In a very real sense, PDRMA members are environmental stewards for their communities. They manage publicly held natural resources so current and future patrons can enjoy fresh air, clean water and pristine trails and fields. As stewards, park superintendents have a special obligation to ensure the many chemicals needed to maintain parks and other outdoor recreational areas are handled and applied safely...

According to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2008, the last year for which data is available, each person in the United States created a daily average of 4.5 pounds of solid waste. Given the thousands of people visiting our parks and preserves, it’s no wonder that injuries (and workmen’s comp claims) so often happen when performing refuse removal tasks...

Just as every park worker knows it takes a lot of ongoing work to maintain “natural beauty,” every PDRMA member knows it also takes a lot of ongoing work to keep workers and workplaces safe to prevent avoidable injuries...

It’s summertime — peak season for parks and all the facilities and programs they offer. Between pools, golf courses, snack bars, gift shops, restaurants and entry fees, PDRMA members can take in tens of thousands of dollars a day in cash and credit card payments...