Doing Things Right

Tuesday November 20th started much like any other day for Lance Koren, a pick up and delivery driver for United Site Services Foxboro Massachusetts. After doing his pre-trip walk around and checking his DVIR for Monday the 19th, Lance started off on his route.

Lance has been a driver for United Site Services in Foxboro for three years. During that time he has encountered many situations that required quick thinking and reaction to adverse situations. On this Tuesday morning as Lance drove his truck, he noticed some smoke coming from under the hood. His quick thinking  may well have averted an environmental spill and possible bad publicity. Lance realized oil was leaking onto the motor of his truck and burning, causing smoke which quickly became heavy. Keeping a cool head, Lance found a spot off the road in a parking lot that was safe. He quickly shut down the truck and investigated the situation. He found that a hose had broken under his hood and now he was faced with an oil leak that was quickly spreading on the ground.

Lance immediately radioed the situation to his Operations Manager and asked him to bring some oil dry to the scene. He then grabbed his spill kit from his tool box and placed the pads on the ground in a manner that would keep the oil from spreading. When the Operations Manager arrived on the scene, Lance already had the spill contained, had located the exact leaking pressure hose, and was in the process of removing it from the truck. With the help of his Operations Manager, Lance cleaned up the spill, repaired the hose and was back on route in less than one hour.

By being aware that he had his spill kit in the truck, knowing how to use it, and having the quick thinking to get to a safe place, Lance averted what could have been a costly and embarrassing situation. Fuel spills, waste spills and even oil spills happen from time to time. Safety and environmental protection concerns are always our first considerations, but what can be damaging to our business as well is public image. Lance’s quick actions because he was prepared saved the day! Great job Lance, your Award of Choice card is on its way! Safety, Quality and Responsibility are more than just nice words, they’re what we do!