Chatham County Departments Receive Safety Awards from the State

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 18:11:17 +0000
From: Debra Henzey
Subject: Chatham County Departments Receive Safety Awards from  the State

Contact:  Marilyn Collins, 919-542-8200
April 1, 2014

Chatham County Departments Receive Safety Awards from the State

PITTSBORO- Chatham County has been notified that several departments qualified to receive Gold and Silver Safety Awards for 2013 from the NC Department of Labor. The awards recognize private and public entities that achieve and maintain good safety records.

County Manager Charlie Horne said, “We are proud of this major safety achievement. It required teamwork and commitment to recommended safety practices throughout county government. We also commend the excellent leadership provided by Marilyn Collins.”

Collins, who serves as safety and risk manager for the county, said, “Entering the awards program helps us recognize departments that should be commended, but it also helps us know how we compare to other localities.”

Major factors contributing to the good safety record are having department leaders who understand the value of a safe workplace and having an assigned county safety manager to provide personalized training and support, Collins said.

Human Resources Director Carolyn Miller said, “I commend our employees for making safety a priority. This news was most encouraging and I look forward to continued progress toward a safe workplace.”

To qualify for the awards, the county had to verify for each department that:

1.  They had no fatalities during the calendar year at the site or location;
2.  They maintained an incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average for its particular industry group.

The Department of Labor’s Gold Award is based on formula that includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. The Silver Award is based only on cases involving missed days of work. Days missed are recorded when the worker is out of work at least one full day, not including the day of injury.

County departments or offices earning the Gold Level of awards are:

*         Solid Waste and Recycling

*         9-1-1 Telecommunications

*         Tax Office

*         Management Information Systems

*         Library System

*         Facilities Management

*         Water Utilities

Those receiving the Silver Level of awards are:

*         Public Health

*         Parks and Recreation

*         Sheriff (including jail)

*         Social Services

*         Chatham County (all other departments and offices not listed above)

Debra J. Henzey
Director of Community Relations
Chatham County, NC
Office 919-542-8258  Cell 919-548-4662

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