Safety
Program for the Batting Cages
THE
FOREGOING IS A SAMPLE “SAFETY PROGRAM” FOR A COMMERCIAL BATTING
RANGE. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT A SAFETY PROGRAM MAY INCLUDE OTHER
ELEMENTS THAN THOSE DETAILED HERE. ALL BATTING RANGE OPERATIONS
SHOULD HAVE A MANAGEMENT-SPONSORED COMPREHENSIVE “SAFETY PROGRAM”.
MANAGEMENT
It
is essential that the management of the batting cage support the
development and implementation of an effective safety program. It
is the responsibility of the management to commit to a safety program
and to communicate this commitment to all of management’s employees.
The Safety Program must include employee safety as well as guest
safety and methods to carry out the program.
EMPLOYEE
SAFETY
The
safety of the employee must be the first priority of any safety
program. Employee safety is mandated by agencies including federal,
state and local municipalities. Be certain that the employee understand
the risks that they are exposed to and how they can avoid these
risks. Just as management must commit to the safety program, employees
must also be willing to accept their responsibility to the program.
EMPLOYEE
SAFETY EXPOSURE
1.
Hit by pitched bal
2. Hit by batted ball
3. Hit with bat outside of batting cage
4. Injury from contact with mechanical parts (i.e wheels, belts,
motors, electrical components, etc...)
5. Hit by ball in the “pit area”
6. Injuries while batting or giving instruction
7. Slip on floor
8. Fire or robbery
9. Horse play
10. Operating Center Pole Winch (raising and lowering netting)
EMPLOYEE
RISK REDUCTION
1. Thoroughly train staff regarding all Safety/Warning policies
(Warning Signs, etc)
2. Wear Batting Helmets with Face Guards at all times while in
hitting area, including “pit area”
3. Sound a warning to batters (whistle, yell, etc...) when going
to “pit area”
4. Use safety netting in pit to block holes in netting while working
in area
5. Thoroughly train all staff on operation of all pitching machines
and batting range equipment systems. Have all staff review maintenance
procedures with ABC Owner/Operator Manual
a. Train at initial hire
b. Re-train annually using ABC Operational and Technical Manual
and ABC training video tape.
6.
Thoroughly train staff of all Operating Standards relating to
safety and operations
7. Turn off and unplug all electrical components when servicing
equipment
8. Give instructions from outside of cages-Do Not enter cage when
player is batting
9. Stop machines from pitching immediately when accidents occur
or when rule enforcement is necessary
10. Do not use batting cage after accident has occurred until
all equipment has been checked for proper operation 11. Train
staff for all emergency policies a. Police telephone number b.
Fire telephone number c. Ambulance telephone number
12. All staff must have a “NO TOLERANCE RULE” for breaking any
Safety Rules or Procedures
GUEST
SAFETY
Guest
safety is essential to the batting range success. All guest safety
programs must begin with the Employee safety program. Employees
must be committed to this vital aspect of the business. The employees
will be the most responsible for any Guest Safety Program implemented
by Management.
GUEST
SAFETY EXPOSURE
1.
Hit by pitched ball
2. Hit by batted ball
3. Hit by bat outside of cages
4. Player too young or inexperienced to use a batting cage
5. Batters not standing in Batters Box
6. Non-Contact injuries while batting (i.e. ankle, knee, etc...)
7. Players/Guest not complying with all posted Rules
8. Food poisoning
9. Fire
10. Slip and fall
11. Horseplay
GUEST
RISK REDUCTION
1.
List and display all SAFETY/WARNING SIGNS and RULES for quest
to follow (see “Operation Safety Standards”)
2. Have all employees understand these SAFETY/WARNING SIGNS and
RULES and ENFORCE THESE RULES! (see “Operational Safety Standards”)
3. At least ONE batting range EMPLOYEE MUST BE ON DUTY AT ALL
TIMES DURING CAGE OPERATION!
4. Pitching Machines, Warning Lights and related Feeding Systems
must be adjusted and maintained at all times and must be in good
working order at all times while batting cage is available for
play.
5. Signs must be posted stating type of cage (baseball or softball)
and speeds of pitch in each cage.
