The North Carolina Department of Labor on Oct. 29 honored Vulcan Materials Co. with safety awards at the company’s safety conference in Winston-Salem, N.C. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented a total of 19 gold awards to Vulcan for both large and small quarry operations and sales yards located in North Carolina. Safety achievements ranged from two consecutive years at some facilities to 25 years. The top award was presented to Vulcan’s Smith Grove Quarry for an impressive 25 years.
“A safety award shows employees and the community that you are committed to a safe work environment,” Berry said. “A good safety record is something to be proud of, and businesses deserve to be recognized for their efforts.”
The awards honor outstanding on-the-job safety achievements of each division during 2014. Under program rules, companies must have been free of fatal accidents at the site for which the award is given to be eligible. The gold award criteria are based on a DART rate that is at least 50 percent below the statewide rate for its industry. The rate includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer.
“Vulcan’s breadth and depth of safety performance speak loudly on the priority they and their employees put on safety,” Berry said. “You can tell by the number of facilities being recognized and how long they have been demonstrating exemplary safety performance that Vulcan is a leader in its industry and sets a great example for all companies in North Carolina”
“Our division has a rich tradition of leading the company and the quarry industry in safety performance,” said Wayne Hemmerich, Vulcan’s Mideast Division manager of safety and health. “Our goal is to provide a quality work environment so our employees can return home safe and healthy each and every day.”
Adding to the those comments, Martin Thorpe, Vulcan’s North Carolina vice-president and general manager, stated, “Records like the ones recognized with these awards are measured in days but are built by the minute, and I am so proud of the level of attention to safety demonstrated by our employees. We are a natural resource based company, but our most important resource is our people.”