Calling wastewater treatment facilities!

Do you know of a municipality or perhaps your own, that has a strong safety program within their wastewater utility? Each year, the Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA), Minnesota section, offers recognition opportunities for individuals or organizations that are doing great work. This year, they are working hard to find a candidate for the George W. Burke, Jr. Facility Safety Award.

What is the CSWEA George W. Burke, Jr. Facility Safety Award?

Established in 1983, this award is given in recognition of active and effective safety programs in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. This award recognizes a wastewater treatment facility based on the documented and illustrated safety program and safety record of the facility for the preceding calendar year.

To submit nomination, go to CSWEA Awards. The nomination is technically due by December 1st, but can be extended as needed.

Is it safe to use space heaters?

Odds are someone in your office or workspace has already fired up their space heater. “It’s chilly in here” is the best reason to do it. More than likely the unit will run safe and do its intended job; after all, most modern space heaters are compact electric units with overheating protection and automatic “tip-over” protection built in. Furthermore, the unit is probably UL listed or has some similar designation.

So why am I writing this blog about heaters? Because every year portable heaters cause millions in fire damage and increase the threat to human life. Yep, that little heater under your desk. In fact, Minnesota Department of Health reminds us that not only is there a direct risk of fire from the heating element of the unit, but also an increased risk of fire due to overloading the building’s electrical system and the circuit used to power the unit. For this and other reasons, the Minnesota State FireMarshal’s Facebook page has provided these guidelines for portable heater use:

• Never leave a space heater unattended.
• Plug space heaters directly into outlets, not power strips.
• Do not warm clothes on space heaters.
• Do not sleep with space heaters on.
• Keep anything combustible three feet from a space heater.

Here are a few more considerations:

• Follow your city use policy. If your city has a policy against any or all portable heaters, don’t use them.
• If your city requires permission from maintenance staff ask for permission because they may be able to offer alternative solutions.
• Be sure the cord is in good condition.
• Do not use heaters in high traffic areas where they or their cords can become a trip hazard.
• Never use unvented combustible gas or liquid fuel heaters indoors.

What about in the shop? Need some quick heat in the work bay or near the floor while working on something in the shop? Be mindful of what else is nearby. Gasoline, for example, produces ignitable vapors that are three to four times heavier than air and can travel for great distances along the ground. Gas vapors tend to accumulate in low or enclosed spaces. Use of an open flame heater in this environment is highly dangerous. 

Read the owner’s manual for the heater you plan to use. Most liquid fuel heaters are not designed to be used indoors. Always follow the manufacturer’s intended use.

Along with the obvious fire or explosion hazard of using liquid fuel heaters (LP, #2, Kerosene, etc.), be mindful of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. We all know CO is odorless and colorless — and deadly. It is generated by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Unless you have CO detection in the shop, there is no way to know the CO level. This seems like a good time to mention the warning signs of CO poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

If you are feeling any of these flu-like symptoms or notice your coworkers’ exhibiting signs, immediately get yourselves to fresh outdoor air and call 911 for help.

The first signs of chilly weather always result in space heaters being fired up. Followed quickly by the first reports of fires, or worse, injury or death caused by their use. Don’t be a statistic. Talk to your maintenance department about improving the indoor comfort of your office or workspace by use of the building’s HVAC system rather than portable heaters when possible. If a space heater is your only option, select a modern unit with safety features that prevent fire and CO illness, select the right one for your application, and follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations. Oh, and turn it off when you’re not at your workstation, for safety and energy conservation. The question is, “Is it safe to use of space heaters?” The answer is “yes” if you follow good safety practices.

If you have questions about the safe use of space heaters or want to talk about any safety related questions or concerns, contact your League of Minnesota Cities Loss Control Consultant. We’re here to help.

Additional Resources:

1. https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/regulation/infobulletins/ib02_16.html
2. https://www.facebook.com/StateFireMarshal/photos/a.211377991209/10158574365006210/?type=3
3. https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/for-families/Documents/Fact%20sheets/Alternative-heating-fact-sheet.pdf
4. https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/PortableHeaterSafety.ashx
5. https://www.nfpa.org//-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/Heating_Safety.pdf

Submitted by: Marc Dunker, Loss Control Consultant

Equipping employees with first aid, CPR skills can save lives

The Minnesota Safety Council is putting on fall/winter courses to train employees how to respond to an unexpected crisis using first aid, CPR and AED. These trainings are convenient and affordable for cities to send employees to, with classes available at multiple locations and customized for your organization’s specific needs. In addition to these trainings, there is an option for an employee to take an instructor development course, so that individual can learn the skills needed to provide in-house training to other employees.

