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5.5. ERMUSR 12-15-2009~j Elk River -== Municipal Utilities 13069 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 430 Elk River, MN 55330-0430 December 10, 2009 To: Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission John Dietz Jerry Gumphrey Daryl Thompson From: Troy Adams Subject: Review and Consider Clothing Policy Revision Phone: 763.441.2020 Fax: 763.441.8099 Elk River Municipal Utilities provides personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees. This includes, but is not limited to: FR clothing, boots, safety glasses, safety vests, hard hats, rubber and leather gloves. These are items required for safe implementation of the employees' job duties. These items are the property of Elk River Municipal Utilities and not employee compensation. Much of these items have the Elk River Municipal Utilities logo on them. Although there are logoed clothing items that employees acquired with their own money, they do not look like uniforms. The PPE clothing with the logo really becomes the uniform in public perception. These PPE items are prohibited for personal wear. This is done for two reasons. One, these items are the property of Elk River Municipal Utilities and not employee compensation. Two, the employee become a representative of the Utilities anytime an employee is wearing the logoed PPE clothing in public. Because these items are the property of the Utilities and that there is the potential negative public perception or misuse, these items have been collected when needing replacement. This is dictated by the Clothing Policy. There is not specific language in the Clothing Policy to require employees to turn in the PPE items when leaving employment with Elk River Municipal Utilities. Staff recommends adding such verbiage to the Clothing Policy. The Clothing Policy from the ERMU Handbook with the proposed language is attached for review and consideration. 34. EMPLOYEE CLOTHING It is required that employees wear clothing items specified by the Utilities for their position and activity during working time. For regular field workers potentially exposed to electric hazards, the Utilities will provide an initial issue of five fire retardant long sleeved shirts, five fire_retardant pants, and five fire retardant tee shirts per outside employee exposed to electric hazards,. As an alternative option, one fire retardant hooded fleece may be substituted for two fire retardant hooded fleece may be substituted for two fire retardant long-sleeved shirts and/or one sweatshirt may be substituted for two long-sleeved shirts. Provided clothing may also include: lineman's climbing boots, summer work boots, rubber boots, rubber overshoes, insulated winter boots, and coveralls (used for maintenance on trucks). The Utilities will issue a check to the supplier for the covered items. On an annual basis, the Utilities will replace worn out items that have been provided by the Utilities. Worn out items should be turned in to the Utilities. The Utilities will also provide and replace the following as necessary in the Utilities' discretion: fire retardant lined and unlined bib overalls, fire retardant lined parka and hood, fire retardant lined bomber jacket, and hats with the appropriate emblems and identification. Upon the end of employment with the Utilities an employee must return all Utilities clothing items that were issued to him or her that were paid for by the Utilities.