After reviewing the current trends of Worker Compensation Claims at Minuteman Parking Company we have noticed a rise in the number of accidents that involve employees getting in and out of guest vehicles. This month we would like to focus on making sure that all employees know the best way of getting in and out of guest vehicles. We want to make you aware of what can happen.

During the recent months we have had employees injure themselves getting into vehicles that were parked too closely together. When employees have to go into a car sideways and try to pull their bodies into the vehicle it can cause strain on their knees and lower backs.

We have also had employees during peak business periods feel the need to jump out of vehicles and injure their knees and ankles.

Many serious injuries can happen if you do not get in or out of a vehicle safely. Here are some tips to make sure that you do not get injured while getting in or out of a vehicle.

• If a vehicle is too high for you to easily slide in, use the side step that is attached to the vehicle.  Make sure that you can open the door completely so that you can get in or out of the vehicle without having to squeeze yourself out the door.
• Always take your time getting in and out of a vehicle. If you are in a rush and are not careful you can twist your knees, back or ankles trying to get in and/or out.
• Make sure that the seat is in a position that will allow you to safely enter the vehicle.

Minuteman Parking Company would like to remind all employees that we want you to work safely and we want to ensure that you have a safe work environment.  As you are working your shifts we want you to be conscious of how you get in and out of guest vehicles and mindful of what your body is doing as you perform these tasks.

By paying attention to details and focusing on the job at hand we can all help prevent workplace injuries.

This Month is Safety Preparedness month and Minuteman Parking Company wants to ensure that all of our employees are safe and ready to act if there is an emergency. This month we would like to go over some simple tips to help you make sure that your location is safe and we would like to remind you of some of our Emergency Procedures.

As an Employee you are responsible for:

• Learning to work safely
• Take all workplace rules seriously
• Recognize hazards
• Avoid any hazards you see
• Report ALL accidents and injuries immediately

Upper Management is responsible for:

• Providing a safe and healthy workplace
• Train employees on how to work safely
• Train employees on how to recognize hazards
• Train employees on what to do if an emergency occurs at your location

Poor housekeeping can result in slips, trips and falls and it is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of all potential hazards.

In case of an Emergency you need to be familiar with your locations’ emergency procedures. At each location we have evacuation routes and meeting places that we expect all employees to follow during an emergency.

If you are unfamiliar with the evacuation routes and meeting places please ask your manager. Below are some simple steps to follow during and emergency at your location. Each location follows these basic steps in all emergencies.

• Clear the front drive of all vehicles so that the emergency crews can have access
• If you are in an office, close the door and leave the area immediately.
• Know the location of the closest fire extinguisher. If it is a small fire try to extinguish.
• Immediately contact Hotel/Hospital Management of the emergency.
• If you are close to an alarm, pull it to activate the emergency alarm. This will warn others of the threatening situation.

Minuteman Parking Company is committed on providing a safe work environment for all employees and in return this will create a safe environment for our visitors. At any time you notice something that is unsafe please notify your Manager or Driveway Ambassador. If you have any questions on any of the emergency procedures at your location please contact your manager for clarification. Remember, safety benefits everyone and by following the simple steps we have outlined for you it will help reduce the number of workplace injuries and make your location safer for all.

Many of our locations use parking garages and one hazard that can occur in all parking garages is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. CO is a clear, odorless gas which is created by inefficient combustion emissions. The most common source of CO that Minuteman Parking Company Team Members encounter is from vehicles that we park for visitors to our facilities.

Carbon Monoxide kills by binding up the hemoglobin in the blood. CO has an affinity for hemoglobin that is several times greater than that of oxygen. This means it only takes small amount of CO to bind up a large amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues.

Without the oxygen you will slowly suffocate to death.

What does this mean to you as a Minuteman Parking Company Team Member?  How does Carbon Monoxide affect you?

Here are some signs of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

• Slight Headache and Dizziness
• Nausea
• Drowsiness and a euphoric feeling
• Unconsciousness
• Death

OSHA has mandated the level of CO that you as employee are allowed to be in for an 8 hour day. The OSHA mandated level is 50 parts per million. This is a very small amount of CO. If you took a million ice cubes and placed them into a room. Then you removed only 50 of those ice cubes. The 50 ice cubes you removed would be the maximum amount of CO OSHA would allow you to be exposed to in an 8 hour day.

Many of our Parking Garages have CO sensors. If you hear the sensors going off in the garage notify your Manager. The sensor alarm means that the CO Levels in the Garage are starting to become unsafe and you will need to take extra precautions in the garage. When the CO sensors start to go off it means that the level of CO in the garage has just hit 50 parts per million. The sensor will get louder and go off more frequently the higher the lever CO gets in the garage.

If the CO sensors start to go off in your garage make sure that you open all stairwells so that air can flow through the garage. This will help push the CO out of the parking garage.  If you need to pull or park a vehicle while the CO Sensors are going off then you need to make sure that you are wearing a mask or have a towel over your mouth and nose so you do not breathe in CO. Make sure you notify all of your fellow team members that the CO sensors are going off and that they need to take extra precaution when parking and pulling vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and take your health and the health and safety of others seriously.

At Minuteman Parking Company we have valets who drive guest vehicles and Shuttle Drivers that transports guests and patients. It is common knowledge that the number one cause of work-related fatalities is vehicle accidents. As a valet or shuttle driver you face the hazards of the roadway day after day.  Sometimes a trip may end tragically.

