Author: vivianq

Light cycling: “cyclists, you must shine”

As 60-year-old Sylvain, a member of Better Cycling (MDB), several practitioners of the Little Queen went on a nocturnal walk to raise awareness of the need for light.

 

“Nobody rides on the bike if he does not have a high visibility vest and reflex reflectors on the wheels,” warns Nicole, 61. Associations Les Urbanites, Better to ride a bicycle (MDB), organized this Tuesday a “light walk” in the streets. The appointment was given to the metro Agnates. “The goal is to educate bike enthusiasts to be visible at night. Friend’s cyclists, you must shine, “says Sylvain, member of MDB, equipped with a thin light garland.

 

And in this matter, Nicole, over-equipped from head to toe, is an expert. Flashing red lights around his neck, at the front and back of the bike, fluorescent vest and bracelets, white helmet with brightly drawn stars … “At least,; the cars see me and I feel safe, she says, with a singing accent. To ride a bike, you have to be careful! ”

 

Precautions that Mohammed, 70, takes “for a long time”. “I have my little dynamo, my rear light, and my vest: everything is fine! He says with a big smile. His neighbor Noelle, 68, came to accompany her for the occasion; she is a novice in the field. “I never ride at night, it’s too dangerous! Even equipped with a safety vest, motorists do not see us, “she says. Without any equipment, Noelle will not escape the general distribution of lights and reflex reflectors by the MDB association before departure.

A new step towards the safety of field workers

Priority for many construction companies, safety found itself at the heart of collaboration between Air Liquid, Bourges Construction, CEA and Suez. Grouped together in a collaborative innovation laboratory, the aptly named “Ideas Laboratory”, they have developed a range of connected equipment. The goal: to adapt to the new uses of the operators, while guaranteeing their work safety in the best conditions.

 

While it is certain that craft companies are still lagging far behind in deploying the Single Document, employee safety remains a priority for all. The Institute for Research and Innovation on Occupational Health and Safety had also published at the beginning of the year an awareness guide for the attention of small and medium-sized businesses in the construction industry.

 

Going even further, four partners unveiled April 28 the result of two years of work. In fact, at Ideas Laboratory, the Air Liquid gas specialist Bourges Construction, CEA (a technology researcher) and Suez, an expert in resource development, have developed a set of connected safety equipment intended for operators in the field.

It is thanks to collaborative work and the pooling of knowledge that the various partners have been able to develop new connected sleeves. In addition, these devices are attached to the forearm and interact directly with their wearers.

 

The terminal allows “to guide, inform and accompany employees in real time on the ground,” as indicated by the four partners. Stakeholders “thus benefit from an innovative device to communicate, collaborate and optimize their efficiency, while keeping their hands free, whatever the weather conditions”.

 

The group also specifies that the sleeves connected have already been tested and that the employees of the various partners should gradually be equipped. At the same time, Air Liquid, Bourges Construction, CEA and Suez are also thinking about the design of other tools such as “a reflective vest equipped with sensors for analyzing the air”, “glasses with an integrated camera”, or still “safety shoes for relocation”.

 

 

Warm and safe with Trevor’s safety jacket

For navigation within 2 miles of a shelter, a life jacket of 50 nektons is sufficient for regulation. Trevor launches, for this purpose, the Izeber50 flotation jacket, which offers both thermal insulation and buoyancy equivalent to a vest of 50 Newton (Certified according to ISO 12402-05). It does not replace a lifejacket for upper navigation categories (coastal, mid-shore and offshore). The floatation jacket reduces the risk of drowning, but does not guarantee rescue, as the user must swim and keep his head out of the water, on his own. It can be used during water activities, by people who can swim and in sheltered waters or in calm seas, with help nearby. The Izeber50 jacket is ideal for jet-skiing, canoeing, paddle boarding, windsurfing or light sailing, less than 2 miles from a shelter.

 

The buoyancy of the safety vest is achieved through closed-cell polyethylene slides containing air and micro beads. This flexible and lightweight component guarantees comfort and freedom of movement during maneuvers. Reversible, the neon orange side with integrated reflection strips on the shoulders makes it easy to see. Trevor’s Izeber50 jacket protects against wind and cold while remaining free of movement, without feeling like a buoyancy aid. On the other hand, it is water repellent and allows the fabric to stay light, breathable and warm. On both sides, two zip pockets are useful when the vest is used as a jacket, on the color side. To prevent the jacket from rising when you’re in the water, a subcutaneous strap goes between the legs to hook on each side of the vest, in a loop.

