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July 2019 Issue 62

Workshop Calendar  Click here to view training opportunities available. We will continue to update the schedule with dates and locations, so check in with us regularly. If you are interested in hosting a class, please email Shelly Desjardin at [email protected] .  Click Here to Register for Training Online Our mission is to foster a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation system by improving skills and knowledge of local transportation providers through training, technical assistance, and technology transfer.

In This Issue:

Honoring Dave Gofstein — A True Friend to T2 Town Crier: Not All Heroes Wear Capes! NEW Safety Tech Brief: Smarter Safety Roadways: Road Diets for Rural Communities Warren's Words of Wisdom: Portable Generators and How You Can Die While Using One (and it's not the exhaust) NEW Tailgate Talk: Right-of-Way Mowing Innovation Station: Involve the Pubic Using Apps, Low-Cost Videos Congratulations to the Spring Public Works Academy Class! Doctors Issue Warning About New Tick Virus in CT

Honoring Dave Gofstein — A True Friend to T2 On June 18 th , the Connecticut Public Works Community lost a valued member. David Gofstein was a dedicated public works professional who worked tirelessly to improve the municipal public works industry and provided well over a decade of support to our program here at the T2 Center. He served as a member of our Advisory Committee for several years and co-chaired the Technology Transfer Expo throughout its existence. In addition, David worked to raise the awareness of public works as first responders and helped create a statewide list of public works resources for mutual aid and storm response. He advocated for standards across the industry and developed a list of core competencies that have been used to develop several of our Center’s programs. He was always there to lend a hand to those who needed one or to thoughtfully consider a problem posed. He will be missed. To read the obituary, click here . Not All Heroes Wear Capes! On June 10, 2019 at 12:45 pm, the Town of Ellington experienced an event that no town, business or family ever wants to experience. Shawn Bull, 48, who has bee n with the Town for 11 years, received massive injuries while using a gas powered chop saw. A severe laceration to the neck/throat area severed the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing life-threatening wounds. Immediately, the crew on site sprang into action. The first individual, Ronald Moser, applied immediate pressure to the area while calling for his coworker, Richard Daugherty. Rich, who was inside a catch basin at the time, leapt out and ran to take over. Being a veteran Army medic, Rich had the experience necessary to save Shawn’s life, and that is just what he did. Knowing the severity of the injury, Rich called out to the third crew member, Denis Giroux, and instructed him to call 911 and request that Life Star be activated. While instructing Denis on the necessary disclosures, Rich was able to prevent deadly blood loss and/or suffocation . Rich handed Shawn’s life over to the paramedics, who got Shawn into the ambulance and transported him to the awaiting helicopter. After stabilizing Shawn for flight, the Life Star crew transported Shawn to Bay State Hospital where he immediately went into surgery. A mere 4 days later, June 14, Shawn was released from the hospital and was in the comfort of his own home to recover as comfortably as possible. It is hard to describe the amount of talent that went into saving one man’s life. The three men that were working with Shawn that day are absolute heroes. As noted by the doctors, paramedics, Life Star crew, and all first responders involved, Ronald Moser, Rich Daugherty, and Denis Giroux saved Shawn Bull’s life. The actions by these three men should be recognized as heroic acts in their life-saving efforts for Shawn Bull. NEW Safety Tech Brief: Smarter, Safer Roadways: Road Diets for Rural Communities A buzz word among transportation professionals today is "diet," specifically the "road diet." It has become an increasingly popular strategy to increase multi-modal road use and improve safety in urban areas and it is starting to get some traction in small and rural communities. This article addresses pros and cons of road diet projects, feasibility, and community benefits to give local governments the necessary information to determine if road diets, or the underlying concepts, have a place in their communities. What is a Road Diet? Roadways without medians or other separation between opposing lanes of traffic often experience a relatively high number of crashes, especially between high-speed through-traffic, left-turning vehicles, and other road users. One safety countermeasure is the road diet, which typically involves removing or narrowing vehicle lanes and utilizing the space for other uses, such as a two-way left-turn lane, bike lanes, or parking. To continue reading this Safety Tech Brief, click here .

