Fit Fridays - Take Steps to a Healthier You!

Take steps towards a healthier lifestyle by participating in Fit Fridays! 

  Every Friday, please wear or bring your sneakers and go for a walk outside! 

Try out these fun ideas on Fit Fridays:

-         Take a break and go for a walk

-         Have a walking meeting with a coworker

-         Try out a walking path around your building with coworkers

If you have a meeting scheduled on a Friday, please dress appropriately. 

Sponsored by MoDOT & MSHP Total Wellness

National Wear Red Day is Feb. 3, 2017

Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds. Luckily 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

American Heart Association created the National Wear Red Day as a public expression to bring attention to heart disease among women. Wear your red on Friday and support education and research. Send us a photo of your team in red and we'll share it on this blog and on the KCNN powerpoint. 

Click here to learn more about National Wear Red Day.

Registration Opens for 2017 KC Corporate Challenge Season

There is still time to sign up for the 2017 Kansas City Corporate Challenge season!

We have 56 employees have signed up so far, 16 of the signups are first time KCCC participants! There is still time to register for this season. 

 

Everyone participant must create a new log in on the *new and improved* challenge manager website: http://www.kccorporatechallenge.com/user/register

• Use the email address you will check answer/prefer contact by team captain(s)
• Use the phone number you will answer/prefer contact by team captain(s)
• Be sure to select Company: Missouri Department of Transportation
• Company Password: modot (all lowercase)
• And your Birth Date – it defaults to today’s date – make sure to change it to your birth date.

Click “Agree to Terms” and “Submit” on the waiver.

Once your profile is created – click on “Sign up for events”

Last year more than 200 employees took part in a wide range of activities that introduced them to not only fellow co-workers, but employees from companies all over the Kansas City area. 

The philosophy of the KCCC is to promote employee fitness and recreation within the Kansas City business community. Recreational activities such as darts, horseshoes and fishing are represented as well as competitive athletic events such as softball, volleyball, swimming, and running.  

Register today and learn more here: http://www.kccorporatechallenge.com/

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MoDOT Launches Buckle Up/Phone Down Campaign to Combat Traffic Fatalities

Cell phones contributed to 2,237 crashes in Missouri in 2015. During the last

three years, 10 percent of fatal crashes involved a distracted driver. Eleven fatalities and 79 serious injuries have been linked to cell phone use while driving in the Show Me state.

Seat belt statistics also paint a grim picture.  Unbelted drivers have a 1 in 30 chance of being killed. Sixty-one percent of the 926 fatalities in 2016 were unbuckled. That’s 564 deaths linked to unbuckled motorists in Missouri alone. 

In response to an increase in fatalities, MoDOT is challenging all Missouri businesses and government agencies to follow its lead by promoting phones down while driving and making seat belt use a matter of policy. Enter the Buckle Up/Phone Down Campaign.

The program will target on the 250 largest employers and complement the hOUR project from the Missouri Coalition For Roadway which stresses the importance of keeping employees safe while working in company vehicles, and when they’re driving to and from work. 

MoDOT launches the Buckle Up/Phone Down campaign on Jan. 30. For details, check www.modot.org

Communications Teams Wins Award for Bridge Re-Naming

The MoDOT Kansas City communications team has chalked up another award, this time for the event to rename the Broadway Bridge to the Buck O’Neil Bridge.

In October 2016, the team hosted a joint celebration with the National Negro Leagues Museum to honor the late O’Neil with a bridge naming. The event coincided with the 10^th anniversary of his death and what would have been his 80^th birthday.  

The ceremony included such presenters as Kansas City Mayor Sly James, Jackson County Executive Frank White, and Royals announcer Denny Matthews.

The event and the social media efforts surrounding it won accolades from the Social Media Club of Kansas City as part of their AMPS awards to recognize outstanding social media programs.

Watch a video recap of the event here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7sWrOhXpqI

Retirement Party: Lee Ann Kell

Tradition Continues with Fifth Annual Northland Chili Cook-Off

It's amazing how a basic recipe containing meat (usually beef), tomatoes and beans can end up tasting totally different based on who puts the dish together. 

That was certainly the case in the fifth annual Northland chili cook-off. Fifteen crockpots of chili competed for cash prizes with another three crockpots making 18 to help fill the stomachs of 120 employees who came to eat. 

