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Minutes 05-12-08 MINUTES OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, MAY 12, 2008, AT 10:00 A.M. IN THE FIRE/POLICE TRAINING ROOM, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA Present: Mark Bobich, Chair Chuck Magazine, Vice Chair Ray Altman Catherine Cherry-Guberman Jeremy Davis Glendon Morgan Mike Naughton Jody Rivers Maibet Rosado Rodney Vicki Risk Management Risk Management Fire Rescue City Clerk Golf ITS/GIS Library Recreation and Parks Human Resources Warehouse Absent: Angelena Quinn/Glenda Hall Mike Rumpf/Chris Mitchell Mike Taylor/Gary Ezell Pam Welsh/Carisse LeJeune Public Works Development Utilities City Manager I. Call to Order Chair Bobich called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m. II. Roll Call The Recording Secretary called the roll. A quorum was present. III. Acceptance of Minutes of 04/14/2008 regular meeting Two changes were noted in the minutes which were Maibet Rosado was present at the meeting and the date of the next meeting which was May 12, 2008. Motion Vice Chair Magazine moved approval of the minutes as amended. Mr. Rivers seconded the motion that unanimously passed. IV. Safety Committee Education and Training Program - Safety Video A brief video on Heat Stress was viewed by the committee members. It was known that many employees work in heat every day and these workers face additional hazards if not prepared for heat and humidity. Highlights of the video explained the following: 1 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2008 ~ The body has to get rid of excess heat through release of fluids. ~ If the blood exceeds 98.6 degrees, changes in the brain occur. ~ Blood goes to the skin and heat is released through the skin. ~ Moisture must be removed from the skin through evaporation. ~ Heat affects the body and brain. Heat increases the chances of accidents through slippery and/or sweaty hands, dizziness and through the fogging of safety glasses. Employees need to reduce the risk associated with increased heat stress and use good judgment. Employees should have the best information available about the topic and what could be done to reduce the effects of heat on the body. Air conditioning is not the answer to hot work environments. Heat stroke is the more serious of the two conditions. When this occurs, the system breaks down and sweating stops with generally no warning. The skin becomes hot, dry and red or spotted. The body temperature is usually 105 degrees or higher and rising. Victims may experience mental confusion, convulsions or become unconscious. When this occurs quick treatment is needed and an ambulance should be called immediately. The generally accepted treatment for heat stroke victims is to move the victim to a cooler area and soak the clothing with cool water, and fan the victim. Timeliness of treatment is of the utmost importance. Heat exhaustion is caused by the loss of fluid through sweat and sometimes the loss of salt, or both. Individuals experiencing heat exhaustion may sweat but still experience extreme weakness, nausea or headache, and fainting. The best treatment is to move the victim to a cooler area, have the victim lay flat and fan. After gaining consciousness, the person should be moved around to increase blood circulation. Employees must think about how heat causes impairment and take action to prevent it. Examples of what employees could do are, during hot weather, drink as much water as they would lose and drink water frequently. Using common sense helps, as does having frequent rest periods. Drinking plenty of water reduces the stress of heat and the safety of the employee, and the safety of others are at stake. Mr. Magazine announced the video is available for viewing for interested departments. There was discussion the warehouse stocks supplies such as coolers as well as Gatorade. Chair Bobich advised he would be spending a lot of time in the field and he would monitor this. Employees that work with a partner should particularly watch out for one another. If a coworker looks in peril, get the supervisor and notify 911. 2 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2008 Mr. Magazine explained the supervisors have the authority to mandate their employees drink fluids. He explained there have been instances where employees have started to experience problems and they have been averted. He gave kudos to Recreation and Parks; however, Ms. Rivers announced their workers are made aware of the issue several times during the year, particularly during season. Ms. Rivers would provide a list of where the crews would be. V. Old Business A. Fire Drills Ray Altman explained fire drills have been held in the Carolyn Sims Center, the Civic Center, and the Art Center (twice). He announced Fire and Life Safety inspected Intracoastal Park Clubhouse to establish a fire plan and provide training. Additionally, although the facility is not within City limits, Fire and Life Safety were working with Bethesda Hospital to promulgate a fire plan in the hyperbaric treatment area of the hospital. Chair Bobich left the meeting at 10:22 a.m. and Mr. Altman sat as Chair. B. Proud to be a Safe Worker Awards None. C. Departmental Inspections & Safety Meetings Members were asked to submit the department schedules to Mr. Bobich so he could attend the meetings. D. Defensive Driver Course 1. Solid Waste drivers, special class (not yet requested) The schedule for June, July and August has been issued. There is a possibility there would be a recommendation for regular drivers of City vehicles to take the course every two years. They would be reviewing the statistics. It was clarified the two year requirement would apply to all CDL drivers. It was anticipated Solid Waste would have its special class scheduled in the near future. E. Incident Review Board Referrals None. F. Near Miss Accident Reporting System - Fire (Altman) 3 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2008 Mr. Magazine explained he would like to wait until the ITS Director position is filled to move forward with the system. Mr. Altman explained the Fire Fighter Near Miss Reporting system is a similar data collection system to the City's Near Miss System that could be used for research. An example was he was researching a particular testing function involving fire fighter fatalities and found nothing. When he looked at the Near Miss Reporting system, there were a number of near misses. There is information available that could be used for a variety of purposes. G. Fire Alarm System in City Hall Complex - Status Chair Bobich was still working on this issue and it was still in the design phase. H. Other None. VI. New Business A. Departmental Safety Issues There is a National Institute of Health PowerPoint presentation on Hurricane response safety available on the City's shared drive. B. Other Mr. Vicki explained there are departments that were interested in purchasing eye wear that was different from what was approved by the Safety Committee. Mr. Magazine explained the department could make a presentation to the Safety Committee because they need to see the specifications and know the justification. The committee is authorized to make the determination whether the glasses would be allowed. It was noted there are different types of glasses with different styles including shaded lenses and goggles. Some fit over the eye glasses, while others are adjustable and have anti-fog abilities. VII. Announcements Mr. Magazine explained last week at the City Commission meeting, a Proclamation was given to the Executive Director of the Safety Council for the North American Occupational Safety & Health (NOASH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers. Mr. Magazine sits on the Board of Directors for the Safety Council and Mr. Bobich is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. 4 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida May 12, 2008 VIII. Next Meeting Date: Monday, June 9, 2008, 10:00 a.m. IX. Adjournment Motion Mr. Magazine moved to adjourn. Ms. Rivers seconded the motion that unanimously passed. The meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m. d CltJW^l-t (j)i.}Jtlf Catherine Cherry Recording Secretary 051608 5