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Minutes 01-12-04 MINUTES OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN THE FIRE/POLICE TRAINING ROOM, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2004 AT 10:00 A.M. Present Tom Balfe, Chairman John Bebensee, Vice Chair Barbara Madden, Secretary Mark Bobich Bill Coup Carisse LeJeune Dorothy Mack Chuck Magazine Chris Mitchell Glendon Morgan Britt Pait Barbara Scott Tim Valentine Parks Recreation City Clerk Utilities Library City Manager Human Resources Risk Development ITS Warehouse Police/Code Compliance Fire Department Absent Eric Falstad Glenda Hall Brenda LeVant Golf Course Public Works Communications I. Call to Order Chairman Balfe called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. and distributed copies of the video bookshelf catalogue to members who had not received it previously. II. Roll Call The Secretary called the roll and declared a quorum was present. II1. Acceptance of Minutes of December 4, 2003 Regular Meeting Motion Ms. Mack moved to approve the minutes. Motion seconded by Mr. Coup and unanimously carried. IV. Safety Committee Education and Training Program Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida January 12, 2004 Committee members viewed a video produced by the Florida League of Cities that deals specifically with being a safety coordinator. V. Old Business A. Fire Drills None to report B. "Proud to be a Safe Worker" Awards None C. Departmental Inspections & Safety Meetings Mr. Magazine said that he would be sending these out by email by the end of the week. D. Defensive Driver Course Mr. Magazine reported that ITS is in the process of getting Smith Systems up and running. Consideration is also being given to doing some on-street training. He anticipated that the course should be ready within a couple of weeks. E. Incident Review Board Referrals Chairman Balfe reported that a firefighter/paramedic was walking to his vehicle and when exiting the garage door, he brushed up against the door, and got a splinter in his arm. Mr. Magazine stated that Facilities was supposed to correct this. Division Chief Valentine will check into this and provide an update at the next meeting. Chairman Balfe reported that a firefightedparamedic hurt his back when a stretcher collapsed. Mr. Magazine questioned if this occurred because the Fire Department uses two types of stretchers provided by different vendors that are not compatible. Division Chief Valentine stated that even though two different companies provide the stretchers, they are supposed to be compatible. Mr. Magazine stated that one of the hooks did not work on the other stretcher. Division Chief Valentine reported that the firefighter stated that he did everything correctly, and he has been doing this for a long time. The stretcher was checked and it was determined that there was nothing wrong with it. He reported that the stretchers are serviced on a regular basis and staff is tracking the serial numbers to determine whether one kind of stretcher has consistent problems. Division Chief Valentine noted that the stretchers are used under all kinds of circumstances, through sand and dirt, and mechanisms do not work properly if there is dirt or debris in the equipment. He felt that Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida January 12, 2004 there was probably some kind of debris that impeded the safety latch from working properly, but he was not certain. Mr. Magazine thought that if the Fire Department was using two kinds of stretchers that were not compatible, there needs to be a policy in place to make sure the right stretcher goes on the right truck. Deputy Chief Valentine reported that EMS Coordinator Landress has set each truck up with the correct stretchers that can be tracked through their serial numbers. Deputy Chief Valentine said that he would check to determine if the stretchers and hooks are compatible. Mr. Magazine inquired how often the stretchers are cleaned and Deputy Chief Valentine stated that they are constantly cleaned and wiped down. Deputy Chief Valentine reported that the incident happened as a result of a patient being transported out of the ambulance on a stretcher and the stretcher did not come down properly. As a result, the firefighter/paramedic was injured because he tried to grab the stretcher to prevent further injury to the patient. Mr. Magazine noted that after the incident, the stretcher was put back into rotation without having an adequate inspection to determine how this occurred. Deputy Chief Valentine stated that this is also being addressed so that if a stretcher gets broken or does not work properly, it would be taken out of the rotation. He also pointed out that the Fire Department is trying to use only one manufacturer of stretchers to avoid this problem in the future. Chairman Balfe also reported that there was another incident involving the Fire Rescue Department. A firefightedparamedic was stuck in the palm of his hand by a single-use container because there was a syringe in the tube and he tried to insert another one in the tube. As a result, the syringe that was in the tube pushed through the side of the tube, sticking him in his hand. Chairman Balfe inquired if it was ever determined if "single use" meant using only one syringe or "single use" as in "per call." Chief Valentine said he would check with EMS Coordinator Landress on this. Mr. Magazine pointed out that the container had printed on it "single use only" and the question arose whether this meant putting in one syringe, sealing it, and after using it once, throwing it away, or whether multiple syringes could be used at the same time. Chairman Balfe read into the record e-mail from EMS Coordinator Mike Landress that addressed the issues raised. A copy of the e-mail was furnished to the Secretary for inclusion with the records of the meeting. The Fire Rescue Department has implemented several equipment changes during the past year to eliminate needle sticks and back injuries to their personnel by introducing the following: 1. Using Introcan Safety IV Catheters. 2. Stocking and using Vanish-Point retractable syringes. 3. All operations personnel received HIV and blood awareness training. borne pathogen Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida January 12, 2004 All operations personnel received additional training in the Department's infectious disease protocol. All employees received training regarding the procedures for reporting an injury. The e-mail also addressed the preventative maintenance program that the Fire Rescue Department utilizes for their stretchers and pointed out that EMSAR services the stretchers every six months. If necessary, EMSAR would come out when called, and they maintain complete records of all maintenance performed. The e-mail also addressed some of the remedies that Division Chief Valentine had previously brought up. Mr. Landress also pointed out in his e-mail that the Fire Rescue Department now uses "Stryker stair chairs" that work on the same principal as a refrigerator dolly that utilizes wheel and tread technology. This now eliminates the need for firefighters to pick up patients and carry them down flights of stairs. Mr. Magazine pointed out that he has been working with the Fire Department personnel for the past several years regarding the needle stick issues. He commended the Fire Department for taking the initiative to eliminate these problems. Mr. Magazine also expressed his appreciation to Division Chief Valentine and Fire Chief Bingham for all the work they have done in addressing these problems. Chairman Balfe referred to a previous incident that the Committee reviewed involving City Vehicle #613. Mr. Lee informed him that on December 16th, Fleet Maintenance fabricated a step on the left rear of that vehicle to assist the operators with ingress and egress. Chairman Balfe expressed kudos to Fleet Maintenance for their initiative in preventing future injuries. F. Roof and Mats - City Hall Chairman Balfe inquired if Mr. Ogg ever spoke to Mr. Magazine regarding the leak in the City Hall roof. Mr. Magazine said he would follow through on this since Mr. Ogg never responded. VI. New Business A. Departmental Safety Issues None B. Other VII. Announcements 4 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Meeting Boynton Beach, Florida January 12, 2004 Mr. Magazine distributed the Palm Beach County Safety Council Course Schedule for 2004. Anyone wanting to attend any of the courses should contact the Safety Council directly. Vice Chair Bebensee announced that Boynton Beach Ocean Rescue is now a United States Life Saving Association Certified Agency. This means that the Ocean Rescue team has met all training and equipment standards as a national agency. VIII. Next Meeting Date: Monday, February 9, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. IX. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting properly adjourned at 10:55 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara M. Madden Recording Secretary (one tape) (January 13, 2004)