As one of the six judges to help pick the tasty winners, I can attest that not one pot of chili tasted like another. Some were thick, some thin, some had lots of veggies, some were very meaty. 

A couple were the chicken chili variety and one threw in burnt ends along with the ground beef. Some were sweet and some were spicy. And interestingly enough, as you might imagine many of the judges disagreed on what made for the best chili. 

Some judges prefer a very classic chili, while others prefer something more unique. When all the votes were in and the math was done (yes, actual math was involved), we had our winners. Congratulations to all who participated, but here is who took home some cash. 

Brad Wise and Shelie Daniel announce the winners and hand out prizes

Individual Prizes

• 1st Place – Cory Conway, Northmoor Maintenance  - $75
• 2nd Place – Mike Burson, Skiles Maintenance  - $50
• 3rd Place – Kevin Long, Northmoor Maintenance - $30

Team Prizes

• Grand Prize Winner – Northmoor Maintenance Building
• Tied for 2nd – Richmond Maintenance - $50 and Nashua Project Office - $50

Perhaps even better than all the amazing chili, is the fact that thanks to everyone's hard work, $170 was donated to the KCAEC to help future employees in need. Many thanks to the Northland Team (area engineer, Maintenance superintendent, Maintenance buildings staff, and project offices staff) who donate all the food and supplies for the event. 

This year, once all employees had their fill of chili and cookies (donated by the Summit Ridge Credit Union), and the prizes were awarded, the Northland Maintenance crews caught up on some hydraulics training as well. 

Six judges helped choose the winners of the chili cook-off.
From left to right Scott Townsend, Jeff Mays, Brian Burger,
Don Wichern, and Rich Shipley. (Not pictured - Melissa Black)

Grand Prize Winner - Northmoor Maintenance Building

Nashua Project Office

Richmond Maintenance Building

Pothole Patching Leads to Crash for KC Crew

When a pothole patching gang rolled out on Jan. 18, they had no idea they would soon be involved in violent crash.

The crew was working along the busy route of Route 50 through Lee’s Summit. Despite a 60-mile an hour speed limit, a brilliantly lit TMA and signs warning of the slow moving crew, a driver exceeding the limit slammed into the back of the attenuator, squishing it beyond any repair or recognition.

Both the MoDOT worker and driver were taken the hospital, but thanks to the many safety features of the TMA, our team member suffered much less injury. The driver was cited for careless driving. 

Safety Shout: Hydraulic Safety

Hydraulics, or the science of fluids under pressure, allows us to harness tremendous energy and control it to accomplish work quickly. We’re so accustomed to having hydraulic equipment around it’s sometimes easy to forget the hazards that come with essentially compressing something that doesn’t compress. Here’s some information to help you avoid getting the hose.

• A hydraulic circuit is a closed loop in which a fluid such as hydraulic oil is put under pressure, and fluid dynamics result in greater pressures on one end of the circuit than the other. These pressures can exceed 4000 pounds per square inch (PSI) in hydraulic parts on equipment MoDOT commonly uses. Compare that to the fact it only takes about 30 PSI to fill your tires and keep your car off the ground, and that’s air and not even fluid. Respect the hazards anytime you’re around hydraulic equipment.
• Check equipment for worn, split or frayed hydraulic lines, hoses and couplings often. Take questionable equipment out of service and have it checked by a mechanic. Never lean against, climb on or sit on any part of a hydraulic circuit, especially hoses. Doing so may cause them to fail or spring a leak.
• Be sure you know what you’re doing before you alter or change out any hydraulic part. Parts are rated for certain applications and pressures, and using the wrong one can result in very serious injury and/or equipment failure. Just because a part fits does not mean it’s the right part for the application.
• Do not leave attachments (such as buckets, booms, outriggers, etc.) unsupported for any length of time when equipment is not in use. There is no such thing as a perfect seal. Over time, hydraulic pressure will leak or “bleed off” just like a balloon will eventually lose air and deflate. Gravity is relentless, and the attachment can lower by itself. Always either brace or lower parts to the ground and do not rely solely on hydraulic pressure to keep them elevated.
• Never check for a hydraulic leak with any part of your body, including a gloved hand. A pinhead leak of hydraulic oil under pressure can spray out at up to 600 feet per second, puncturing or slicing right through a glove and your skin if you get too close. Use a piece of cardboard, and wear safety glasses.
• If you ever suffer a hydraulic injection injury (where fluid under pressure actually punctures your skin) call an ambulance or get to the ER immediately. This is a 911 emergency. It’s important to remember that this type of injury may seem minor at first, and may not hurt very much. Don’t wait to get medical care! If you do, the fluid will migrate into your blood stream, and wrap itself around other tissue. Your body can’t metabolize it, so your tissues will begin to die. This results in a very unpleasant condition known as gas gangrene…which is even worse than chiggers. By the time pain sets in, you will probably lose the affected body part and your life may even be in danger.

