Among the responsibilities that come with supervising seasonal employees is to help them keep Core 6 principles top of mind. One of the best ways to accomplish that is through mini-observations — and they don’t have to be formal to be effective.

“Between April and September, nearly 75 percent of our employees are seasonal,” explains Becky Cooper, Safety Manager, Naperville Park District. “Core 6 is extremely important to us in everything we do, but especially in everyday tasks like getting in and out of vehicles, on and off equipment, job tasks that require lifting, and having and using Personal Protective Equipment. And we follow Core 6 strategies every time we enter a new environment.”

Cooper ensures all seasonal staff receives Core 6 training, including watching the video during orientation. In addition, she addresses Core 6 strategies in periodic email reminders. “I also review Core 6 at our annual safety training event for full- and part-time year-round staff....

Just because there’s no snow on the ground doesn’t mean slips, trips and falls take a holiday. There are just as many, if not more, ways to take a fall in summer. Working around wet surfaces by a water feature, not cleaning up spills as soon as they occur, slippery, wet or uneven pavement, poor choices in footwear, loose gravel — all can factor in a fall.

Moving goals and picnic tables, maintaining playgrounds and facilities, mowing and trimming landscape, and managing day camps can be high-risk activities for even the most experienced staff. Summer job tasks, especially those done by seasonal staff, can multiply the odds of an injury. Be sure to train your seasonal employees for the tasks they’ll be doing and to help them understand your agency’s safety rules and requirements such as:

Mower safety — Those acres of rolling green lawns, gentle hills or ponds bordered with vibrant green are restful to the eye but tricky to maintain. A rollover can be fatal — and avoided. View WorkSafe’s Mower Safety and Rollover Prevention video and read PDRMA’s LRN Alert 17-02 — Mower/Tractor Rollover Prevention. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) safety standards for tractors and riding mowers include the following:...

How would you like to earn at least $250 an hour?  You can make it happen!

It takes about two hours to fill out an application for a Risk Management Grant and Recognition Award...

In the age of instant news and viral media, PDRMA members and staff should exercise special care in the wake of a critical incident. “With Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, texting, instant video and email, you can broadcast incorrect...