MORGANTON – The theme cannot be stated enough: Safety is our No. 1 priority.
The annual Division 13 Equipment Operators Safety Conference featured N.C. Department of Transportation employees emphasizing that theme while also competing in equipment events at the Burke County Maintenance Yard.
More than 170 NCDOT 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 seven counties in the greater Asheville area.
“We talked each morning about safety at our location, our typical ORM (operational risk management) tailgate meeting and things that we do here can create good habits that we take into the field every day,” said Division 13 Safety Consultant Mikel Kibel. “Our skilled employees demonstrated that they are dedicated to the safety of themselves, their fellow crew members and drivers on the roads.”
Employees competed in one of multiple events: Backhoe, 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 driving all tires of a low-boy trailer through a line of tennis balls without hitting any.
“These two days provide a controlled environment for our folks to showcase some of the ways we ensure that everybody operates in a safe manner,” Kibel said. “It’s a great way to reinforce our emphasis on safety.”
The following employees won their events and advance to a state competition to be held later this summer.
• Single-Axle: Ethan Harris, Madison County Bridge Maintenance
• Tandem-Axle: Stephen Lovelace, Rutherford County Maintenance
• Low-boy trailer: Peyton Rose, Buncombe County Maintenance
• Backhoe: Tanner Rose, McDowell County Maintenance
• Motorgrader: Jason Ray, McDowell County Maintenance
• Tractor-mower: Jesse Massey, Madison County Maintenance
• Skid-steer: Josh Jones, Rutherford County Maintenance