Photo by Richard Smith, HTrans Driver

I have been with HTrans for over a year now and during that time one of the primary focuses has been to look for opportunities to improve the safety of our Driver Team.

We have accomplished a great deal towards that end by rolling out dash cameras to our entire fleet, implementing additional monthly safety training, corrective action training, and addressing some regular stops that present challenging hazards to our drivers.

An additional improvement in the realm of safety was adding new electric pallet jacks for our Driver Team, which we started rolling out towards the end of 2022.

Moving 2,000+ lb. pallets of coffee syrups or other heavy products with a manual electric pallet jack can present a risk of injury. Providing our drivers with the right tools significantly lowers that risk and these new electric pallet jacks have been a great help to the team.

Safety will always be the number one concern in the transportation industry, and we continue to explore new ways to get our drivers the tools and support they need to be as safe as possible. We are currently testing some back-up camera systems for our trailers and are always looking at concerns the Driver Team brings to our attention.

We all greatly appreciate everyone’s help in keeping our drivers safe out there on the road.

Written by Brandon Raymond, Transportation Supervisor

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Photo by Ivan Tjossem, HTrans Driver

In recent meetings with Houston’s insurance representatives, I was shocked to learn the severity a distracted driving violation carries.

Our insurance carrier shared with us that even just one distracted driving violation (mainly cell phone use) can lead to a driver becoming uninsurable. This is true while driving for your employer or in your personal vehicle.

The way they sum it up: “Sending or reading a text while driving takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. At 55 MPH, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field blindfolded.”

It is a new mindset for drivers; however, we must treat cell phone use as the major safety concern and violation that it is and follow regulations accordingly.

Federal law outlines the following truck driver regulations for handheld devices:

• No texting while driving
• Utilize an earpiece or speaker phone function
• Use voice-activated or one-button touch features to initiate, answer, or terminate a call
• Locate the phone so it is within reach of the driver, who must be seated properly with correctly adjusted safety belts

The absolute best practice is to abstain from cell phone use altogether while driving. Drivers should wait to be parked and off the road to use their phone, whenever possible.

Insurability and following regulations are certainly important issues, however, the safety of our Driver Team and fellow motorists is the No. 1 concern.

Thank you to our entire professional Driver Team for their continued commitment to raising awareness and operating safely.

Written by Steve Hall, HTrans Fleet Manager

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Snow cover on Houston’s parking lot. (Jan 2017)

“That time of the year” is upon us. October arrives and brings about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It is a great time of the year for family, fun, and laughter, but it is also the time of the year that brings in a change of weather. Although we are thinking about snowy conditions just yet, there are other conditions that sometimes tend to be overlooked.

We encourage all of our drivers to follow these inclement weather safety tips, and you should too!

1. To prepare your vehicle for the weather conditions, begin by making sure you have good wiper blades. Luckily they aren’t too expensive, but it is recommended to switch out your blades at least every six months. It is also a good idea to apply water repellent to your windshield as well, since the glass is completely sealed.
2. Although your vehicle may have a warning indicator, it is still a good idea to periodically check that all of your lights are working before heading out. Carrying an extra bulb or two may also come in handy for those, “it was working just a minute ago,” moments.
3. Make sure to check the wear on your tires. Having a low tread or a “bald” tire only increases your chances of sliding across wet pavement since their is no traction to grab the road.
4. Be aware of invisible slick spots, such as wet leaves in the ground or even oil as these can cause loss of traction as well.
5. Be careful of hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens when someone is driving too fast over a water-covered roadway, or when tires are worn out or bald. This experience can be quite scary because you can’t steer, stop, or do anything to control your car. If you find yourself hydroplaning, the best thing to do is to take your foot off the break and allow the vehicle to coast. Any sudden movement could cause you to spin out of control, so try to keep the steering wheel as steady as possible.
6. As the weather gets colder, ice becomes another major weather factor. Make sure to be aware of weather conditions before leaving the house so you can plan accordingly and travel to work safely, while still being on time.

While many of us love this fall weather and the chance to bundle up and drink cocoa, start decorating, or planning for the holidays, keep in mind the importance of traveling safely to and from your destinations during these hazardous weather conditions.

Fun fact: If ice is forming outside of your car mirrors, it is very likely that ice is forming on untreated roadways.

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Any source of energy can pose a fire risk

Is your restaurant at risk for fire?  If you aren’t certain how safe your establishment is, keep in mind that, according to Claims Journal, as recently as 2011 “an estimated 5,900 restaurant building fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 75 injuries and $172 million in property loss.”  Investing both time and money to make certain your risk is minimized as much as possible is a worthwhile business venture.

Preventive maintenance is the number one method of reducing the risk of fire hazard.  Automatic fire-suppression systems, portable fire extinguishers, and routine inspections of kitchen equipment, including all electrical appliances and exhaust systems, will go a long way toward ensuring your restaurant’s risk is minimized.

Fire-suppression systems are crucial especially since the leading cause of restaurant fires is attributed to cooking.  Most systems automatically dispense chemicals to suppress flames, but they also have a manual switch that shuts down the fuel or electric supply to nearby cooking equipment.  After purchase, your fire-suppression system should be inspected semi-annually to ensure it is working to its optimal potential.

Keep extinguishers close at hand

As a back-up, portable fire extinguishers should be kept close at hand.  Class K extinguishers are recommended for kitchen use, as they are able to put out fires that involve cooking oils in fryers that are often found in commercial kitchens, as well as fires from other cooking hazards.  Front-of-the-house extinguishers should also be strategically placed and easily accessed.

It is imperative that electrical equipment is regularly inspected for such faults as frayed cords or wires, and cracked or broken switch plates.  This includes any and all electrics, from coffee burners in the front of the house to blenders in the bar to slicers in the kitchen prep area.  A professional inspector will also look for combustible items that are a fire risk because they have been placed too closely to power sources.

