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Minutes 10-13-08 MINUTES OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2008, AT 10:00 A.M. IN THE FIRE/POLICE TRAINING ROOM, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Mark Bobich, Chair Mike Landress, Vice Chair Stephanie Kahn, Secretary Jeremy Davis Chuck Magazine Angelena Michael Michael Naughton Bevis Pigott (Arrived 10:10 8.m.) Jody Rivers Samantha Sidlower Rodney Vicki Safety Administrator Fire Rescue City Clerk Golf Course Risk Management Public Works Library Utilities Recreation and Parks ITS/GIS FinancelWarehouse ABSENT: Maibet Rosado/Dorothy Mack Mike Rumpf/Chris Mitchell Barbara Scott/Lt. Jeffery Katz Pam Welsh/Carisse Lejeune Human Resources Development Police/Code Compliance City Manager I. Call to Order Chair Bobich called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m. II. Roll Call The Recording Secretary called the roll. A quorum was present. III. Acceptance of Minutes of 09/08/2008 regular meeting There were no changes to the minutes. Motion Mr. Magazine moved to approve the minutes. Ms. Rivers seconded the motion that unanimously passed. 1 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 IV. Safety Committee Education and Training Program - Safety Video A video entitled "Safety Orientation of Office Environments" was shown. The video explained there are more potential hazards in manufacturing facilities than offices; however, employees do not consider safety in the office as part of their work responsibilities. Generally an office is more organized. Between 85% - 98% of injuries result from unsafe acts, such as taking shortcuts, or not following procedures. When employees take the time for safety, offices are safe. Electrical safety was reviewed. Almost all equipment runs on electricity and hazards should be reported to supervisors. Electrical cords should be inspected for frays, cracks or cuts. Check electrical receptacles for damage. If the equipment is grounded, make sure the third prong is properly installed and functioning. There are two different types of electrical plugs - two prong and three prong. The two prong plug means it has double insulation inside the equipment. This would provide some shock protection in the event of a short or equipment malfunction. The three prong plug means there is a third wire/prong called a ground. Should a malfunction occur, electricity would flow from the equipment to the ground, thereby providing shock protection. If the third prong is damaged or missing, there is no protection. It is up to the employee to inspect the equipment. It was emphasized that electrical equipment should never be operated in, around, or near water. Bevis Pigott arrived at 10:15 a.m. Open toed shoes should not be worn. Employees should wear comfortable shoes with low heels. Chemical safety is a concern in an office environment. Read, and follow the instructions on the labels. Cleaning supplies, copier toner and other hazardous materials can be found in almost every office. The list of chemicals in the product is contained in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) sheet. The sheets contain a variety of technical information about a particular chemical, including any personal protective equipment required when the product is used, first aid procedures, potential health hazards and other information. If more information is needed about a product or chemical, a supervisor should be consulted. Fire prevention is a concern to everyone. Employees should be aware where the extinguishers are located and how to use them, where the emergency exits are located and never use elevators in an emergency. The work area should be kept clear and emergency exits, extinguishers or electrical panels should not be blocked. Never stack materials higher than 18 to 36 inches from a sprinkler head. Storage areas should be kept clean and neat. Trash should be emptied regularly. Employees should read and understand emergency plans. 2 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 Safe lifting techniques were reviewed. The most important thing to remember is to keep the back aligned in its natural curvature. The lifting should be done in the legs, not the back. In an industrial environment, employees should place their feet between the object they will lift, and then bend down close to the object. The employee should get a good palm grip on the object, pull it close to the body and then stand up. The back is composed of vertebrae, nerves and fibrous liquid-filled discs, which act as shock absorbers. When lifting, do not twist the back. Stretching when lifting can cause damage to ligaments. If an object is too heavy to lift, assistance should be sought. Slips and falls were reviewed. To prevent slips and falls, employees should watch where they walk. Most slipping injuries occur on carpets, from water on slick surfaces or from stepping in holes because the employee is not watching where they are going. Another cause for slips and falls was by the use of improper ladders, or using chairs or boxes to extend one's reach. Those actions are unsafe. Use a step stool that is in good condition should be used. Do not run at work. Employees should also use the handrail when using the stairs. Ergonomics involves adjusting the work station equipment to accommodate the needs of the individual. If equipment can be adjusted to make the job easier, discuss it with the supervisor. Taking action to adjust computer monitors and chairs is helpful. During one's work shift, if a hazard is identified, correct it. If the correction is beyond the employee's area of expertise, the supervisor should be notified. If injured on the job, report the injury immediately to the supervisor. Most companies have a policy regarding alcohol or drugs. If an employee is taking prescription drugs, inform the supervisor who can decide if the prescription would or would not affect the employee's safety, or the safety of their coworkers. A safety orientation program may cover most things about safety in the workplace, but employees will learn more about safety on the job. For new employees, safety awareness is the key to success. Safety is common sense and good judgment. Mr. Magazine announced Risk Management offers an ergonomic survey, especially for offices. If there are issues in the office regarding sore backs or necks, or even how they have their desks set up, Risk Management can visit the department and meet with staff. There was a question on safety belts, and when employees have to put the belts on. The minimum amount of weight that would require the belt to be worn was 20 pounds. Some safety belts have a shoulder harness. Many employees wear the belt but leave it unbuckled until lifting an item. Mr. Magazine reminded employees that wearing the belt does not make an employee stronger. Chair Bobich advised the City was in a new budget