WSA Member Update 2.15.24

February 15, 2024 Dear WSA Members,  We welcome our newest member, BABCO Lot & Pavement Maintenance, which is located in Rison, Arkansas.  Ahhh, mystery solved about our low WSA renewal rate – even from some of our historically most dedicated supporters! For reasons unknown, we found that nearly half of the invoices we sent via our online invoicing program, FreshBooks, apparently went into spam since they were never even viewed by our members. We’ll be re-sending to those companies during the next few days.  FYI: In case you didn’t get around to ordering needed belts or forgot: V-Belt Supply has extended the 29% off its normal pricing special through tomorrow, February 16th.  Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application that most everyone uses at some level due to its wide range of functionalities and user-friendly interface. In case your team would benefit by knowing how to better utilize Excel, this eBook covers both the basics of Microsoft Excel as well as provides the info you need to better leverage this powerful software. Were you unable to attend the webinar “Top Three Things to Know When Managing a Fleet” in real time, as announced in our January 15th WSA Member Update? The webinar is now available to WSA members on demand.  Says Matt Camden, the presenter: “If you manage a fleet of vehicles or the people who drive them, you are responsible for the safety of your drivers and the financial health of your organization.” OSHA reports one in ten construction site workers are injured every year. However, statistics show there are 30 minor injuries, 10 serious injuries, and one fatality for every 600 near misses. If you want to further enhance your organization’s ‘culture of safety,’ this brief article How to Create a “See Something, Say Something” Safety Culture, developed by the Foundation of the American Subcontractors Association, is an excellent concept to introduce to your employees. Near-miss reporting enables safety teams to analyze trends and communicate valuable lessons learned before a similar incident occurs.  This month, our Safety First! post has some more info centered around the extreme cold weather many across the nation have been experiencing. February’s Safety First! message discusses the following:Slip & Fall PreventionNuclear Winter Continues – Extreme Weather Becoming NormalDefensive Driving Tips for Extreme Weather PPE For Cold WeatherAs always, if you have questions or comments about this WSA Member Update, or anything else to do with the World Sweeping Association or power sweeping in general, please let me know. Good Sweeping, Ranger Kidwell-Ross, Executive Director World Sweeping Association