Snap Your Chat for Safety this New Year

Snapchat is one of the fastest growing chat APPs, especially with younger people. 

As more and more advertisers use this versatile technology to build brand loyalty, groups like Destination Safe are using it to promote safety messages just when the user needs them most. 

This weekend if you are in the Kansas City area, Snapchat will include a personal safety filter just in time for New Year's Eve. 

There were seven people killed and 38 seriously injured over New Year’s 2015.  Four of the fatalities and seven of the serious injuries involved a substance-impaired driver. During the past three years in Missouri, 84 percent of substance-impaired drivers in fatal crashes were male. 

The goal of the Snapchat filter is just another reminder to anyone celebrating that designating a driver is the right way to ring in the new year. Click here to learn more about law enforcement's targeted impaired driving campaign. 

Learn more about Snapchat here: https://www.snapchat.com/

 

Safety Shout: A New Safety Quiz

Oh, No! It’s time for a new safety quiz! What’s your MoDOT safety IQ? See how many of these eleven questions you can get right without looking at the right answers (which are below).

1. Circle checks are required: (A) on all CDL-required vehicles (B) on all light fleet vehicles (C) on all MoDOT vehicles (D) when no spotter is available

2. Hearing protection is required when: (A) Noise levels exceed 105 dB. (B) Noise levels exceed 85 dB. (C) A supervisor is talking. (D) On the right of way.

3. The following is true of LP gas vapors: (A) They are heavier than air and will sink. (B) They are lighter than air and will rise. (C) They are difficult to ignite in the cold (D) They will displace air. (E) A and D only.

4. If used improperly, calcium chloride: (A) Causes skin burns. (B) Can cause diarrhea. (C) Is poisonous to dogs. (D) All of the above.

5. “GFCI” stands for: (A) Ground Flow Circuit Instrument (B) Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (C) Girl Friend Can’t Instrumentalize (D) Grounded For Cussing Indefinitely


6. The symbol to the right is for: (A) Bullseye! (B) Asbestos Hazard (C) Health Hazard (D) Harmful Vapors Present

7. The primary tow device (strap or rope) should: (A) Be inspected frequently (B) Be no more than 30 feet long (C) Be tied to the transaxle (D) Be stored outdoors (E) A and B only

8. The recommended action during an earthquake is: (A) Stop, drop and roll (B) Brace against an exterior wall (C) Rage against the fracking (D) Drop, cover and hold on

9. Guardrail or cable damage should be reported: (A) Within 24 hours (B) Immediately (C) Within 48 hours (D) On the daily report

10. Wooden ladders should be used at MoDOT: (A) When working around electricity (B) Indoors (C) Never (D) When you’re pretty short

11. How many MoDOT employees have ever contracted disease from disposing of dead deer? (A) 3 (B) 14 (C) 29 (D) None

What’s your MoDOT Safety IQ? Are you a safety go-to, or a go-to-the-ER? Remember, only you can prevent dumpster fires, so don’t be one! If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact District Risk Management.

Correct answers are below
1. Circle checks are required: (C) on all MoDOT vehicles
2. Hearing protection is required when: (B) Noise levels exceed 85 dB.
3. The following is true of LP gas vapors: (E) A and D only.
4. If used improperly, calcium chloride: (D) All of the above.
5. “GFCI” stands for: (B) Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
6. This is the symbol for: (C) Health Hazard
7. The primary tow device (strap or rope) should: (E) A and B only
8. The recommended action during an earthquake is: (D) Drop, cover and hold on
9. Guardrail or cable damage should be reported: (B) Immediately
10. Wooden ladders should be used at MoDOT: (C) Never
11. How many MoDOT employees have ever contracted disease from disposing of dead deer? (D) None

Supervisors From Across Region Attend Leadership Meeting

More than 60 Kansas City District supervisors gathered in Lee’s Summit
Thursday, Dec. 22, for an annual December leadership meeting. 

After honing their skills at MoDOT Pictionary, employees were introduced to new supervisors and received updates from District Engineer Don Wichern on a pay proposal from the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.  

Wichern also discussed the Citizen’s Guide with everyone and presented the placemat for supervisors to share with their employees.

Other topics for the day included a Financial Services update about an upcoming inventory, as well as a year-end safety wrap-up from Risk Management. The KC District currently has approximately a 50 percent decrease in recordable incidents from this time last year.

Finally, employees took time during lunch to exchange white elephant gifts and have a little fun. 

Some of the most coveted items included a vintage black and white photo of DE Don Wichern, a Royals lunch box and a political board game.   

Super Bowl of Chili Scheduled for Feb. 2

History of the Christmas Card

Happy Holidays Message from District Engineer

Holiday Parties, the Finale (Photo gallery)

The Big Picture

The role of the area engineer is part engineering, part teacher, part public relations expert, and often, a smidgen of political advocacy. And occasionally, columnist. Recently AE Rich Shipley had the opportunity to write for the Odessan, a publication that serves Lafayette County, about how MoDOT views the "Big Picture." 

