When is it is okay to jump start a vehicle and when is it not okay to jump start a vehicle?

·    Minuteman Parking Company has made it a standing policy to never jump start a vehicle. We ask that you contact your Manager or Driveway Ambassador and have them contact AAA for assistance.

What if I can’t get in touch with AAA and I guest say’s it is okay for me to jump start their vehicle?

·    In the rare cases where a Minuteman Parking Company employee must jump start a vehicle, the following is needed:

o   A Clear understanding of how to jump start a vehicle by the DA or Manager offering the assistance. Only a Manager or DA is allowed under these circumstances is authorized to assist a guest.

o   Jumper Cables in good conditions

o   The Guest MUST sign the “Request for Auto Service Waiver” that acknowledges that Minuteman Parking Company is not responsible for any damages that may happen while we are assisting them.

As an employee of Minuteman Parking Company it is not responsibility to assist with Auto Service of any kind. We do not claim to have special expertise to offer auto road services. Our expertise is in valet services, shuttle services and parking management and not auto repair. Employees who do not know how to jump start a vehicle can be seriously injured and do extensive damage to a guest’s vehicle. If you do not get the proper documentation from a guest before you jump start a vehicle, we the company can held liable for injuries or damages to the vehicles involved if something goes wrong.

Use your common sense and Stay Safe!

Things You’ll Need

·         Jumper Cables

·         Rag

·         Flashlight

·         Booster Car

1.       Determine that a dead battery is the reason your car is not starting. If the engine cranks when you turn the key, the problem is not the battery and jump-starting will not help. If the windshield wipers, lights, and heater blower all work, the battery is probably, fine and you may have a bad starter. A jump-start will not help if you have a bad starter. If you hear no sound, at all when you turn the key or if the engine cranks very slowly and the accessories do not work, then you have a dead or low battery and it is time to break out the jumper cables. You will need a flashlight if it is dark outside.

2.       Find someone with a running car that can give yours a jump.

3.       Open the hoods on both cars and determine where the batteries are. Park the booster car (the one that is running) so that the batteries are adjacent.

4.       Turn off the booster car.

5.       Attach the red jumper cable’s end to the positive terminal on the dead battery. Use a rag to wipe the battery clean if you cannot see the Pos or plus (+) sign on the battery. The positive terminal is always slightly larger than the negative one.

6.       Attach the other end of the red cable to the booster battery’s positive terminal.

7.       Attach the black jumper cable’s end to the booster battery’s negative terminal.

8.       Attach the other end of the black jumper cable to a ground on the dead car’s engine; any solid metal part works fine. You may see a small spark when you attach the last end. This is normal.

9.       Turn on the booster car and rev the engine.

10.    Turn on the dead car. If it does not start, you may have a poor connection at any of the four cable ends. Jiggle each cable end and try starting the car again.

11.    Once the car starts, disconnect the cables in reverse order of attachment: negative, negative, positive, positive.

12.    Keep the engine running on the jumped car for at least 20 minutes or longer so the alternator has sufficient time to recharge your battery.

http://www.ehow.com/video_112636_start-car-with.html

As we go into our summer months many of our employees will be working out in the elements and battling temperatures that are 80 degrees or higher. When you are working in temperatures that are above 80 degrees and humidity, concerns of your health arises.  So as the temperature goes up, your chances of having either heat exhaustion or heat stroke goes up. Minuteman Parking Company would like to remind all of our employees to use extra caution when the temperature goes above 80 degrees. We also want to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water and whenever possible you are standing in the shade and not in the direct sun.

Here are some warning signs if you are starting to have heat exhaustion. If you start to have any of these symptoms please notify your Manager or Driveway Ambassador immediately.

·         Headaches

·         Dizziness

·         Weakness

·         Light headedness

·         Confusion

·         Upset Stomach

·         Vomiting

·         Fainting

·         Pale or Clammy Skin

Here are some warning signs if you are starting to have a heat stroke. If you start to have any of these symptoms please call 911 immediately.

·         You stop sweating

·         Seizures or Fits

·         Unconsciousness

So over the next couple of months, we need all Minuteman Parking Employees to look after each other and we want everyone to stay hydrated. 

Stay cool and stay safe this summer.

I am sure everyone has seen the “Click it or Ticket” signs as you drive along the freeways or city streets. This is a reminder to all drivers that it is against the law to not wear a seat belt. Many valets do not think about putting on their seat belt before parking a vehicle.  Their focus is on how quickly they can park a vehicle or how quickly they can retrieve a vehicle for a guest. Since the state requires that we incorporate wearing a seat belt while driving a vehicle, it is therefore required of you to wear a seat belt while working for Minuteman Parking.

