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Artists, Volunteers to Paint Tank Mural

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

More items for Program/Project Management

A group of professional artists and community volunteers are working together to paint a mural on a municipal water tank in Florida after the city was awarded a $67,000 grant.

Six professional artists are currently painting the upper part of the mural on the Coral Springs Water Tank at Mullins Park in Florida; the lower part, at ground level, is being reserved for local residents to paint starting Feb. 16.

Coral Springs Connection

Artists sketched and painted the top part of a mural on the Coral Springs Water Tank at Mullins Park. In February, volunteers will start painting the lower portions.

Sense of Community

In March 2012, the Coral Springs Museum of Art (CSMART), in partnership with the City of Coral Springs and a Citizens Task Force, received the Community Foundation of Broward's "Art of the Community" grant. CSMART was one of three organizations awarded this grant.

The $67,000 grant is expected to be matched with community donations and other funding, said Piero Falci, community liaison for CSMART.

The project is intending to create a sense of community, and CMSART has likened it to a modern day "barn raising" by planning multiple community engagement events aimed "to reach disenfranchised populations and ethnic communities that traditionally do not participate in civic enagement."

The mural, which is meant to represent the multicultural aspects of Coral Springs, was designed by high school senior Rebecca Lowry. The sketch was chosen from 300 entries.

Before the mural was sketched on to the concrete water storage tank, the entire structure was rehabilitated last year as part of an eight-tank contract awarded to Crom Engineering & Construction Services Inc., of Gainesville, FL. The total award was $491,572.

Facebook / CSMART

The green screen covering the lower portion of the tank will be removed for volunteers to start painting. The project is meant to create a sense of community.

Volunteer Info

Community painting days will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 16, Feb. 23, and March 2. Under the supervision of professional painters, volunteers will be allowed to paint areas they can reach on the bottom portion of the water tank. 

High school students can also receive service hours for painting. All materials will be provided, according to CSMART.

Anyone may volunteer to paint, regardless of residency or age. However, adult supervision is required, and everyone must fill out release and waiver forms.

Comment from Luc N. Turenne, (1/31/2013, 6:25 PM)

Let's hope it's not the same professional painters that were painting the upper part of the tank. No fall protection, no ladders tied off, no work boots, or hardhats. Are these not requirements

Comment from shane hirvi, (1/31/2013, 9:25 PM)

And where does it say that you need fall protection on a ladder, exactly?

Comment from Tom Schwerdt, (2/4/2013, 9:48 AM)

If we're playing the ladder violation game, it looks like 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(5)(i) is the most likely problem. The base of the ladders should be further out from the structure (1:4 ratio). Hard to be sure from this viewing angle, though.

Comment from Scott Feuquay, (2/4/2013, 7:44 PM)

does osha have power to enforce its rules on a unincorporated business with less than 6 employees or volunteer labor?

Comment from Mary Chollet, (2/8/2013, 10:35 AM)

Scott, we put your question to OSHA. Here's the agency's response, in full: "In 29 CFR 1975, Coverage of Employees under the Williams-Steiger OSHA 1970, subpart 1975.3(d) states, OSHA “interprets the term ‘business’… as including any commercial or noncommercial activity affecting commerce and involving the employment of one or more employees.” OSHA’s power to enforce its rules is irrespective of a business being incorporated or unincorporated. Therefore, OSHA jurisdiction does cover unincorporated businesses. Furthermore, OSHA has jurisdiction to enforce its rules on most private sector employers and their workers and some public sector employers and workers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. jurisdictions . If an organization has an employment relationship with at least one worker, it qualifies as an employer and would be required to comply with the provisions of the OSH Act and with OSHA standards and regulations that affect the working conditions of its employees. However, employers with 10 or fewer employees and business establishments in certain industry classifications are partially exempt from keeping OSHA injury and illness records. OSHA does not cover the self-employed, immediate family members of farm employers and workplace hazards regulated by another federal agency. For more information on OSHA jurisdiction, read pages 5-8 in the Agency’s publication, All About OSHA at http://www.osha.gov/Publications/all_about_OSHA.pdf . Regarding whether OSHA has power to enforce its rules on businesses using volunteer labor, OSHA defines an employee as one who receives payment of wage or salary. Volunteers who receive no monetary or other compensation are not covered by OSHA regulations. It is important to note that 27 states operate their own occupational safety and health laws under "State plans" approved by OSHA. Some State plans may extend coverage to certain volunteers and other workers exempt from Federal OSHA authority. For State contact information, visit OSHA’s State Occupational Safety and Health Plans Web page at http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/index.html."

Comment from Jim Johnson, (2/11/2013, 12:35 PM)

For OSHA to see volunteers as "employees" is another government over reach. Note OSHA can only fine the employer, not the employee. That is because as individuals we are responsible for our own safety, not the government. In this instance of volunteer labor, if none of them are employees then they are exempted from OSHA regulation. I am not suggesting they use unsafe work practices, merely that such people are exempt from prosecution.

Comment from M. Halliwell, (2/12/2013, 10:37 AM)

Jim, it's not uncommon to see volunteers as unpaid employees. I volunteered for a local group for quite a while and the organization required us to take a basic WHMIS course to satisfy our equivalent of OSHA and maintain the organization's certificate of recognition (CoR). If these folks are doing it solely on their own, then OSHA may not apply, but if they are part of a group, then they can be viewed as unpaid employees of the group and be subject to OSHA guidelines.