Paperwork + Parking...

Shift 2 did an amazing job helping close out all the secondary and residential routes that evening in 10 hours!  Great work, team! 

As you complete your zones - it is impeccably important to ensure your zone schedules are completed, highlighted, and signed to ensure there no missing information.  If your helping out in another zone - the paperwork must reflect the other operators portion and must match up on both copies.  

Last, we are parking the tractors in row's of two - 8 row's with 1 tractor (unit 18) parked as the spare tractor.  Traffic cones will be placed in between the tractors to help keep the spacing consistent moving forward.  

Thanks Team and Happy New Year!  

The second string that came on to help wrap up the residential routes did a great job overall. There are just a few items from this past shift worth highlighting.

When working with a pure sand mix, it’s important to adjust the salt bucket settings to accommodate the heavier material. Depending on conditions, this may require settings anywhere from notch 5 up to the highest setting. If the sand mix is wet, additional effort may be required to keep the material flowing. Operators may need to gently “shake” the hopper or raise and lower the rear attachment to help dislodge any sand pockets or voids within the bucket.

Finally, equipment is now being parked in the gravel lot where training was conducted in November. Please ensure machines are parked tight to one another at the end of each shift. Before leaving the unit, remember to remove all garbage and engage the kill switch to preserve battery life.

A few key items the City would like to reinforce with all Sidewalk Operators:

1. Please avoid leaving windrows at the entrances of any bus shelters or designated bus stops. When approaching a bus shelter, angle your blade to the left to ensure windrows are built along the left outer edge of the sidewalk, keeping access points clear for transit users.

2. Operators are also reminded to monitor their speed at all times while pushing snow on sidewalks and through nearby intersections. A travel speed of 9–10 km/h is considered safe when operating on sidewalks and helps maintain control and visibility.

3. When traveling on roadways to reach your destination, ensure all required lighting is activated, including full vehicle lighting and four-way hazard lights at all times. Operators must follow all rules of the road and drive defensively.

4. Please leave adequate space between your equipment and other vehicles to allow for safe stopping distances and emergency situations. Safety of pedestrians, motorists, and fellow operators remains the top priority during all operations.

Overall, the output from this shift went well.  A few area's that we can do to tighten up our efficiencies as a whole. 

• Reduce accidental salt spillage when the tractor is parked or idling

• Carefully review all footpaths in your zones to ensure you hitting these areas.  As a whole, these are the areas that need the most attention.

• When assisting other operators, it is important to cross-reference your maps with the other operator to ensure route completion and route accuracy.

• Always ensure you weigh-out and weigh-in with the scale house at the beginning and end of your shift.

• Remove all trash, food waste from your units at the end of your shift.
  
  

As operators, it is important to periodically check  your salt buckets to ensure you are spreading enough salt in your zones.  It is also important to notify your salt monitors before you run low on salt.  Please provide a 15 minute warning to your salt monitor and always ensure you send a "location pin" on your exact location.  This will ensure the salt monitors can safely reach your location before you run out.   As a gentle reminder, the City of Burlington performs a shift-change at 07:00 and 19:00 each day.  There will be times where your salt monitor is caught up at the salt dome waiting for a new loader/operator to start their shift.   

As operators, it is extremely important you remain in your tractor or salt truck while the city carry's on activities near our parked equipment.  Feedback has come back from the City that our operators are lacking safety vests and other forms of PPE that are needed to stay visible at all times.  At night, the risks and dangers of not being seen run into many risks or possible injuries of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Please wear a safety vest at night, and always stay in your tractor when being loaded up for salt.

As a general house-keeping rule - please ensure you pack-out at the end of your shift with any personal belongings or food items used throughout your shift.  It is important to keep your unit clean, refuelled, and parked with the battery kill switched "ON" while the unit is parked at the yard.  As a reminder, smoking is not permitted in your unit - no exceptions!  

As a gentle reminder, please ensure you clear-out all remaining salt from your hoppers at the end of your shift.  During wet and cold weather, the road salt will eventually harden up like cement making it next to impossible to remove.  If your ensure how to perform this task, ask a fellow operator or follow-up with your Shift Supervisor