Safety Tips from I-Safety
Spotlight Tips of the Week
It's officially spring, and time to think about putting winter safety gear aside for another season. If you use studded snow tires, remember that the last day for using these tires in Idaho is April 30. Even if it is still a legal time to use them, the metal cleats embedded in the tread can cause unnecessary wear on bare roadways. The Idaho Transportation Department encourages removing studded snow tires when conditions allow, which may be earlier than April 30.
If you are traveling, it's important to know that studded tire laws vary in neighboring states:
- Montana: Oct. 1 - May 31
- Nevada: Oct. 1 - April 30
- Utah: Oct. 15 - March 31
- Oregon: Nov. 1 - March 31
- Washington: Nov. 1 - March 31
- Wyoming: Legal all year
While you're having your studded winter tires removed, it's a great time to have your alignment checked. Proper wheel alignment contributes to better fuel economy, handling and even tire wear.
Flash floods and rising waters can occur quickly and are not uncommon on the Palouse this time of year. Please be wise about your actions when weather reports predict the possibility of this happening. Warning signs: unusually hard rain over several hours; steady substantial rain over several days; and rains in conjunction with a spring thaw.
If water is backing up on Paradise Creek as it flows across campus—typically near culverts—report the concern to Facilities (208-885-6246) and Environmental Health and Safety (208-885-6524).
Precautions to take: although these seem obvious, they are important!
- Remain aware and monitor local radio, television and go online for up-to-date National Weather Service alerts. If flash floods are possible, move to higher ground.
- Be watchful at bridges and low areas that could have rushing water and over running banks, especially Paradise Creek in Moscow.
- Avoid flood waters and fast moving creeks and rivers. Don't walk or drive into moving water. Just inches of moving water can knock you down. Read more about flood safety.
- Refrain from kayaking, inner tubing or doing any other water activity during flood conditions. Floodwater may be contaminated with oil, gasoline or raw sewage. Floodwater may also be charged with electricity from fallen power lines.
- Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. Moving water is very easy to underestimate. Driving through any sort of moving water can sweep your car right off the road, even in seemingly mild flooding as shallow as a few inches.
Culture of Questioning
Questioning certain practices with safety in mind is an essential attitude to keep you and the rest of the Vandal family safe. Questioning challenges the complacency that grows in familiar situations and drives change. Questioning safety practices, or perhaps a lack thereof, is vital to developing a culture of safety at the University of Idaho. The goal is for everyone to return home at the end of every day just as healthy as when they arrived on campus.
Safety issues are often recognized but go unreported because a person doesn't know whom to contact or assumes that someone else is already taking care of it. At U of I, we want everyone to challenge these assumptions, question the situation and report the issues. The Report a Safety Concern form was created just for this purpose. It allows for anonymous reporting if you choose, as well as the option to upload an image of the safety problem when appropriate. It is available for anyone to use, and concerns will be directed to the proper campus unit to correct the problem.
Students and employees are the eyes and ears of the community, and your help is essential. Get involved in the safety training opportunities available to you, ask questions if you have a concern about a procedure, take part in safety inspections and report issues right away - issues cannot be corrected if no one knows about them. Timely questioning and reporting can prevent accidents and near misses. If an accident or near miss does occur, report this as well; investigating the reason will help avoid another injury.
As a supervisor, you have additional influence - lead by example and ensure safety is a core value in your team's activities. You are encouraged to do workplace inspections, ensure your employees are current on their safety training, talk regularly with your employees and discuss accident investigation reports with them and the U of I EHS staff. EHS has many resources available for you and the EHS staff can assist all supervisors in their safety efforts.
Our Vandal culture is how we think and act in all our activities. Avoiding complacency and continuously challenging existing conditions that might pose a safety risk allows us as a community to identify discrepancies and take appropriate actions before an accident or near miss occurs. Put safety first and we can achieve the safest possible working and learning environment for our Vandal family.