Safe seasons

Kelli Rodda

We’ve come full circle once again, thankfully, and the spring season has begun for most nurseries. (My heart goes out to those of you still waiting for the snow to melt.) But don’t let crunch time become an excuse to ignore important safety concerns. You need a worker health and safety program for all employees – new and tenured. Review the program each year and make tweaks as needed. Identify people in your operation to lead the health and safety team.

The British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association created an outstanding guide to health and safety. Find it here: http://bit.ly/1yjoVNQ. Of course Canadian regulations differ, but use this guide to help craft your own safety manuals and meetings. It also references safety manuals for specific tools and equipment often found in the nursery.

BCLNA suggests holding regular monthly meetings. Focus your meetings on identifying and correcting hazardous conditions or tasks, and making health and safety a priority in your workplace. Post an agenda to get workers thinking about the topics to be discussed. Keep a record of each meeting. Post meeting minutes for everyone to read. Inspect your nursery before the meeting. Get your crew actively involved by answering questions, inviting feedback and following up with foremen and crew members as necessary.

Muscles, joints and bones

It may seem silly to “teach” people how to bend and lift, but on-the-job back injuries would be detrimental to your business, especially this time of year.

Some safety tips from BCLNA include: Assess whether you will need help from another person or whether you will need a dolly, forklift, or hoist to move heavy or awkward objects. Get close to the object. Avoid reaching. Bend at your hips and knees. Lift smoothly and slowly, keeping the object close to your body. Pivot by moving your feet instead of twisting your back. When carrying large items, be sure you can see where you are going. When storing equipment or supplies, place the heaviest items between knee and chest levels.
 

Heat stress

Recognize the early signs and symptoms of heat stress, such as: feeling unwell, headache, or nausea; decreased efficiency, coordination, and alertness; increased irritability; light-headedness or dizziness; fainting; and swelling of hands, feet, and ankles, usually one to two days after first exposures.

If a worker exhibits or reports early signs or symptoms of heat stress, take action. Remove the worker from the hot environment to rest in a cool place and drink cool water. If a worker has fainted, have the worker rest with his or her legs and feet elevated. Have the worker assessed by the first aid attendant, if available, or by a physician. Keep the worker under observation until he or she has fully recovered from the effects of the heat. If there is any doubt about the worker’s condition, obtain medical advice.

Make time to create safety manuals and to have safety meetings. It could mean the difference between profits and losses.