Personnel Committee recommends respiratory protection policy for sewer crews after DNR sampling

The personnel committee voted 8-0 on May 18 to recommend changes to the employee safety manual to require respiratory protection for sewer crew members at sites flagged after Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sampling.

Christina, a city staff member providing background, told the committee, “We became aware of a potential, occupational hazard site related to chemical vapor,” and said the DNR had done sampling that identified the potential hazard. Staff proposed adding respiratory-protection practices so sewer crews can wear appropriate protection at those flagged sites.

The change was introduced as a motion by a committee member and seconded; the Deputy Clerk later recorded the vote as 8-0. The motion text recommended updates to the employee safety manual to add respiratory protection policy for the sewer crew.

Committee members asked where the hazard map referenced in the policy would be kept. Christina said the staff who perform the work “have access to, I believe it's in digital form in their vehicles,” so crews can see when a location is flagged and must “mask up.” A staff member who works on the GIS mapping project said, “We actually just went, implemented it today,” describing a sewer-crew-specific map and an electronic jetting form that automatically populates and visually flags locations where respiratory protection is required.

Committee members responded that a digital, in-vehicle map and the automated form address their concerns about locating flagged sites. The Deputy Clerk recorded the final tally as 8-0 in favor of recommending the change to the employee safety manual.

The committee adjourned after handling the item. The transcript did not specify the next procedural step for the recommendation (for example, whether it would be forwarded to the full council or placed on a future agenda).