 

Although the Trevor Izeber50 safety jacket is still a bit imposing, it can be used both on land and at sea. Wearing it on the color side, it can be used as a sleeveless jacket to keep you warm while being stylish.

 

 

 

 

 

Too many cyclists circumnavigate their safety

In winter, it is not only cold, but dark. At the time of going to work or college, the sun is not always up and at night, at the time of debauchery, it is sometimes already lying down. This early December was therefore the ideal time to carry out the operations that took place Thursday and yesterday before the colleges.

 

The police station had put the package by hiring a dozen officials under the command of Major Luray, head of the public order and road safety unit, as well as officials of the municipal police of these three communes.

 

And the result is edifying: on the two days of this operation of road safety very targeted, since concentrated on bicycles, 60% of the 62 cycles controlled, were not in conformity. The drivers of these two-wheelers have all received convocation for a subsequent presentation of their bikes after compliance. All except one, who won the pompom, since it was verbalized for crossing red lights in the red phase, on a non-compliant cycle, with a phone held in hand. “The total …” sighs Major Luray frowning.

 

“I am surprised by the lack of information from these two-wheelers. So we gave them an explanatory leaflet to drive safely, but also yellow vests for the purpose of being seen by other road users. These control operations will be renewed periodically “, warns the police still reassured by the” very good reception reserved for the agents by the schoolboys who understood that our operation was made for their security “. As for the heads of institutions, they applauded with both hands this intervention beneficial for all and could see that in the corridors, the students spoke only about that…

 

Mandatory equipment

Reflectors (retro reflective devices): red in the back, white in the front, orange on the sides and on the pedals. Wearing a certified retro-reflective vest is mandatory for all cyclists (and passengers) traveling outside the city, at night, or when visibility is insufficient, especially in the event of fog like the one that envelops Agent in recent days. The Code la route applies to cyclists and other users. Each offense is punishable by a fine.

 

 

 

Well-equipped vehicle and safety vest protected employees

Among the equipment required by the Act is the fluorescent safety vest that can be seen by other motorists, day or night, in case of emergency stop on the roadway or its surroundings. This vest must be CE approved and placed in a location easily accessible by the driver in the vehicle.

 

Another obligation: to have a warning triangle. As a reminder, it must be placed at least 30 meters from the vehicle or obstacle to report. In case of absence of the vest or the triangle, the employee of the company is liable to a fine of up to 750 €.

The case of the ethyl test is slightly different: chemical or electronic and imperatively standard NF *, it is also mandatory…. Except that the non-respect of this obligation is not sanctioned. After a period of shortage in the promulgation of the law, it is now possible to find pharmacy, tobacco shop, Total service stations including and insurance companies.

 

Anything that can contribute to employee safety is paramount. That is why it is strongly recommended to equip each company vehicle with a spare wheel and the reflective equipment to install it. In case of absence of spare wheel, the puncture-resistant bomb can be very useful. Beyond a precautionary principle, note that in case of control, the bad condition of the tires can be sanctioned by a fine of 750 € maximum doubled of immobilization of the vehicle.

 

The same sanction is applied, with a fine of “only” 450 €, in case of deficient or out of order fires. In the register of this small equipment that can render great service figure the lamp, preferably dynamo to prevent battery failure. To find your keys fallen on the ground at night or to guide you in the dark, it is always advisable.

 

Also include small wipes to wipe your windshield from the inside if your vision is disrupted, or special “plastic wipes” to maintain dashboards and door interiors. If employees have to transport customers, as much as having a clean vehicle … and then you always feel better in a well-maintained car.

 

More rarely mentioned but so important in case of a serious accident to carry first aid: the pharmacy kit, the survival blanket, the hammer glass breaker, the belt cutter and the fire extinguisher. For victim drivers and their passengers, or to help another vehicle, this safety equipment can be simply vital. Note that this equipment is on sale in the shops of the vast network of Total gas stations in France and abroad.

