Risk Factors

Golf Cart Safety: Are You Up To Par?

Don’t Get Stuck in the Rough

“Three people died when a golf cart collided with a Jeep Cherokee in Pasco County, Florida on Saturday.” Unfortunately, headlines like this are becoming more frequent. 

Even though the average speed is around 15 miles per hour, 13,000 people each year are sent to the emergency room due to golf cart-related injuries according The Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Who is going to pay those medical costs?  It could be your golf course or gated community!  By implementing proper policy you can help keep drivers safe and protect your bottom line

 

A Successful Hole Begins With an Accurate Driver

It may go without saying, but only authorized drivers should operate golf operate golf carts on your premise, this means: 

• Driver must have a valid, current driver’s license.
• Driver must not be under the influence.
• Driver must sign a formal hold harmless agreement.
• New driver must pass a road test and receive formal instructions.

By taking the extra minute to verify ID & sign signatures, you may keep your business in business.

 

There Are No Mulligans While Driving

So a driver has passed your initial check, how do you keep them from staying safe while operating the vehicle?  Establishing operating rules not only  provides direction upfront for the operator, but also serves as a friendly reminder while they drive by placing stickers on all carts.  Rules should include:

• Avoid sharp turns, and slow down on slopes and before corners.
• Do not operate the cart until all passengers are seated.
• Drive with no more passengers than the cart can safely accommodate.
• Drive in designated areas only.
• Keep hands and feet in the cart at all times.
• Maintain a safe distance between golf carts.
• Refrain from using mobile devices while driving.
• Remain seated while the cart is in motion.
• Set brakes before leaving the cart.
• Use caution when the course is wet or muddy. 
• Yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic on main roads.

 

Your Game Is Not the Only Thing in Need of Maintenance

Accidents are not always the fault of the operator.  To prevent overturning or collisions, a trained maintenance staff should perform routine maintenance on vehicles and indicate hazardous road conditions including:

• Barricade or rope off hazardous driving areas–inspect daily.
• Post signs in visible locations with no obstructions to direct cart traffic.
• Self-inspect and maintain cart paths, while documenting any issues.
• Indicate sharp turns, steep inclines, and drop offs with clear signage or prohibit use in these areas. 
• Follow manufacturer-recommended maintenance and document any service work in a formal cart log. 
• Check brakes, steering and tires before every use to ensure safety before passing the vehicle to a driver.
• Install speed bumps and stop signs to warn cart operators if cart paths cross public roads or access drives.

By implementing these policies, managers can create peace of mind and enhance the experience for golfers. For added protection, consider investing in a golf course insurance policy or contact us to learn more about how to keep your golf course safe.

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Do you work on a golf course? Are you an avid golfer? What safety precautions would you add to the list? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

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The Closest Exit May Be Behind You: Fire Safety Tips for Hospitality Operations

The protocol for a safe flight always reminds us of the maxim, "The Closest Exit May Be Behind You," but how often do you think about it when you're not on a plane?

Unfortunately, we never know when a fire, explosion, or gas leak may occur. The reality is that we live in a combustible world, and everyone is at risk. In light of recent events, such as the propane filling station in Florida, the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the poultry processing plant in China and other such events, it makes sense to put the focus on safe escape from emergency situations.

Fire Hazards in Hospitality Operations

While the most recent headlines related to fire hazards and safety involved industrial facilities, serious, fire-related incidents can also occur in the relative safety of restaurants, conference centers, or in hotels – specifically fires from the cooking equipment or open flames near the grill.

When a fire ignites, the most common reason for death or injury of guests and employees is simply due to locked, blocked, or poorly defined egress (exits). Imagine the liability your business would face if found at fault for unnecessary deaths or injury to guests caused by equipment or supplies blocking a crucial exit—something that could have easily been avoided.

If you're a hospitality operations owner or manager, can you confidentially say that your employees and customers are safe within your facility, and can easily access a nearby exist in the event of an emergency? How often do you check the kitchen, dining rooms, restrooms and other areas to ensure fire code standards are met and safety hazards are removed? 

Do you have kitchen doors blocked by empty boxes, cleaning tools and other supplies? Are the doors leading into and out of the dining room blocked by tray stands, coat racks or booster seats? If you're not sure, it's worth a second look.

Tips to Ensure Access to Safe Exists

If you notice any of these issues, then you have an egress concern. OSHA highlighted egress in a June Quick Takes newsletter, as well as a memorandum to all compliance officers following the Chinese poultry plant accident, in which 119 people died due to blocked exits.

