Why should trucking companies have mandatory Safety meeting regarding the COVID-19 pandemic?
As a company it is your responsibility to make sure your employees are SAFE and have a safe working environment. This is for not only COVID-19 pandemic but it should be a best practice and a standard procedure set in place for assurance that the safety needs are met. Employee’s look to their Employers to establish and maintains a Healthy and Safe Environment. This pandemic is a very serious concern and truck drivers and transportation people are a Very Essential part of your business and for your community. Safety meetings via WEB, phone calls, emails are essential to make sure the vital information gets to your workers and drivers.
This is to make sure that they know what they are up against and what the company is doing to provide the safety that they need in this time. Daily interactions with drivers via satellite message could be done. This would give them messages as to what is happening with this pandemic and what to look for and the updates that have come up daily. Meetings or communication should also give credit to front line workers as they are making sure they are doing an essential job and they know they are appreciated. Company meetings should inform workers about the COVID-19 and the symptoms as well as an update on statistics and changes to different areas. (such as US states that are higher in cases). Th e symptoms are a COUGH, A HIGH TEMPERATURE, and SHORTNESS OF BREATH. Should also make them aware that if they have previous conditions (diffi culty breathing, heart, or diabetes) they could be more susceptible in contracting this virus.
The COVID-19 has no specifi c treatment. But there are precautions that you can take to help not getting infected. Th ese precautions should be plastered all over your workplace and placed in all trucks. Writing an SOP (standard operating procedure) for your health and safety manual would also be recommended. Precautions are simple washing of hands often with soap and water. Th is can help this virus from spreading. Drivers do not always have the convenience of soap and water at all times, they can use the disinfected wipes or spray. Make sure the practice social distancing when at customers, truck stops and border crossings. Meetings should be of a positive nature. Frontline workers need to be reassured that the company is behind them and providing a safe environment for them to work in. Drivers need to know the company is behind them 100%