Although seat belt usage has gone up an average of 88% nationally, unfortunately many commercial drivers, younger drivers, and those driving under the influence are still not wearing their seat belts.  Seat belt usage has saved over 75,000 lives in motor vehicle accidents over the past couple of years. Working in our industry, it is imperative that we follow the rules and regulations of the road to safeguard our lives and those around us.  Wearing a seat belt may seem insignificant, but when it comes down to saving your life nothing should be taken for granted.  

What would happen to you if you were in an accident at one of your locations and you do not have your seat belt on? You may get seriously injured or fined by the State for not wearing your seat belt and cause our worker’s compensation premiums to rise for the whole company due to you not following the rules of safety.

Your safety should always come first while you are working.  Taking an extra minute to put on a seat belt before you move a guest’s vehicle is time well spent. That extra minute can mean the difference between leaving work unharmed or getting seriously injured on the job. 

Here are some pointers for wearing your seat belt while you are at work:

1.       The seat belt lap portion should be worn low and snug across the hips

2.       The shoulder portion of the seat belt must be snug across the chest and away from the neck and   face.

3.       The shoulder portion should never be worn behind the back or under the arm.

Have you gotten your flu shot this year? If you haven’t, your excuse is most likely feeble. Influenza is a deadly infectious disease that returns every year, that can cause serious complications, particularly to young children and older adults. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, the virus kills on average 36,000 Americans annually, a terrible toll—almost as many as die from auto accidents. Flu shots are considered by experts as the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications. Here are the answers to common questions about flu shots.

This year’s annual flu shot will offer protection against the pandemic H1N1 (swine flu) virus, in addition to two other influenza viruses that are expected to be in circulation this winter. Last year people had to receive a separate flu shot to obtain protection against pandemic H1N1 influenza.

What sort of flu season is expected this year?

Flu seasons are unpredictable in a number of ways. Although epidemics of flu happen every year, the timing, severity, and length of the epidemic depends on many factors, including what influenza viruses are spreading and whether they match the viruses in the vaccine. Last flu season (2009-2010) saw the emergence of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (previously called “novel H1N1″ or “swine flu”). This virus caused the first influenza pandemic (global outbreak of disease caused by a new flu virus) in more than 40 years. While not certain, it is likely that 2009 H1N1 viruses will continue to spread along with seasonal viruses in the U.S.during the 2010-2011 flu season. The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, seasonal flu activity can occur as late as May.

Will new strains of flu circulate this season?

Flu viruses are constantly changing so it’s not unusual for new flu virus strains to appear each year. For more information about how flu viruses change, visit “How the Flu Virus Can Change.” While not certain, it is likely that 2009 H1N1 viruses and seasonal viruses will cause illness in the U.S. during the 2010-2011 flu season.

“I’m young and healthy,” you might say, “why do I need the shot?”

True, 90 percent of those who die from the flu are 65 and older, and many—but by no means all —have underlying medical conditions that weaken the lungs or heart. It’s not as though any deaths are acceptable, but these people are not the only ones at risk. In one year, five children aged 6 months to 15 years died suddenly from influenza in Colorado and Oklahoma; two children in England and four in Scotland had already died from the same strain that year. No one knows why some healthy children suddenly succumb to influenza. But as the virus spreads further through this country, there will almost certainly be more deaths.

One of those who died in Colorado was 8-year-old Joseph Williams. He had been perfectly healthy before the sudden onset of a stomach ache and fever. His parents took him to the emergency room, figuring he would get treatment and recover quickly, but a brain inflammation brought on by the influenza killed him in hours. The day after Joseph’s death, they held a tearful news conference and begged everyone in the community to get flu shots. If more people had been vaccinated, their child might have never contracted the infection in this first place.

Of the 92.6 million doses of vaccine, 29 people have died.  The math (which has taken me a half dozen tries to get right) comes out to one’s chances of dying from the vaccine as .00000000313 % — meaning — less than 1 in 3 million.

As of November 14, 2009, the CDC estimate 9,260 people have died from getting the H1N1 flu.  These are people who did not get the vaccine.  They also estimate 47 million people have had the H1N1 swine flu.  That figures to a .000197 % chance of dying from the flu — meaning — 1 in 5,075.

Put another way - my chances of dying from the flu are 591% GREATER than dying from the vaccine.

Even if spending a week violently sick and bedridden doesn’t worry you, by immunizing yourself, you vastly lessen the chances you will spread the virus to some child or older person (family member, friend, or stranger) who might die from it.