This is simple stuff. You can keep your exits clean, clear, and by following these steps:

1. Look for obstructions. As you approach an exit, look to see if there are any obstacles for your employees or customers. Can you easily access the exit? If this exit was  blocked by fire or another impediment, where is your secondary exit?
2. Evaluate the Exit Area. Is the exit marked either with an illuminated sign or a reflective sign? If there are doors that do not lead to an exit, are they clearly marked to show the proper path? Are doors that are not exits clearly marked to state "Not an Exit?"
3. Check to ensure the door is unlocked. All emergency exits must be kept unlocked during business hours. If there are any exit doors that need to remain locked, then a single-step door mechanism, such as a panic bar, is adequate. The door must also swing out toward the outside area – the exit path.
4. Follow the path outside. Where does it take you? The OSHA standard for egress requires each exit discharge to lead directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside. If you are on a platform or landing, there should be at least one rail on the stairs along that exit path. If you have to walk in mud, cross a creek through water or another obstacle, this would be unsatisfactory under the intent of the OSHA Means of Egress standard.
5. Practice makes perfect. Many people roll their eyes at fire and storm drills, but you need to practice at least once a year. The human brain is imperfect, and in an emergency, we act upon the fight, flight, or freeze response. The act of practicing a fire drill helps the brain connect neural pathways that can activate in an emergency and put you on auto pilot. Basically, practice makes perfect, and helps activate flight – getting out of the building alive. You certainly wouldn't want an employee to freeze up in fear and be unable to navigate the escape route simply because they never practiced!

Building codes require specific emergency exit doors and pathways, so your operation most likely already provides adequate means to get out of the building. But it never hurts to check and make sure those exits are always kept clear. That one last look could be the very factor that determines someone's life or death.

OSHA has developed a reader friendly fact sheet with more information that you can easily print and share with your employees.

What other suggestions do you have to keep exits and paths to exits open and free of obstruction?

This post was written by Suzanne Coleman, a Senior Risk Control Representative, who works out of our Nashville, Tennessee Service Office.

Warehouse & Distribution Center Safety

Post written by Steve Damsker 

Warehouse and distribution centers, either privately owned and managed or public operations where tenants rent space, present specific safety challenges that should be understood and also carefully managed to avert losses. This article is intended to concisely point out a few areas of concern.

A typical modern warehouse operation may be separated into several different storage areas and each area may present a different safety concern both for employees and for property protection.  Each section should be evaluated for such specific hazards as storage height, fire protection, housekeeping, and other unique hazards such as type of product stored (hazardous materials, flammables, awkward shaped items, etc.).  The way your storage is arranged can impact the effectiveness of your fire sprinkler protection – consult NFPA 13 to ensure that your storage arrangement is adequately protected per the NFPA guidelines.  Storage height and aisle width play a major part in property protection – be sure to know the dimensions and protections for your operations. 

For those warehouses that maintain round-the-clock operations, safety conditions are heightened throughout the facility. Appropriate supervision and training should be provided for all shifts. Accidents may be attributed to exposures from slips on greasy floors, falls from heights, or hazards from improperly stacked pallets.  Remember that where a facility is open to the general public, such exposures may cause injury to customers as well as employees. Good housekeeping is key. 

For many employees who work in the warehouse, the majority of their training will take place on the job.  Training and certification for some warehouse operations, such as for powered industrial vehicle operations, should be obtained from experienced and competent personnel. 

Visitors to these facilities must be made aware of hazards; their personal safety is dependent on the facility management. Frequent and sometimes severe accidents involve the interaction of forklifts and business invitees who are in unauthorized areas, or truck drivers entering the loading docks. All operations should have safety programs in place, and video surveillance equipment in place.  The take away from these claims is that business invitees should be restricted from the warehouse operations in the absence of an employee chaperone or escort - in addition to proper safety gear such as hardhats, ear and eye protection, etc. Don’t assume the safety of your guests. Make a plan and follow it for everyone’s protection.

As a means to help you evaluate your own warehouse – here is a quick list of items to add to your self-inspection process.  

Aisles

• Are all aisle widths maintained and not blocked?
• Are floor holes and/or openings protected?
• Are mats used where drainage or entry areas need to be protected?
• Is housekeeping - including storage pile alignment – checked and maintained?

Stairs & Mezzanines

• For all stairs of 4 or more risers, are there handrails present?
• Are railings provided on the open side of exposed stairs?
• Are railings and toe boards present on all mezzanines over adjacent lower areas?

Ladders

• Do any fixed ladders in use require fall-prevention cages?
• Are all step ladders in use under 20’ high?
• Are all step ladders inspected quarterly?

Exits and Pathway to Exits

• Are all exits properly marked and illuminated?
• Are emergency exit doors equipped with panic-bar hardware?

Fire Protection

• Are all fire extinguishers tagged and inspected monthly?
• Are fire alarm systems inspected bi-monthly?
• Is there clearance of at least 36” from all major electrical panels and equipment? 

Material Handling

• Are trucks and trailers secured from movement during all loading and unloading operations?
• Have safety aisles been designated, permanently marked and kept clear to allow clear passage? 

Please feel free to offer additional suggestions below.