SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/183915
Facility&Operations 2. 1. 4. 3. 5. 1. There is more than checking to see if your equipment is secure so it won't tip. A bolt falling out from the bouncing on a cradle can have the same result as tipping. 2. This was found 100 feet away up a hill next to the drive through. 3. Was a crew member well trained or just handed the keys? 4. A notso-average cat track compared to a penny. 5. When doing routine maintenance, are they aware of why this is potentially lethal when practice starts? keep balls from rolling under it. Balls continued to bounce through as they always had. Here's another fencing story: Dad has just finished with Little Billy on field 3. Big sister Sally has a game starting in 10 minutes on field 10. If they take the straight route after picking up a latte at the concession stand, they will be there before kickoff. Little Billy grabs the top rail and is up and over the fence. Dad, no longer at his high school playing weight, grabs the top rail with one hand right in the middle between the posts. When he pushes down on the lower rail and throws that leg up, augmenting the downward force, it's only to be expected the weakest part fails. That would be the middle. Dad goes down, planting his chin on his latte; luckily he only lost the latte and no teeth. So don't get caught up with false knowledge. You might create more issues than you solve unless you know what you are doing. Natural areas attract natural things. For example, coyotes are extremely adaptable, to the point they moved into Wrigleyville, on the North Side of Chicago and home to the Cubs. Several years ago a 30 SportsTurf | October 2013 mountain lion was shot across the street from a Chicago school; it had migrated from South Dakota. And natural areas can also attract poisonous weeds, snakes and other undesirables. Safety means focusing every day about how things are done in and around your facility. Find the unusual situation before it becomes an accident. And remember that developing a safe work culture and environment takes everyone's work and focus. Be ready for the possibility that something unusual might happen. Good management will recognize good safety practices need to constantly change. Good safety practices also easily translate to good risk management policy. If you ignore safety issues it's a matter of time before some costly event occurs. n David Schwandt, former superintendent of a 115-acre soccer complex, currently resides in Libertyville, IL and is a member of the STMA Editorial Committee. www.sportsturfonline.com