Property Preservation and Dumpsters

When we think about dumpsters and trash cans we don’t typically think of them as a safety hazard. In fact, we keep them close because nobody likes to drag a trash bag across the street or carry a heavy trash can very far. But what happens when these containers catch fire?  

Nothing good, as a recent news story from a downtown commercial area in Minnesota reminds us.

It's difficult to know what is being thrown away daily, or what the public puts into dumpsters. We know all too well that sometimes dumpsters and trash cans are used incorrectly and contain items that should not be disposed of. In addition, many times dumpsters and trash cans are positioned just outside the back door of a building for easy access or due to space limitations. This is a bad combo.

Dumpsters should be kept a minimum of 50 feet from any building and, if possible, secured. The security will discourage misuse of the dumpster, but more importantly the distance could keep a dumpster fire from becoming a structural fire that damages property and puts lives at risk.

Submitted by: Troy Walsh, Loss Control Consultant

High Winds and Tree Damage: Welcome to Summer 2022 (Part 1 of 2)

“Does it seem windier this year than normal?” I think this has been the most asked question so far in 2022. Ok, I have no real proof that this was the most asked question so far this year. But just like it seems windier, this seems like the most asked question!

The truth is, we had a very windy spring. Statewide there were four days in April with winds in excess of 50 mph, according to Minnesota Public Radio. April is our windiest month in Minnesota with typical wind gusts easily in the 40 mph range and average windspeeds blowing about 11 mph (this year it was 13 mph). What’s that got to do with safety? Tree damage.

We’ve all seen it this year. Broken branches, broken trees, even toppled trees with whole root systems heaved out of the ground. In this blog we’ll discuss best practices for, and the importance of, monitoring and maintaining trees, and the need to quickly respond to reports of damage from your coworkers and your community. 

Tree claims and city responsibilities

At the 2022 Loss Control Workshops members of our claims staff presented on tree claims and the city’s roles and responsibilities regarding trees on city property and in rights of way. Materials from that presentation are available on the flash drive participants received. A key take-away from that presentation is the importance of tree maintenance.

To minimize claims and improve tree health, cities should implement a regular inspection and maintenance program. Regular inspection and maintenance activities include staff or qualified contractors visually inspecting trees for obvious signs of distress:

• Cracks in the tree trunk or the branches
• Broken or hanging branches
• Decayed areas
• Cavities
• Shredded, stripped, or peeling bark
• Loss of leaves 
• Root damage
• Leaning trees
• Fallen limbs
• Roots pulling out of the ground or appearing where they weren’t before

An inventory should be targeted at gathering data in areas where people and property could be injured or damaged by a tree. Determination of risk level is a professional judgment that should be carefully documented. Further documentation should be kept for all community-reported damage or complaints and the city’s follow-up to these reports. 

All areas with tree cover are hazard zones, however, obvious priorities exist at parks, golf courses, or busy pedestrian areas such as boulevards.

Resources for assessing your city’s trees:

• Tree risk assessment form from the International Association of Arborists (pdf)
• Municipal evaluation sheet from the U.S. Forest Service

Rapid response is needed

Regardless of how you learn of damaged trees or tree hazards, how you respond to them is critical. For the safety of your community, and to help reduce your city’s liability exposure, a rapid response is needed. Best practices include:

• Providing a reporting system for people to report hazardous trees (several free platforms are available).
• Training staff on the importance of tree safety and response time to community reports.
• Training staff on safe operations when dealing with damaged trees.
• Documenting your inspections and your responses.

Remember, tree hazards can be difficult to identify. They may come in the form of broken branches, tipping or leaning trees, decayed or hollow trunks, even roots that encroach sidewalks and cause trip hazards. Be mindful of these risks and have a plan to safely manage them. For more information on your city’s responsibility for maintaining safe trees, contact your League of Minnesota Cities loss control consultant.

Next week’s blog post will cover best practices for safely removing damaged trees or tree parts. Meanwhile, please work safely, a lot of people depend on you.

Submitted by: Marc Dunker, Loss Control Consultant

Slips Happen: Preventing Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents

When it comes to managing accidents, the attitude towards slips, trips, and falls (ST&F) incidents are mistakenly often viewed as unavoidable events. Afterall, in Minnesota “we come from the land of the ice and snow” (quoting a famous Led Zeppelin lyric). However, by taking the attitude that ST&F events are inevitable you are missing a big opportunity to keep people safe and improve your workers’ compensation claim results.

From a loss severity standpoint, consider that on the average approximately one-third of the workers’ compensation gross-incurred claim dollars for city office and public works employees in Minnesota is from ST&F events. From a frequency standpoint, about 30% of all WC claims are ST&F events. Even if you’re a small city with very few claims, consider that a single ST&F WC event can many times exceed $25,000. Cities should also manage ST&F general liability events occurring on city property. Even though cities have statutory immunities that may limit a city’s financial exposure from public ST&F events, one of a city’s essential functions is public safety for those it serves.