Read the full column below:

Often as an area engineer for MoDOT I hear that the department “doesn’t see the Big Picture.”  While I’m willing to admit that we don’t always have the same perspective as the public, there is a lot that goes into our projects and operations that our customers may never know.  Many times there are laws and regulations that slow or prevent us from doing certain projects and there is always procedure to be followed. 

Here is an example.

Blackwater Bridge was replaced
over the summer

Recently we replaced the bridge on MO 23 over the Blackwater River.  The bridge was narrow and in poor condition.  For anyone familiar with this section of roadway you also know that it is often closed due to flooding in the spring.  The bridge is designed at a height that puts it above the flood waters, the road is not.  So I have been asked, “Why didn’t you raise the road while you had the bridge closed?”  I agree that this would have been a perfect time to do this work but two things stood in the way: environmental impacts and money.  

The bridge lies in two State Wildlife Management areas and a Wetland mitigation location.  Federal and State requirements regarding impacts to these areas are strict and would require extraordinary efforts to avoid changes to this ecosystem.  A design similar to what is seen in Louisiana swamp lands would be necessary to raise the roadway and not impact the environment.This translates to additional costs in the millions and would take away from a limited area budget to address other, more pressing roadway, bridge and safety improvements.  Solving the problem here would create multiple problems throughout the area.

In the end, area priorities have to be balanced with available funding.  While the seasonal flooding at the Blackwater is inconvenient to travelers in the area it is equally inconvenient to our Maintenance forces that have to close, clear and maintain the roadway there.

MoDOT always tries to keep the “Big Picture” in mind, even if it doesn’t always seem so.  

2016 Safety Year in Review

Kids, along with adults who won’t admit it, seem to have trouble with the lyrics of one song, and the title of another. One is “Rocket Man” (Elton John, 1972) and the other is “Auld Lang Syne” (Robert Burns, 1788). The problem line is, “Burnin’ out his fuse up here alone.” The title is NOT “Old Anxiene” so forego the valium. Loosely, For Auld Lang Syne means, “For old time’s sake.” So…here’s our year in review, for old time’s sake.

As shown in the chart at left, KCD had 47 recordable injuries as of this article. Our 5-Year average for recordables is 49.6/yr. Our 2016 injuries YTD are 5% below the 5-Year average, and 31% below last year’s.

The next chart shows the general work type our employees were doing when injured.

What does this mean? 2016 was a pretty average year. Not bad, just…well…average. So, although it might seem counter intuitive, let’s all strive to be way below average in 2017! Here’re some ideas:

Properly train and help your new employees. Lead by example! Rededicate yourself to working safely, personally and as a team. Talk about it, but don’t just talk. Mean it. Make your safety meetings robust and effective.

Hold yourself and each other accountable. Don’t make excuses.
Every day, make it a practice to correct or change at least one thing to make work safer. The first “one thing” might be your own attitude. We need to get to a culture of safety, and we’re not there yet. 

Here are some “attitude red flags” to watch out for and FIX…

• “We don’t have the staffing to do this right.” Today’s reality is lean staffing, but we use this as an excuse too often. Experts find ways to get the job done with fewer and less, even if it takes longer or has to be modified. Inconvenient is not the same as unsafe. If it is truly unsafe, don’t do it until it is made as safe as possible.
• “Nobody trained me.” If you haven’t been trained, ask to be trained. If you have been, stay up to snuff on your skills. Then, help train someone else.
• “I wasn’t in charge.” We all have supervisors, but only you can be truly in charge of your own safety.
• “What happens out here stays out here.” This is not Vegas…the stakes are way too high for that. MoDOT policy requires accurate reporting and full cooperation with all investigations. Beyond that, the mentality described above may lead to a funeral if it includes safety issues.
• “It was his fault/her fault/their fault.” Stop it. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but what good does that do? Obviously, the department must hold employees accountable, but wouldn’t you really rather prevent the injury to begin with? That starts with accepting your own role and responsibility honestly and with an eye toward self-improvement.
• “They don’t care about me.” Not only is that wrong, it’s a copout. MoDOT is full of people who care. They may do a different job from yours, but they still care. If you don’t feel you’re receiving the support you need, talk to your supervisor or use appropriate processes to make your concerns known.
• “People that don’t know my job keep telling me how to do my job.” Welcome to Earth. We all have bosses. If you don’t want someone in your shirt pocket, show him or her you care enough to be the expert and that you care enough to work safely. As Will Smith said, “Don’t start nothin’, won’t be nothin’.”

Last year, the Chiefs started 1-5 and went deep into the playoffs. This year they will defeat Dallas in Superbowl LI. Will 2017 be the year KCD is injury-free?
It can be done.

If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact District Risk Management.

KC Scout Celebrates Holidays with Food & White Elephant Gifts (Photo Gallery)

 Happy Holidays! 

Thanks for a great construction season

KC Region Wraps Up Another Successful Construction Season

It’s been another great year for construction in the Kansas City District. We’ve completed many projects, some huge, some fast and some we will be wintering over till next year. Overall, motorists driving in the Kansas City Region have better roads and bridges because of the hard work of our employees.

