INFORMATION 11-18-2002TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM
Mayor and City Council
Bruce A. West, Safety Coordinator
November 18, 2002
Safety Grants
I would like to update the Mayor and City Council about a safety grant program offered by the
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry through the Workplace Safety Consultation
Department. The City of Elk River Safety Committee has been working with all of our
departments, including the Elk River Utilities, in reference to the safety grant program.
The safety grant program awards funds up to $10,000 to qualifying employers for proiects
designated to reduce the risk of iniury and illness to their workers. Grants are awarded to
those best satisfying the safety program goals, including eligibility and evaluation criteria.
Applications are evaluated based on factors in state statutes and rules. Eligible proiects are
proiects designated to abate safety and/or health hazards based on survey results identified
through the employee safety committee.
The City of Elk River and the Elk River Utilities have been very successful in obtaining safety
grants for various projects within our community. Within the past twelve months, safety
grants have been awarded to the Elk River Utilities for a trench box ($10,000), the Elk River
Fire Department for the upgrade of a self contained breathing apparatus ($10,000), the City of
Elk River municipal liquor store for the upgrade of video surveillance equipment ($7,500), and
Public Works was recently awarded $10,000 for a fire protection system in their building. The
safety grant program from the MN Department of Labor and Industry has provided over
$37,000 of benefits to the City of Elk River.
Other departments within the City of Elk River are proposing projects that are consistent with
the objective of reducing the risk of injury to employees and will be submitting applications
for a safety grants. Gary Leirmoe, on behalf of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, will be
submitting an application for their jet/vac truck to reduce the potential of an injury to an
employee entering a confined space. Finance Director Lori Johnson and I have discussed
applying for a safety grant for ergonomics that would assist employees within the
Administration area.
Our safety committee, along with the assistance of Dave Berggren from MMUA, has provided
assistance to various departments in reference to the Minnesota Department of Labor and
Industry safety grant program. Numerous departments have been successful in their safety
grant applications and we look forward to the possible success of other departments in their
safety grant applications. If you have any questions regarding the safety grant program, please
feel free to call me at the Elk River Fire Department at 763-441-4919.
s:NcouncilNb~2ce N safetygrants.doc