Lastly, it is important to have your exhaust system routinely inspected for grease buildup.  Exhausts should be checked out as often as quarterly in operations with high volume, semi-annually for those with a more moderate patronage.

Nearly as important as preventive maintenance is to ensure your entire staff is properly trained to not only put out fires, but also to avoid them in the first place.  All employees should know how to use a fire extinguisher, and they should all be instructed to never throw water on to a grease fire.  Training employees to clean as they go, to properly use chemicals used for cleaning and other purposes, and to make sure their cigarettes are properly extinguished in the smoking area will go far in mitigating fire risk in your establishment.

Following these simple preventive measures can drastically reduce the risk of fire, and therefore ensure the safety of your building, your employees, and your guests.  How can you better prepare your restaurant?

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1. You don’t know everything and what you don’t know can cause problems. Management should always stay abreast of the latest and greatest ways to control risks, and pass that knowledge on to employees. Consistent training is imperative!
2. A systematic approach to food safety will bring success to your operation. Track performance, and provide ongoing training and feedback to all employees.
3. Don’t fear the dreaded health inspector. His/her objective eye is just what your restaurant needs to stay on top of the game. Learn from the mistakes that have been made. As the comedian Steve Harvey says, “Failure is a great teacher.” Use your mistakes to improve!
4. Cleaning is more than just wiping down the surfaces. Management and employees should understand the chemicals they use, how they work and what will cause them to be ineffective, and should follow the directions precisely, always resisting the temptation to cut corners.
5. Establish standards for cleaning and sanitizing, and then have the tools for each cleaning job readily available to the employees who will use them. Pass the standards on to employees, and ask questions to ensure appropriate use. Management should have a plan in place for taking corrective action when necessary.
6. Stations should be cleaned as employees return to them (from lunch, from break, etc.), and then as often as necessary. This includes knives, cutting boards, other cooking gear, and surfaces. Remember that ice is food; handle it correctly during transport and keep the station clean during storage!
7. Storage is ultra-important! Ready-to-eat food should always sit above raw items. ALL items should be properly wrapped and covered, in food-grade containers, to protect from juices splashing. Cracked containers, or containers with crevices, should be promptly discarded—the blemishes harbor bacteria.
8. It is imperative that management plainly communicate food safety standards to all employees. Storage space should be routinely checked and employees held accountable for their areas.
9. Your walk-in cooler and/or freezer should be a work of art. Show it off! Use accessories and various lid options for organization—think square, rectangular, and clear! Visual appeal aside, the organization will allow employees to see problem areas at a glance.
10. Many factors contribute to cross-contamination, including refrigerator and microwave handles, oven door handles, restroom door knobs… High touch-points are often glossed over, but should be disinfected often. And although cleaning these items is an effective way to reduce cross-contamination, improved hand hygiene is always a best bet.
11. Monitoring food temperature starts at the loading dock and does not stop until the food is served in the dining room. Know the correct temperatures for foods as they are received, being stored, being prepared, being held, as they are cooling, and as they are reheated. Do you know the proper procedures for cooling foods? Learn them and follow them to ensure food safety for your guests.
12. Ask yourself two questions: Does your staff have the correct thermometers available for the job and have they been properly trained to use them? Thermometers can be reliable sources of information but only if used correctly. And what is done with that information matters. Record. Review. Make sure management and employees know what is happening with temperature of product.
13. When taking temperatures, precision is key. Analog thermometers are great, but digital thermometers offer up a higher degree of accuracy (yes, pun intended!) And new technology allows you to log in to a computer to remotely check on temperatures. It’s worth checking out.
14. Record time and temperature. Automate whenever possible, but if this isn’t an option, utilize forms to help you track the data. Crunching the numbers will help you to be more aware of what happens to the temperature of different foods at different time intervals, resulting in higher quality, safer foods for your guests.
15. Personal hygiene. Let me say it again: personal hygiene! Cleanliness and healthiness is all-encompassing and vitally important in any restaurant. Management, set a good example for your employees by practicing thorough hand-washing techniques. Don’t show up to work sick, and don’t allow your employees to work while sick. Unclean habits and illness can and do lead to contaminated food.
16. Did someone say hand washing? This is a crucial factor in food safety, and it cannot be stressed enough. Train employees on proper technique and then audit to ensure compliance. Make certain employees are not touching handles or door knobs after washing hands and before handling food. The use of gloves should not be allowed to give a false sense of security. How are gloves taken off and put back on before handling food? Cross-contamination can occur so make certain employees are trained on proper procedure for putting on and taking off gloves. When all is said and done, common sense should be your guide.
17. And since good hand washing is so important, so, then, are hand sinks. You can’t clean your hands too much when protecting against foodborne illnesses! And even better to clean them with a nail and hand brush. Keep sinks well-placed and well-stocked to ensure they are easy enough to use that there are no excuses for noncompliance.
18. Uniforms should be as clean as the hands. Stress the importance of clean kitchen clothes and clean aprons. How wounds or cuts are dressed is an equally essential. Learn the proper guidelines for covering injuries and then enforce them. And common sense dictates that jewelry not be worn when prepping food, for obvious reasons.
19. Another element of food safety is allergy. Key to preventing food allergies is keeping diners informed about ingredients in each menu item. Sharing information with your guests and staff will build customer confidence in your restaurant. When the front and back of the house teams work together to ensure allergy safety, patrons notice and everyone wins.
20. Finally, utilize color to prevent cross contamination. Purple has been designated the universal color to aid with allergen management. Foods stored and prepared with purple tools used only for allergy-sensitive consumers significantly reduce the risk of cross contamination. Your customers’ confidence in your operation will show by their willingness to return.

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