Since the earliest MoDOT days of Aristotle and Pascal, hydraulics has been a powerful force multiplier. Just remember not to let the pressure get to you. If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district Risk Management.

Creative Communications Reach More Than 300k Customers

One of the main objectives of the Communications team is to find the best ways to reach as many customers as possible with MoDOT news. Often that is a combination of traditional media, television interviews and strategic social media outreach. 

During this most recent ice event, those outlets allowed the team to reach more than 300,000 customers through MoDOT and KC Scout news stories, Facebook and Twitter. 

MoDOTKC Facebook posted more than 20 times covering the storm reaching more than 216,000 people. 

Posts had more than 1,200 likes, more than 86,000 video views, messages shared 885 times and  received 143 comments. 

On Twitter, the team posted upwards of 45 tweets a day with as many as 87 likes or 51 retweets per post. 

The team conducted or organized more than two dozen interviews including a live broadcast with the nationally televised Weather Channel about the power of beet juice. 

Similarly, KC Scout was also very active with messaging reaching an additional 20,000 plus customers on Facebook and more than 86,000 on Twitter. 

Check out some of the interviews about MoDOT's ice fight below: 

• http://www.kctv5.com/clip/13029702/modot-warns-drivers-to-give-plows-space
• http://www.kctv5.com/story/34257696/kansas-city-coordinates-to-handle-ice-storm
• http://www.kctv5.com/clip/13029645/modot-re-treating-roads-after-last-nights-weather
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW4WpW7V-N0
• http://fox4kc.com/2017/01/13/modot-says-later-kickoff-in-tandem-with-help-from-mother-nature-make-travel-easier-for-chiefs-fans/ 
• http://fox4kc.com/2017/01/12/new-technology-helping-crews-monitor-road-conditions-and-keep-them-safer-for-drivers/
• http://www.kmbc.com/article/modot-telling-motorists-to-avoid-travel-this-weekend/8593343
• http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article126126659.html

MoDOT's Chris Sholl appears on The Weather Channel (Photo Gallery)

 

Safety Shout: Eye & Face Protection

The importance of eye protection is off the chart. Read the bottom line. Whether you’re a pessimist or an optometrist, whether your glasses are half empty or half full, just wear them. You may even need two tears of protection for some jobs. If training new employees, tell your pupils. Don’t do it because eye said so, do it because safety glasses work. Put them on! Whether cutting brush or clearing snow and eyes, be good guys and lashes and set the example. Okay, brow? My vision is to make each pun cornea than the one before.

• MoDOT policy requires approved eye protection for work on or near MoDOT right-of-way, grounds and facilities. Exceptions are common areas like hallways and break rooms, public parking areas, fuel pumps, ceremonies, while operating enclosed cab equipment and vehicles, and in declared safe zones.
• As a general rule, the easiest way to remember when to wear your safety glasses is to remember they are required whenever your hardhat is required.
• Additional protection, such as both safety glasses and a face shield, is required when the risk of flying sparks or particles exists, for example, when grinding or cutting (including cutting with a grinding wheel).
• There are very compelling reasons to protect your eyes and face. Your eyes are delicate, easily damaged, and hard to repair. You only have two (if you have more than two, see your doctor). You don’t want to lose one. Additionally, the bones of your face are thin and can be pierced by flying debris, allowing foreign objects into your sinus cavities. This can result in a life-threatening infection that’s nearly impossible to get under control.
• Make sure you’re wearing the right protection for the job. Some work may require side-shields or goggles, while other work may require multiple layers of protection or specialized PPE. Know before you start.
• Just like sunscreen protects your skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light, safety glasses protect your eyes and help prevent cataracts and ocular cancer. Polycarbonate plastic naturally blocks over 99 percent of UV rays, even without sunglasses tint. Most safety glass lenses are made of polycarbonate, so they provide the same protection against UV sun damage as sunglasses do.
• Contact lenses do not provide significant protection from eye hazards in the work place. However, there is no evidence that the wearing of contact lenses increases the risk of eye injury. It’s fine to wear either prescription safety glasses, or plain safety glasses or goggles over contact lenses. 
• Regular non-safety-glass prescription lenses are not allowed in place of safety glasses.

