Training Content

Winter Weather Slip/Trip/Fall Transcript

With winter weather there comes snow, ice, sleet, and other slippery surfaces that pose a risk to DAs while delivering packages. That’s why Amazon has made a significant investment to provide you with personal protective equipment, and other items such as snow shovels, windshield frost guard covers, roadside emergency kits, flashlights, ice scrapers, and snow brushes.

Amazon also understands the risk weather poses and has a team monitoring weather conditions, down to the Delivery Station, to adjust operations in order to keep you safe and give you time in your day so you can go slower and rest as needed.

We also want to provide you with relevant tips to stay safe when encountering slippery surfaces. These tips will focus on walking using the marching technique, proper footwear, and safe delivery practices.

First and most importantly, never jog or run when making a delivery, especially when there is snow and ice on the ground. Instead, walk slowly and use the marching technique, as it has been proven to keep adults upright on slippery surfaces!

The marching technique starts with ensuring your head is over your shoulders, your shoulders are over your hips, your hips are over your ankles, and your head is up with your eyes looking forward.

Pick a target ahead of you in your walk path, as you walk to the target begin making small marching half steps at a slow and steady pace with a full flat foot. Keep your head looking forward and scan your path of travel looking for any obstructions. If necessary, stop walking to ensure your pathway is still clear before proceeding. Do not look directly down at your feet. Your arms and hands should be at your side and your hands should NOT be in your pockets. If you are carrying a package, keep that package in your power zone and close to your body.

Next, always wear slip-resistant, closed toe, closed heel shoes. Slip-resistant shoes have rubber soles and tread patterns that are designed to grip slippery surfaces and help reduce the risk of a slip, trip, or fall.

If you are in an area where you need to wear shoe grips or ice cleats over your slip-resistant shoes, work with your DSP so that you can be prepared for your day.

Finally, when getting in or out of the vehicle, or going up or down customers’ steps, be extremely cautious, look for uneven surfaces or steps outside the vehicle, and always use 3-points of contact. This means at all times 2 hands and 1 foot, or 2 feet and 1 hand is in contact with a solid surface like a step or handrail. If you are carrying a package and exiting the vehicle, bend at the knees, place the package on the floor out of your walk path, and then use 3-points of contact to exit the vehicle. Once on the ground, fully turn your body around, making sure not to twist, and pick up the package.

On the walk to and from the delivery point, use the marching technique and continuously scan the area looking for slick surfaces, objects that may be obscured by snow or additional trip hazards. Even if the area has been shoveled, it can refreeze, creating more icy spots.

So, let’s recap. In slippery winter weather conditions, it is important to use the marching technique, wear slip resistant, closed toe, and closed heel shoes, and use 3-points of contact when making a delivery.

Remember your safety is our top priority! If at any time you do not feel safe making a delivery, you should contact your DSP and return to station.

Delivering in the Dark Transcript

As we enter into fall and winter months, the days become shorter and the amount of time you spend making deliveries in the dark increases. This has the potential to increase your risk of an injury when making a delivery or being involved in a traffic incident.

To help support you in staying safe while delivering in the dark, this video will provide you with 5 critical tips to reduce the risk of injury or motor vehicle accident. These steps include scanning the area for hazards, making your presence known, using your headlights effectively, reducing your speed, and wearing your Amazon branded reflective vest.

First, always scan the area and walk path for trip hazards, signs of pets, or other apparent hazards. Be sure to avoid grassy areas where there may be hidden holes, uneven terrain, tree roots or slick grass. If needed, use a flashlight to identify slip, trip, and falls hazards while making a delivery.

Second, remember even if you do not see signs of pets or people at the delivery point, make your presence known by making noise, shaking your keys, or announcing “Amazon Delivery”. This will allow them to gain awareness of your presence on the property. Don’t forget to look in the Delivery App for the paw print icon to see if any pets are on the property. You may also send the customer a pre-populated message through the delivery app to let them know you are with Amazon and that they should secure their pets and turn on lights in the delivery area.

Third, as you know your visibility is reduced when driving in the dark. Normal headlight visibility is limited to 250 ft and high-beam headlight visibility is limited to 500 ft. With reduced visibility, you have less time to react to a hazard. To increase your reaction time, slow down and increase your following distance.

