Grounds care workers are exposed to many different dangers when working outside — Grounds maintenance is highly variable, dangerous and seasonal work, and keeping grounds crew members safe when on the job is an often-overlooked area for grounds managers. The range of responsibilities these employees are tasked with makes it essential to look out for the risks to their safety.
Grounds teams are responsible for maintaining many areas at institutional and commercial facilities, from a patch of grass in front of a suburban office building to golf courses and sports fields and campus landscapes. Their tasks include mowing, snow plowing, shoveling, planting and pruning, mulching, picking up trash, and power-washing paved surfaces.
With that breadth of variability comes risks involving equipment hazards, extreme weather conditions, ergonomics and noise pollution…