Equipment implications for you and
your employer
By Mitch Trujillo, PCI #244T
Boulder PD (CO)
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee
and
Donald C. Reed, PCI #195T/EMSCI #035
Denver PD (CO)
IPMBA Education Committee
IPMBA mandates four pieces
of safety equipment (and strongly recommends a fifth) which must be used
by students during IPMBA training courses and should be used on-duty:
1. A mountain bike in good mechanical condition that fits the rider properly.
2. A properly fitted bicycle helmet, approved by ANSI, Snell, ASTM, or CPSC.
3. Shatter-resistant protective eyewear, day and night.
4. Pedal retention - toe clips/straps, Power Grips, or clipless pedals with
appropriate shoes.
5. Padded cycling gloves.
Public safety cyclists face risks beyond those faced by our non bike-mounted
counterparts. IPMBA training teaches us how to minimize some of those risks.
In the more than ten years since the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course was introduced,
we may have begun to take the safety guidelines for granted. Have you really
thought about why IPMBA mandates this equipment? We thought it would be useful
to try and take a closer look at IPMBA's basic safety equipment and why we
require it, not just from a personal injury prevention standpoint, but from
an occupational safety and health perspective.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) sets federal
standards in this country to protect people and businesses from unnecessary
risks while at work. Even though state and local government workers are excluded
from federal coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
(the "OSH Act"), each state operates its own state workplace safety and health
program, under plans approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. These programs
cover most private sector workers and are also required to extend their coverage
to public sector (state and local government) workers in the state.
According to the OSHA administration in Denver, although the government is
not bound by OSHA's rules and regulations, most large cities do follow the
recommendations. No administrator wants to see employees get hurt while at
work, and besides, injury prevention saves money and reduces the risk of
lawsuit. Therefore, it is important that any department operating a bike
unit keep occupational safety and health issues in mind, even if the state
agency does not have specific guidelines in place.
One of benefits of reducing the risk of injury through safe work practices
is the avoidance of Worker's Compensation claims. If the employee who is
injured on the job was following the rules and regulations set forth by the
City Government Administration, worker's compensation will cover the expense
of the medical treatment. If the employee violated the rules and regulation
set forth by the administration the medical expense will still be covered;
however, if the injury is career-threatening and it can be proven that the
employee violated the work rules, the employee may receive a lower disability
rating and reduced benefits.
The Bicycle
Let's start with the bicycle. The bicycle is considered a vehicle in most
states, and as a vehicle, it is required to be in "good working order." IPMBA
insists upon high-quality bicycles that have been built to withstand the
rigors of the field. An inexpensive bike may break, resulting in rider injury
- followed by a worker's compensation claim or, worse yet, a lawsuit. One
IPMBA instructor submitted photos to IPMBA HQ of a "big-box" bike which broke
at the fork while the student was descending a set of stairs. Ouch! Not only
must the bike be of good quality, it must be properly fitted to the rider.
A variety of injuries, both chronic and traumatic, can result from an ill-fitting
bicycle. Departments should be aware of these factors before attempting to
build a fleet from poor quality or seized bikes. Accepting poor equipment
may save pennies in the short run, but the costs may be high in the long
run.
If the bicycle is ridden at night, most states required the bicycle to be
equipped with a 10-watt minimum headlight and a rear red light, steady or
flashing. This is in addition to the required reflectors and placards placed
on the bicycles by the manufacturers. OSHA does not have specific requirements
for outfitting bikes for public safety use. Common sense and intelligence
dictate how a department outfits the bikes.
The Helmet
With all the press about helmet use and injury prevention, it is hard to
imagine that any agency would permit their personnel to ride helmetless.
That would be like making seatbelt use in a patrol car or ambulance optional.
However, as evidenced by a photo submitted by an IPMBA Instructor, at least
one agency is risking lives and flirting with legal disaster.
Bikes are single-track vehicles. Unless balanced by a kickstand or a rider,
they will fall over. Sometimes, despite the best efforts of riders, they
will do what they do naturally - fall over. Under normal circumstances, a
human head hitting the hard ground from the height of a bike saddle can
potentially suffer 3-4 times the G-force necessary to cause a FATAL brain
injury. Add speed and it only gets worse. Bike helmets are designed to work
within the force limits normally found in cyclist falls and crashes. They
have proven to be over 80% effective in preventing death and serious brain
injury. Those are good odds when betting with your brain. Even the most elite
bike races are starting to recognize the importance of a helmet. After the
recent tragic death of Andrei Kivilev during Paris-Nice - a death that experts
say could have been prevented by a helmet - even the Tour de France has
implemented a full time helmet requirement. The bottom line is "protection
of your head will save your life."
