Safety Star
The Safety Star Program rewards employees who demonstrate safe behavior and provides employees an opportunity to recognize the exemplary efforts of others by nominating coworkers. The great stories submitted provide us with an opportunity to learn more about the hazards our colleagues face both on and off the job, and the positive actions performed to help mitigate those hazards.
While safety is every employee’s responsibility, a “Safety Star” displays exceptional efforts in safety.
Award-Winning Story
While surveying in a forested area an SWCA crew noticed a wildfire near their project. They immediately notified the Project Manager (PM) who got in contact with the local Office Safety Representative (OSR) to research the status of the wildfires in the area. The PM and OSR were notified that the crew hadn’t seen any smoke that morning when they got to the project site, but could now see flames on nearby hillside. This prompted the likelihood of a new fire, not the mostly contained fire that was actively managed in the area. As this coordination between the crew, PM, and OSR was happening, the crew was notified by local authority of a suspected arsonist in the area with 2-3 new wildfires reported that day. Given the remoteness of the project and the unpredictability of an arsonist, the PM told the crew to leave the field immediately, return to their hotel, and text the PM when they arrived. Meanwhile the PM notified the client of the unfolding situation. The client agreed that this project should be postponed for everyone’s safety and thanked SWCA for notifying them so quickly. The prompt notice allowed the client to also notify their staff in the area. After returning to the hotel, the crew read online that parts of the town were under evacuation. While their hotel was not in the evacuation area, there were nearby highway closures and visible growing smoke moving towards them. So, they notified the PM that they didn’t think it was safe to stay. The PM and OSR immediately helped mobilize the team to a different town about an hour away in the opposite direction of the fire’s movement. The crew’s gut instincts were correct as two hours later the entire town was under evacuation orders.