of the campaign will be that “your employees are your greatest asset, so protect them when they drive for work.” Ordeman encourages carriers to visit the website, saying, “View its portfolio of free resources and make a commitment to improving at least one aspect of road safety in their organizations during the year.”

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Visit Road Safety at Work for more details about training and upcoming workshops.

Source: www.bctrucking.com

On December 13, 2018, Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, No. 2, received Royal Assent, including changes to the Canada Labour Code (Part III) for 2019 that will affect federally regulated employers such as interprovincial motor carriers.

Amendments to the CLC are related to efforts to modernize labour standards, including the public consultation undertaken by Employment and Skills Development Canada from May 2017 to March 2018. Following is a summary of the most applicable changes, many of which will be enforced by September 2019.

Following are highlights:

Independent contractors – employees

• Employers are prohibited from treating an employee as if he or she is not their employee in order to avoid their obligations or to deprive the employee of their rights. The employer bears responsibility for proving an individual is not an employee in the event of any claim, so should review agreements with independent contractors to ensure clarity.

Equal pay

The amendments require employers to pay casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees equally to their full-time counterparts, as long as the work is substantially the same, requiring the same skill, effort and responsibility. Employers may, however, retain wage systems accounting for seniority, merit and other considerations.

Hours of work

• The amendments add an unpaid break of 30 minutes for every five hours of work, as well as a minimum eight-hour rest period between shifts. Employees who require them are entitle to unpaid breaks for breastfeeding or pumping breastmilk, or for medical reasons.

Leave

The amendments:

• eliminate minimum length-of-service requirements for general holiday pay, sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave, leave related to critical illness and leave related to death or disappearance of a child;
• reduce the length of service required to be eligible for three weeks of vacation with pay from 6 years to 5 years;
• provide four weeks of vacation with pay after 10 or more years of service;
• introduce a new 5-day personal leave, of which 3 days are paid, and 5 days of paid leave for victims of family violence (out of 10 days in total);
• allow employees to use medical leave for medical appointments as well as organ or tissue donation, and employers can only request a certificate for leave of 3 or more consecutive days; and
• provide a new unpaid leave for court or jury duty.

Work-life balance

• Employers must provide employees with at least 96 hours’ advance notice in writing of their schedules; employees may refuse a shift that starts within 96 hours of notice (with some exceptions). This doesn’t apply to workplaces governed by a collective agreement with a different timeframe.

Employees in precarious work

• Employers must provide employees with information about their rights and entitlements and their conditions of employment and inform all employees about employment or promotion opportunities; and
  An employee may seek reimbursement of work-related expenses.

Termination

• Where 50 or more employees are being terminated, employers may provide pay in lieu of the required 16-week group notice (or a combination of notice and pay in lieu) and require that employees be given eight weeks’ notice of termination or pay in lieu;
• for individual termination, employers may provide notice that will range from two weeks’ notice or pay in lieu of notice or a combination of notice and pay in lieu, for employees with between three months and less than three years of continuous employment to a maximum of eight weeks after eight years of continuous employment; and
• employers must inform terminated employees about their termination rights.
  These summaries are selected and unofficial. Please ensure you obtain qualified advice should you require information about any of these amendments.

Additional resources

Bill C-86
Backgrounder – Modernizing Labour Standards