Safe Solutions

If asked to identify the most significant safety concerns in the roofing industry, falls and burns would top the list for many roofing company owners. However, one area that may not receive the attention it deserves is teaching workers how to safely drive company vehicles.

Insurance companies report vehicle accidents continue to cause major losses throughout the construction industry.

For example, in a case involving a $1 million claim, a roofing worker with a suspended driver's license was driving a pickup truck on the way to a job. He changed lanes suddenly and hit a stopped car. This resulted in a six-car incident, and a young woman was killed.

And in a case involving an $850,000 claim, a roofing worker driving a pickup truck was following too closely and rear-ended a car; the other driver now is disabled.

The reason these types of losses are so costly and exhaust policy limits is because of litigation costs, such as legal fees, pretrial motions and document requests. Claim files also show many of these accidents happen to new and/or poorly trained or supervised employees.

Causes

Accidents in company vehicles often involve pickup trucks, which generally have light rear ends and, when loaded, easily can lose traction during hard braking and slippery conditions. Loads can create blind spots, and care should be taken during the loading process to prevent this as much as possible.

Cellular technology also can be a hazard. Although it allows people to be in constant communication, it adds new problems for drivers. A recent University of Utah, Salt Lake City, study found that when young drivers talk on cell phones, they move and react more slowly and increase risk of an accident. The study also found that regardless of age, drivers who talked on cell phones were 18 percent slower when hitting the brakes. Rear-end collisions were found to increase twofold when drivers were talking on cell phones.

Another reason for a significant number of commercial vehicle road accidents is driver fatigue. Many factors can contribute to driver fatigue, including extreme physical work before and after driving, such as heavy loading and unloading of vehicles; long periods of driving; drug and alcohol use; and poor health and fitness.

Signs of fatigue include constant yawning, slowed reactions, blurred vision, poor concentration and letting a vehicle wander across the road.

Prevention

Effective loss-prevention methods include:

• Periodically performing motor vehicle reviews for all your employees who drive company vehicles, regardless of their positions, and monitoring employees for changes
  
  
• Using toolbox talks about driver safety as part of your safety training program
  
  
• Instructing employees not to use cell phones while driving—unless there is an emergency

You also can teach employees about the signs of fatigue and how to improve alertness. For example, if employees are driving long distances and begin to feel sleepy, they should schedule a break; a short nap of less than 40 minutes could help refresh them. Other ways employees can prevent fatigue include allowing fresh air into the vehicle, avoiding large meals throughout the drive and avoiding medications that cause drowsiness.

You also should emphasize safe driving techniques. For example, when stopping and changing lanes, employees should keep the necessary distance from and be aware of the other vehicles around them and look around on all sides. Recommend the use of signals early; before changing lanes, employees should tap lightly on the brake pedal to flash their brake lights and warn other drivers. In addition, employees should be sure to adjust speed and spacing with consideration for driving conditions, such as the road surface, traction, curves, load size, visibility, traffic and hills.

Important education

Don't let poor drivers ruin your good safety record. Provide them with the proper information and training before they harm themselves or others.

Leslie Kazmierowski is NRCA's insurance programs manager.