February 2018 - Fleetsafetycources

27 02, 2018

No Charges Filed in Case of Laurel Public Works Employee Killed Last Year

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T19:21:16+00:00February 27th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

It is completely unacceptable that no charges were filed against this driver. How can they claim: the state’s attorney’s office declining to prosecute the case, stating that there was insufficient evidence to support any violations to state transportation or criminal laws. Striking and killing a person with an automobile is, at a minimum, manslaughter. Meanwhile we have yet another public servant killed in the line of duty. These incidents can be stopped if we work together.

WASHINGTON — About a year after a Laurel Department of Public Works employee was killed while on the

21 02, 2018

Angry Over Potholes, Douglas Man Charged with Threatening Murder

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T19:02:27+00:00February 21st, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

Recently, we post several articles regarding the dangers of potholes and trying to safely make pothole repairs. Sadly, three pubic service employees have died in just the past three weeks, while making repairs. This article details an entirely different type of risk you personally face when it comes to potholes: crazy citizens. Here, we have a resident so upset that the city refuses to repair his road that he threatened to kill the services director.

A quick trip to jail calmed things down, but remember, risk comes at you from every direction.

DOUGLAS –

19 02, 2018

PennDOT Worker Killed in I-99 Accident

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T18:42:28+00:00February 19th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

This time, we lost someone in Pennsylvania. But, it could have happened anywhere. Where will the next fatality happen? Please be vigilant or it could be in your fleet next! Once again, we had a public service employee out on the roadway dodging traffic. Unlike our recent run of pothole repairs, this time he was setting flares when he was struck by an out-of-control car.

We always teach in our professional defensive driving courses that bad weather and snowy conditions never cause accidents. The accidents are caused by people who fail to adjust their driving behaviors to compensate for the

16 02, 2018

Avatar Launches Industry First Driver Training for the Public Service Sector

By avatarmsadmin|2018-04-17T17:28:24+00:00February 16th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

Avatar Management Services, Inc. (Avatar) is proud to announce the launch of a new business line, Public Service Safety (PSS). PSS provides a low cost, effective defensive driving and safety training program for municipal employees. The product follows a quarter century of Avatar creating custom-designed safety processes to help large firms achieve better safety results.

Founder, Mark G. Gardner, commented, “I’ve dedicated my life to making the world a safer place, and my company, Avatar, has done it by producing award-winning safety training for transportation companies. Two years ago, we realized that

15 02, 2018

Mercer County Village Worker Killed in Industrial Accident

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T19:35:38+00:00February 15th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

All too often employees get injured, or worse, die on the job., while trying to do good. Certainly, that’s the case here. A public service employee chose to climb into a dump truck body full of salt for reasons we may never understand. But one thing’s for sure – he was just trying to do his job and probably didn’t understand the risks. Quality training informs your employees to be more careful and to avoid risks. It could have saved his life.

MENDON, MERCER COUNTY — A Village of Mendon employee was killed

15 02, 2018

Mendon Town Employee Stuck in Auger, Dies

By avatarmsadmin|2018-05-25T14:03:54+00:00February 15th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

When we decided to bring our special brand of safety and training to the public service market we did quite a bit of research and identified the number one killer: driving accidents. However, since we’ve been involved in making communities safer, one driver at a time, we have come face-to-face with several other dangers. This is the second fatality in three months involving an auger. We may have to elevate this risk and develop training around it. Please let us know if you have suffered any similar losses, or perhaps near-misses of this type.

Thank you for contributing to PSS

13 02, 2018

City Worker Impaled by Pole in his Neck After Crashing into Fence Dies

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T18:52:57+00:00February 13th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

This is one of the most tragic and profound fatal accidents in the past several years. Here a young Parks & Recreation worker dies in a single vehicle collision when he lost control of his truck, ran into a fence and was impaled through his throat by a fence post. Once again, professional, outcome-based training could have prevented this tragedy.

An employee with the City of San Antonio has died after he crashed into a fence Sunday afternoon.

Authorities were called to General McMullen and Castroville Road at about 2:30 p.m. for reports of

11 02, 2018

CDOT Worker Nolan Olson Dies from Injuries Sustained in Feb. 2 Accident

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T19:01:40+00:00February 11th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

I’m seeing a trend. We’ve had a rash of fatal collisions in the past three weeks related to the repair of potholes. Our Google feed is sending two reports of fatal accident per week right now. It is extremely unfortunate that our public servants have to risk their lives, just to make the roads we drive on a little smoother. Here, we lost a state DOT worker, Nolan Olson (rest in peace), who was just doing his civic duty to make the roads more comfortable for all of us.

The risks are real and the tragedies continue. At PSS, we

9 02, 2018

VDOT Contractor Dies After Getting Hit by Vehicle in I-95 Work Zone

By avatarmsadmin|2018-03-07T18:55:05+00:00February 9th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

Sadly, we are approaching that deadly time of year when someone must go out into traffic and repair the potholes caused by winter, salt and plows. Unfortunately, the safety of the crews is often compromised by the pursuit of productivity and expediency. No one should ever be forced or allowed to work in traffic without advance warning signs, reflective apparel and a live flagger. Far better is to place an obstruction vehicle such as a dump truck or bumper truck between the oncoming traffic and workers. No one should die over a pothole.

9 02, 2018

‘Pothole Patrol’ has a Dangerous Job Patching Washtenaw County Roads

By avatarmsadmin|2018-02-09T19:17:44+00:00February 9th, 2018|Articles, Real Life Claims|

Pothole repair is one of the most dangerous activities of Public Service Employees do. At PSS, we’re working on procedures to make this necessary job safer. We are developing not only outcome-based training for how to do the job safely, but also procedures crews should begin following. It is completely unacceptable to allow live traffic to go whizzing by at 70 miles per hour while we have operators carry hot patch in a shovel and walking between the cars.

I hate to criticize someone I have never met, but this quote from the article scares me to death:

Hackbarth said he

Monthly Archives: February 2018