Month: November 2021

DOT Physical Form Expiration Date

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by NDASA

Keep Using the DOT Medical Exam Forms Expiring Today

The date found on the top right corner of the following forms indicate the date of expiration is today, November 30th, 2021

This is the date of expiration for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved information collection 2126-0006.

FMCSA is in the process of submitting the information collection renewal request for approval. Please continue to use the forms that are currently posted on the FMCSA website.

Once the information collection renewal has been approved, new versions of the Medical Examination Report Form, MCSA-5875, Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876, and Insulin-Treated Diabetes Mellitus Assessment Form, MCSA-5870 will be posted on the FMCSA website indicating the forms have been renewed.

View the current form here: FMCSA Form MCSA-5875 (dot.gov)

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Rulemaking Update

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by FMCSA

Photo property of FMCSA

Clearinghouse Rule II

What It Means for Clearinghouse Users

On November 8, 2021, the second Clearinghouse final rule, Controlled Substances and Alcohol Testing: State Driver’s Licensing Agency Non-Issuance/Downgrade of Commercial Driver’s License; Correction, went into effect. This rule addresses how States are required to use the information in the Clearinghouse to help ensure that only qualified drivers are eligible to receive and retain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Employer Requirements Have Not Changed

The second Clearinghouse rule does not change any of the requirements for employers to query CDL and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders and report drug and alcohol program violations. All requirements established by the first Clearinghouse rule, Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, remain in place. Download the brochures below to learn more about these requirements.

Update: Actual Knowledge of DUI Citations

The Clearinghouse second rule includes an update regarding actual knowledge violations. The following question and answer has been added to the Clearinghouse website to summarize this change.

If a CDL driver’s employer is aware that the driver received a traffic citation for driving a CMV while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, the employer must report this to the Clearinghouse as actual knowledge of prohibited use of drugs or alcohol. If the citation does not result in a conviction, may the driver petition to have this violation removed from their Clearinghouse record?

Effective November 8, 2021, an actual knowledge violation, based on the issuance of citation for DUI in a CMV, will not be removed from the Clearinghouse when the citation does not result in a conviction.

In the final rule published on October 7, 2021 (86 FR 55718), FMCSA clarified that a driver subject to FMCSA’s drug and alcohol use and testing requirements, who has been issued a traffic citation (or other charging document) for DUI in a CMV, has violated 49 CFR part 382, subpart B. Accordingly, the 2021 final rule amends the regulation to state that a report of actual knowledge of prohibited use of drugs or alcohol, based on the issuance of DUI in a CMV, will remain in the Clearinghouse for 5 years, or until the driver has completed the return-to-duty process, whichever is later, regardless of whether the driver is ultimately convicted of the DUI offense. Drivers who are not convicted of the offense may petition to submit documentary evidence of non-conviction to their Clearinghouse record.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

10 tips for preventing falls at work

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

The National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is an annual event. But employers should focus on fall prevention all year.

“Jobsites change and crews come and go – you may have new workers who missed the stand-down and new projects or phases of work with different fall hazards or considerations,” CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training says. The center has 10 tips you can use to support your workplace fall prevention program.

  1. Have another stand-down. If you already had a fall-related stand-down, plan another and change up the activities or specific topics.
  2. Focus on rescue. Do you have a plan in place in the event someone falls? Make sure everyone knows what the plan is.
  3. Create or revise your written fall prevention plan. Put together a task force to develop a project-specific fall protection plan.
  4. Model how to inspect equipment. Supervisors need to provide adequate time for daily inspections, and they should model how to self-inspect fall protection and other equipment.
  5. Partner with community events. Help raise awareness about the importance of fall protection by participating in community events.
  6. Share a testimonial. Invite a previously injured worker or family member to speak in-person, or use video clips or written testimonials.
  7. Include fall protection articles in company communications. Point to a recent construction fall tragedy in the news and urge workers to learn from it.
  8. Provide fall prevention training. Remind supervisors and lead workers that if they work safely and use fall protection correctly, their co-workers are more likely to do so.
  9. Encourage workers to speak up. Workers often stay quiet rather than ask questions, even if they don’t know the right way to do something or they’ve identified an issue that may lead to an unsafe situation.
  10. Make sure your message reaches everyone. Provide training that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for the workforce.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Protect against the cold: Tips for employers and workers

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

A thorough workplace safety and health plan should include steps to protect workers from cold-related hazards. This is particularly important for workers in the services, transportation, construction and agriculture industries.

