News and Updates from BITCO (15)

Tough Brake

| May 25, 2021

Safety Insights to Prevent Out-of-Service Violations

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, out-of-adjustment brakes and brake system violations combine to represent half of all out-of-service violations issued for commercial vehicles on the road. Brake systems that are improperly installed or poorly maintained can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of commercial motor vehicles, creating a serious safety risk. In fact, brakes were listed in FMCSA's top 20 Out-of-Service Violations.

Skidder Good Managment Practices

| May 4, 2021

Practices to Keep You Safe on the Job

According to OSHA, next to felling, skidding is the most dangerous part of a logging operation. Skidding hazards include moving equipment, moving and rolling logs, cable releases, cable-related cuts and punctures, and rollovers. Good communication and safe work practices must be followed to get the timber to the loading area safely. Follow these good management practices for skidding.

Work Zone Safety

| April 27, 2021

Tips for Construction Companies to Improve Road Work Zones

Highway workers are exposed to dangers at road and highway construction projects from the motoring public and construction equipment such as excavators, loaders, and dump trucks. Between 2016 and 2017, there were 275 worker fatalities in work zones. Most of these fatalities are due to run-overs or back-overs by construction equipment. Work zone safety is everyone's responsibility.

Manual Material Handling

| April 1, 2021

8 Questions to Consider to Help Minimize Injuries

Manual material handling is the lifting, pushing, pulling, and prying of items; and can often cause injury. In fact, it's one of the leading causes of injury in the construction industry. These injuries typically are soft tissue injuries to the back, neck, shoulder, and other joints. In 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over 36 percent of injuries involving missed workdays were due to shoulder and back injuries.

Safety in Loading

| March 23, 2021

Forestry Good Management Practices

When proper safety procedures and equipment are not used, workers in the logging industry are at a high risk of injury and death. National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities reported that 59 percent of all logging-related deaths occurred when workers were struck by falling or flying objects or were caught in or between objects. Good Management Practices are designed to help manage risks and keep loggers safe on the job. Here are some of our recommended good management practices for safety in loading logs.

Lockout/Tagout Programs

| March 9, 2021

Machine-Specific Lockout Procedures

OSHA requires employers to develop lockout/tagout (LOTO) written programs. The contents of the programs include energy control procedures. These procedures should describe, in general, how the employer will comply with OSHA‘s lockout/tagout regulation.

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