Most chain and many local drug stores are offering flu shots several times a week or daily at very reasonable cost. That cost is very nothing when compared to the wages lost and suffering you or your family or friends may have in dealing with the flu this season. So even if you do not care that you might save yourself a lot of misery by getting the shot, please understand that you could save someone else’s life.

One morning a valet was pulling a vehicle from the valet lot. As he was driving out of the garage he did not stop at the stop sign for pedestrian traffic. As he drove out of the valet lot the vehicle struck a fellow team member who was walking on the sidewalk into the garage to clock in for his shift. The valet who was walking to clock in for work was seriously injured and had to be transported to the emergency room. The valet that was pulling the vehicle knew the purpose for the stop sign being at the exit of the garage was because the sidewalk could not be seen from inside the valet lot. The stop sign was a safety measure to prevent a pedestrian from getting hit by a vehicle leaving the valet lot. This accident could have been prevented if the valet would have stopped at the sign and looked for any pedestrian traffic at this blind corner of this location.

Blind spots are everywhere! It doesn’t matter what job duties you perform, you need to be aware of all blind spots. In the story above, the blind spot was caused by the parking garage. There is a sidewalk that runs along the side of the garage and the valets all know to obey traffic signals, stop before exiting the garage, and look both ways for pedestrians. In other parking garages we have blind spots as you drive in the parking areas. Whether blind spots are due to sharp turns in the garage or the ramps that lead to another level of the parking garage, valets need to remember to use their mirrors because once you are in a vehicle safety should be your number one concern.

Minuteman Parking Company has put in safety measures at your locations to help prevent accidents from happening in areas that have blind spots. We have put stop signs in areas where you may or may not be able to see a guest or patient. We have installed mirrors so that you can see an oncoming vehicle as you are parking or pulling a vehicle. We have also put mirrors on some of our self parking booths so that you can see if a vehicle is approaching the booth so you do not walk out of the booth and get hit.

While the company does want it can with our clients to put safeguards in place to expose the blind spots, we cannot control the HUMAN part, which comes down to YOU.  YOU must obey the stop signs and look so that someone is not hit.  When we have mirrors installed, YOU must take the time to look in the mirror for someone in the way of your vehicle.  Safety and avoiding injuring others still mostly comes down to YOU being alert at all times when in a vehicle doing your jobs.

A Near Tragic Incident Involving a Valet and a Parked Vehicle

A Valet was retrieving a vehicle during the busiest part of the day and in the mist of all the parking, pulling and stack parking of vehicles surrounding him, one of his fellow teammates parked a vehicle on an end cap. It is normal at this particular location to park on end caps to maximize the space in the valet lot. While the Valet was rushing to retrieve the vehicle, he did not notice that the end cap was parked on and hit the vehicle head on as he was turning to drive out of the valet lot. The Valet walked away with minor injuries and the vehicle had minor scratches, but had his teammate still been parking the vehicle he struck, the damages could have been far worse. This entire accident could have been prevented if the Valet retrieving the vehicle was paying close attention to his work environment.

Minuteman Parking Company would like to take a moment to ask everyone a simple question, Are you aware of your ever changing work environment? 

We want you to think about and be aware of your work environment while you perform your daily tasks and we want to stress the importance of driving smart. Here are some questions to ask yourself while you are working:

·        Are there vehicles parked where they are not supposed to be?

·        If I am stack parking, am I stacking cars in a smart manner?

·        Do I need to make a wider turn to get in or out of the garage?

As we go into the winter months, Minuteman Parking Company also wants to make sure that all of our employees are aware of what effects a seasonal change can have on work environments. Everyday our environment can change. Whether it is due the sun getting in your eyes, rain hailing from the sky, or snow layering the once smooth surface of the ground, all of these factors can lead to a work related accident if no precautions are taken.  We want you to be aware of the factors the change in weather can play in work related injuries and vehicle claims. Here are some things to think about while at work:

·        Is there sun in your eyes when you enter or exit a valet lot?

·        Is the ground slippery due to rain, snow or ice?

·        Do the tires of vehicles seem to be gliding?

·        Do you have enough grip on your shoes?

·        Are the brake pedals wet?

As you go through your day to day operations, we want you to pay attention to the things that may go unnoticed during environment changes and remind you to use extreme caution to better protect yourself, your teammates, visitors, and guests form potential hazards.

At some locations we are dealing with construction. Being aware of construction zones is pertinent for everyone’s safety and a necessity in order to minimize hazards.  While construction is taking place, your work environment can change in a matter of minutes. Taking extra precautions and making sure you slow down in all construction zones whether you are walking, running, or driving is essential.