Work takes precedence over child safety

Twenty parents of students donned their yellow waistcoat in the cool early morning Wednesday, December 14. They were in front of the entrance of the nursery and elementary schools of the Sources to protest the glaring insecurity around the settlements. A few meters from them, the works, which will give a new face to downtown, began a few days ago.

 

No lights and lack of protection

To join their class, children must take a small path and reflective tape along the site. “They are not safe, despairs Sandy Tense, mother of three children in school and member of the association of parents of students. The diggers run right next to the playground. Mud and pebbles managed to get in! In addition, the public lighting was removed to allow the launch of the work. “In the evening, it is dark early, and we have to walk on this path where the holes are numerous,” says another mother. The mistresses must distinguish us from afar, in the dark, so that our children can go out. The single exit is also a concern in the event of an incident in the school, or as part of the plan.

 

A door that does not close and the children are outside

The big problem is precisely in terms of security. At first, the pupils had to return to the schools, the time of the works, by an adjacent gate… which did not lock. “Children have been found outside of school,” continues Sandy Tense. At this age, they are not aware of the danger, so do not wait for an accident to happen, the reflective vest is necessary. The problem was finally solved this Thursday, December 15…

 

The academic inspector came to the institutions to try to understand the situation. And his recommendations are simple: obligation for the site manager to close the approaches to schools by the beginning of the school year in January, otherwise the work will be halted. Open to discussion, the site manager will also try to stop the machines during the hours of entry and exit in the establishment, and to shift the activity on the site during nap time of children.

 

 

Should Safety jacket be made obligatory?

It’s a vital choice! The survival time at sea can be multiplied by ten thanks to the safety vest. Should we then make it mandatory in the manner of the car seat belt and the two-wheeled helmet?

 

Nearly 100% of the people killed by a lifejacket this summer along the French coastline have been saved. If the topic is regularly discussed within ministries, the project to make the wearing of this safety equipment mandatory is postponed from year to year. In 20 years, wearing lifejackets for boaters or professional buoyancy clothing has more than doubled. Awareness campaigns, sensitized generation, improved ergonomics, equipment prices down. The number of equipped users has steadily increased. While mentalities have largely evolved on the subject, there still remain brakes and recalcitrant. Especially on sunny days or festive outings, where group dynamics tend to dissolve good habits. Overall, the maritime authorities observe during their regular checks at sea more than half of boaters equipped and relatively little total absence of safety elements on board. But the right vest is the one you wear on your back, not the one who sleeps in the inaccessible trunk!

 

Is it necessary to make its use obligatory? Some boaters who took the fold do not see any problem. “The seatbelt has been successful in bringing down the number of people killed on the roads. Why would not it work at sea? The gendarmes are not behind any motorists either… “Another story from Admiral Frederic Maurice, delegate departmental SNSM in Finisher.” The wearing of the reflective vest is obviously a good thing (especially during trips in the appendix) but we must trust the marine sense of users,” tempers him. “The sea remains and must remain one of the last spaces of freedom on earth. Should we try to over-regulate it? France does not have the means to enforce this obligation at sea. So let users enjoy the sea as they see fit! “.

 

On the other hand, no ambiguity for the volunteers of the SNSM perfectly equipped with each of their interventions. It is still among practitioners sailing that the vest is sometimes desired. But for fishing, no visible evolution, always as many pro fishermen with nothing on their backs, out of habit, feeling safe not too far from the coast. However, the regulation is without appeal concerning the fishermen-sailors, since a decree of 2007. “The wearing of the integrated buoyant garment (adapted to each type of fishing) is obligatory during the fishing operations, for the work on the bridge of at night, in reduced visibility and bad weather, by way of an annex and if the commander so requires according to the circumstances “, remembers the regional fisheries committee.

 

On the side of state action at sea, the subject is in the hands of the mission of boating and water recreation. The three maritime prefectures of the French seaboard have already expressed their wish to make the wearing of lifejackets or buoyancy safety clothing compulsory. But the measure is hard to impose, even if the rescue operations remain free and the search time at sea of a yachtsman not equipped is incommensurable.

 

The yellow safety vest soon extended to 2 wheels

As of January 1, 2016, the retro-reflective or high-visibility safety vest becomes mandatory for motorcycles and scooters. The yellow vest becomes mandatory for motor vehicles with 2 and 3 wheels, and 4 non-body wheels, as well as for motorists. The government has finally decided after having made the wind vane on the subject for years!

