In last week's installment, we talked about preparing for winter road conditions as a driver, including maintenance on your vehicle, and mental preparation for a hazardous environment.
We all know that driving in winter is challenging. But what can you do as a roadside worker, construction worker, flagger, crosswalk guard, bicyclist or pedestrian to keep yourself out of harm's way?
1. Cyclists - Make sure your bike head and seatlights are in working order. These lights must be working properly and cover north, south, east and western exposures, and bright enough to be seen in tough conditions. Get a mirror and reflectors, both are inexpensive and useful. Remember to ride against traffic so you can react to what's happening ahead of you, and most of all, always don hi-visibility gear such as safety vests, signal lights and armbands.
2. Pedestrians - Use sidewalks whenever possible and take off your earphones, or at least lower the volume so you can hear the ambient noise around you. Use crosswalks and wait for signal hands to change before entering the roadway. And, as with cyclists, walk towards oncoming traffic for the ability to make quick self-preservation decisions. If you walk regularly, there are hi-vis t-shirts and mesh safety vests for warmer weather, and fluorescent sweatshirts, even hivis parkas with retro-reflective material and reflective stripes for you die-hards who will walk and workout in the most extreme conditions.
3. Flaggers, Construction Workers and Roadside Workers - As we've said before, he key to staying safe is staying visible. Hi Vis clothing, hi-vis apparel, high-visibility jackets, pants and accessories are the absolute best way to keep safe during the winter months. Flaggers are your first line of defense if you're a part of of roadside construction crew, but who's going to defend the flaggers? By simply being on the road, you're at the mercy of vehicles, no matter how safe you act or work, but you absolutely must be seen in high visibility clothing and hi vis accessories. And, depending on the speed of the vehicles near or around you, you may need a different class of hi-vis safety vest, or high-vis jacket.
Check out safety vests, Hivis apparel, hi-vis accessories, and traffic safety apparatus at HiVis Supply. The holidays are here, and you need to stay safe while at work or out on the roadways.
