NEws

CSFA Participates in WE Garden In Capitol Park

Along with healthy food and a healthy environment, the California lifestyle includes fresh flowers and greens from California Growers.

Lane DeVries, President/CEO The Sun Valley Group, First Lady Maria Shriver, A.G. Kawamura, Secretary of Agriculture and Kasey Cronquist, Executive Director/Ambassador, California Cut Flower Commission

When CSFA Executive Vice President, Ann Quinn, received a call from Annie in First Lady Maria Shriver’s office her first thought was to contact Kasey Cronquist, Executive Director/Ambassador of the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC), to get our incredible California product on display for the “WE Garden in Capitol Park” event.

Kasey immediately agreed to participate and not only did CCFC provide beautiful bouquets and bulbs to give to each attendee, CCFC Commissioner, Lane DeVries, personally presented First Lady Maria Shriver with an elegant bouquet.

The new garden is designed to teach children, students and visitors about the importance of agriculture in providing nutritious food to the state and the world. From the farm to the table, California agriculture plays a crucial role in the state’s economy and food supply. Education is the key to consumer awareness about where their food comes from and how important it is that we have a reliable and safe food supply.

“We applaud the efforts of First Lady Shriver and are thrilled to be part of this important event, and it is exciting that the garden will also be graced with beautiful flowers” said Ann Quinn, Executive Vice President of the California State Floral Association. Quinn also stated this was a tremendous opportunity to showcase our California Growers and the impact the floral industry has on the state’s economy.

The First Lady Admiring her beautiful California Flowers!

First Lady Planting in the WE Garden!

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Manager's Guide To Safe Trucking During Agricultural Planting and Harvest Season

Guide Promotes Safe Trucking in Agriculture

With springtime comes warmer weather and blooming flowers.  In many parts of the country fertilizer is being applied to fields and tractors are rolling through to plant crops.  This is the start of another busy growing season for many in agriculture.  At this time the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference (AFTC) of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) is rolling out an effort to educate the agricultural industry about the importance of safe operation on rural roads and highways during planting and harvest seasons.

The purpose of the “Manager’s Guide to Safe Trucking During Agricultural Planting and Harvest Season” is to educate truck drivers and their managers in the agricultural industry about the importance of safe operation during agriculture’s busy seasons and give them active strategies that they can apply.  Much of the information was taken from a comprehensive textbook, “Safety for the Long Haul,” recently released by ATA. 

Timing is often critical and flexibility is needed in the agricultural industry to get the job done during the busy seasons.  While government regulations limit truck drivers’ working hours, agricultural haulers are allowed an exemption from these hours of service regulations.  Agricultural operations are accustomed to difficult working conditions and familiar with the importance of operating machinery in a safe manner on the farm and in agricultural processing operations.  Safety is especially critical in the case of truck driving since accidents on the road can affect not only the company but others in the public who share the road.

This guide is directed towards managers because it is incumbent upon managers to constantly impress on their employees the importance of safety in the workplace. Safety is especially critical in the case of truck driving since accidents on the road can affect not only the company but others in the public who share the road. This guide is directed toward the agricultural industry due to the unique seasonal nature of agricultural planting and harvest season which results in temporary periods of intense activity.

Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference (AFTC) of the American Trucking Associations (ATA)

The guide is available free for anyone to download and print at:

Manager's Guide to Safe Trucking

 

State Fund's Back Connection® DVD

A revolutionary back injury prevention process, “State Fund’s Back Connection®” is a DVD which has everything a policyholder needs to reduce or eliminate back injuries in their workplace. The DVD creates awareness of risk factors for developing back injuries and discusses ways to reduce or eliminate these injuries. The DVD includes tools for:

• Beginning and maintaining an effective back injury prevention process.
• Performing cost-benefit analyses.
• Identifying risk factors using a revolutionary picture-based method.
• Performing root-cause analysis using the “Just Ask Why™” process.
• Selecting appropriate, cost effective solutions to reduce or eliminate risk factors.
• Effectively managing claims.
• Training employees and management/supervisors.