year and a good way to control department budgets is to reduce incidents and losses. Co-workers should watch out for 3 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 one another and encourage safety. Mr. Magazine explained if an employee is injured, the workload on the remaining employees would increase. Chair Bobich had updated posters and forms regarding safety. Additionally, he had brochures on what to do if an employee is injured. Chair Bobich was inspecting various facilities and in Public Works, decals were distributed for the vehicles with the Smith System Driving Tips. There were also stickers reminding employees to buckle up. There was an informational catalogue with brochures, banners and other items that could be displayed and shared with departments to reinforce safety. These were items that could reduce costs and claims. Mr. Magazine informed the members the Palm Beach Safety Council was looking to expand their video library. If a department had a specific need, Risk Management could borrow videos from them or obtain one from other sources. It was suggested holiday safety both on and off the job should be discussed. Ms. Rivers noted often women leave their purses in the car at the parks and then wonder why their cars are vandalized. Mr. Magazine noted years ago, there were women in City Hall who left their purses unattended and had their wallets stolen. He advised security at City Hall has greatly improved, but the first step for anyone should be to lock cars and keep purses out of sight. With the holiday season approaching, shoppers should get into the habit of locking their doors and putting their items in the trunk. As an alternative, individuals can shop on the internet. Chair Bobich also explained many individuals keep emergency money. If a shopper is approached by an ill intentioned person looking for money, it is better to produce a $20 or $50 bill, because once the aggressor receives the money, they leave. They call this a "$20 Life Insurance Policy." V. Old Business A. Fire Drills There was no report on Fire Drills given; however, Mr. Landress reported the Fire Department will have to change safety vests. He suggested other City Departments examine their vests to determine if those vests need updating. Mr. Magazine recommended forwarding the information to the Warehouse so they could ensure they are stocking the correct vests. Mr. Bobich also reported the flags placed on temporary road closure signs are not good for flagging motorists. He recommended getting specific information from the Warehouse. Mr. Landress explained there was an additional issue with gloves, which the Warehouse will stock for Fire/Rescue personnel. The new gloves will replace the black non-fire gloves. The Parks Department will contact the Division of Forestry to set up a control burn at the Hester Center which was in the Recreation and Parks Management plan. Ms. 4 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 Rivers explained the scrub areas are to be divided into portions by the County and each portion is to be burned every 10 years. She was inquiring if that had taken place. Mr. Landress explained there had not been control burns in the last 10 years at the park, and the Fire Department would be prepared to assist Recreation and Parks. B. Proud to be a Safe Worker Awards None. C. Departmental Inspections & Safety Meetings The Departmental Inspections and Safety Meetings are located on the shared drive. Chair Bobich conducts about 50 to 60 inspections but departments must also conduct their own inspections. Anyone needing assistance should contact Chair Bobich. The forms are also located on the shared drive. D. Defensive Driver Course Chair Bobich announced there was an updated listing of courses on the Shared Drive, and the recommendation for the Defensive Driver Course was changed so employees would take the course every two years as opposed to every three years. E. Incident Review Board Referrals None. F. Fire Alarm System in City Hall Complex - Status Chair Bobich explained Paula LeBlanc and Jim Macintyre developed a listing of locations that needed to be addressed. It was noted the Station 1 area would be upgraded. G. Other None. VI. New Business A. Departmental Safety Issues Mr. Landress explained the Fire Department would be getting battery powered stretchers. The stretchers are $10,000 a piece, but the investment would pay for itself. 5 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 They hoped to have them on the truck by the end of the month. They attempted to obtain Federal grant monies for them, but were not successful. Mr. Magazine was trying to track back injuries in the Fire Department before the stretchers are used, to see if they added value. He stressed they were trying to decrease Workers Compensation Claims and incidents. Mr. Landress noted as a society, people are becoming obese and the stretchers could avert the opportunity for injuries. Mr. Magazine announced the City would be receiving new vehicle identification cards for insurance, and they would be distributed to the Safety Coordinators to be placed in the vehicles. B. Other The Safety Awards would be put out within the next month or so. VII. Announcements Chair Bobich stressed fire doors should be closed. During the Safety Meetings, the Safety Coordinators keep the door open, but it should be closed. There were automatic openers and closers on most doors, but especially during an emergency, the doors should be closed. Mr. Pigott announced "Pure Safety" was an online safety training course which should be available November 1, 2008. Mr. Magazine explained the pilot project was taking place in Utilities. He hoped in about a year, the program could be available to the entire City, specific to each department. Mr. Magazine reported the Legislature approved the establishment of a Safety Task Force. One of the goals may be to establish another Division of Safety or incorporate Occupational Safety Health Administration regulations. Should that occur, the City would need to adjust the manner in which they do operate, because municipalities had been exempt. By starting this type of online program, the City would be proactive. With the training program, there are tests and quizzes involved taking less than 45 minutes to complete. All the courses were geared towards departments or trades and would reduce the cost of injuries and Workers Compensation Claims. Safety is a priority. It was noted the Fire Department already uses online training and the feedback was positive. VIII. Next Meeting Date: Monday, November 10,2008,10:00 a.m. IX. Adjournment 6 Meeting Minutes Safety Committee Boynton Beach, Florida October 13, 2008 There was no further business to discuss. Motion Ms. Rivers moved to adjourn. Mr. Magazine seconded the motion that unanimously passed. (}{JJluW.~. 0~4AALI_ Catherine Cherry r Recording Secretary 110408 7