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Better safe than sorry
Safety training, like maintaining turf, is an ever-changing science.
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No one was hurt, but another lesson learned, when this triplex slipped backwards down a hill at Pryor Creek GC in Huntley, Mont. Photos courtesy of Steve Hackmann |
I had just finished spraying my last green and needed to cross the highway to head back to the shop. I could see the black Lexus coming down the road at 50 miles per hour or so.
Then it happened. My foot slipped off of the clutch and instantly I had a big bull’s-eye plastered on the side of the sprayer. Fortunately for me, the driver swerved into the other lane and narrowly missed a sitting duck.
Ironically, we had discussed road crossings in our previous safety meetings. Now, however, we had an incident to review in our next meeting and we analyzed it thoroughly. “What happened? What could have been done differently? What changes could we make to the cart path approach to the highway?” Questions like these were brought up and discussed. I believe that the biggest benefit to the crew was the realization that close calls can happen to anyone. Even the boss.
Events such as this one have reinforced my feeling that safety training is more than just a poster on the wall. In the earlier days of my career, I thought periodic meetings covering safety topics would suffice. As I continue on in my profession I’m realizing that I need to weave safety training and awareness into our regular daily routine. To this end, we have developed a two-pronged approach to our safety program at Pryor Creek Golf Club.
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This serene scene at Pryor Creek GC belies the fact that wildlife populate the course, necessitating safety measures on the part of the crew. |
Employee training
Our program starts with the initial employee training. As the crew comes on board in the spring, we review our maintenance department policy and procedures handbook. There are about 20 tasks that are referenced such as greens mowing, cup cutting and irrigation repair. Each one describes the instructions and standards for the job, but we made a special effort to include safety awareness in each task.
I know how difficult it is to read a handbook of this type and hope to get anything out of it. What we’ve done in the past is brought the crew together and examined the booklet as a group. We’ve tried to spend 1½ to 2 hours covering the highlights during the crew’s initial training session for the season. What usually happens is that the veteran crew members raise various points to new employees and share their experiences with the entire group.
The second step in our initial employee training was new for us in 2008. We purchased an inexpensive TV and VCR/DVD player and mounted them to the wall in the break room. We accumulated numerous operator and safety videos from our equipment suppliers to show our staff before moving on in their training. All full-time personnel watch training videos covering nearly all of the equipment in our fleet. This includes not only mowers, but also vehicles, backhoes, aerifiers and vibratory rollers. We tackle this project during the winter months.
When the seasonal employees arrive in the spring, they will watch videos pertaining to most of the major pieces of machinery. We’ll go through items such as fairway mowers, greens mowers and rotary trim mowers to bring them up to speed before the season really gets going. Through the summer months we’ll watch segments of a DVD during a safety meeting to keep everyone on track. Beginning this year, we will be administering tests to all grounds department employees to document their video training. A passing score of 70 percent is required, and the test results along with an employee training sign-off sheet will be kept on file for our insurance carrier.
The third stage of training is a review of the machinery with the equipment manager. He takes crew members through the various items on each machine and answers any questions they may have. He has a checklist of various points that he wants to make and concludes with the reminder to operate the machinery in a safe and prudent manner.
The final step in our training process is the actual teaching of the task by me or one of my assistants. The theme that we wanted to stress this year was maintaining an awareness of the location of golfers as we perform our task.
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Reviewing the maintenance department policy and procedures handbook and reviewing the machinery with the equipment manager are two integral steps in proper safety training. |
Safety meetings
Once the initial training has been completed, the second approach to our safety program is to hold periodic meetings with the crew.
In the past, I have invited guest speakers to visit with our group. In one particular case, our first aid supplier spent 30 minutes with the crew going through the entire first aid kit. He did a fine job addressing the supplies found in our kit to treat severe burns. It amazed me to see the questions that it generated from the crew. This past year, we had a chiropractor present safe lifting practices and back injury prevention. He concluded his presentation with a program for stretching and strengthening back muscles. We hope to add more guest speakers to the schedule in the upcoming season.
When I conduct our safety meetings I have a set agenda for each meeting with a sign-in sheet to verify all of those in attendance. We have discussed such topics as lightning, heat stress, rattlesnakes, road crossings, driving through the clubhouse parking lot and discharge from rotary mowers. We have also reviewed any accidents or close calls that anyone has
experienced.
I have found that limiting the “canned” presentation to 15 minutes, the remaining 15 minutes is needed for discussion. We have tried longer training sessions, but the staff loses focus and interest. Keeping things under 30 minutes seems to be just right.
Along with setting a limit for the length of the meeting, we have also established a consistent starting time. At Pryor Creek, we have 36 holes and host nearly 200 club and corporate events each season. Gathering up the troops can be a challenge. We have found that the best opportunity we have to round up the staff from both golf courses is the half hour before our scheduled lunch break. We get them in on time and the meeting finishes on time.