“Exposure to cold can be an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation,” says NIOSH, which offers recommendations for both employers and workers.

Employers should:

  • Train supervisors and workers to prevent, recognize and treat cold-related illnesses and injuries. This training should be presented in a language all workers understand.
  • Reduce the amount of time workers spend in a cold environment. Rotate workers in and out on long, demanding jobs.
  • Provide access to warm areas, and encourage workers to take breaks in those areas. Also, set up a place for workers to change out of wet clothes.
  • Initiate a buddy system for workers to help monitor them in cold conditions.
  • Keep a first aid kit stocked, and make sure to include a medical and environmental thermometer as well as chemical heat packs.
  • Provide appropriate cold-weather gear such as hats, gloves and boots for work in cold environments. Don’t forget wind-protective clothing based on air velocities.
  • Give prompt medical attention to workers who show signs of cold-related illness or injury.

Workers can help by:

  • Taking regular breaks to warm up.
  • Monitoring your physical condition and that of co-workers.
  • Staying hydrated.
  • Snacking on high-carbohydrate foods.
  • Avoiding touching cold metal or wet surfaces with bare skin.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Holiday Workplace Safety

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by OSHA

Photographs of workers | Credit: iStock-1282455397, LeoPatrizi | iStock-1247965353, adamkaz | USDA

Photo property of OSHA

As the nation enters the holiday shopping season, employers must ensure that all workers are trained to recognize and prevent job hazards, and incorporate safe work practices to prevent coronavirus spread. OSHA has resources to help keep workers safe at every step along the way whether you’re shopping at retail stores or getting gifts delivered from the warehouse to your home.

Retail Sales

Delivery

Order Fulfillment

All Workplaces

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Tower Crane Safety

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

crane-safety.jpg

Photo: CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

New toolbox talk from CPWR

Silver Spring, MD — Safe use of tower cranes – typically used to construct skyscrapers and other large structures – is the subject of a recently published toolbox talk from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Available in English and Spanish, the toolbox talk includes a short story and discussion questions, safety tips, and a way to communicate how organizations can “stay safe today.”

CPWR reminds employers that any worker involved in a lift must be licensed/certified and trained, if appropriate. A qualified person needs to inspect the crane, and wind speed should be monitored. No one should stand under a crane while it’s being assembled or disassembled, and no one should stand under a suspended load at any time.

“If they are not properly inspected, maintained or operated, [tower cranes] can create serious hazards on construction sites,” CPWR says. “Fatalities and injuries can occur from the crane collapsing, electrocutions, or being struck by a load or part of the crane.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

USDOT Releases State by State Fact Sheets Highlighting Benefits of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by USDOT

Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation released state-by-state fact sheets that highlight how the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver for communities across the country by repairing roads and bridges, improving transportation options, building a national network of chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, upgrading our nation’s airports and ports, and much more.

“Americans rely on our transportation infrastructure every day – to get to work, school, loved ones, and to move goods across our economy,” said Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The once-in-a-generation investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will improve people’s lives in every state in the nation by increasing access to safe, clean, reliable transportation.”

Individual fact sheets for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, are linked below:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia 
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

FMCSA final rule adds rear impact guards to annual truck inspection list

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication.

