Utilities Division Safety Program

Given the Utility Division’s scope of work and the
size of its workforce – with more than 343 employees, 370 vehicles and heavy equipment ...

Safety is a major emphasis!

The Utilities Division follows all state and federal safety regulations. The division is regulated by the North Carolina Department of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency and the North Carolina Department of Environment (EPA) and Natural Resources (DENHR). These organizations ensure that we comply with all safety guidelines. In turn, this allows us to provide a safe working environment for our employees as well as providing clean drinking water to our customers.

The safety program of the Utilities Division ensures that every employee is aware of federal and state regulations that impact their day-to-day work environment. The Central Safety and Health Committee oversees all safety issues of the division. The program ensures that the safety of the Utilities Division employee is as important as the services they provide to the public. The Central Safety and Health Committee (CSHC) includes the Department Superintendent and the chairperson from each task group. The Committee consists of seven task groups that provide expertise in the following areas: Rules and Procedures, Education and Training, Health and Environment, Inspections and Audits, Fire and Emergency, Housekeeping and Accident Investigation. Each task group prepares an annual plan that maps out their goals for each quarter of the year.

Through this program, employees not only learn the importance of their own safety, but the importance of safety for our customers as well. The safety program also identifies the most common injuries and develops the training needed to prevent those injuries. The Committee reviews safety procedures at each facility to see that all safety training needs are met and all guidelines are followed. The most important part of the program is employee input on the safety needs of the department and how the work environment can be improved to better protect the employee and the customer.

The Department uses posters, training, mock inspections and employee safety suggestions to ensure that all employees are aware of safety issues that effect the work place.

The following links are not part of the City of Winston-Salem web site; they will open in a new window.

US Dept. of Labor Links

Federal OSHA Homepage:
www.osha.gov

OSHA eTool and Electronic Products for Compliance Assistance:
www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/index.html#Technica lLinks

OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Outreach Trainer Presentation:
www.osha.gov/fso/ote/training/outreach/gi_outreach_tp.html

OSHA Outreach Training Program:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/fso/ote/training/outreach/materials.html

OSHA Online Training:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/fso/ote/training/outreach/gi_outreach_tp.html

OSHA Publications:
www.osha.gov/oshDoc/Additional.html

Safety Resource Links

Safety Pages.Com Links:
www.safetypages.com

The Safety Link (safety organizations):
http://www.safetylink.com/

SafetyInfo:
www.safetyinfo.com

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Links

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Home Page:
www.cdc.org

National Institute for Occupations Safety and Health (NIOSH):
www.cdc.gov/niosh

North Carolina Dept. of Labor Links

NC OSHA - Home Page:
http://www.dol.state.nc.us/osha/osh.htm

NC Dept. of Labor Industry Guides:
www.dol.state.nc.us/pubs.htm#Guides

NC Dept. of Labor Video Library Listing:
http://www.dol.state.nc.us/lib/libaud.htm

Contact Information

Scotty Speas
Interim Safety Engineer
ScottyS@cityofws.org
(336)727-8418