During the pre-job tailgate talk or safety meeting, all members of the crew, including subcontractors, should be present to learn what safety protocols are in place. This pre-job meeting gives the superintendent the chance to make sure everyone is on the same page not just for quality and best practices that will ensure a top quality performance, but also for safety of the crew members and the public.
This is when you make sure everyone is assigned a safety buddy, has a safety whistle and knows what to do if safety alarms go off on the crash attenuator. This is when you go over the plan for trucks to get into and out of the work zone. This is when you remind everyone that they cannot walk between a backing truck and the paver. This is when you remind everyone of the mile marker or street name for the project in case they have to call for emergency help during the shift. This is when you show the truck drivers where they can clean out the bed of the truck and remind them there’s no other place in the work zone where they should be outside of the cab.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of AsphaltPro, alongside this article, “Prevent Fatalities with Better Truck Driver Training, Best Practices.”