Supervisors agree to seek grant for no-slip safety equipment

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors has given approval to pursue a grant for safety equipment to prevent slips and falls.
At the regular meeting May 16, the supervisors heard a presentation from safety coordinator Morgan Lewellen, who said the county was eligible to receive a safety implementation grant from the Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association.
“The grant will provide funding for county workers that work in inclement weather, such as snow and ice, for non-slip traction shoes that slip over the employee’s regular shoes. The grant amount is up to $10,000,” Lewellen said.
In order to qualify for the grant, Lewellen said the county would have to make some adjustments to policy in the employee handbook as well as other changes.
“The grant requires the county to have a future plan in place to replace them when they become worn out or broken, so I would be requesting a line item in my budget to pay for that down the road,” Lewellen explained. “The representative I spoke to said the euipment can last up to two years.”
If approved, Lewellen said she could apply for the grant on Jan. 1, 2024, during the open enrollment period.
Per the recommendation, the handbook would have to add verbiage stating ‘slip-resistant footwear such as cleats, spikes, and other traction aids will be provided to employees that are exposed to ice and snow while performing their duties. The type of job function and the length of time spent outdoors will determine the type of footwear or traction aid that each employee is provided. During the period of Nov. 1 through April 1, employees provided with slip-resistant footwear or other traction aids shall be required to wear the footwear when working outdoors and if snow and ice is present or forecasted during the work shifts. Failure to comply will be a violation of the employer’s personal protective equipment policy and subject to discipline.’
Lewellen added that the grant is also a study through the IMWCA, so monitoring would take place.
“The IMWCA would be watching our claims, basically, to see if we have any slip and falls, and put that information into percentages and use that information for evaluation,” said Lewellen.
The supervisors approved Lewellen’s request to apply for the safety implementation grant from the Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association.