Take These Steps To Protect Your Crossing Guards While They'Re On The Job

12 September 2018 by Jonathan Phillips

If you work for a local school board or municipal government and oversee the jurisdiction's crossing guards, you likely spend a lot of time thinking about the safety of local schoolchildren. For example, you probably carefully evaluate which intersections are busiest around the community, and thus which require crossing guards from Monday through Friday. While your focus on the children is justified, you should also be thinking about the safety of the guards. You don't want anyone to get injured on the job, especially if he or she believes that your negligence was a factor in the injury. Here are some steps that you can take to protect your crossing guards.

Outfit Them With Proper Safety Gear

Proper safety gear can improve the visibility of your crossing guards and thus make it less likely for motorists to accidentally hit them. You should always ensure that your guards' safety vests are new. A guard might be tempted to wear the same vest year after year, but the frequent exposure to the sun can cause the brightness of the vest to fade. Over time, the visibility of the garment may be lacking. When you take care to give your guards new vests annually or whenever needed, you're taking a big step toward keeping them safe.

Provide Sun Education

Crossing guards will frequently spend a lot of time out in the sun, and this can lead to some health risks. For example, a guard who gets too much sun could pass out and sustain an injury upon falling. While you can't be present at each intersection to ensure that your guards are taking care of themselves, you can take action by educating each of them about the dangers of the sun. Emphasize the use of sunscreen and a hat, as well as the importance of keeping hydrated to avoid dehydration on the job.

Assess Each Intersection's Safety

Sometimes, crossing guards might complain about certain intersections not feeling very safe. For example, you might learn that motorists frequently speed in certain areas or don't always heed the presence of the crossing guards. Upon receiving this information, you need to protect your guards by taking these complaints to the local police force. Doing so shows that you're being active in improving the safety of the working conditions for those who report to you. In the event of a serious injury to a crossing guard, you may need to hire an attorney (such as Oxner + Permar, PLLC) who specializes in workers' compensation cases.

Share

Search