Safety topics always changing
Several events have taken place over the past couple of years that have added to the topic list for safety meeting discussions. They are not regularly occurring events, but they drive the point home with crew members that anything can happen.
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No.1 on Pryor Creek’s Walker Course is a 509-yard par five. Steve Hackmann, the author, has been the superintendent of the 36 holes at Pryor Creek for the last nine years. |
The first near miss happened to one of our best student employees. He had just finished mowing an elevated par-3 tee box with a triplex mower when the back wheel started sliding on the wet grass. The mower slid backward down the slope and picked up speed. It traveled across a golf car path and continued down a steep embankment. Just as the mower was about to flip, the student bailed off. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt. The incident reinforced our message to employees that wet grass truly requires their utmost attention and caution.
Other opportunities for safety discussions have come from our experiences with the surrounding wildlife. One time we had a mountain lion perch upon a sandstone cliff above our sixth green on the North Course and watch the second assistant, Skip Propp, mow the green. Another time we had a female badger greet the first assistant, Monte Harman, at the equipment wash shed. The badger was making a new home and wasn’t about to give up her recently acquired territory under our shed. We’ve also had confrontations with rattlesnakes, skunks and a rabid coyote.
The most frustrating encounter, however, took place during a men’s pro-am golf tournament a few years ago. The first group of the day had just teed off on the seventh hole when a herd of Black Angus cattle broke through the fence and developed a sudden craving for the Kentucky bluegrass on the sixth and seventh holes. Unfortunately, one cow headed for the seventh green and inspected the pin placement. The 1,600-pound cow left a multitude of hoof prints the size of small craters all over the front portion of the green. The first group of golfers marked their golf balls in the fairway and waited for the grounds crew to repair the damage and change the hole location. I don’t know what we would have done if the first group had already finished the hole.
Whether it has been cows or coyotes, all of these encounters on the golf course have made it necessary to include a section in our handbook on how to appropriately handle situations involving animals. Employees are instructed to not move any animals on their own. They are to report the location to the superintendent or one of the assistants. We have had several occasions in the last nine years involving a herd of cattle on the course or around the equipment wash area. It takes a group of people to safely move a herd of cattle off of the golf course.
In the case of skunks, we have been instructed by the Montana Department of Agriculture to exterminate any skunks seen during the daytime. The concern is that skunks are nocturnal, so any seen during the day are more than likely rabid. If one is spotted on the grounds, staff members are instructed to report the location to the supervisor on duty for removal.
Refining our safety program
As I look back on the past nine years at Pryor Creek Golf Club, I see that we have had our share of successes and failures with our safety training program. What I have come to realize is that our safety program is much like our turf maintenance program; it is constantly being tweaked and adjusted. We learn from previous mistakes and we continue to emphasize certain features that work well.
Some of the adjustments have been very minor. Instead of issuing safety glasses from my office, I now have a safety supplies cupboard that I set up by the break room. It bothered me to see the crew mistreat items like safety glasses. What I learned was that if I purchased the contemporary style of safety glasses and added a pair of chums (straps), not only did the staff take good care of the glasses, they actually enjoyed wearing them. It was a very small investment to make to protect someone’s eyes.
I have tried different styles of hardhats including ones with NFL logos. As long as the football team is playing well, the hard hats are used. When the team fades, so does the hardhat. We now supply plain white. Each hardhat is numbered with the corresponding locker number of the employee to ensure it will be properly stored away when not in use.
Other adjustments have been more substantial and have taken a considerable amount of time to develop. The foundation of our safety program is the policies and procedures manual. It took several months to put together, but it truly spells out everything in black and white. We developed this booklet ourselves to address the specific needs for task and equipment training at Pryor Creek and to emphasize our concerns for each employee’s safety.
The second major element has been video training. The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings very true. Many times it isn’t what we tell employees, but rather what they see that makes a lasting impression.
The last major refinement has been the addition of various speakers during the training process. For the upcoming season, I am hoping to tap into our membership for guest speakers. With club members that include retired firemen, electricians and an air ambulance EMT, we could put together some interesting topics. They could provide some real life experiences relating to fire extinguisher training, first aid response and electrical safety.
The key ingredients to improving our safety program at Pryor Creek have been preparation, training and awareness. By making staff aware of the hazards we have seen before, we can make their time on the golf course safer and more enjoyable.
Leo Feser Award candidate
This article is eligible for the 2009 Leo Feser Award, presented annually since 1977 to the author of the best superintendent-written article published in GCM during the previous year. Superintendents receive a $300 stipend for articles. Feser Award winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Golf Industry Show, where they are recognized. They also have their names engraved on a plaque permanently displayed at GCSAA headquarters.