​​Off The Clock: Driver Safety At Home

Taking necessary safety precautions is not limited to your job site. Ensuring you and your loved ones stay safe is also equally important. So set five minutes aside and carefully read the below-given off-the-job safety tips:

Safety While Driving:

• Over 3.5 million people get injured in motor vehicle accidents and crashes each year, so be very attentive, careful, and proactive on the road.
• Stay attentive and focused on the road when driving and observe all the traffic signs, road signs, and traffic laws.
• Always use the turn signals and use them correctly.
• Regularly inspect your vehicle for potential issues with the engine, brakes, headlights, tires, signals, and so on – fix everything immediately.
• Do not take your eyes off the road and/or use your cell phone while driving.
• Avoid driving over the night, especially if you easily fall asleep. But if you have to, have someone else travel with you to get behind the wheel when you feel like dozing off.
• Follow all the traffic rules, stay in your lane, don’t go above speed limits, and always wear seatbelts.

While Working Off the Job:

• Working with a lawnmower doesn’t seem too dangerous, but over 150,000 people get injured with these powerful machines each year. So wear eye protection to stay protected from dirt. Also, survey the area to remove any rocks, sticks, stones, and other objects that can get caught up inside the mower and propelled towards you or nearby people, causing severe injury. 
• Also, when working in your yard, digging, hoeing, and raking are the most common activities and require the handling of heavy equipment. Be extra careful when lifting them to ensure you don’t put a strain on muscles.
• Also, be careful when using flammable liquids like charcoal, lighter fluid, and gasoline, as they are fire hazards. Properly store them when not in use and keep them out of the reach of children. Also, do not pour over smoldering or flaming coals as this can create fire flashes which can cause burns to nearby people.

Staying Safe at Home:

• Falls are the most common injuries at home, so avoid any hazards that can cause you or your family members to slip and fall.
• Keep the medicines, cleaning agents, and poisons out of the reach of children.
• Always read the labels of drugs and household products before using them.
• Be very cautious when working with hand and power tools.
• Only use approved safety containers to store flammable liquids and keep them tightly closed.
• Learn about giving first aid and CPR to save lives in case of medical emergencies.
• Install CO (carbon monoxide) detectors in your home to monitor CO levels inside and reduce them with air filters if they get dangerously high

Wrapping it Up:

It is important to be careful about your surroundings and stay safe even when you’re at home to ensure everyone’s safety. And when you’re on the job, behind the wheel, driving down the roads in your trusty truck, follow the traffic rules to a tee. 

We suggest also looking into getting insurance coverage specifically made for truck drivers. At Paradiso Insurance, we can help you stay protected on and off the job.