Fourth, turn your headlights on one hour before sunset and keep them on for the rest of your route. If you are on an early morning route, keep your headlights on until at least one hour after sunrise. This will help you to see the road and also BE seen. High-beam headlights can be particularly useful in rural areas or open roads, but remember to be courteous to other drivers and turn your high-beams off as you come within 500 feet of oncoming traffic or if you are following another vehicle. If oncoming traffics headlights are creating a hazard to your own visibility, be sure to shift your gaze down and to the right; keeping your eyes on the edge of the road or your lane markings to keep you on track.

Finally, before leaving the station be sure to wear your reflective Amazon-branded vest as your outermost layer. This will help customers recognize you and make you more visible to pedestrians and motorists as you make a delivery.

Remember your safety is the top priority and delivering in the dark can present some unique challenges. Following these 5 critical delivering in the dark safety tips can help reduce your risk of injury or traffic incident. If you need additional supplies, such as a flashlight or vest, ask your DSP or station team.

Motorcyclist/Bicyclist/Pedestrian Awareness Script

As you deliver smiles to our customers, you will most likely come into contact with motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians during your route. These three groups are some of the most vulnerable road users. The purpose of this training is to provide you with tips to help you stay safe on the road and potentially prevent a tragic incident.

Let’s start with motorcycles. Did you know in 2020, 5,579 motorcyclists in the US were killed in traffic incidents? In fact, motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to be killed in an incident than drivers in a vehicle. And these collisions are more likely to occur at intersections.

Next, we have bicyclists. In 2020, 938 cyclists in the US were killed in traffic incidents. While bicycles and vehicles have the same rights and responsibilities on the road, many cyclists face a higher risk of injury and death than occupants in a vehicle. And just like with motorcycles, intersections and urban areas are places where cyclists have the most risk.

Lastly, we have pedestrians. If you really think about it, everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their lives. In 2020, 6,516 pedestrians in the US were killed in traffic incident; that’s a pedestrian killed every 81 minutes. While pedestrian traffic deaths are also more likely to occur in urban settings, pedestrians differ from cyclists in that they are more likely to be hit on the open road as opposed to intersections.

As you’ve heard that is a lot of potential risk on the road for motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and YOU! So, what can you do to keep yourself and the community safe while driving? Here are a few suggestions.

The most important thing you can do is yield and be aware of your surroundings. We share the roadway with motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians who are at higher risk of an injury in the event of a collision with your vehicle. Because of this, it is critical that you yield and be aware of your surroundings because you never know what movement they may take.

When driving in residential areas, you never know when an adult or child might pop out between two vehicles. Remember drive slowly in residential areas and always be alert!

Be extra vigilant at night! 77% of pedestrians killed in traffic incidents are killed when it’s dark outside.

Remember to be patient. Give motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians extra room and extra time.

It's easy to misjudge the speed of a motorcycle or bike, or the actions that a pedestrian may take.

Be sure to allow at least 4 feet of clearance when passing. If you find yourself in a situation where a

motorcyclist or bicyclist is following you to closely, find a safe place to pullover and allow them to

pass.

Also, never assume that they have seen you. Make eye contact, and use your lights, flashers, and

signals, as needed, to make them aware of your presence.

Be aware of your blind spots. Blind spots exist all around your vehicle and will be different in every vehicle you operate; be sure to position your mirrors to limit your blind spots as much as possible, especially when backing. Remember, reversing into driveways is only acceptable if one, there are no safe park positions on the street and two, the park position does not allow for safe walking distance of 50 yards or less. Turn your head so you can see over your shoulder and only move lanes when it is safe to do so; this is critical as motorcyclists might be hidden in your blind spot. For pedestrians and cyclists, this may mean scanning between parked vehicles on a crowded street.

Be sure to reverse with care. Never reverse if you are unsure about whether the area around your vehicle is clear. Get out and look!

As always, maintain a safe speed and adjust your speed based on conditions. Higher vehicle speeds reduce reaction time and increase the likelihood of an incident and the severity of the injury.

It goes without saying, always eliminate your distractions while driving. Distractions can include, using your device, eating, drinking, and listening to music while the vehicle is in motion.

Finally, always remember to share the road with motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians and keep in mind that they are someone’s loved ones! What might be a simple fender-bender for you, may be considerably more dangerous for those with whom we share the road, if you fail to follow these tips.