March 12, 2009

An educational resource for schools served by SFM

It's spring break time
But snow and ice are still a hazard

Spring is on your mind, but ice is under foot.

Icy patches are common hazards in Minnesota at this time of year. Your faculty and students are at just as much risk of a slip-and-fall injury now as they were back in November.

Remind employees of the risks of spring melting Conduct another safety talk on wintertime slips and falls or post a bulletin. Encourage them to:

• Wear the proper footwear. It's tempting to pull out the dress shoes as the weather warms up.
• Walk slowly when the ground looks wet. Icy patches may look like standing water.
• Use handrails from start to finish.
• Avoid carrying loads on stairways.
• Be alert. Keep your eyes on where you are going.
• Step carefully from vehicles. Parking lots are often the culprit.

Advice from SFM's print publication

Make contact
Keep the lines of communication open with injured employees

Injured employees sometimes say they don't hear anything from their employers following the injury. Lack of communication can be costly and can complicate the employee's workers' compensation claim. Sometimes, it even leads the employee to call an attorney.

Be proactive when injuries happen. Use these tips to keep lines of communication open…

See page 4.

Raise employee morale in difficult times

It's buzzing around your district--talk about the difficult times and the bad economy and the budget cuts. The result: Employee morale may be sinking. So what can you be doing, and saying? Here are a few suggestions:

Don't dwell on the negative. What people focus on becomes their reality.

Create a new focus for your organization. Engage employees in a service enhancement or process improvement effort.

Communicate often, delivering a message of confidence and hope.