Safety can sometimes take a backseat when stress is high, but it's important to keep consistent practices for the good of your team. Photos courtesy of Rachel Sullivan
As turf managers, it goes without saying that agronomic conditions take up most of our headspace. Our brains are constantly occupied by when to spray, how true the greens are rolling, or how the next topdressing event lines up with the golf calendar. These types of thoughts are the bread and butter of a turf manager for succeeding in the industry we love.
However, arguably more important than the quality of the course is the safety of those that work with and for us. Every day we work around dangerous equipment in demanding conditions. So why isn’t our crew’s health and safety also occupying our thoughts on a regular basis?
Safety unfortunately often gets sidelined when deadlines approach, when a task becomes routine or when new hires aren’t properly trained in safe work practices. At Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, we were inspired to change the culture surrounding health and safety in the greens department and bring safety to the forefront of the turf manager’s mind. At the heart of this goal was integrating two usually separate departments.
Enter my dual roles. Not only am I the assistant superintendent, but I am also the club’s health and safety coordinator. This configuration of responsibilities came about when the previous Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) co-chair left the club. He submitted my name for consideration as his replacement. He had seen firsthand how much I cared for the health and safety of our employees and knew that I had been part of JHSCs at other clubs I had worked at. I sat down with our COO for a conversation about what my responsibilities would entail, and it became clear that I was about to help forge a new position at the club. Out of this meeting, the title of health and safety coordinator was born.
The primary focus of this title is co-chairing the JHSC. This, however, is not as simple as it sounds. It requires me to organize and spearhead the JHSC meetings. This is no small feat when the committee members are from all different departments, have different schedules, and bring different perspectives and objectives to the table. However, I value the diversity of our committee and see it as a resource to tap into.
Dividing safety inspection tasks among the team helps ensure an equal distribution of responsiblity.
I also create and oversee the club’s monthly inspection schedule. The rotating schedule ensures that not only is the clubhouse regularly inspected, but the golf course as well. I have broken the course up into sections and included buildings on the course such as washrooms and the halfway house. This is an initiative I had not seen at other golf courses, but it has proved to precipitate some necessary improvements. As a direct result of these added inspection areas, we have increased safety protocols around steep banks, replaced a hazardous cart path, and improved stair tread traction leading to a washroom facility.
Another important item on my to-do list is investigating all accidents and incidents. I created the current reporting process for the club so that whenever an accident or incident form is filled out, I am immediately notified. Upon receiving the form, I investigate the circumstances to find the root cause of the incident and address it promptly. Usually, this means a recommendation must be made to one of the department managers on how to mitigate a hazard.
In essence, my duty is to ensure the club remains in compliance with current health and safety laws. But I don’t stop there. What makes Credit Valley stand out in terms of health and safety programs is their commitment to creating a culture that exudes health and safety excellence. It’s not enough to simply adhere to the laws surrounding health and safety in the workplace. We continually strive to add to and improve our policies and procedures. How we facilitate this is by being a part of Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) Health and Safety Excellence Program.
Each year, I work alongside a contractor to create our submission to the program. This mainly involves providing evidence that the club is going above and beyond in chosen aspects of health and safety. This year, we are focusing on hazard reporting, hazard assessment, heat stress, cold stress, and slips, trips and falls. For each of these topics, we must demonstrate that we have thorough policies in place, that everyone affected is trained on our policies, and that the everyday goings on of our business reflect our policies’ mandates.
In addition to her position as an assistant superintendent at The Credit Valley Golf & Country Club, Rachel Sullivan is the club's health and safety coordinator.
After our submission is completed, it is audited by a WSIB professional to ensure validity and accuracy. Upon granting our submission a pass, not only do we have the satisfaction of knowing we have improved the health and safety program at the club, but we are also entitled to a substantial rebate. I encourage anyone looking for a way to continuously improve their health and safety culture to join a similar program — there is so much to gain from your involvement with it.
All this is to say: health and safety is a labor of love for me. I signed on for these additional duties because I care that everyone makes it home happy and healthy at the end of their day. I encourage everyone to become more involved in the health and safety programs at your clubs, whether that means keeping a closer eye on your team’s habits, advocating for more resources, joining your health and safety committee or deciding to become a certified representative. There are innumerable ways, big and small, that we can start to put health and safety at the forefront. If there’s one thing I want you to take away from what I’ve said, it’s this: buying into health and safety makes a big impact for the good of our teams and they deserve that effort.
Rachel Sullivan is an assistant golf course superintendent at The Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.