TOWN OF WESTPORT
ADOPT-A-ROAD PROGRAM
SAFETY GUIDELINES
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST
Welcome to Adopt-a-Road program. To protect you while you're on the work
site, the Town of Westport has designed safety guidelines which shall be
reviewed before each cleanup session:
THINK SAFETY:
*Be very careful out there.
*Be a member of your team.
*Be mentally alert.
*Always work in daylight.
*Be in good physical shape.
*Don't work in bad weather.
*Do not horse around on the worksite.
GET ORGANIZED:
Organize your workers into crews before you load the car pool.
There should always be an adult supervisor (crew chief) for each 5 - 6
workers.
Review the safety rules with all workers before proceeding to the road segment.
The crew chief shall be the safety "watchdog".
The crew chief shall keep the workers together as a team. Be prepared with a first aid kit.
Know where your nearest hospital or emergency room is located and the best route to reach it, before you begin to work.
Know where the nearest telephone is located.
Know the physical condition and special needs of your crew. Keep an adequate supply of vests, flags and trash bags.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Always wear your safety vest.
Hiking boots or shoes with thick soles to prevent foot damage with sharp objects.
Wear work gloves.
Tall grass is the home for ticks. Make the tick's access to your body difficult. Tuck your pant cuffs into your socks/boots. Check your body for ticks as soon as possible when you get home.
If you are sensitive to the sun, bring along a baseball cap or wide brimmed hat, a long sleeve shirt and a sun screen lotion.
Leave your headset stereo/radio at home.
TRANSPORTATION:
Car pool to your road segment to use as few vehicles as possible. Park parallel to the road, at least 3 feet away from the pavement surface before unloading your crew.
Stop and display the safety signs (at both ends of your road segment) before unloading your crew.
Park on the same side of the road that you plan to work. Always work facing the traffic.
Drive your crew to the opposite side when your crew switches sides. Do not allow your crew to walk across the pavement.
WHEN YOU'RE ON THE SITE:
Never walk or pick up litter on the pavement, shoulder or in the median.
Never work on bridges, tunnels, overpasses or steep ground.
Stay away from mowing or construction operations.
Stay off parked equipment.
Stay alert for snakes, poison ivy and stinging insects.
Avoid over exertion.
Bring lots of water to drink while you work, especially on hot, humid days.
Alcoholic beverages should not be permitted on the site.
HANDLING THE LITTER:
Do not touch or pick up anything you cannot identify. It may be a hazardous Item. Instead, mark the Item with a flag. Hazardous materials are commonly found in closed metal containers.
Any item the group does not want to pick up should be flagged.
Don't jump or step on your trash bag to pack more in. You have lots of trash bags.
Place filled trash bags at the designated pickup site.
The group may keep any recyclable materials. A trash bag may be used to remove these materials from the site. When you are finished, remove your safety signs.