Remember, it’s all fun until somebody loses an eye! Don’t be that somebody! No blinking way! If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact District Risk Management

Emergency Response Says Goodbye to One of Their Original Members

On the cusp of one of the largest ice storms in the past decade, the Emergency Response team paused to honor, appreciate and say goodbye to one of their own. 

Percy Houston joined MoDOT in 1990 in the sign shop. At one point he was also part of the striping team. He worked one single day in Maintenance before moving to what was then known as Motorist Assist as one of the original operators. 

If there is one thing Percy gained from this post -- in addition to life-long friends -- it's an anthology of stories. 

One day his truck caught fire. Percy said they used to carry car batteries and propane tanks in their pickup truck. He looked back and noticed fire dancing in the bed. 

Percy Houston retired on Jan. 13. As is the tradition in Emergency Response, he was officially cleared of his duties at 11:52 am, Jan. 13, 2017, with a transmission via 2-way radio. 

Christopher Bond Bridge Lights Red to Honor Chiefs Entering the Playoffs

Chiefs fans throughout the metro are cheering the brightly lit city and state

structures that have gone red to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs ticket to the playoffs. 

The iconic bridge has a changable lights package that allows us to honor significant events in our city and organization including Operation Orange, Independence Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Veterans Day. 

If you have a chance, cruise the bridge at night to bask in the glow of Chiefs Kingdom. 

Safety Shout: Safe Vehicle Recovery (Soft Tow)

A recovery, or “soft tow,” involves a MoDOT vehicle pulling a disabled MoDOT vehicle by use of a strap or rope. During snow removal, this is fairly common. 
Here’s some guidance, taken from Safety Policy 206, to help ensure a safe recovery and minimize the risks of injury or equipment damage.

• Recovery will only be used to move a disabled vehicle a short distance (less than one hundred feet. If additional distance is needed, contact the supervisor or field mechanic for approval.
• The stuck vehicle must be drivable under its own power after being recovered. If it can’t be safely driven, do not attempt a soft tow. Contact a professional wrecker service.
• There must be a driver in the equipment being recovered, but no passengers. Obviously, there must be a driver in the pull vehicle. Do not attempt a recovery if the vehicle is buried to the axles, on a slope greater than 3 to 1, or lying on an angle and could tip over (or has tipped over). Again, contact a professional wrecker service.
• No one shall stand within twice the length of the tow rope or strap and attachments combined. This ensures no one will be struck by a lashing rope, cord or chain if something snaps. 
• The length of the rope or strap should not exceed 30 feet, unless specifically approved by a supervisor or field mechanic. Chains are only allowed as attachments—recovery or towing with a chain alone is unsafe and not permitted. If used as an attachment (to run under the plow, for example) chain must be no longer than eight feet, and either Grade 80 or Grade 100 with a breaking strength of 120,000 pounds or more. Grade 70 chain shall not be used. All other attachments, such as shackles, shall also be rated to strength of 120,000 pounds.
• Either synthetic tow straps or kinetic ropes may be used for vehicle recovery. For recovering tractors, light trucks and small vehicles, straps or ropes shall be rated (Working Load Limit/WLL) at 16,125 pounds or greater. For heavy equipment up to a GVWR of 58,000 pounds, both ropes and straps shall have a WLL of at least 58,000 pounds.
• Lighten the vehicle load as much as possible before attempting recovery by unloading cargo if it is safe and feasible to do so.  Use only approved attachment points, such as D-Rings and pintle hitches. Other attachment points, if used, must be approved by a field mechanic prior to hooking up to them.  Inspect ropes, straps, and all attachments for damage such as wear, cutting, fraying, sun damage, bending, etc., prior to use and regularly while stored. Store them in a dry place out of direct sunlight.

The information above is not all-inclusive. Review and abide by the complete policy prior to recovering a vehicle, so your ‘recovery’ only involves the equipment and not your own recovery…from an injury. 

