February 2023 Safety Coach: We’ve Given ‘Spring Training’ a New Definition

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A workplace team circles up, hands in and then breaks for safety.

Safety Coach
Training Circle

Workplace supervisors, managers, safety coaches and human resources professionals gain the knowledge and skills they need to do their jobs safely through ongoing education and training. We’re here to help “coach the coaches” and open those windows of opportunity.

Please join us in March for these free online training sessions. Take what you learn back to your team. Teach others to be safe on the job and behind the wheel. Click on the links below and register to attend now:

Tuesday, March 7 – DeployMarketing and Communications Strategies to Produce Extraordinary Safety Results.

Lisa Battaglia, founder and president of Battaglia Communications, will discuss how to focus your marketing efforts internally to create culture buy-in and an engaged team that makes the right safety decision even when no one is looking. She will be joined by Brian Fielkow, recognized in the CEOs who “Get It” awards category by the National Safety Council in 2022. Brian will share his experience using marketing and communications to build a culture of safety.

Wednesday, March 8 – Opioids and Central Nervous System Depressants/Stimulants: A DITTE Deep Dive.

More than 106,000 people died from drug-involved overdose in 2021. Employers can be on the front lines of prevention. This training will explore the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, and other narcotic analgesics on employees and the employer. Discussion will focus on supervisor training, reporting of suspected drug misuse and the impact on costs associated with substance use in the workplace and beyond. 

Participants will receive a training fulfillment certificate via email.

Thursday, March 16 – Social Harms: The Psychological Phenomenon and the Hidden Costs of Roadway Fatalities.

With traffic fatalities on the rise, safety leaders as well as psychologists are determined to find out the root cause of risky behaviors behind the wheel. Speed, impairment, distraction and fatigue are contributing factors in more than 90% of crashes. These driving behaviors increased during the height of the pandemic when traffic volume reportedly decreased. Today, traffic levels have returned to normal, but we are seeing many of these risky behaviors rise to pre-pandemic levels.

In this session, law enforcement liaison Michael Munson will discuss situational factors that can increase risk-taking, the cost and how to respond effectively.

Spring is a time of rebirth and a time to refocus on safety.

Tailgate Talk
Stretch Goal

In March, some of your coworkers might share gardening tips through your health and wellness program. Or recipes to celebrate the start of spring. For sure, they’re thinking about getting outdoors more. Make the connection between healthy lifestyle choices and safety. Consider launching a step challenge and be sure to highlight the importance of pedestrian safety.

Provide tips such as these to keep walkers and motorists safe:

For Everyone

  • Avoid impairment: Alcohol and other drugs can cloud judgment and slow reaction time

For Drivers

  • Drive impairment- and distraction-free
  • Look out for pedestrians at all times
  • Be extra-cautious when driving at night or in hazardous conditions

For Pedestrians

  • Walk on sidewalks when available and cross at crosswalks or intersections
  • Be sure and wear reflective material at night

Walk distraction-free. Visit our pedestrian safety page and download our free materials, including a variety of teaching tools and safety posters. Want to have a little fun? Be sure to create engagement with this pedestrian safety quiz.

Almost every trip begins on foot. This is true even if you walk only a few steps out the door, hop in your car, park and then walk across the lot into the office or local shopping center. Safety risks increase when you mix distracted drivers into an environment brimming with pedestrian traffic. Watch/share: Parking Lots, Hot Cars and Distraction.

Get more tools you can use to raise awareness of pedestrian safety risks from the Texas Department of Transportation, including a series of safety videos and safety posters. Click here to download TxDOT campaign materials.

Why now? Spring is a time of rebirth, a time to refocus on driver and transportation safety. TxDOT reports:

  • Pedestrian deaths increased 15% in Texas from 2021 to 2022 and now account for one in five of all traffic fatalities in the state
  • In 2021, 5,366 crashes involved pedestrians statewide, resulting in more than 840 deaths and 1,470 serious injuries

The top factors contributing to traffic crashes in Texas involving pedestrians, according to TxDOT:

  • Pedestrians failing to yield the right-of-way to vehicles
  • Driver inattention
  • Drivers failing to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians
  • Speeding

Use our new driver behavior safety videos to go one-step further, including this one addressing the potential implications of speeding. Now, that’s a recipe for safety success.