Engage Your Workers – Most accidents are caused by unsafe behav- iors. Figure out how to motivate your employees to change these behaviors by making safety a personal issue for them. Change the safety culture at your workplace.

Review Your Data – Figure out what the most common types of injuries and accidents you are having. Look for patterns; do you have more on certain days, or times of the day, or at specific locations? Since every fleet and safety culture is different, it is essential to identify your own problem areas.

Job Observation – Managers and supervisors need to observe front line workers to make sure they are working safely and complying with company rules and applicable laws. This is particularly important on the route, where most of the serious incidents take place.

Safety Belts – In most states, drivers are required to wear a safety belt on the route. These safety devices can be the difference between being shaken up by a truck rolling over or a fatal accident.

Distracted Driving – An increasing percentage of truck crashes involve someone talking on the cell phone or texting. It is illegal for a truck driver operating in interstate commerce to text or to use a hand held cell phone while driving. If you have a distracted driving policy, enforce it. If you don’t have such a policy, we can send one to you.

Backing and Rear-End Collisions – These are the two most common types of vehicular accidents involving garbage and recycling trucks. Often, rushing or not using the backup camera or mirrors contributes to these accidents.

Rushing – When drivers and help- ers are rushing to finish their route quickly, there can be an increased risk of an accident. Working fast does not mean you can’t work safe. If your col- lection workers are rushing, figure out why and what you can do to reduce the risk of an accident or injury.