Western division wins with best safety review
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2019
PR# 19-018
Safety and teamwork in highway work zones are critical to seeing that each worker makes it home at the end of the day. The men and women of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation work in all conditions and put their lives on the line to help construct and maintain our state’s highways, interstates and bridges. Safety is ODOT's top priority and the agency conducts onsite reviews, accident follow-up and ongoing safety education as part of its worker safety program.
At the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, June 3 meeting, Governor Stitt and Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz handed out awards to those crews who demonstrated a continued commitment to safety in the past year.
The Governor’s Safety Excellence Award is presented annually to the ODOT field division with the best overall safety record in the past year. The 2018 award went to Division Five, which is the first division to win the Governor’s Safety Excellence Award two years in a row. Division Five had eight injuries and 12 lost working days in 2018, the best performance of any division in the past year. Total accidents, accident severity and lost work days are all taken into consideration in determining the Governor’s Safety Award winner. Division Five is headquartered in Clinton and is led by Division Engineer Brent Almquist. The division includes Beckham, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Tillman and Washita counties.
The Progressive Excellence Award recognizes the ODOT field division with the most improved safety rating in the past year. The award for 2018 was presented to Division Six, which is headquartered in Buffalo under the leadership of Division Engineer Ron McDaniel. The division improved its safety performance by 73 percent since last year. Division Six includes Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harper, Major, Texas, Woods and Woodward counties.
The Director’s Safety Awards are presented to the unit in each of ODOT’s eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Consideration is given to safety, housekeeping, training and equipment maintenance.
The winners for 2018 are:
- Division One, Cherokee County Maintenance Crew in Tahlequah
- Division Two, Division Wide Bridge Crew in Antlers
- Division Three, Pontotoc County Maintenance Crew in Ada
- Division Four, Division Wide Bridge Crew in Perry
- Division Five, Greer County Maintenance Crew in Mangum
- Division Six, Division Wide Traffic Crew in Buffalo
- Division Seven, I-35 Interstate Maintenance Crew in Ardmore
- Division Eight, Division Wide Survey Crew in Tulsa
- Division Nine/Oklahoma City Headquarters, Office Services Division
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the 2018 Governor’s Safety Excellence Award was awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Division Five. The Governor’s Safety Excellence Award is presented annually to the ODOT field division with the best overall safety record in the past year. Pictured from left are District Five Commissioner David Dyson, Division Five Engineer Brent Almquist, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Five Safety Manager Richard Bright, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Five is based in Clinton and includes Beckham, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Tillman and Washita counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the 2018 Progressive Excellence Award was awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Division Six. The Progressive Excellence Award recognizes the ODOT field division with the most improved safety rating in the past year. Pictured from left are District Six Commissioner Bobby J. Alexander, Division Six Engineer Ron McDaniel, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Six Safety Manager Jared Drew, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Six is based in Buffalo and includes Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Major, Woodward and Ellis counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District One Commissioner Bob Coburn, Division One Engineer Chris Wallace, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Cherokee County Maintenance Crew Superintendent Beau Ballard, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division One is based in Muskogee and includes Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Two Commissioner James L. Grimsley, Division Two Engineer Anthony Echelle, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Two Bridge Crew Superintedent Billy Jack Wilkerson, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Two is based in Antlers and includes Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, Marshall, Pittsburg and Pushmataha counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Three Commissioner T.W. Shannon, Division Three Engineer Kevin Bloss, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Three Pontotoc County Maintenance Crew Superintendent Bart Tschacer, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Three is based in Ada includes Coal, Cleveland, Garvin, Hughes, Johnston, Lincoln, McClain, Okfuskee, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Four Commissioner Don Freymiller, Division Four Engineer Trenton January, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Four Bridge Crew Superintendent John Green, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Four is based in Perry and includes Oklahoma, Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, Garfield, Noble, Grant and Kay counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Five Commissioner David Dyson, Division Five Engineer Brent Almquist, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Five Greer County Maintenance Crew Superintendent Andy Slaton, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Five is based in Clinton and includes Beckham, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Tillman and Washita counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Six Commissioner Bobby J. Alexander, Division Six Engineer Ron McDaniel, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Six Traffic Crew Superintendent Gene Dodd, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Six is based in Buffalo and includes Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Major, Woodward and Ellis counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are District Seven Commissioner Stephen LaForge, Division Seven Engineer Jay Earp, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Seven I-35 Maintenance Crew Superintendent Johnny Sullivan, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Seven is based in Duncan and includes Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Jefferson, Love, Murray and Stephens counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. Pictured from left are Division Eight Engineer Randle White, District Eight Commissioner Bob Peterson, Division Eight Survey Crew Keith Jimenez, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Division Eight Survey Crew Travis Ruth, Division Eight Survey Crew Superintendent Ed Stuart, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz, Division Eight Survey Crew Sam Ashepack and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. Division Eight is based in Tulsa and includes Craig, Creek, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa and Washington counties. |
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At the Monday, June 3 Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting the Director’s Safety Awards were presented to the unit in each of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's eight field divisions and its Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety record. The 2018 winner for Division 9/OKC Headquarters was the Office Services Division. Pictured left is Gov. Kevin Stitt, Office Services Assistant Division Manager Kevin Lowe, ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz and Commission Chairman Gene McKown. |
