Truck driver arrested for impaired driving after.....

Who is the most dangerous person in your aluminium plant? Stumped? Well it's a trick question. The most dangerous person in your plant is the individual who is not there, yet. It is the indvidual that is unaware of your plant's safety program and culture. Many times it is the contractor, visitor, supplier, future temporary workers and truckers who are the most dangerous. That is why it is important to have a good visitor safety program. Here is a recent incident involving a trucker:

A truck driver from Canada had been charged with impaired driving after a rollover on a highway in Ontario.

OPP Sgt. said around 2:20 p.m. Friday, the truck flipped on its side and spilled a load of molten aluminum at the ramp to the westbound highway. No one was injured. Crews worked to remove the debris and the highway was reopened three hours later. The truck driver faces charges of impaired driving and driving with a blood-alcohol level over 80 milligrams.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog is grateful that the truck driver and no other vehicles were hurt in this incident. We do want to acknowledge that there appeared to be no molten metal spilled in this incident. 

We do not know if the trucker left an aluminium plant when the incident occurred. Regardless, should aluminum plants have a slide on their truck driver safety program about the effects of alcohol and drugs and impaired driving? Maybe. The editors of the APSB are invited to speak about various safety topics to factory floor workers. In the past we have had a slide about the effects of alcohol on driving. This incident has made us question if we should include a slide in each presentation.

Please comment.