PREVENT “AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.” by Tom Harp, Risk Manager and Immediate Past Governor
A valuable safety tool provided to clubs by Kiwanis International is the “Pre-Event Safety inspection Report.” It is an on-line fillable PDF form that a club’s Safety Coordinator can use to identify and remediate hazards before major events. The form can be found at https://www.kiwanis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/safety-inspection-report.pdf. It will ask if any first responders and AED’s will be present at the event. Also, if fire extinguishers and first aid kits will be available. You will be asked to patrol the grounds or facilities to identify any slip, trip, and fall hazards. That there is adequate lighting, that all cords and wires are properly secured, and that there are adequate waste containers. There are questions about carnival rides, if appropriate, and animal attractions like petting zoos. There are several questions relating to food safety – proper handling and temperature monitoring. There are sections relating to parades and fireworks. And many questions about vehicle safety. KI encourages clubs to complete this report for every major public event.
We all have encountered situations where we think “now THAT”S an accident waiting to happen.” And believe in the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Some accidents are really hard to predict. Earlier this year I attended a dinner meeting of a Kiwanis Club in the District, in a very fancy ballroom with boutique chairs that were stacked before they were set at tables. The chairs had skinny legs, and when one of the guests sat down the chair broke and she tumbled to the floor. We couldn’t believe how flimsy the chair was, and speculated that by having it stacked with other chairs created stress on the joints. Is this an accident that could have been prevented? Yes. But totally unexpected. Wiggling chairs to determine their sturdiness before sitting down is not a bad idea at any event.
At a street fair last fall, the local Kiwanis Club had a pop-up tent and table to promote membership and to give out free children’s story books. They had to sign an agreement with the municipality that included a requirement that since the tents stood on macadam, and could not be staked down, each leg had to be attached to 20 lb. weights. The club purchased 20 lb. sandbag weights to secure the tent. Club members staffing the tent were surprised to see how many vendors did not follow those orders. And sure enough, when a gust of wind came along, one of the tents began to topple over, nearly causing injury to passers-by. Another example of “an accident waiting to happen.”
The National Safety Council reports that in 2024 there were 45,800,000 Preventable Injuries and 152,300 Preventable Injury Deaths in American Homes and Communities. The leading causes of deaths were poisoning (including drug overdoses) (42%) and falls (31%). Those of us in our “Golden Years” are particularly fearful of falling. We have learned to have a hand on a handrail going up and down stairs. And to avoid climbing extension ladders. With age comes declining coordination and balance. So whether at home or at a Kiwanis event, be careful out there. Accidents are preventable.
Allow me to once again appeal to every club in the District to appoint a Safety Coordinator! Please forward that person’s contact information to Tom Harp, Risk Manager via the Contact Us form and select Risk Manager from the drop down to send a secure message. Thank you for helping us reduce accidents and injuries to our members and the public we serve.
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Risk Management – Prevent Accidents
PREVENT “AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.”
by Tom Harp, Risk Manager and Immediate Past Governor
A valuable safety tool provided to clubs by Kiwanis International is the “Pre-Event Safety inspection Report.” It is an on-line fillable PDF form that a club’s Safety Coordinator can use to identify and remediate hazards before major events. The form can be found at https://www.kiwanis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/safety-inspection-report.pdf. It will ask if any first responders and AED’s will be present at the event. Also, if fire extinguishers and first aid kits will be available. You will be asked to patrol the grounds or facilities to identify any slip, trip, and fall hazards. That there is adequate lighting, that all cords and wires are properly secured, and that there are adequate waste containers. There are questions about carnival rides, if appropriate, and animal attractions like petting zoos. There are several questions relating to food safety – proper handling and temperature monitoring. There are sections relating to parades and fireworks. And many questions about vehicle safety. KI encourages clubs to complete this report for every major public event.
We all have encountered situations where we think “now THAT”S an accident waiting to happen.” And believe in the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Some accidents are really hard to predict. Earlier this year I attended a dinner meeting of a Kiwanis Club in the District, in a very fancy ballroom with boutique chairs that were stacked before they were set at tables. The chairs had skinny legs, and when one of the guests sat down the chair broke and she tumbled to the floor. We couldn’t believe how flimsy the chair was, and speculated that by having it stacked with other chairs created stress on the joints. Is this an accident that could have been prevented? Yes. But totally unexpected. Wiggling chairs to determine their sturdiness before sitting down is not a bad idea at any event.
At a street fair last fall, the local Kiwanis Club had a pop-up tent and table to promote membership and to give out free children’s story books. They had to sign an agreement with the municipality that included a requirement that since the tents stood on macadam, and could not be staked down, each leg had to be attached to 20 lb. weights. The club purchased 20 lb. sandbag weights to secure the tent. Club members staffing the tent were surprised to see how many vendors did not follow those orders. And sure enough, when a gust of wind came along, one of the tents began to topple over, nearly causing injury to passers-by. Another example of “an accident waiting to happen.”
The National Safety Council reports that in 2024 there were 45,800,000 Preventable Injuries and 152,300 Preventable Injury Deaths in American Homes and Communities. The leading causes of deaths were poisoning (including drug overdoses) (42%) and falls (31%). Those of us in our “Golden Years” are particularly fearful of falling. We have learned to have a hand on a handrail going up and down stairs. And to avoid climbing extension ladders. With age comes declining coordination and balance. So whether at home or at a Kiwanis event, be careful out there. Accidents are preventable.
Allow me to once again appeal to every club in the District to appoint a Safety Coordinator! Please forward that person’s contact information to Tom Harp, Risk Manager via the Contact Us form and select Risk Manager from the drop down to send a secure message. Thank you for helping us reduce accidents and injuries to our members and the public we serve.
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