Idaho

Transportation Department

3/29/2006






District 6 committee receives state safety award
RIGBY - The Idaho Transportation Department and the Division of Highways departed from tradition when considering an appropriate recipient of the 2005 Safety Person of the Year award. Reflecting the level of commitment required to make the District 6 safety program so successful, the department settled not on a safety person but on a cadre of 10 individuals who collectively deserved the honor.

Members of the Safety and Tort Committee are Jerry Bates, Randy Drake, Brent Jennings, Brian Kremer, Guy Rainey, Casey Richardson, Elaine Wolf, Darren Doss, Lyle Holden, and Eric Larson. The award was presented by ITD Chief Engineer Steve Hutchinson in Boise earlier this month.

Several important processes and programs were introduced after the district restructured and expanded the Safety Committee into a new Safety and Tort Committee, Hutchinson explained. He specifically mentioned:

• Review of tort claims from the perspective of prevention. Trends are spotted and corrective action taken by the committee to reduce safety-related incidents.
• Creation of the annual District 6 Maintenance Fair.
• A joint venture with the Training Committee to incorporate safety into the training program.
• Creation and implementation of a district safety policy that systematically incorporates accountability for all employees.
  

"The District Safety and Tort Committee also works with the District training officer to ensure the training calendar is well planned and includes classes that deal with safety," Hutchinson said. "The efforts and dedication of the Safety and Tort Committee members are recognized by District 6 management. It is because of these efforts that all District 6 Safety and Tort Committee members have been awarded the Safety Person of the Year award."

Bonneville, Jefferson, Madison, Teton, Fremont, Clark, Butte, Lemhi and Custer counties are in District 6.