The largest project open to traffic this year is the U.S. 69 Missouri River Bridge, also known as the Fairfax Bridge project. Although it won’t be officially opened with a ceremony till spring 2017, it does have traffic opened in both directions now. This design build project began in the fall of 2014 and is a joint project of MoDOT and KDOT. It replaces the two US 69 bridges over the Missouri River between Platte County, Mo., and Wyandotte County, Ks.

The fastest project we completed this year was the Grand Ave. Bridge replacement project. This bridge over I-670 closed on May 6, due to unexpected safety concerns found on the bridge. Within a week, we awarded an emergency design contract, and by Aug. 9, we awarded the emergency construction contract to Clarkson Construction. The brand new bridge was reopened to traffic on Dec. 2.

We also developed the next five year STIP 2017-2021. It has 119 new projects with 78 in the urban area at $325 million and 41 in the rural area at $70 million. Significant new projects added to that include the Buck O’Neil Bridge rehab, the I-435 D/B corridor improvement and the I-35/Route 152 interchange cost share.

And while we have completed many projects this year, a few will be held over for completion at a later date. These are the projects wintering this year:

• I-35 at US 69 Pleasant Valley Interchange
• I-35 Overlay/Bridge Vivion Road to Shoal Creek
• I-29 Resurfacing Project from Route 273 to Todd Creek
• Route 50 and Blackwell Interchange/Outer Roads project
• I-435 at Route 210 new DDI Interchange
• I-35 and I-670 resurfacing Stateline to Route 71
• Route 45 from Route KK to I-435
• I-49 Bridge replacement on Main Street in Grandview

Safety Shout! Vehicle & Equipment Pre-Checks

Who invented the first motorized vehicle? Was it Mr. Cugnot? Was it Mr. Benz? Or was it Mr. Ford? Whatever you thought you learned in school, forget it. The real inventor of the first motorized vehicle (and every one of them since) was Mr. Murphy, of “Murphy’s Law” fame. Whatever can go wrong, will. Take care of the vehicle, or it’ll certainly take care of you, but good.

Operators/drivers should always perform thorough pre-trip checks. While “pre-trip” generally applies to CDL equipment, it really is beneficial to any vehicle. Ignoring minor maintenance assures major problems. Checking oil and fluids, belt tightness, basic soundness (i.e., for leaks) and tire pressure can keep equipment operating safely. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” is really bad advice when it comes to vehicles.

A simple way to remember what to pre-check on CDL equipment (or any vehicle, for that matter) is to follow the “7-Step” formula:

1. Perform a quick circle-check, looking for obvious problems such as someone cooking meth in the back seat, or worse, a Broncos or Raiders bumper sticker.

2. Check the engine compartment and everything in it. Check oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering, and transmission fluid levels. Pull on belts and check their condition. Look for leaks.

3. Start the motor and inspect inside the cab. Check gauges and look for lit “idiot lights.” Test steering tightness. Adjust seats and seat belts as needed.

4. Turn off the motor and check the headlights and tail lights.

5. Walk around again and give the whole vehicle a once-over. Look for obvious damage or problems. Check for abnormal tire wear or low tires, obvious leaks, loose parts, etc. This is also a great time to check for children or animals around or under the vehicle.

6. Check turn signals and any emergency lights.

7. Start the motor again and look for hydraulic leaks with the systems under load. Test the parking brake, as well as the main brakes.

From time to time during operation, remember to briefly check on gauges, tires, mirrors and lights. Physically inspect cargo and load securement. Watch and listen for anything abnormal.

When your trip or workday is done, document and report anything that needs repair. Don’t ignore it or leave it for someone else. Remember, machines don’t care about your convenience or your budget. Waiting for a “better time” for minor maintenance is an open invitation for Mr. Murphy to pay you a visit.

If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact District Risk Management.

MoDOT and UMKC Students Work Together to Design Project

University of Kansas City civil engineering design students gave a presentation to MoDOT staff Dec. 9 on three possible solutions to improve the sight distance at the intersection of Route 2 and Blinker Light Road in Cass County.

The seven senior students did this work as a senior design class, after meeting with MoDOT staff last spring. The group, known as Redcone Civil Design Group, began working on the proposal over the summer. This intersection was chosen because MoDOT staff already had it identified for scoping. Two of the students are former MoDOT interns.

This was the first presentation of three possible solutions. 

• Solution one is a cut and fill option reducing vertical crests at an estimated cost of approximately half a million dollars. 
• Solution two presented by the group combines solution one but adds a roundabout to the mix with an estimated cost of $1.2 million. 
• Solution three was to add dynamic warning signs to the intersection at an estimated cost of $40,000.  

This program has been in existence since 2003, according to Dr. Deborah O’Bannon who helps work with students in the program, and this is the third time they have worked on a project for MoDOT’s Kansas City District. 

“This is great experience for the students since they get to work on an actual project that needs to be designed,” O’Bannon said. “This also gives them the opportunity to understand all the different aspects of a project from design and traffic to right of way and everything else. It’s a great overall experience.”

Students will await the feedback from MoDOT staff and rework the proposal to one solution.

MoDOT KC Decorating for the Holiday Season (Photo Gallery) Front Lobby