Continuing Efforts Against Human Trafficking
Thanks to the heroic efforts of MCS officers, another life was potentially saved.
On Thursday July 11, 2024, Captain Kevin Adkins, Motor Carrier Services (MCS) District 5 supervisor received a series of strange emails from an unfamiliar source. Within the first set of emails that arrived, there was an attachment for a Montana overweight/oversize superload permit. While inspecting the contents of the email it was determined that the sender may be in a human trafficking or labor trafficking situation. The attachments that accompanied the emails were screenshots of a mobile device that had sexually explicit photos and sexual innuendos along with another’s opinion that the victim was being trafficked. Cpt Adkins was able to identify the vehicle from the superload permit and sent an email to his district officers to look for the truck. See Link for full story
Drivers rank camera as top safety tech, as long as it faces outward
Fleets spend millions of dollars annually on well-intended technologies that are designed to make truck driving safer, but the men and women charged with actually using it have a clear favorite: forward-facing cameras.
More than 60% of respondents to CCJ's What Drivers Want survey, conducted in partnership with Lytx, said a forward-facing camera has the greatest impact on improving truck driver safety. A tie for a distant second place, with 31% each and largely driven by strength among company drivers, was a collision mitigation system and lane departure warning system.
Camera systems that capture the motoring public, drivers say, is handy in that many truckers see four-wheeled motorists as the biggest threat to their safety.
"I have personally seen a woman driving on a divided four-lane, eating a bowl of spaghetti with a tablet on her dash, driving with one knee and cutting in and out of traffic," recalled leased operator Mike Bartick. "DOT should target the [people messing] around on their phones in cars and pickups. I see it 10 times a day every day." Read More
Clean Fuels Alliance America to Sue EPA
Clean Fuels Alliance America told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it will sue over the agency’s delay in establishing 2026 biofuel volumes in its Renewable Fuel Standard program that Clean Fuels says will harm businesses across the nation.
“Biodiesel and renewable diesel producers are beginning to cut production or close their doors as a result of EPA’s miscalculation of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 RFS volumes. That means shipping companies who want to reduce environmental impacts in their supply chain and trucking companies that want to use better, cleaner fuels will have a tougher time finding a near-term, cost-effective, low-carbon solution,” said Paul Winters, Clean Fuels public affairs and federal communications director. Read More
Will's Safety Message
Every year, thousands of American workers report having been victims of workplace violence. In 2021-22, assaults resulted in 57,610 injuries. In 2022, 525 fatalities due to assault were reported, according to Injury Facts®.
Certain industries, including healthcare, service providers and education, are more prone to violence than others. Taxi drivers, for example, are more than 20 times more likely to be murdered on the job than other workers, according to OSHA.
But make no mistake: Workplace violence can happen anywhere.
The Numbers are Alarming
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence falls into four categories: Criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker and personal relationship, which overwhelmingly targets women.
No matter who initiates the confrontation, the deadliest situations involve an active shooter. U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines active shooter as someone "actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area."
A lot can happen, stay calm and exercising one of three options: Run, hide or fight.
If there is an accessible escape route, leave your belongings and get out If evacuation is not possible, find a hiding place where you won't be trapped should the shooter find you, lock and blockade the door, and silence your phone.
As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to incapacitate the shooter by throwing items, improvising weapons and yelling
Every Organization Needs to Address Workplace Violence
Managers and safety professionals at every workplace should develop a policy on violence that includes:
Employee training and creating an emergency action plan
Conducting mock training exercises with local law enforcement
Adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence
Know the Warning Signs
Some people commit violence because of revenge, robbery or ideology – with or without a component of mental illness. While there is no way to predict an attack, you can be aware of behaviors in co-workers that might signal future violence:
Excessive use of alcohol or drugs
Unexplained absenteeism, change in behavior or decline in job performance
Depression, withdrawal or suicidal comments
Resistance to changes at work or persistent complaining about unfair treatment
Violation of company policies
Emotional responses to criticism, mood swings, and paranoia
Stay Safe!
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