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

District Office Chili Cookoff Date Set

The District Office Chili Cook Off will be Thursday January 19, 2017 in Room 226.

Open to all district office employees.  The top three people will compete in the District-wide Super Bowl on Feb. 2, 2017. Click here to learn more about the district-wide competition. 

Sign-up sheet outside Design. Set up at 10:30 am, chili judging at 11 am. 

We are looking for 3 judges, chili competitors, and volunteers. E-mail Melissa.Neff@modot.mo.gov if you are interested. 

KC Scout Leads the Conversation on Incident Response

The Kansas City Scout staff continues to lead conversations throughout the industry about incident management. 

On Jan. 4, the team presented at the annual ESF-1 (Transportation) Workshop as part of the scenario planning in the event of terrorism act. In their particular scenario, the team talked through strategies if a semi truck blew up on the interstate and impacted transportation. 

KC Scout manager Randy Johnson also gave a quick overview of what KC Scout does and how we can help them in the event of an emergency. Incident Management Coordinator Marcus Slaughter spoke about KC Scout's traffic incident management program which includes extensive support in emergency scenarios on roadways. 

Click here to learn more about the ESF-1 planning. 

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Calling Young Artists

Do you know a young artist? Sign them up for the Seat Belt Poster Contest!

Bucket Media, our safety

media campaign vendor, is hosting a poster contest as part of their statewide campaign to educate youth on the importance of wearing safety belts.

The contest will run from Jan. 9 to Feb. 27  and is open to all Missouri residents ages 14 to 19. 

We are looking for students to create a poster, using any medium they would like, about the importance of safety belts. The poster must contain a strong call-to-action encouraging people to Buckle Up. 

The winner will receive a GoPro, as well as a Hobby Lobby gift card. The winning poster will also be promoted across the state on the various social media channels during our safety campaigns in mid-March. 

To enter, students must submit their artwork or a photograph of the artwork to dparnell@bucketmediaco.com before Feb. 27, 2017.

For more information or to see the full list of rules visit Save Mo Lives facebook page. 

Safety Shout: Safe Backing

Most vehicles have several forward gears, either automatic or manual. There’s only one reverse. You can move along at highway speed going forward, but only creep along backward. Relative to your total trip, backing represents only a tiny fraction of the distance traveled. Why, then, do about a third of all vehicle mishaps involve backing? Because it’s dangerous and easy to get wrong. 

Here’s what MoDOT expects from employees when it comes to backing.

• Whenever another Department employee is available to assist a driver, that employee shall assist as a spotter to guide the driver when backing a vehicle:

• with a significant blind spot to the rear of the vehicle,
• when there is equipment or other obstacles that could cause an incident,
• in a confined or tight area,
• in situations involving limited overhead clearance.

• A spotter shall be used when backing a trailer or hitch mounted equipment:
• with a significant blind spot to the rear of the vehicle,
• when there is equipment or other obstacles that could cause an incident,
• in a confined or tight area,
• in situations involving limited overhead clearance.
  
• A spotter shall be utilized when another employee is available and there is a significant blind spot and/or in a confined or tight area.

• The driver/operator and spotter shall maintain continuous visual or verbal contact. If the operator/driver loses sight or communication with the spotter, they shall STOP IMMEDIATELY!

• The spotter should use large exaggerated motions with both hands and/or arms in order to spot and direct the vehicle or equipment driver/operator.

• Clear communication is vital! Agree in advance on how you will communicate. Don’t use cell devices or anything else that distracts from mutual understanding and clear communication.

• Using a spotter just to have a spotter misses the point, which is to avoid a mishap. The driver and spotter are both expected to take whatever reasonable action is necessary to prevent vehicles from hitting anything or anyone.

• The operator shall complete a circle check of all CMVs, heavy equipment and/or light duty fleet vehicles with restricted view (blind spots) from windows and mirrors.

• The driver should conduct a circle check when operating a passenger and light duty fleet vehicles with full view from all windows and mirrors.

• Whenever possible, position/park any vehicle or equipment so it can be driven forward to minimize backing. It is much safer to turn around and drive forward than to back for any distance.

• When operating vehicles equipped with backup alarms, allow the alarm to beep 5 times before backing. This will give anyone behind you time to get out of the way.

Virtually all accidents that happen while in reverse are preventable, so watch your back! If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district Risk Management staff.