Health & Safety Reminders

Jeff Kreimer, Director of Health and Safety for MJC, provided the following reminders and updates on fire and health safety as summer approaches.

The MJC complies with Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and Maryland Racing Commission rules that state while training is in session, the track ambulance cannot respond to injuries on the backstretch. While horses and riders are on the track, the ambulance must be available for any on-track injuries.

If there is any injury or illness, call 911 and notify the stable gate. The 911 operator will need the location, nature of the emergency (illness, injury, fire, etc), your name and phone number. Do not hang up! Stay on the line. The dispatcher will continue to gather information and update responding units. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions, MJC security officers will guide the crews to the location of the emergency.

Security at both Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course has an automatic external defibrillator (AED), which is available in the stable patrol trucks. They are also equipped with Narcan for any unconscious, suspected accidental overdoses. The stable patrol trucks also have bleed control kits.

When the Racing Office is open, there is an AED and bleeding control kit in the office immediately inside on the wall. There are kits in the grandstand by guest services, the sports bar, and administration offices.

Concerning fire safety, the summer months are around the corner. Fans will be out in force keeping our horses cool. Let’s keep them safe, too! Remember to not use plastic household fans in the barns. Do not use extension cords smaller than 14-gauge wire or longer than 12 feet in length.

Please do not hang items from the sprinkler piping. Keep a 3-foot clearance from all breaker boxes, heaters, and any gas-fed appliances. Marked exits shall be kept clear for egress. Fire alarm pull stations must be clear for access as well.

For any workers that may have COVID-related illness, our recommendation for the employee is to immediately isolate. Testing is recommended but not necessary. The guidelines are as follows: An employee/backstretch worker that tests positive for COVID should isolate for 5 days (Day 1 starts with symptoms), and if the worker is asymptomatic or his or her symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people he or she may encounter. If the worker tests negative, they may return to work when they are asymptomatic. This follows current CDC guidelines and current work practices.