How to Get a Copy

The DVD is made available at no additional cost to all State Fund policyholders. You can obtain a copy by ordering online, or by contacting your Loss Control Consultant or your local State Fund office.

This product was developed to run in Windows XP and will not run on MACs. To run the CD in the Windows Vista OS, you will need to apply a “fix”.

Standing Workstation Guidelines Volume 1, Number 25 Workplace design should accommodate the variety of employee shapes and sizes and provide support for the completion of different tasks. Work should be organized so that the employee has some choice about his/her working position and be given the opportunity to change position frequently. The type of work will determine the work surface height: Precision work, such as writing or electronic assembly—4 inches above elbow height. Light work, such as assembly line or mechanical jobs—just below elbow height. Heavy work with demanding downward forces—4 to 6 inches below elbow height. NOTE: If the work surface is not adjustable, provide a platform for shorter workers or pedestals on the work surface to raise the work up for taller workers. The height of the workstation should consider the physical characteristics of the worker population. The standing elbow height for various populations is outlined in the table below. Standing Elbow Height Small Female Large Male North American 37.2 “ 46.9” European 36.6 “ 46.5” Asian 34.3 “ 42.5” Latin American 35.8” 44.1” * From Applied Ergonomics Manual, Humantech 1995 Reaching Using the graph below, keep frequently used tools or items close to and in front of the body (up to the shaded area) and use the secondary area (lighter boxes) for less frequently used items. Avoid placing needed tools or parts above shoulder height, below knee height, or behind the employee. Ensure that items to be lifted are kept between mid-thigh and chest height. Use a sloping work table whenever possible to tilt the work up reducing neck and trunk forward flexion. Floor Surfaces If the surface of the floor is concrete or metal, anti-fatigue matting should be provided at the workstations. Ensure that the matting has a sloped or beveled edge to avoid a tripping hazard. When installing anti-fatigue matting, be sure to consider the application in which it will be used and requirements such as chemical spill resistance, oil resistance, heat resistance, etc. Footrests At standing workstations, provide employees with either a sand-alone footrest or rail at least 4 to 6 inches high. Elevating a foot puts the arch (called "lordosis") back in the low back, combats fatigue, and helps in recovery. Footwear Your feet can only be as comfortable as the footwear permits. Wear shoes that do not change the shape of your foot. Choose shoes that provide a firm grip for the heel. If the back of the shoe is too wide or too soft, the foot will slip causing instability and soreness. Wear shoes that allow freedom to move your toes. Pain and fatigue result if shoes are too narrow or too shallow. Ensure that shoes have arch supports. Lack of arch support causes flattening of the feet. Tighten the lace instep of your footwear firmly. This helps prevent the foot from slipping inside the shoes or boots. Use padding under the tongue of the shoe or boot if you suffer from tenderness over the bones at the top of the foot. Consider using shock-absorbing cushioned insoles when walking or standing on cement or metal floors. Sit/Stand Workstation Standing for long periods should be avoided whenever possible. If possible, a chair or stool should be provided to reduce standing time. Three examples of seating that could be provided to reduce standing: Sources Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): www.ccohs.ca. Working in Standing Positions—Sitting and Standing in the Workplace–Ergonomic Infogram. Reprinted with permission of CCOHS, 250 Main Street East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1H6; (905) 572-4400; (800)-263-8466; Fax (905) 572-4500; E-mail: inquiries@ccohs.ca Humantech Applied Ergonomics Manual, 1995. Used by permission, 11/01 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): www.cdc.gov/niosh/eptolbox.html 020805, 1.0
The information herein is for reference only and State Fund does not warranty its accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose. Any products, references, or links to Web sites are not an endorsement by State Fund or its employees, but serve only as examples to assist you with your workplace design changes. State Fund cannot be held liable or accountable for content on linked Web sites.