CLYDE – Winners emerged from competition, and safety procedures were reviewed during the annual Division 14 Equipment Operators Safety Conference this week at the NCDOT Haywood County Maintenance Yard.
More than 100 employees gathered over two days — one day of drizzle and one day of sun — for lessons and a review of safety procedures for equipment NCDOT employees use daily to maintain and repair roads in the 10 westernmost counties of North Carolina.
“We are very fortunate to have so many skilled employees who have shined throughout their careers and especially over the last seven months,” Division Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “This event is important to reinforce our standard safety procedures that help our employees protect the traveling public.”
Employees competed in one of multiple events: Backhoe, crane, skid-steer, motorgrader, single-axle truck, tandem axle truck, low-boy truck or tractor mower. Each event has its own set of skill tests, from picking up golf balls with a spoon attached to the bucket of a backhoe to knocking tennis balls from a pipe with a motorgrader blade.
“Safety is our number one priority at NCDOT, and certainly here in Division 14,” said Division 14 Safety Consultant Jason Jenkins. “This event showcases some of the ways we can help ensure that everybody is able to go home safely at the end of a hardday’s work.”
The following employees won their events and advance to a state competition to be held later this summer.
- Crane: Larry Flowers, Cherokee County Bridge
- Single-Axle: Brett Taylor, Polk County Maintenance
- Tandem-Axle: Philip Cantrell, Henderson County Maintenance
- Low-boy trailer: Joshua Deitz, Jackson County Equipment
- Backhoe: Howell Downs, Macon County Maintenance
- Motorgrader: Jamie Postell, Macon County Maintenance
- Tractor-mower: Chase Patterson Div. 14 Roadside Environmental
- Skid-steer: William Darnell, Henderson County Maintenance