http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/647562
Scott Radley The Hamilton Spectator (Oct 5, 2009) If there's one thing most people think as they watch a Zamboni clean the ice, it's the massive danger the drivers face on every terrifying lap. Whipping around the ice at speeds as high as 15 kilometres an hour and subjecting themselves to brutal centrifugal forces, it's clear the risk of a significant head injury to these brave men and women is constantly looming. No? Well, somebody thinks so. Because if you wander into any Hamilton-run rink these days, you'll notice all ice maintenance workers -- most notably drivers -- are required to wear a hockey helmet when working. The city even provided new helmets for all the staff. C'mon now, stop snickering. "We see the potential danger there," says Chris Herstek, the city's recreation manager. He says in recent years there have been some abrasions suffered by drivers throughout Ontario when they've leaned over the side of the machine while edging the rink and bumped their heads. And there's the possibility of someone slipping while getting on or off. For their part, a number of local drivers who've worked clearing ice for years -- who all say they thought it was a joke at first when they got the memo and even now laugh out loud at the new rule -- say they've never heard of a serious head injury occurring from driving. And Frank Zamboni, the executive vice-president of Zamboni Canada in Brantford and grandson of the inventor, isn't aware of any, either. In fact, it appears that in the 60 years or so since the machine entered popular culture, more people have died from cotton-swab, ear-cleaning-related accidents (one, in Montreal two years ago) than from head injuries resulting from this job. Yet Helmeton, er, Hamilton has joined a few other communities as the first to mandate headgear. Based on this decision, one might conclude that ice cleaning is more dangerous than, say, skateboarding. After all, just the other week there was a story in this paper about the opening of a new public skateboard park. Accompanying it was a photo of a dozen or so young boarders including one airborne above the hard track. None were in helmets because protective headgear isn't required for skateboarders on municipal property, even though a city memo issued when construction of the park was being discussed acknowledged that boarders are at significant risk of "severe head injuries and even death." Just as it's not required for pleasure skaters on public rinks. Not even for first-timers who've never worn skates before. "I wouldn't want to take that skating away from some kid who can't afford a helmet," Herstek says. Heck, helmets aren't even forced onto the heads of young figure skaters learning to do potentially dangerous spinning jumps. Or above-the-head lifts. That's because city staffers fall under different insurance and risk management categories than facility users. Essentially, the city is responsible for the safety of its employees while facility users are often covered by separate insurance purchased by the various program operators like Hockey Canada or figure skating groups. But if this is about protecting workers from potential injury, should other municipal employees be wondering when their helmets will arrive? Think about it. Garbage men jump on and off those trucks all the time and could slip on a patch of ice. There's big-time noggin' bumping potential there. Lifeguards are constantly walking on slippery pool decks. Maintenance folks mopping hallways could lose their footing on a damp spot. Librarians could have heavy hardbacks fall on them from above while reshelving books. Gardeners cutting public lawns could lean over the edge of their riding lawnmowers and bonk their head on a tree causing an abrasion. Surely, this doesn't mean the list of headgear-wearing municipal employees will grow, does it? The chief administrative officer of the Ontario Recreation Facilities Association pauses before answering, particularly at the part about the lifeguards. "You raise an interesting point," John Milton says. "It should be the same decision-making process." Hopefully, he's kidding. srad...@thespec.com 905-526-2440 *********************************** * POST TO MEDIANEWS@ETSKYWARN.NET * *********************************** Medianews mailing list Medianews@etskywarn.net http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
