Milestone's Safety Championship Program, reflects our commitment to safety and rewards employees who go the extra mile. The program was inspired by an incident in which two employees' safety efforts saved a life.
Retiree Gary Wethington was making his rounds delivering holiday sweet treats when he collapsed. Dispatcher, Stephen Fisher, and Mechanic, Dale Burton, were quick to jump to Gary’s rescue and use their safety training. An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machine was used and each of them took turns performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Both men’s quick action in this time of emergency saved Gary’s life that day.
After hearing of this event, VP of Health and Safety, Russell Randle wanted to create a way to reward our employees who perform such lifesaving safety measures. “This is the kind of behavior we want to celebrate and encourage," says Russell. Safety is the number one priority of The Milestone Way.
Safety Champions go above and beyond to actively participate in protecting themselves and their team members. Griffith Asphalt Crew member, Sean Irgang, was recently nominated by his boss Joey Reyes for the title of a Safety Champion. Sean is the go-to safety guy on his crew. He runs daily meetings reminding his teammates of what safety hazards to watch out for, he checks and ensures that each member has proper PPE for the job, and if he thinks of ways to improve safety measures, he is not afraid to bring it to his safety representative. Along with Sean, we have awarded two other Safety Champions recognitions. Lafayette Laborer Jaheim Watson, and Operator Clayton Barnard were working 100 feet away from another crew when they saw an operator with a suspended bucket. After realizing this, Jaheim took the time to walk over to the other crew and explain the hazard this holds. With less than a year of experience in construction, we are very proud of Jahiem for keeping his eyes open to hazards and alerting other Milestone team members to help keep them safe.
Operator Clayton Barnard showing off his Safety Champion gear.
As we head into 2024, we look forward to continuing to celebrate more Safety Champion stories. If you're a Milestone employee who would like to nominate a Milestone Safety Champion you can contact VP of Health and Safety, Russell Randle, to share your story. Together, we can Make Lives Better One Road and Bridge at a Time the safe way!