GRAHAM – The annual Division 7 Equipment Operator’s Safety Training Conference, known as a “Roadeo,” was held for maintenance employees Wednesday and Thursday at the N.C. Department of Transportation Alamance County Maintenance facility.
More than 170 maintenance employees gathered over two sunny days for lessons and a review of safety procedures for equipment they use daily to maintain and repair roads in five counties in central North Carolina: Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange and Rockingham.
The event ended with Division 7 Engineer Wright Archer, and Deputy Division Engineer Matthew Whitely, presenting the awards to the top three finishers in each event.
“Safety is our number one priority at NCDOT, and a constant focus in Division 7,” Archer said. “This event was a practical application in a controlled environment showcasing some of the training we provide, so we can help ensure our employees are able to go home safely at the end of a long workday.”
Employees competed in one of multiple events: backhoe, crane, skid-steer, motograder, single-axle truck, tandem axle truck, low-boy truck or tractor mower. Each event included maneuvering heavy equipment through several obstacle courses requiring precision, 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.
The top winners in each category were:
• Backhoe Competition: Colby Wall, Rockingham County Maintenance
• Crane Competition: Chris Baldwin, Division 7 Bridge Maintenance
• Motor Grader Competition: William Brown, Rockingham County Maintenance
• Single Axle Dump Truck Competition: Darrell Jones, Caswell County Maintenance
• Tandem-Axle Dump Truck Competition: Todd Cravens, Rockingham County Maintenance
• Skid Steer Competition: Adam Alcorn, Division 7 Roadside Environmental
• Tractor w/ Mower Competition: Jeremiah Terrell, Orange County Maintenance
• Truck w/ Lowboy Trailer Competition: Cody Cox, Roadside Environmental
The winners of each event will represent Division 7 at the statewide Safety Conference in Raleigh later this year.