 

In fact, the wearing of the retro reflective safety vest was to be compulsory at the beginning of 2013 by all drivers or passengers of a motorcycle, of a cylinder capacity greater than 125 cm3 or of a vehicle of category L5e with a power greater than 15 kW. Repealed from its entry into force in favor of a simple recommendation to wear a vest, the Inter-ministerial Committee on Road Safety has decided to go backwards.

 

A decree and a decree have just extended the requirements for the possession and wearing of a high-visibility reflective vest by the drivers of these vehicles (1). The wearing of the vest was previously applicable to motorists, and will be extended to the drivers of a motor vehicle with 2 or 3 wheels (motorcycle, scooter …), or a motor quadricycle not bodied (for example a quad ) from 1 January 2016 as soon as they have to leave the broken down vehicle. They will have to dispose of them or storage of their vehicle (net, trunk …) and wear it when they get off their vehicle after an emergency stop, to improve their visibility, as for the motorists.

 

Compliance with this obligation, provided for in the Highway Code (2), may be controlled by the police and sanctioned in case:

Non-detention by a 1st class offense (11 Euros for the fixed fine),

Non-wearing of the high visibility vest following an emergency is stop by a violation of 4th class.

 

Sine educates motorists on the safety

Sine, the company specializing in the management of highways, launches a new campaign to educate drivers about the safety of its staff. Last month, a motorway worker without reflective vest died near Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais, after being hit by a car on the A1.

 

“You see me? Slow down!” a simple campaign slogan that calls for vigilance on highways. Sine’s agents are angry about the dangerous behavior of some motorists. “These are our customers, but it does not give them the right to roll over us. There is a lack of respect… We have only one life! When I come to work, it is to return I want to see my family again; I do not come to die at work, “says Sylvain CarMax, who works in the Janie center, near Satirize, in Murtha for 25 years.

 

Like most employees, he was shocked by the death of a colleague on March 14, near Arras. Those who call themselves men in yellow, because of their fluorescent safety vest, know that they are not immune to an accident. So they take precautions. For example, never work alone on the highway. “You have to be two to have four eyes, one of them is posing while the other is paying attention, so he is trying to warn his colleague, it takes four eyes on the highway, or even more, because is quite dangerous, “says Pascal Colza, team leader at Jenny’s center.

 

While discussing near the markup, which they have installed on a track, the employees of Sine perceive in the distance a dangerous behavior on the part of a motorist. “You see, the blue car approaching us, right in front of the truck, it doubled at the very last moment, when there was a forbidden sign to double 300 meters before. Braking the truck or the car and if the agents are behind, they are bumped, “pointed out Fabrics Jabber, head of the operating center of the Janie.

 

Increase in accidents involving motorway personnel

Non-compliance with signs, speed limits, mobile driving … The causes of accidents involving highway agents is numerous. According to Sine, there were 124 accidents affecting them all over France last year, compared to 101 in 2014. While the number of accidents has dropped a lot on motorways over the past ten years, those involving motorway staff are continuing to increase. A new awareness campaign is therefore more necessary than ever for the road safety. It started in early April and should continue until June.

The road test for road safety

 

“Driving a motorcycle at speed, everyone knows how to do it”, welcomes Michel, the “motorcycle gentleman” of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture. One way to make us understand that, although we are on the emblematic circuit of Croix-en-Terni, he is more interested in the ease of bikers on their gear. That’s how twenty-two bikers stumbled on a road test, answered forty questions about road safety and got on their bike for a test of maneuverability.

 

“Behind a heavy weight, there are fifty invisible positions for the driver.”

These amateur riders have all won their qualification at one of the seventeen events organized this year through the department with insurer MACIF. The winner of this Teresina final (the third of the name) won a ticket for the national trophy at the motorcycle police school. But beyond any competition, the goal of the prefecture is clear: continue to raise the awareness of the bikers, be more careful even they wear the reflective vest, particularly exposed on the roads in case of accident.

 

The participants were thus entitled to demonstrations of airbag safety vest, still too little used. They were also able to board a school truck on loan from Bray-la-Bossier Public Works High School. “Behind the heavy weight, there are fifty invisible positions for the driver, explains Michel Lagash. We want to make bikers aware of these blind spots. And the danger they represent in case of irregular overtaking.