Washington — Rear impact guards on large commercial trucks must be inspected annually, under a recently issued final rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Rear impact guards are designed to prevent “underrides,” which occur when a passenger vehicle strikes the rear of a CMV and slides underneath. FMCSA notes that although rear impact guards have been required on CMVs for more than 65 years, they have not been one of components listed in Appendix G for required inspections. This has meant “that a vehicle can pass an annual inspection with a missing or damaged rear impact guard.”

Published in the Nov. 9 Federal Register and effective Dec. 9, the rule adds rear impact guards to Appendix G and amends labeling requirements. “Road construction controlled (RCC) horizontal discharge trailers” are exempt.

In December, FMCSA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, with a two-month comment period. Seven months later, the Department of Transportation listed the measure in the final rule stage as part of its Spring 2021 regulatory agenda.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

CVSA Launches New Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative in Canada and the U.S.

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by CVSA

Commerical Vehicle Safety Alliance - McCraren Compliance

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is launching a new annual three-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI) early next year in Canada and the U.S., corresponding with each country’s Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In the U.S., the initiative will start on U.S. Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Jan. 11, to Jan. 13. In Canada, it will start on Canada’s Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Feb. 22, to Feb. 24.

This initiative is an awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.

According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world, including North America. Human traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.

“Human traffickers often use roadways as the mode of transportation for transporting their victims,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “Since our roadways are the ‘workplace’ for truck drivers, motorcoach drivers and commercial motor vehicle inspectors, they are in a prime position to make a difference in helping to identify potential victims of human trafficking.”

“Identification, and ultimately prevention, starts with education,” Capt. Broers added. “Through CVSA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, we aim to equip drivers and inspectors with the tools they need to proactively serve on the frontline in our effort to end human trafficking.”

In preparation for the 2022 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, CVSA is offering human trafficking awareness resources to its membership and working with the Truckers Against Trafficking organization to distribute wallet cards and window decals. In addition, during the three-day awareness initiatives, CVSA jurisdictions will note human trafficking awareness and outreach data and submit that data to the Alliance.

To find out what your local jurisdiction is doing to increase human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state, province or territory.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Why now is a great time to upgrade to the Arizona Travel ID

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by ADOT

MVD office traffic slows during the holiday season

PHOENIX – Give yourself the gift of travel this holiday season and upgrade your driver license to the Arizona Travel ID.

Now is a great time to get the Arizona Travel ID because, historically, Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offices see fewer customers during the holiday season than other times of the year.

Customers can save even more time by scheduling an office appointment at azmvdnow.gov, selecting the time, date and office location that is most convenient. An active AZ MVD Now account is not needed to schedule an appointment online.

Nearly 1.6 million Arizonans have upgraded to the Arizona Travel ID.

A short, easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to getting the Arizona Travel ID is available at azdot.gov/TravelID. When a customer is ready to upgrade their credential, the Arizona Travel ID application can be completed online at azmvdnow.gov prior to an appointment. Be sure to bring the following necessary documents to your appointment:

  • Proof of identity: For most people, this will be a birth certificate or U.S. Passport.
  • Social Security Number: A Social Security Card is not needed, only the number.
  • Proof of residency: Two printed documents with your current Arizona residential address, like a utility bill, bank or credit card statement, or insurance policy.
  • A full list of qualifying documents is available at azdot.gov/TravelID.

The Arizona Travel ID, which has a gold star, is the state-issued credential that complies with the federal REAL ID Modernization Act because cardholders have provided additional proof of identification to meet strict federal requirements. It is available to Arizona residents as a driver license or identification card. Beginning May 3, 2023, a REAL ID-compliant credential, like the Arizona Travel ID, will be needed at TSA airport checkpoints and other federal buildings.

Arizona is one of 37 states offering residents a choice in their driver license credential: the federally compliant Arizona Travel ID or the non-Travel ID Arizona driver license, which is not federally compliant and will not allow an individual to pass through TSA, beginning May 3, 2023. Arizona law requires that MVD provide customers with this choice.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.