These first aid/CPR/AED trainings are engaging and lifesaving content that meet the latest CPR and first aid guidelines, as well as OSHA requirements. Participants will learn needed and useful skills that could potentially save a life or deescalate a life-threatening situation. They will become well-versed in recognizing a medical emergency and taking correct actions to sustain life until medical professionals arrive. They will also learn how to identify and care for bleeding, injuries, and unexpected illness, as well as how to prevent disease transmission in these situations.

You never know when an emergency will strike, and it could make a massive difference having an employee (or multiple employees) who are trained to respond to a very dangerous and scary situation.

Referenced Links:

Training at your location 

Instructor development courses 

Submitted by:  Michael Neff, Loss Control Consultant

City of Lakeville’s New Mechanical Truck Makes Trash Collection More Efficient

Trash collection — we do this almost daily in our homes, apartments, and sometimes at work. We don’t often think about the weight of the cans or how the trash gets dumped into the truck. Most of us just take a bag of garbage and toss it into a can, roll it to the curb, and put the can away when it’s empty.

Large trash companies have improved safety for their staff, improved ergonomics to reduce injuries, and greatly improved efficacies with automated processes versus manual operations. But  that brings up the question: Why are large companies making these improvements, but our municipalities still doing manual dumping?

All our cities are different, be it their size, population, budget, or staffing levels. But one thing is for sure, all cities have to deal with trash of some type. At city hall it may get put in a can like at home and rolled to the curb. It could be placed in a dumpster and hoisted into a trash truck, but I’m willing to bet we all have parks with trash cans. Depending on the size of your community, you may have multiple parks, and I’m willing to bet many trash cans.

The City of Lakeville recently improved their trash process with a mechanical truck that dumps all their trash cans with a single employee, greatly reducing staff time, staff injuries, and increasing efficiency.

New Parks Mini Garbage Truck - July 2022

Submitted by: Troy Walsh, Loss Control Consultant 

CDC Loosens COVID-19 Restrictions

It looks like COVID-19 is here to stay, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is acknowledging it by loosening its restrictions.

The most noticeable change is the removal of its quarantine recommendation — individuals are no
longer advised to quarantine following close contact exposure to COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination status, in instances where they do not experience symptoms or test positive for the disease.

The CDC stresses these points:

• Instead of quarantining, individuals exposed to COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day five.
• The isolation-related recommendations for individuals who test positive or have COVID symptoms largely remain the same. Regardless of vaccination status, individuals should isolate from others when they test positive (for at least five days based upon individual risk category) and should wear a high-quality mask for at least 10 days. Also, if an employee has symptoms, they should get tested and isolate while they are awaiting test results. If the results are negative, isolation can end.
• Individuals who are immunocompromised or had a moderate or severe COVID illness (evidenced by difficulty breathing or hospitalization) should isolate for 10 days or potentially even longer, based on the advice they receive from healthcare providers.
• An individual should restart the isolation period if the COVID symptoms worsen or reappear, even if their initial isolation period has ended.
• Screening performed via testing of asymptomatic people without known exposures will no longer be recommended in most community settings, including all non-healthcare workplaces.

To update policies, cities may wish to remove quarantine periods for employees with close contact exposure but no symptoms. Cities that wish to be more (or less restrictive) than CDC or Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidance should consult their city attorney prior to implementing such a policy.

Additional references:

MDH - What to Do if You Have Had Close Contact with a Person with COVID-19

MDH - Close Contacts and Quarantine: COVID-19

CDC - Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19

 

Submitted by: Julie Jelen, Loss Control Consultant

Consider The Risk And Responsibility: Youth Employees And Interns Riding In City Vehicles

When your city team seeks to hire and employ temporary seasonal labor and interns, be aware of the risks associated with hiring minor employees and the responsibility of protecting them from any exposure to child sexual abuse. This responsibility also applies to youth participating in city programs.

For example, one point of concern is when youth ride in cars with adult city employees. By definition, a minor is anyone under the age of 18 years old. It’s important to remember that a “minor intern” still equals “child” for liability purposes. Having youth ride along in a vehicle with an adult staffer to help at remote locations away from city hall may not be the best practice.

Guidelines and training for your staff

If your city is hiring adult staff to work with youth programs, you are responsible for protecting minors in this context as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has guidelines on preventing child sexual abuse within youth-serving organizations. 

