At Traylor Bros., Jason Ruggles, shop manager, heard that in winter truck drivers were putting frozen air horns on the dash of their pickup trucks to warm them up. This can cause the gas in the can to pressurize to the point where the can explodes. Not only would this tear up the cab, it had the potential to be fatal.
There was no OEM solution, nor was there any MSDS sheet on these cans, only a warning in fine print on the label. So Traylor decided the best solution was to launch a massive information program to warn drivers.
A safety bulletin was issued to all employees, companies, partners and projects, and a safety stand down was conducted. Ruggles estimated the total cost to be around $1,000.
During the hazard investigation the company also learned that the potential for unexpected release of stored energy exist in other places not normally considered.
This is the kind of information that has to be passed around peer to peer, says Ruggles. “Tell your buddies. Don’t be shy about sharing this stuff. It might save lives,” he says.
