Welcome to 2021!  Before we get to the topic today, we want to welcome you to our blog.  We will be posting company news, driver spotlights and more throughout the year.  We are looking forward to great things in the days ahead.  We’re glad you stopped by, check back regularly and connect with us.  We would love to hear from you.  You can also find us on Facebook!

Personal Protective Equipment

Maybe you’ve heard it referred to as PPE, but what exactly is it, and why is it important?

According to OSHA, Personal Protective Equipment or PPE, is equipment worn by an employee to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injury or illness.  These types of injuries may result from contact with chemical, physical, electrical, mechanical or other workplace hazards. 

The type of PPE required at a workplace or jobsite will vary, and may include items such as gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, hard hats, coveralls, or reflective vests.

At Terrain Tamers we take safety very seriously. Our number one priority at the end of the day is to get our staff home to their family safely, without harm or injury. Our safety protocols do require personal protective equipment for all of our staff.  We have evaluated the risks that are associated with each job and assigned PPE accordingly.

What makes PPE effective?

In order for PPE to be the most effective, it should be in good clean working order.  Proper PPE should fit comfortably.  If the personal protective equipment does not fit right, it can make the difference between being safe or causing an additional hazard. 

Terrain Tamers’ Required PPE for Drivers

Required PPE for our drivers includes a safety vest, hard hat, safety glasses, ear protection, dust mask, and ankle supporting boots. You are required to follow Terrain Tamers’ safety protocols as well as those that are in place at any customer site that you visit.  As a driver, your reflective safety vest (or shirt), will be worn anytime you are outside of your vehicle; including at customer sites, roadside and in the yard.  This ensures that you are visible at all times. Your hard hat is also to be worn when you are outside your vehicle, at a customer site.  Ear, eye and respiratory protection should be used while you are loading and unloading your trailers. 

One of the most common work injuries for drivers in the trucking industry are those caused by slips, trips and falls.  There is a lot of work that is done outside the truck, rain or shine.

Proper footwear (ankle supporting boots) will help minimize your risk for those types of injuries. Romeo style slip on shoes and athletic shoes are not appropriate or safe footwear for our line of work.

There are many times during the day that you will be doing work that requires climbing stairs and working on uneven, possibly even slippery, ground. Not to mention the amount of dirt and sawdust you will encounter during the day!

New Safety Policy Goes into Effect

Pedestrian traffic within the work area is a hazard that our Safety Committee recently discussed. Working or walking around the truck traffic area could potentially be a hazard for all employees. Those discussions led Terrain Tamers adapting a new safety policy for all of our properties. As of January 1^st, 2021, all employees are required to wear a reflective safety vest when they moving throughout the yard; or not inside of a vehicle while working within Terrain Tamers properties.

You can find more information about personal protective equipment by visiting the OSHA website or OR OSHA.

Come back soon for more news and information!