Congratulations to Our 2022 Risk Management Grant and Recognition Program Winners

Thirteen PDRMA members will find a little extra cash in their holiday stockings in 2022! Each year, with the Risk Management Grant and Recognition Program, members can win cash grants for their risk management solutions — and this year is no exception.
 
The program helps members fund, implement, and/or recognize innovative and cost-effective safety projects or programs, and your agency can submit a maximum of two applications each year. Although the final submission deadline is in September, Sept. 1, 2023, you can submit your award-winning ideas throughout the year at RMGrant@pdrma.org. 

With $15,000 in grant available annually (and a minimum award of $500), the odds are better than winning the lottery that your agency will score extra cash for a safety upgrade or new equipment.

This year’s Risk Management Grant winners earned awards for theft prevention devices, beekeeper suits and safety training manikins, to name just a few. There’s no limit to creative safety solutions! Read the highlights below and find the details at Risk Management Grant and Recognition Program Current Winners 2022 Update (974) — and get inspired for 2023! For a complete list of previous winners, refer to Risk Management Grant and Recognition Program — Past Winners (1556).

For more information on the submission criteria for the grant program, please refer to our Risk Management Grant and Recognition Program (768) — and get an early start for next year.

Bloomingdale Park District — $500
Sports Field Paint Bucket Lift Assist
This paint bucket lift helps parks employees avoid injury by using a hoist to lift five gallon buckets of field paint, which could weigh up to 50 pounds. The employee simply guides the lift to the mixing tank or sports field line sprayer; it pours in the paint.  

Buffalo Grove Park District — $500
Museum Disaster Preparedness Project
The Raupp Museum collection contains thousands of artifacts and ephemera. To protect the collection from flooding, or other disasters, and minimize risk, staff developed a Disaster Preparedness Plan, which includes a Disaster Preparedness resource kit and a training session for facility employees and staff.

Carol Stream Park District — $2,000
Chain Hoist Installation
A main storage area at the Carol Stream Park District is only accessible via a vertical, permanent ladder. A Chain Hoist Installation mitigates the risk when carrying supplies up and down the ladder and promotes the use of 3 Points of Contact when employees use the ladder.

Dundee Township Park District — $750
Can You SPOT My PPE?
To encourage daily sun care for all park district employees and prevent sun related injuries, this program employs small purple stickers applied onto any body part receiving direct sun exposure (arm, shoulder, leg). When employees apply sunscreen, they know they have applied enough when the “spot” turns from purple to clear. When the spot turns purple again, it is time to reapply.

Flagg-Rochelle Park District — $1,250
Lifeguard Rescue Training Manikin
An adult water rescue manikin lets employees in the lifeguard training program practice and train without bringing in other employees or volunteers in training scenarios. It also gives others who assist in emergency situations the chance to practice as well.

Fox Valley Special Recreation Association — $2,000
Catalytic Converter Theft Protection
With a replacement value of up to $2,000 each, the catalytic converters in the agency’s 15-passenger vehicles are a high theft risk (and the vehicles are stored in an unsecured parking lot). All the agency’s 15-passenger vehicles will have CatClamps secured onto and around their catalytic converters to prevent thefts.

Fox Valley Special Recreation Association — $1,500
Door Hinge Guards for Doors
Summer camps and programs at external sites have frequent traffic from room to room. To reduce the likelihood of participants and staff getting their fingers caught in doors, this agency provides reusable residential grade door-hinge guards and commercial grade door-hinge guards for agency facility-owned space door hinges.

Lombard Park District — $500
Buzzing Bee Suit
An increase in bees and wasps at its parks means staff needs to remove nests to ensure patron safety. A beekeeping suit will protect employees from stings while removing nests.

Lombard Park District — $500
Equipment Ramp
The agency will place this ramp on the step leading to the maintenance area, so employees can minimize back injuries when they unload or move heavy bags, equipment or supplies by not having to pull the cart up the step.

Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association — $2,000
Portable Wheelchair Securement Training Platform
This training platform is a hands-on training resource for agency drivers to practice correctly securing wheelchairs in para-transit vehicles. The platform can train multiple drivers at one time, and its portability means employees can practice the securements without having to be in the vehicle and without the limitations of a small space or weather conditions.

Park District of Oak Park — $750
Driver’s Challenge
The Driver’s Challenge is an eight-segment course that tests drivers’ skill, judgement and knowledge by replicating real-world driving challenges. The segments gauge a driver’s overall competency and identify specific improvement areas, as well as testing everyday driving safety like wearing seat belts, using mirrors and performing a 360 Walk Around.

Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County — $500
Bites and Burns    
After an increase in patron bites, the agency required all Day Camp staff working with high-risk participants to wear long sleeves and made cut-resistant arm sleeves available during high stress times. This effort’s success led the agency to extend the program to in-water and poolside activities by adding long sleeve swim shirts to the pool uniform, since more scratches and bites occur on swim days.

Waukegan Park District — $500
Absorbing the Water Problem  
Facility inspections documented that during rainstorms, water entered the Clubhouse bar area through a door. Towels laid down by employees to absorb the water caused a tripping hazard. The agency purchased reusable water absorbers, which stay tight to the door and do not move. The same absorbers work outside of an employee staff shower area to keep water inside the shower space and reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls.

West Chicago Park District — $500
Railing for Rock Stairs    
This railing will help patrons safely get into the playground at Toucan’s Hideaway. It creates a safe point of entry to the playground by providing 3 Points of Contact, minimizing the risk of an injury.

Zion Park District — $1,250
Securing the Roof Ladder