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Public Administration & Municipal Services Safety Grants Save Lives and Money

June 2, 2022 • Missouri Employers Mutual

At Missouri Employers Mutual, we don’t want funding to stand in the way of saving lives at work. That’s why we created the MEM Safety Grant program. The goal of the safety grant program is to support policyholders who need safety equipment and are willing to match MEM’s investment. See how three public administration and municipal services businesses used their safety grant funds to improve workplace safety.

Public administration and municipal services safety grants in action

 

Affton Fire Protection District

The Affton Fire Protection District provides service to more than 40,000 residents, light industrial, and commercial buildings, and averages 5,000+ calls per year. With their safety grant funds, they purchased a RollNRack hose management system, which includes a Power Roller that drains and rolls 5000 feet of hose on a full battery charge and a Go Pack, a stowable rack for the transport and loading of all hose rolls. The implementation of the system reduced back injuries, tripping hazards, and firefighter fatigue, as the hose management system cuts the time and effort spent rolling firehose in half.

City of Montgomery, Missouri

As a small municipality running a utility department, Montgomery City used its safety grant funds to purchase a Speed Shores 8’ x 10’ aluminum trench box with adjustable spreaders and latching hooks. Due to the high cost, Montgomery City previously rented or borrowed trench boxes for deep digging projects, but that process became problematic during emergencies. Implementation of the trench box improves employee safety and decreases response and repair time by up to three hours.

City of Washington, Missouri

The City of Washington provides curbside refuse, trash, and recycling collection to 6,000 residences per week. Due to the long hours of physical labor, exposure to unknown substances, and operating in live traffic scenarios, the City of Washington used its safety grant funds to purchase five Bayne Revolution HD Refuse Cart Lifters. The cart lifters allow the garbage trucks to hydraulically lift large trash cans with attached lids, eliminating employees from manually lifting trash cans. Before implementation, the City of Washington had six related work comp claims, and has had zero related claims post-implementation.

All of MEM’s policyholders are eligible for a safety grant, regardless of premium size or claims history. Successful applicants earn one-to-one matching grants up to $10,000 toward approved safety initiatives. Policyholders are required to monitor claims data and report on the success of the safety grant so MEM can help other businesses learn from their success.

You can read even more safety grant success stories on our blog. Visit our Safety Grants page to learn more about the program and how policyholders can apply

Date
June 2, 2022
Author
Missouri Employers Mutual
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