Protective Eyewear
Eyewear is your second best friend, after the bicycle helmet. Some may think
that cyclists wear glasses to shield their eyes from the glare of the sun,
but it is more than that. Cyclists need eye protection under all lighting
conditions. All public safety cyclists should be outfitted with good-quality,
shatter-resistant glasses. Injury to the eyes can result from facial fractures,
in which pressure is placed on the optic nerve. Rupture of the nerve, or
a detached retina, can cause loss of vision. Although laser surgery has advanced
to the point at which a detached retina can be repaired, why take chances?
Take advantage of the many brands of glasses available with interchangeable
lenses ranging from clear to dark.
The smallest item can harm your eyes while riding your bike. Passing vehicles
throw small items at such a high rate of speed that you can be injured in
a split second. Case in point: during an Instructor Course road ride in
Charleston, an object noisily struck a fence. It hit with the force of a
high-powered BB gun and could have easily been confused as such, if its true
cause was not witnessed. A passing car had struck a rock with the edge of
its tire, launching it with a velocity of several hundred feet a second.
Just like the BB gun in A Christmas Story, it could have certainly put an
eye out had it struck an unprotected rider's face.
Pedal Retention
The initial reaction of most people to pedal retention is negative. It seems
logical that an object that restricts free movement can cause injury. And
since injury means liability and liability means lawsuit, it seems illogical
to equip public safety cyclists with pedal retention. Granted, a cyclist
who is not experienced with pedal retention will probably fall over a few
times and have trouble getting in and out of the clips, but practice cures
that. Once past the initial frustration, most cyclists would not go back.
The main purpose of pedal retention is to keep the rider's feet on the pedals
while clearing obstacles or going up and down stairs. If a foot slips off,
the rider can come forward and land on the top tube, or the back of the leg
or ankle can suffer a "pedal bite." Toe clips are to be kept loose so they
are easy to get out of if a rapid dismount is necessary. Pedal retention
makes for a rider who is more in control of his or her bike, and better able
to accelerate and stop quickly. That can make the difference in catching
a bad guy - or avoiding a crash.
Some riders opt for clipless pedals or PowerGrips, which enable the rider
to enjoy the advantages of tight pedals without sacrificing the quick release.
The rider also rides more efficiently, and is therefore able to ride for
longer periods of time. Because both legs are moving as one unit, the rider
keeps a good cadence. A rider working a good cadence becomes stronger in
the heart, while the aerobic workout helps reduce stress and strain. OSHA
does not take a stand on whether or not a rider should use pedal retention;
however, it does acknowledge that a physically fit person recovers from an
injury more quickly than one who is out of shape.
Cycling Gloves
Cycling gloves, though not listed as mandatory, are strongly recommended.
Cycling gloves can help reduce the risk of injury in several ways. They protect
the hands in the event of a fall. They absorb sweat. The padded palms are
designed to reduce pressure on the ulnar nerve and prevent the wrists and
hands from going numb. The last thing a bike cop needs - especially if he
has to use his firearm - is a numb hand! In addition, the shock absorption
quality of cycling gloves helps relieve tension in the arms, shoulders, and
neck area, keeping the rider relaxed and better able to respond to the
environment.
Public safety cyclists face unique challenges and risks in their jobs. Much
of the safety equipment they require is not police or EMS-specific, so it
may not be readily accepted as work-related. IPMBA's goal in establishing
guidelines for gear is first and foremost to protect the rider, but equally
important is to assist departments in writing SOPs that will help protect
them from wasting valuable funds on lawsuits and worker's comp claims. Take
a good look at your SOPs. Have they kept up with changes in technology? Do
they protect you? Do they protect your department? If not, you've got some
work to do.
Donald "Corky" Reed can be reached at
corkybike@msn.com; Mitch Trujillo
can be reached at
trujillom@ci.boulder.co.us;
and Kirby Beck, who contributed to this article, can be reached at
Kirbyp42@aol.com.
For more information about helmets and standards, refer to Ken King's article
on helmets in the Winter 2003 issue of IPMBA News.
See the conference exhibitors listing on page 21 and the Product Purchase
Program on pages 15-17 for a list of sources for these and other products
for public safety cyclists. |
