Upcoming Training Opportunities
- Complete Streets
- Defensive Driving for Snow Plow Drivers
- Flagger Certification
- Principles of Drainage
- Roundtable - Salt Practices in CT
- Roundtable - Storm Water Permits
- Sign Installation and Maintenance
- Underground Storage Tank Certification
- When and Where to use Signs, Signals and Markings
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Will YOU Be This Month's Winner?
The first person to take our Flagger Safety Quiz
and
email us
with the correct answers will win a free spot in a T2 Training of their choice!
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Got a minute? Let us know what you think!
Click here to take our survey about this electronic newsletter. Let us know what you think so we can bring you more articles on the topics you enjoy reading about.
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Follow Us!
Use these links to get more information about the Connecticut Technology Transfer (T2) Center:
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Introducing the 2015 Public Works Manual
 This electronic manual contains information on products and services related to fleets, construction equipment, roadside and grounds maintenance, traffic control and lighting, solid waste and recycling, snow and ice control, bridges and culverts, wastewater and stormwater, erosion control, surveying and mapping, general operations and much much more. Click here to flip through this electronic magazine and find new resources for your town.
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Congratulations CIRMA Award Winners
Congratulations to the Town of New Milford and the Town of Windsor Locks! Both towns were recipients of the 2015 CIRMA Risk Management Award for creating new and innovative risk management initiatives.
New Milford won for the creation of their Safety Solutions Team which works to create a culture of safety awareness throughout the organization. Their Highway Department has implemented several safety initiatives including monthly Safety Committee meetings, regular Tool Box Talks led by crew members, updating department procedures, regular facilities and equipment audits and incident investigation reviews that identify root causes and corrective action for unsafe behavior.
Windsor Locks also won the Risk Management Award for greatly increasing their focus on safety within their department. They created their own departmental Safety Committee that teaches safety training beyond required topics and customizes training to fit their employees' needs.
Great job to both the Town of New Milford and the Town of Windsor Locks for making safety a priority.
Click here to view the full CIRMA Risk Management Award Book.
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Tips from Tony - Crosswalk Markings
Here's a tip from our Safety Circuit Rider Tony Lorenzetti:
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Figure 1
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Figure 2
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If you are currently using transverse crosswalk markings (see figure 1) and you desire to increase crosswalk visibility, try using longitudinal stripes (see figure 2). The MUTCD states in section 3B.13-
14,
that, "For added
visibility, the area of the crosswalk may be marked with white diagonal lines at a 45-degree angle to the line of the crosswalk or with white longitudinal lines parallel to traffic flow." Interested in learning more? Check out this
Tech Brief
or this
Best Practices Guide
from Federal Highway Administration about increasing the visibility of your crosswalks.
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New Tailgate Talk - Near Misses
 The only difference between a near miss and an accident is luck. Most accidents occur when an unsafe action coincides with an unsafe condition. Accidents often follow a near miss when the unsafe acts or conditions haven't been corrected. The result is an injury. Download our latest Tailgate Talk on Near Misses to share with your team. Talk to your crew about how to learn from their near misses and prevent accidents from happening in the future. |
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Update From CONN-OSHA: Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication
The revised hazard communication standard (1910.1200) in paragraph (j)(2)
States:
Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers shall be in compliance with all modified provisions of this section no later than June 1, 2015..." This means that the new labels on containers and accompanying Safety Data Sheets (SDS) should be arriving to the end users (employers). OSHA did grant an exception to the distributor until December 1, 2015, after which they must use the new labeling system. CONN-OSHA has been receiving some questions about employers not getting the updated SDS's from the manufacturer, distributor, or importer. CONN-OSHA recommends that the employer document their attempts to obtain this information. Also, Federal OSHA recently issued an interim compliance directive to help answer questions that were arising during this transitional period before all elements of the standard become effective.
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Share Safe Summer Driving Tips
 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds us to keep safe driving in mind as we make summer vacation travel plans. Whether you're planning your own family vacation, or would like to share safe summer driving tips with your residents, click here to access NHTSA's complete Summer Safety Package. Check out what you should do before you leave, when you're out on the road and how to react in case of emergency. |
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If you have any ideas or suggestions for future Connecticut Crossroads topics, please feel free to email the designer Nicole Creaturo at [email protected].
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