Warren's Words of Wisdom: Portable Generators and How You Can Die While Using One (and it's not exhaust) by Warren Rogers, C.S.P.

Recently, I was visiting a crew who was using a small generator to run a drill with a paddle for mixing buckets of grout. They were working outside and it began to rain, but the crew kept working with the generator, drill and extension cord in the rain. I checked the generator and its warning label, which said not to use in wet weather, so we stopped work and put the generator in a dry spot. But the crew wanted to continue to work with the extension cord and the drill in the rain. Before they went back to work, I asked them, “How many of you would plug in your drill, go into your shower, turn on the water, and use the drill in the shower?” Of course there weren’t any takers. “That’s just stupid,” one said. Well, look at what you’re doing here—it’s the exact same thing. Except instead of being plugged into a house circuit 120 Volt, 15 Amp breaker, you’re plugged into a 120 Volt, 15 Amp breaker on the portable generator. There is no difference, both will kill you equally as quickly and as well. So, we put a GFCI on the generator and then plugged in the extension cord.

To continue this article, click here .

NEW Tailgate Talk: Right-of-Way Mowing

The T2 Center has published our newest Tailgate Talk informational brief. Each Tailgate Talk focuses on one on-the-job safety topic and is designed to be shared with your crew at the beginning of their day. When employees are presented with safety material in small chunks, in a setting in which they are comfortable, they are more likely to retain that information and put it into practice.

Driving to the Work Area: Driving at high speeds has resulted in a number of tractor accidents. The risk of overturning also increases when tractors are driven at road speeds. Quick maneuvers also increase the likelihood of overturning. Using the brakes while turning can also cause the tractor to tip over. Before taking a tractor mower out on the highway, always be sure that it has the slow-moving vehicle sign as well as working lights and warning flags.

If the mowing attachment doesn't have its own brake system, it is important to keep a safe and slow speed. A heavy rolling load that can't be controlled by the tractor can jackknife. Slow down while turning off the road. Remember that turning onto gravel makes the situation more hazardous. Avoid very sharp turns since they can cause your mowing attachments to jackknife.

Click Here for the Latest Tailgate Talk

Involve the Public Using Apps, Low-Cost Videos

The Every Day Counts round five (EDC-5) team on virtual public involvement offers technical assistance, peer exchanges, and workshops to help agencies adopt digital tools to engage people in transportation planning and project development processes. These virtual tools include mobile applications for sharing information about projects, particularly large or long-term projects. Apps reduce engagement barriers by enabling individuals to participate anywhere and anytime and submit comments and photos as they experience the transportation system, fostering two-way communication. Another option is low-cost, do-it-yourself videos. Often produced on mobile phones, they can communicate project information to diverse audiences through many media channels.This technique is effective for engaging people who prefer to watch a short video rather than read a report or visit a website. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) explains its approach to using videos in "DIY Video for Public Involvement." UDOT spent an average of $340 per video to develop updates on a major project and promote the videos on social media. At an average of 11,6000 views per video, the cost per view was 3 cents. Originally Published in the Minnesota Technology Exchange Learn more: Every Day Counts

Congratulations to the Spring Public Works Academy Class! The T2 Center would like to congratulate the members of our Spring 2019 Public Works Academy class. They just finished six (6) Thursdays of trainings with us at the T2 Center, and they were an absolute pleasure to work with. The towns who sent the participants should be proud. They were excellent ambassadors for your agencies.

If you would like to view photos from the Spring Public Works Academy, click here .

Doctors Issue Warning About New Tick Virus in CT

Ticks in the area have been found to carry a rare, potentially life-threatening, virus, even worse than Lyme disease. Doctors have warned that the "Powassan Virus" is a rare tick-borne illness and could be serious, and has no treatment or cure.

"The doctor just has to support you during that acute illness and hope that you survive," said Dr. Daniel Cameron of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. He said that if someone is bitten by an infected tick, they can get the virus within a matter of minutes. While the symptoms are similar to Lyme disease, they are far more severe. To continue this article, click here . To download the T2 Center's Lyme Disease and Tick Safety Tailgate Talk, click here .

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