Here are a few things that your city team should be doing to reduce injuries and loss from ST&Fs: 

‘An accident waiting to happen’

The first step in reducing ST&F events is to make sure your staff is reporting close calls or near-misses that did not actually result in a claim. Often there is a condition present or oversight in a process that created the ST&F event. The last thing you want to hear after a severe ST&F event is for another employee to say that they too had a close call in that location and that it was “an accident waiting to happen.” Make sure your safety committee encourages employees to report all incidents even if no injury occurs so you have an opportunity to evaluate the area.

High traffic areas

If you play the odds, then the next step in preventing ST&F events is to inspect high traffic areas starting with building entrances and access routes. People are funneled through this concentrated area and if there is an adverse condition at an entrance, then the odds of a city incurring a ST&F event are greatly increased. Check to see if the floor is level with slip resistant surfacing. If rugs are present, are they being monitored to make sure they remain flat throughout the day? Is the surface on the outside of the entrance level with a 1:48 gradual slope away from the building? If there are downspouts or scuppers shedding water from the roof, is it discharging the water in areas away from entrances and walkways?

Another area where frequent ST&F events occur is in parking lots. You should inspect the lots for potholes and proper drainage. Low spots in parking lots with standing water can freeze and be camouflaged after a light coating of fresh snow.

Safety training

Finally, incorporate ST&F topics in the safety training program. Set guidelines about what types of footwear are acceptable for employees in various departments, including office staff. Employees should be reminded on maintaining three points of contact both on ladders and when entering vehicles. Hand-holds and steps on vehicles should be inspected to make sure they are present and in good condition. Consider having your city participate in OSHA’s volunteer safety Stand-Down events held each spring. The Safety Stand-Down event is an opportunity for employers to talk directly to employees about safety with a focus on fall hazards and reinforcing the importance of fall prevention.

Preventing ST&F events is not always complicated, but it does require a concerted effort. Remember, ST&Fs don’t “just happen.”

Submitted by: Joe Gehrts, Senior Loss Control Consultant 

Stay up-to-date on proposed changes to OSHA hazard communication standards

OSHA.gov

OSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in February 2021 on updating the hazard communication standard to align with Revision Seven of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). OSHA has been planning on updating this “HazCom” standard since 2018, yet their efforts have been delayed until recently. Since the public can finally see the proposed changes, we can begin to estimate the impacts the new standards will have.

It is important to remember these rule changes are only in the proposal stage, so only time will tell which standards will and will not end up being adopted. With that in mind, here is a quick summary of these proposed standards.

New proposed classifications:

• Aerosols – Non-flammable aerosols will now be under a newly-created category three, while flammable aerosols will be categories one and two. OSHA realized the current classification doesn’t fully represent the full spectrum of varying aerosol hazards.
• Desensitized explosives – Proposed adding of a new fourth category for desensitized explosives. Hazard training should cover desensitized explosives and what makes them explosive.
• Flammable gas – Proposed subdivide of category one into two sub-categories (1a and 1b). Mainly so there aren’t distinctions between gasses with a wide range of flammable properties.

Other proposed revisions:

• New labeling provisions for “small” and “very small” containers.
• Updates to select hazard and precautionary statements for more precise information.
• Updates to labeling requirements for packaging containers “released for shipment.”
• Labels for bulk shipments of hazardous chemicals.
• Inclusion of trade secrets on Safety Data Sheets.
• Updates to Safety Data Sheet section two – hazard identification.
• Potential changes associated with revision eight.

To wrap up the biggest takeaways, this NPRM is possibly the first significant update to the HazCom standard since 2012. This hits the distributors and manufactures of the hazardous chemicals the hardest. They will most likely have to re-evaluate the standards on products they sell or import and make necessary adjustments. Many safety data sheets and labels will need to be re-authorized to reflect the possible new classifications to ensure compliance. Again, these standards are in the process of being finalized, so make sure to stay updated on which changes are adopted and how they will affect your workplace moving forward.

Submitted by:  Michael Neff, Loss Control Consultant

OSHA’s new heat safety directive and key points for cities

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) implemented a National Emphasis Program (NEP) in April to reduce heat-related hazards and resulting injuries and illness caused by excessive heat in the workplace. This article will provide you with the basic information you’ll need to know and give you quick access to additional information. 

Many of you are probably already following this directive — much of it is common sense. But it’s a good reminder of how to prevent heat-related injuries and illness. Remember, heat stress can happen indoors too. 

Let’s look at the key points of the NEP.