Now cellular phones threaten to increase the accident potential for all drivers.  As the cellular phones advance with technology we see new threats that come with using your cell phones while working. Minuteman Parking Company’s policy states that valets, shuttle drivers and cashiers must leave their cell phone in their vehicles while they are at work. According to one research study, the use of cellular phones while driving has increased the risk of being involved in an accident by 34%. The US Department of Transportation reports an increased number of complaints about drivers talking on their cellular phones while operating a vehicle. Critics of these studies argue that the research is poor. But in most States you can be fined talking on your cellular phone with a hands free device and in other states you can be fined for texting.  People say that having a cellular phone in a vehicle is an advantage when there is an emergency.

What do you think?

Some hazards that have been associated with cellular phone use include:    

• Passengers in the car often alert drivers to dangerous situations. The person you are talking to does not know what the situations are that you are dealing with.
• People who are on the phone are more likely to have intense conversations which will distract them from driving the vehicle properly.
• Users are said to be distracted and not driving defensively. The driver is less responsive to the traffic situations.
• Drivers who are on the phone are said to have a longer response time to traffic situations.

Here are a few safety reminders

• Leave your cell phone in your vehicle while you are at work.
• If you are on your 30 minute meal break and driving your vehicle keep your phone conversations short and sweet.
• If you are driving to work and you are in tricky traffic situations hang up your phone.
• Safe driving takes precedence over telephone etiquette.
• Try to resist dialing a number while driving in heavy traffic. Wait till you are at a stop light.
• Keep even more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you if your cellular phone.
• Remember in most states like California, you have to use a “hands-free” device. If you do not have one then you should not be using your cellular phone while driving.

All drivers are at risk of having a vehicle accident before, during or after work, and the use of a cell phone may increase this risk. Concentrate on the above reminders! Don’t become a statistic!

The Right Way to Lift

Back injuries cost American industries 10 to 14 billion dollars a year in worker compensations and about 100 million lost work days annually according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH.) If you have a healthy lifestyle that includes the following you can help maintain a healthy back.

«     Attention to posture

«     Conditioning and body mechanics

«     Avoiding obesity

«     Smoking

«     Minimizing emotional stress

Diane W. Braza MD. Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin says that if you have proper posture, conditioning and body mechanics will help lead to healthier back and limit back injuries. She also states that up to 80% of Americans suffer back pain at some point in their lives. The cause of 90% of back pain is caused by strains or sprains of back muscles, ligaments or soft tissues. The remaining 10% of back pain is caused by more serious conditions like degenerative disk disease or herniated disks in the spine. All the cases mentions above can be prevented or treated by using her three key components in preventing back injuries.

Posture

Proper posture is very important whether you are standing, sitting or sleeping. A good technique to help with proper posture is holding in the belly to keep it from protruding and putting excess stress on the spine. Over time poor posture can lead to a weakened spine and abdominal muscles that can contribute to back pain and injuries.

Conditioning

Conditioning of the body and cardiovascular system with aerobic exercise as well as strengthening and stretching out the muscles. Some studies have shown that smoking can contribute to back injuries. Swimming, walking, and short distance running is a great way to help condition your body. These exercises can also help increase the blood flow to your spine which will help reduce the risk of back injuries.

Body Mechanics

Body mechanics refer to the way we use our body. These mechanics include lifting, bending and stretching. Anytime that we are lifting we need to think of how we are lifting an item before we lift it. Remember to always to lift with your knees and keep that item close to you as you lift it up. If the item is too heavy ask for help. Make sure that you pace yourself while you are at work. Make sure that you take your breaks. This will help your back relax so that you do not strain it. When standing you want to vary the position of your body.

Here are some key techniques to remember to help prevent back injuries.

«     Keep you back as straight as possible and maintain proper posture when lifting an object

«     Bend with your knees and hips not at the back or waist

«     Pivot the hips and not the back

«     If possible lift from an area that is waist high

«     Never reach above your head to lift an object use a step ladder.

Safety First

At Minuteman Parking, we pride ourselves in making sure that all work areas are safe for our team members, our guests and our patients. Our November safety program is called Go Out And Look or GOAL.

Frank Estrada, founder of Safety 101, has this to say about workplace safety:

“In the workplace, Go Out And Look. If it doesn’t look right it’s probably not safe. Say something. Everyone has a responsibility for safety. Your chances of going home safely at the end of the day are better if you take your time. Plan your work, then work your plan. Before beginning your work day, talk about what safety measures will be implemented, and what resources are needed. All accidents can be prevented. No one should be ‘required’ to work in unsafe conditions. Shortcuts usually lead to disaster. Consider what hazards can be eliminated, then consider what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), is necessary to further protect your employees.”

We are asking for help from all of our team members to make sure possible safety hazards and unsafe work conditions are properly addressed and reported. Each manager will be responsible for reporting all known issues to the location’s engineering department.

What can be considered a Safety Hazard? Here are a few examples:

• Oil spills
• Water on the floor
• Burned out light bulbs
• Pot holes
• Broken pieces of sidewalk
• Parking lot obstructions, such as chains, closed gates or broken gate arms
  

With all of our team members helping us prevent unsafe work conditions, we will be able to improve the safety of our properties and limit the number of worker compensation claims.

So let’s all pitch in and make sure that are locations are safe for everyone.