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State: |
Massachusetts |
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Company: |
The Westmoor Club |
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| Employees: |
Approximately 100 in season |
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| Success Brief: |
The Westmoor Club, a private club on
Nantucket Island, worked with the Massachusetts On-site Consultation Program to enhance its
workplace safety and health program. Since the initial Consultation visit, the club has had no
OSHA recordable workplace fatalities, injuries, or illnesses. |
The Situation:
The Westmoor Club is a private club that opened in 2005 on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The club
features a clubhouse (originally built in 1917 as a summer home for Alice Vanderbilt and restored in
2005), a fitness center and spa, Olympic-sized pool, 11 tennis courts, croquet court, and many other
amenities on its 12-acre property.
Brent Tartamella, the club's general manager and a certified club manager (CCM), wanted the club to
be proactive in addressing the safety and health of its employees, members, and visitors. As part of his efforts, he contacted the
Massachusetts On-site Consultation Program to help the club improve its safety and health program.
Mr. Tartamella first learned about the OSHA On-site Consultation Program while attending the Club
Managers Association of America's (CMAA's) 78th Annual World Conference on Club Management on
February 27 to March 3, 2005. OSHA participated in this event through its
Alliance with CMAA
(signed on September 16, 2003 and renewed on February 22, 2006 and October 17, 2007) to promote safe
and healthful working conditions for membership club employees. Mr. Tartamella received information
about the On-Site Consultation Program at the OSHA and CMAA Alliance exhibit booth and at a
conference session.
The OSHA On-site Consultation Program is a free and confidential service that small and medium-sized
businesses can use to improve their safety performance. The program is largely funded by OSHA and
delivered by state agencies. In Massachusetts, the program is administered by the Massachusetts
Department of Labor's Division of Occupational Safety.
The Solution:
Consultants from the Massachusetts On-site Consultation Program visited the club in October 2005 and
November 2006. During the initial visit, Joel Weddig, an industrial hygiene consultant, conducted a
comprehensive occupational safety and health hazard identification survey. Mr. Weddig worked with
club representatives to develop a written safety and health program. He also provided club
representatives with programs for complying with OSHA's hazard communication and bloodborne pathogen
standards, which he downloaded from the OSHA Web site. Those two programs are now part of the club's
annual staff orientation given to all club employees.
In addition, during the facility walkthrough Mr. Weddig suggested a number of other ways that the
club could improve its safety and health performance, including additional handrails and first-aid
measures. He pointed out other potential safety hazards, such as poorly labeled electrical boxes and
locations where new outlets should be installed instead of using extension cords. Mr. Tartamella
praised the thoroughness of the hazard identification survey: "It's like cleaning house before you
have visitors. The On-site Consultation staff's attention to detail helped us correct potential
hazards that we might have overlooked."
As part of its enhanced safety and health program, the club provides training for its employees on
various workplace safety and health issues, such as hazard communication, bloodborne pathogens, and
first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of automated external
defibrillators (AEDs). The club provides this training as part of its employee orientation program.
In addition, the club holds weekly staff meetings during which safety issues are discussed.
The Impact:
Since the initial On-site Consultation visit in October 2005, the club has had no OSHA recordable
workplace fatalities, injuries, or illnesses.
In addition, Mr. Tartamella has observed that club members and staff appreciate the club's proactive
approach to safety. This approach goes beyond workplace safety because over 60 staff, including many
college students, live on the property during the club's season. The club is responsible for
ensuring their safety 24 hours a day. According to Mr. Tartamella, providing staff and members with
a safe environment has translated into good morale for employees and a more positive experience for
members, which in turn has led to a more successful club.
"As a result of working with the On-site Consultation Program staff, our club was able to establish
a culture of safety and health excellence right from the start," said Mr. Tartamella. "With the help
of the wonderful program, we have created an environment that employees and members can be proud of.
We strongly recommend that other clubs and small businesses take advantage of this free service. Not
only is it the right thing to do, but it is an excellent way to limit workers' compensation and
accident expenses."
Source:
Brent Tartamella, CCM, General Manager, The Westmoor Club, Nantucket, Massachusetts (February 2008).
Developed through the
OSHA and the Club Managers Association of America Alliance.
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