If you have any questions on what factors can change your work environment, please see your Manager. We want to ensure that every day you are at work you are safe. If you are off for a couple of days and come back to work and something looks different, ask your Manager or Driveway Ambassador if there have been any changes in your safe path of travels, driving routes, or in other areas surrounding your work space.

According to the National Safety Council, one out of four vehicle accidents can be blamed on poor backing techniques. Backing accidents cause 500 deaths and 15,000 injuries per year. The use of safe vehicle backing tips by employers and employees can help prevent accidents while on the job. 80% of all accidents occur when backing a vehicle up.

·         Get to know a vehicle’s blind spots. In a medium-sized truck, blind spots can extend up to 16 feet in front and 160 feet behind a vehicle. Drivers need to remember that mirrors can never give the whole picture while backing.

·         Think in advance. Drivers should not put themselves into unnecessary backing situations.

·         Park defensively. Drivers must choose easy-exit parking spaces that don’t crowd neighboring vehicles and park their vehicle in the center of the parking space.

·         Do a walk-around. Walking around a vehicle gives a driver firsthand view of the backing area and any limitations. They can check for children, soft or muddy areas, potholes, tire hazards, and other dangers.

·         Know the clearances. When performing a walk-around, drivers can check for obstructions, low-hanging trees and wires, and any other potential clearance-related problems.

·         Every backing situation is new and different. Sometimes a driver visits the same location several times a day and should be watchful each visit for changes and any new obstacles.

·         Use a spotter. A driver should use another person to help them when backing. The driver and spotter should use hand signals instead of verbal ones and make sure they understand each other’s signals. Don’t have the spotter walking backwards while giving instructions.

·         When driver’s spot for themselves, they need to return to the vehicle and start backing within a few seconds after finishing the walk-around. This will allow very little time for people and/or obstacles to change behind the vehicle. Backing without a spotter should only take place after a driver has as much information about the area as possible. A back up alarm can help warn away pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who may try to enter the area the vehicle is backing into.

Long-Term Solutions to Safe Backing

·          No amount of forward-driving experience can help a driver with backing a truck or other vehicles. All drivers need to practice, practice, and practice in safe surroundings until they become familiar with the way the vehicle backs up compared to the direction the steering wheel is turned.

·         Whenever possible, have a Driveway Ambassador, Valet or Shuttle driver assist you when you are backing up. 

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETY?

Sometimes it is good to reflect on the fact that we control our own destiny and that we create the situations in which we find ourselves.  For July, we are not going to specifically bring up ways to be safer at work but to just remind you that YOU can help yourself and keep yourself and your coworkers safe. 

How can you do this?  ATTITUDE.  How you decide to act and deal with life every day.  Below is a great quote from Charles Swindoll.  Enjoy

ATTITUDES

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearances, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.

As we gear up for the summer months we want to remind all Minuteman Parking Company Employees about Heat Stress and what you can do to prevent it from happening. Over 4,000 Americans die each year do to heat related illness. Many of the heat related deaths last year where due to working in the heat or certain diseases that can disrupt your body’s temperature control mechanism.

Hear are the 3 varieties of Heat related problems and what you can do to prevent them.

1.)    Heat Cramps: When you start getting heat cramps you should get out of the hot environment and stop using your large muscles. You should also drink a lot of water to replenish your electrolytes.

2.)    Heat Exhaustion: For heat exhaustion you should get out of the heat immediately and take off any excess clothing. You should lie down with your feet up and drink a liter of water slowly. You should also use a fan to help cool your body down. If after 30 minutes you are still feeling the effects of Heat Exhaustion you should seek medical attention.

3.)    Heatstroke: If you are experiencing heatstroke you are having a medical emergency. You will need to call 9-1-1. You need to lower your body temperature if you are having heatstroke. You will want to put ice packs on your neck, armpits and groin. You also want to be covered with a wet sheet or towel and go into a room that is air-conditioned.

What can you do to prevent Heat Stress? Here are five simple steps that will help reduce your chances of having any Heat related illnesses while at work.

1.)    Pre-Hydrate: You should drink 16 ounces of fluid before you start work and drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes during strenuous activities.

2.)    Drink Flavored Water

3.)    Acclimate to the heat slowly: If you are not used to working in the heat it will take 5 to 7 days for your body to get used to the high temperature. You need to acclimate your body to the heat by adding more time outside each day.

4.)    Don’t Wear a Hat: Wearing a hat restricts heat loss through your head.

5.)    Wear loose, thin synthetic fabrics

So as your work day starts to heat up, stay cool and you will be safe.