At a glance:

• The NEP is a nationwide initiative modeled on existing Regional Emphasis Programs (REP) in southern states.
• It applies to indoor and outdoor workers where the heat index reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• There will be unannounced on-site visits by compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) who will “observe workers performing strenuous work in heat.”
• Visits may occur based on heat-related complaints, referrals, and reported heat illness. 

Employers should:

• Create a written plan to prevent heat-related illness.
• Provide awareness training to employees.
• Provide specific steps to prevent, identify, and treat heat-related illnesses.
• Identify and control heat hazards.
• Monitor workforce health and consider the current heat index and expected weather-related changes.
• Provide water, rest, and shade. For workers with two-hour or greater exposure times, fluids containing electrolytes must also be accessible.
• Recognize early symptoms of heat stress.
• Administer first aid for heat-related illnesses.
• Activate emergency medical services quickly when needed. WHEN IN DOUBT CALL 911.

Who is affected by heat exposure:

• Park and recreation employees
• Golf course employees
• Maintenance and public utility employees
• Police
• Firefighters                                        
• Roof maintenance workers (especially hot tar)
• Employees working indoors around heat-producing equipment in kitchens,
  boiler rooms, or welding
• Any employee wearing non-breathable or heavy PPE hazmat, turnout gear, etc.

A handy heat reference

Let’s summarize by saying again, most of you are already doing this: Plan your work in accordance with the weather, allow for more frequent and longer breaks in the air-conditioned truck or at least in the shade, drink extra water or a sports drink, keep an eye on each other, and if you or someone else is showing symptoms of heat stress, get help! And if in doubt, call 911.

Last thing to remember, heat-related safety is in the palm of your hand. Literally. Yep, there’s an app for that. The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool includes everything you need including current local weather, a heat index calculator, diagnosis information, and treatment steps for heat illness. Go to https://www.osha.gov/heat/heat-app or the app store of your iPhone or Android and download the “OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool.”

Resources for training and more

Overview of the standard, impact, rationale, and more (OSHA) 
Overview of prevention of heat-related illness (OSHA) 
Overview of treatment and first aid (OSHA)  
Additional resources and technical information (OSHA)
Guide for employers (OSHA) 
Upcoming public meeting info (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
Remembering Tim: A life lost to heat illness at work

Training videos (free from LMCIT via CoastalFlix):
Safety Matters: Heat Stress 
TAKE TWO...for Safety A new T.A.K.E: heat stress
Pause for Performance: Heat Stress Safety 
Heat Stress: Code Red 

Be cool. Work safe.

Submitted by:  Marc Dunker, Loss Control Consultant  

Public Works Week

It's Public Works Week, and that means around the state, cities and residents are celebrating all of the things you do to keep our cities functioning. We at the League of Minnesota Cities would like to once again than you for taking care of our streets, sidewalks, water, wastewater, and parks. Thank you for keeping our cities running smoothly day in and day out. We appreciate you!

Golf Course Readiness: Seasonal Labor

Is your seasonal golf course ready for business? How about your staff?

Some of your employees will return from last year, but some may be new hires. According to the federal Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), all employees have a right to a safe work environment. These same employees deserve to be, and are required to be, trained in the hazards associated with their job. This includes full-time, year-round employees, as well as part-time and seasonal workers. 

MNOSHA mandates training for employees in all types of work. This could be basic safety awareness training such as Employee Right-to-Know (ERTK), A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) program, or more job-specific training such as certified equipment operator training.

If your employees are handling your chemical application of herbicides, pesticides, and/or fertilizers, these folks may require additional specialized training including respiratory protection fit tests. Don’t forget to verify that your applicators have active application licensure (active and up to date). 

Often overlooked are your cooking and service staff. Best practices and certain city or county laws may require proper food handler/food safety training. In addition, employees engaged in alcohol service should be trained in alcohol server awareness.

Your membership in the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust provides you with resources to meet these training requirements. Whether you need assistance with bloodborne pathogens or chainsaw safety, building and walkway safety audits, or safety team materials such as toolbox talks, we can help.

Here are a few links and resources that may be helpful for your golf course staff training and licensing needs:

• Food and Beverage Service Licensing Statutes, Licenses required; Fees
• Food and Beverage Service Licensing Qualifications and Responsibilities
• Department of Health Food Safety Resource Materials (print/posters) 
• ServSafe Training and Certification
• TIPS Alcohol Server Training and Certification
• MN Dept. of Agriculture Golf Course Pesticide Applicator Requirement 
• University of Minnesota Golf Course Superintendent Phosphorus Certification

If you need additional assistance, don’t hesitate to contact your League representatives. 

Loss Control assistance General phone: (651) 281-1200 Toll-free: (800) 925-1122

Submit a question to HR & Benefits staff through (please include your name, title, city name, and question) hrbenefits@lmc.org.

 

Submitted by: Marc Dunker, Loss Control Consultant