Here are the components of child sexual abuse prevention that your city should know and practice:

1. Screen and select the best possible people for staff and volunteer positions, and screen out individuals who have sexually abused youth or are at risk to abuse.
2. Provide guidelines on interactions between individuals to ensure the safety of youth in their interactions with employees/volunteers and with each other.
3. Monitor behavior to prevent, recognize, and respond to inappropriate and harmful behaviors and to reinforce appropriate behaviors.
4. Ensure safe environments to keep youth from situations in which they are at increased risk for sexual abuse.
5. Respond quickly and appropriately to (1) inappropriate or harmful behavior, (2) infractions of child sexual abuse prevention policies, and (3) evidence or allegations of child sexual abuse.
6. Provide training on child sexual abuse prevention to give people information and skills to help them prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.

It’s an uncomfortable topic, but sexual molestation claims can be a significant concern for cities, municipal insurers, and reinsurers. With thoughtful planning, cities can succeed in creating a safer place for youth.

Submitted by: Julie Jelen, Loss Control Consultant

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

In my last post I asked if it seemed windier than normal this spring. Now I’m wondering, “Does it seem hotter this year than normal?” As I write this post, the thermometer outside my window reads 103 degrees! Welcome to summer 2022.

In this part of 2 of two posts about high winds and tree damage, we will discuss safety issues surrounding tree trimming and removal, and I’m going to sprinkle in a little message about working in the heat, too.

 As discussed in the last post, we’ve identified damaged trees, or perhaps trees that just need maintenance. Trimming and maintaining healthy trees is dangerous work; removing or trimming damaged trees is much worse. You must consider several additional factors such as powerlines, traffic, and sometimes the public as they stroll along the boulevard. We can’t possibly cover every aspect of safely cleaning up damaged trees in a short blog, so let’s quickly review the hot button issues and you can follow the links for additional training and safety ideas. 

From a regulatory and enforcement standpoint

• The U.S. Department of Labor standard 29 CFR 570 requires chainsaw operators be over 16 years of age. 
• OSHAstandard 1910.266 – Logging Operations governs safe operations and employee safety requirements. 

Training
Understand chainsaw operation and the hazards involved in tree trimming and removal. The videos linked below from High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety are great starting points for saw operation and safety. 

• How to Use a Chainsaw Safely Part 1
• How to Use a Chainsaw Safely Part 2

Personal Protective Equipment
Minnesota Statutes, Section 182.655 Subdivision 10a requires employers to provide necessary personal protection equipment (PPE) to employees. This includes, at a minimum:

• Hard hat
• Face shield/eye protection
• Hearing protection (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95)
• Cut-resistant gloves
• Protective chaps or pants
• Cut-resistant footwear

Learn more about PPE in this “Chainsaw use and OSHA Compliance” article from MCIT Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust

Additional chainsaw safety training links:

• OSHA-funded PowerPoint on chainsaw safety basics
• U.S.Agriculture Safety and Health Centers video library
• OSHA Fact Sheet: Working Safely with Chainsaws
• University of Minnesota “Safety Requirements for Chainsaws, Chippers, and Brush Cutters” publication 

Working from heights
Maintaining trees and clearing damaged trees often requires working from heights, which may include using ladders, bucket trucks or “cherry pickers,” or other methods to gain access.

OSHA standard 1910.26 governs the use of ladders in the workplace, while CFR 1926.500
provides governance for general working from heights.  

Click here for a sample of a model fall protection plan.

Working in hot weather conditions
It goes without saying that storm damage recovery and clean-up may require employees to work in hot weather conditions. Recall that OSHA has a National Emphasis Program directive for workers exposed to hot working environments. Read this recent LMC Pipeline blog post for an outline on this standard and how to comply. When possible, schedule regular tree maintenance during cooler weather conditions.

Public safety or scene safety
We all do it — after a storm we go for a walk or a drive to see “how bad it was.” It’s human nature to be curious. So, as you and your staff embark on storm clean up, be mindful of residents who may be out for a stroll. Be sure to cordon off areas of heavy damage. Cones or safety tape may be adequate in some areas, but police, fire, or public safety staff may be needed for high hazard zones such as downed power lines or heavily damaged buildings or infrastructure. Create safe work zones that prevent unauthorized people from entering the work zone.

 As I mentioned, there is no way to cover every aspect of tree maintenance and removal in one (not so) short blogpost. Trees are a beautiful resource and provide enjoyment in countless ways. But when they have been damaged in a storm, they can also provide countless hazards. As part of your city’s emergency management plan, consider your response to damaged trees. For good starting point to emergency management, read this article from the March/April edition of Minnesota Cities by Christina Benson, a research attorney with the League of Minnesota Cities.

Additional resources are also available from your League of Minnesota Cities loss control consultant.  We can help with job hazard analysis, additional safety resources, toolbox talks, and more. 

As always: please work safe. So many people are depending on you.

 

Submitted by: Marc Dunker, Loss Control Consultant