"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." ~ Anonymous
Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 7, Issue 10 May 9, 1997

Encore Presentation

F.Y.I. has received a number of requests for copies of this safety article that originally ran in 1996. With that in mind, and the fact that fair season is upon us, we thought it would be helpful to run it again.

Putting Safety Before The Cart, Golf Cart That Is

CFSA’s Safety Unit reports there’s been an increase in golf cart accidents over the last few years, many of which could have been prevented with some basic training and safety-rule enforcement. What types of accidents? Carts running over fair visitors’ feet, for instance; drivers/riders being thrown from carts speeding around sharp turns; people jumping from or to moving carts; improper seating such as overloading, sitting on top of cargo; even crushing people against other carts, vehicles or buildings.

What’s a fair to do? Here are some guidelines from the Safety Unit to help keep your staff accident free while driving or riding in a service cart of any type:

• Stay alert.
• Keep arms and legs inside the cart at all times.
• Take your time while driving through foot traffic during fairtime — travel at no more than 5 m.p.h.
• Remember, pedestrians have right of way. Keep a minimum of three feet between you and the closest pedestrian. If possible, take another route and avoid pedestrian areas altogether.
• Don’t make sharp turns on uneven or steep surfaces.
• Don’t overload the cart with cargo or people — make a second trip.
• Drivers and passengers must be properly seated — no riding on the back of the cart, in someone’s lap or on cargo.
• The cart should come to a complete stop before the driver or passengers get in or out.
• Impress upon cart drivers they are responsible for ensuring all passengers are riding safely.

If you have successful golf/service cart safety programs you’d like to share, or if you have any questions, please contact Tom Allen at 916/263-6186.

Applications are now being accepted for the position of Director of Marketing and Sales for the Santa Clara County Fair Management Corporation. Five years of progressively responsible management experience in marketing and sales is required; a background in market analysis, promotions, and entertainment marketing and sales is a plus. A competitive salary with benefits is offered at a range of $74,000 to $89,000. For application requirements, please call (408) 494-3100.

In the March 14, 1997 issue of F.Y.I., Nancy Strauss, the recycling specialist at Del Mar Fair, shared information about a few of the fair’s innovative recycling programs and how these programs saved and earned more than $700,000 in the process.

Here’s more food for thought from the recycling pro:
Did you know Americans throw away enough used motor oil every year to fill 120 supertankers? Or that just one quart of oil has the potential to pollute an entire acre of land one inch deep or 250,000 gallons of drinking water?

If do-it-yourself motorists recycled their used oil for a year, the United States would save 1.3 million barrels of oil per day — enough to provide power for 360,000 homes for an entire year, or to produce 96 million quarts of high-quality motor oil. In fact, current estimates indicate that more than 11 times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez is disposed of annually in storm drains and backyards.

If your fairgrounds doesn’t have a recycling plan for the motor oil used at your facility, call your city or county recycling division for assistance. You can also give Nancy a call at 619/792-4218 for more useful information.

Because sometimes you don’t know what you need ’til you see it, here’s a sampling of items currently in the CFSA Government Surplus Warehouse:

• Extra-large American flags - 8' x 17.' Five available.
• Rubber mats - 36" x 36." Eleven available.
• Wooden storage cabinet on casters - This multiuse cabinet is ideal for the exhibits building or for storing maintenance shop parts. One available.
• Mechanic's six-drawer metal tool boxes - like new; measures 20" deep x 17" wide x 33" high. Stationary-style, painted red. Two available.
• Large cart on casters. Features three-storage shelves and attached step ladder. You'll find it indispensable in the exhibits building. One available.

For more information on these and other great buys, or if you’d like to arrange a tour of the South Sacramento surplus warehouse or accompany the buyer on a visit to a surplus yard, call Graeme Stewart at 916/765-3673.

Please Note: CFSA’s Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California’s fairs.

Contribute To

F.Y.I. invites and encourages all fairs to contribute articles and article ideas for the Fair Exchange column. We’ll even write the article for you. For details, call Melissa Thurber at 916/263-6178 or Joan Bartosik at 916/663-9256.
To add F.Y.I. to your press release mailing list, send or fax releases to:

1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Attn: Melissa Thurber
Fax: 916/646-1238