6. Regular cleaning of floor/concrete to prevent slipping and
to keep balls clean
7. All netting and protective fencing must be repaired, maintained
and replaced when necessary. Verify gates have return springs
attached and that the gates fully close.
8. Inspect, clean and replace worn balls regularly
9. Follow all local health and safety codes
10. Employee must stop balls from pitching immediately when any
accident occurs. Attend to guest immediately (refer to Management’s
Emergency Procedures). Do not allow batting in the batting cage
where accident occurred until all equipment has been checked for
proper operating condition. File Incident Report.
11. Completely train and re-train all employees about safety risks
of your guests and themselves!
12. INSIST THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE ALL GUEST FOLLOW THE POSTED RULES!
EMPLOYEES MUST HAVE A “ZERO TOLERANCE RULE” FOR GUEST BREAKING
POSTED RULES!
13. EMPLOYEES MUST TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS (stop pitching machines
and remove batter from cage) TO MINIMIZE SAFETY RISKS TO GUEST
WHEN RISK ARE APPARENT!
FIRE
PROTECTION
Fire
protection should always be a part of Management’s Safety Program.
Consult with local fire authorities about their requirements. Be
certain that employees have knowledge about the fire protection
available at the batting cage.
FIRST
AID
Management
should have four basic areas of responsibility for First Aid.
1.
Employee First Aid - Check with local agencies about First Aid
Kits and your responsibility for Employee First Aid.
2. First Aid to guests.
a. Emergency First Aid - Have Emergency plan documented for employees
to follow.
b. Courtesy First Aid - Have Band-Aids, ice, etc...)
3. Record Keeping and Reporting - It is essential that all First
Aid (either employee or guest related) be documented and maintained
for future reference.
4. Injury Claims defense - Providing first aid and documenting
the type and extent of all injuries and how the injury occurred
is necessary for any Injury Claim Defense.
INSPECTION
A Safety
Program should address the need for inspections. These inspections
should be focused in at least four areas:
1.
Inspection of employees work area.
2. Inspections to insure guest safety–see Regularly scheduled
Maintenance and Operational Procedures in “Maintenance” section.
3. Inspections for housekeeping and fire protection.
4. Required inspections for Federal, State and Local Requirements.
ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
In
order to reduce accidents from occurring, a preventive program must
be in place. Recognizing potential risks and taking the appropriate
steps to minimize or eliminate these risks is critical. All accidents
must be investigated and documented, even if injuries have not resulted
from the accident. Communicating these accidents should be a regular
occurrence within the Safety Program.
SAFETY
TRAINING
Safety
training should not be confused with Job Training. Safety training
should be conducted singularly and considered a separate responsibility
of the employee. Safety Training should be conducted when the employee
is first hired and should be reviewed at least once a year.
RECORD
KEEPING
Record
Keeping for the Safety Program should include several records including;
Employee Injury Reports, Guest Injury Reports, Inspection/Maintenance
Reports, documented Safety Program Training and reviews and “Accident
Investigation” meetings. (Refer to section “Daily Operational Forms
& Checklists”).
BATTING
RANGE EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment
maintenance should only be performed by qualified persons with a
full understanding of the equipment and how it operates. It is also
very important that the person maintaining the equipment understands
about the batting range operation and risks involved with repairing
and maintaining the system. All daily, weekly, monthly and other
periodic maintenance should be conducted on the pitching machine
equipment and the related equipment. Refer to the section titles
“MAINTENANCE” in the “ABC Owner/Operators Manual” for specific maintenance
and operational procedures. Document all maintenance and operational
procedures and file for future reference.
COMMUNICATIONS
The
Safety Program must be communicated clearly and understood by every
person involved in it’s implementation. Communication techniques
should include written material along with on-site instructions
and directions. All training sessions should be documented and filed
for future reference.
HOUSEKEEPING
Safety
Program should include a Housekeeping element and all staff should
understand the necessity of cleanliness.
EMERGENCY
PROCEDURES
Management
must detail Emergency Procedures which would be followed in the
event of any emergency. These emergencies will include NATURAL DISASTERS
(wind, rain, earthquake, etc...), ACCIDENTS (injuries) and MAN-MADE
DISASTERS (bomb threats, structural, power outages, etc...).
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