VEHICLE SAFETY
By: Evan Lucyk
Working in mining and construction, it is no surprise that our colleagues and customers have a good number of vehicles and workers on the road. With snow and ice coating the roads and the winter season officially upon us, we have been thinking more about our team's road safety. Vehicle safety is important year-round, but taking extra driving precautions when road conditions are not ideal will help keep your staff safe and happy.
Consistent maintenance and repair of your vehicle are essential to keeping it road safe. There are several things you might want to implement in your workplace.
Winter tires
Winter tires are critical for ensuring safety on the road. The rubber winter tires are made of is designed to perform in cold temperatures. When temperatures begin to drop below seven degrees Celsius, summer tires will lose grip and lower overall safety. Make sure to check your tire tread depth to see how worn your winter tires are. When tires are worn beyond 3 millimeters, tire traction decreases substantially.
Additionally, ensure when switching out tires that each of your vehicles has a full set. Switching out only two at a time to winter tires is ineffective and does not lead to the same degree of safety and control having four tires gives a driver. If you have had the same set of tires for several years now, you could consider upgrading them, as tire innovation and technology is always evolving to offer unique features to reduce the risks of hydroplaning and slipping.
Batteries
Keeping vehicle batteries in good working order is especially vital in the cold. When checking your battery, you can invest in your own tester if it would be worth it for your organization, but many auto parts stores will also let you test your battery for free. To extend the life of your battery, clean and protect the battery terminals to reduce terminal corrosion.
Engine coolant
Engine coolant not only protects engines from freezing and cracking, but it also contains anti-corrosive components and water pump lubricants to keep your entire cooling system in prime condition. Testers to check the level of freeze protection of coolant are inexpensive; however, they only test for freeze protection, which does not ensure the added components are still in good shape. Coolant additives can be checked with a digital multimeter. When additives are depleted, issues could arise with your radiator, water pump, or heater core in the future, which is a far more expensive fix than a coolant change.
Logbooks
At Bit Service, we have multiple different drivers operating the same vehicles on different days. To keep everyone easily informed regarding each vehicle's status, we have log books containing formalized checklists to keep a close eye on whether the lights are in working order and oil levels are ideal. This has been an easy way to take thorough care of our vehicles, and we would highly recommend a similar method. It also keeps every driver accountable and responsible for the vehicle they are operating and cuts the need for a specific maintenance facility that checks all the vehicles.
Emergency preparedness
Being prepared for roadside emergencies in the cold is essential, especially for folks with travel routes through rural or remote areas. Build a winter survival kit for your vehicles to avoid frostbite or freezing. Some useful items for this are warm work gloves, a spare hat, heat blanket, air-activated heat packs, a first aid kit, booster cables, a collapsible shovel, some emergency repair tools, and a calcined clay all-purpose absorbent. Having an emergency kit that always stays in the vehicle is an important health and safety step to take.