Safety Committee Initiates

The Public Works Safety Committee has gone to a new level this past year. The objective of the committee was to get more participation amongst current & future members, highlight key accomplishments of the department, get our workforce more engaged with safety initiatives, highlight the various functions of the department, recognize employees that have gone above and beyond, and to make the meetings fun and educational. The committee members consist of union and management personnel from all operational and administrative divisions. As a member of this prestigious committee they’re a representation of their shop and accept the challenges of improving safety. All members have a received an expectation memo and have been provided with training for their specific roles and responsibilities, that includes weekly and monthly safety audits for their shops and to be an advocate for safety.

Notable initiatives are as followed:

Guest speakers at our monthly meeting. Mayor Greg Fisher, Emergency Management Agency Director Jodie Meiman, and Louisville Water Company Security Director Tim Dudley. They all were delighted to present on various safety topics and the committee members enjoyed all presentations.
Alternative sites and educational opportunities. We held a meeting at the Shively Fire House and participated in a tour, live burn exercise, used fire extinguishers, and received some award-winning chili! The Louisville Zoo provided a meeting room with a live animal exhibit that members got to learn about animal safety. Other locations included a tour of EMA’s Emergency Operations Center and 911 Call Center.
We have instituted a program to show our appreciation for all committee members. This included cookouts at the park, chili cookoffs, and potlucks during the holidays. Some of our committee members really know how to make a delicious dish or pot of chili!
The A4Z program has implemented a recognition program that recognizes employees that have gone above & beyond. These employees receive a token of appreciation and are recognized by their management and coworkers at the monthly safety committee.

Safety can be fun, rewarding, and most importantly, 1^st and foremost to all job tasks. We would like to thank all the current and past members for all there hard work and dedication to improve the safety of everyone, to include the citizens of our great city. We plan to continue growing the Public Works Safety Committee and expand all the initiatives in the coming years. We encourage everyone to be a safety advocate and practice safety at work and at home.