Young worker safety must be a key focus for employers. Statistics from the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) say workers between the ages of 15 and 19 had 8,040 time loss injuries in Canada in 2012, and four work-related fatalities.
In the 20 to 24 age group, 23,266 were injured and a further 28 young workers died.
Anyone who lacks experience and trained judgment is at particular risk of getting injured, regardless of their age. Young workers especially rely on their employer for good advice, information and supervision and ultimately, for their safety. (more…)
Equipment Available to Local Highway Jurisdictions on Loan
Traffic Counters
The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) has four traffic counters for loan to Local Highway Jurisdictions around the state. These counters basically count two impacts on the road tube as one vehicle. They do not separate the trucks from the automobiles, and consequently, they will give a basic average daily traffic (ADT) count for your system. This information is important, particularly if you are applying for Federal-aid highway funds, or merely want to observe the changes in traffic patterns and volumes throughout your system.
If you are interested in borrowing these units, for up to one month at a time, we would be glad to reserve them for you.
Laser Speed Gun
Based on requests from local highway jurisdictions, LHTAC has a laser speed gun for the purpose of spot checking vehicular speed on roads. This will be helpful in determining whether an official speed study should be undertaken. While local highway jurisdictions can set speed limits on local roads by ordinance, it is required that speed study data is collected only after taking the LHTAC T2 Center’s speed study class, and that the study be reviewed by a licensed engineer.
Please contact our office either by telephone at 1-800-259-6841 / 208-344-0565 or by email lhtac@lhtac.org and we will make arrangements for delivery on a first come first serve basis.
Don’t forget… We offer assistance to local highway jurisdiction in need to sell, receive and/or exchange property on our website https://lhtac.org/resources/equipment/.
Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 22-28, 2014
Some workers are at greater risk than others
People who work outdoors in open spaces, on or near tall objects, with explosives, or with conductive materials such as metal have a large exposure to lightning risks. Workers in these occupations are among those with the most risk:
Reprinted with permission from the Excavation Safety Guide and Directory
Paint can seem like a relatively low investment type of purchase. Most people probably rank it a few steps above toothpaste or shampoo on the buyer decision thought process. As long as the color, price, and quantity are sufficient, you pick one and pay for it. But there are more variables to be considered when looking for the right marking paint to get the most value for your money.
By Lisa Harris, KU Transportation Center Communications & Outreach Manager
Reprinted with permission from the Winter 2014 issue of the Kansas LTAP Newsletter, a publication of the Kansas Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at the Kansas University Transportation Center.
The current Federal highway bill, MAP-21, made changes to FHWA’s Buy America that affect local agencies. The Buy American Act ensures that transportation infrastructure projects are built with American-made products. The statute pertaining to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds, 23 U.S.C. 313, states that “The Secretary of Transportation shall not obligate any funds unless steel, iron, and manufactured products used in such project are produced in the United States.”