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Technical Release
REFLECTOR STRAP PROMOTES SEATBELT USE Safety: transportation |
Feb. 2003 |
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INTRODUCTION: Mechanization, enhanced felling skills, and overall greater safety awareness have contributed to significant reductions in lost-time injuries. Although accident prevention has come a long way on many forest operations, there is still room for improvement regarding the consistent use of seatbelts while traveling to and from the logging job. Even forest workers who faithfully don their hardhats and other personal protective equipment when on the job often forget or ignore using their seatbelts. In an effort to promote seatbelt use, a growing number of logging, trucking, and land management companies in northern Maine are requiring employees to attach a company-provided reflector strap (Beltwrap) to their seatbelts. Once attached, the reflectors can be easily seen by supervisors and others and indicate that the seatbelt is in use. The reflectors also serve as a visual reminder for the driver and passengers to "buckle up" whenever traveling in the vehicle.
Fig. 1: "Beltwrap" provides a highly visible reminder, and incentive, to use seatbelts consistently. GENERAL FEATURES: Manufactured by Reflectix (www.reflectix.com), Beltwrap easily attaches over the vehicle seatbelt with Velcro. The slightly padded straps are 12 inches by 2 inches when folded and come in 17 different neon colors. The reflective area can also be imprinted with the company logo or a brief safety message. Beltwrap attaches to the seatbelt by means of two matching Velcro tabs and can be adjusted for comfort depending on the size of the vehicle occupant. SPECIFICATIONS & COST: Purchased in bulk (greater than 100), Beltwraps cost approximately $3.00 each.
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Forest Resources Association Inc. |