Karen Kurtz
Communications Specialist, Human Resources
kkurtz@dolese.com
Every day our quarry employees face safety concerns with customer trucks, delivery drivers and visitors. Because our guiding principle of safety applies to everyone, we decided to take our annual safety reminder one step further this year: by holding a Driver Safety and Appreciation Day event at our Davis Quarry on Thursday, Nov. 11.
We held the event to reiterate the safety hazards at the quarry and emphasize the best way to avoid those hazards and stay safe. It also allowed us to interact with our customers’ truck drivers and thank them for what they do. They are an integral part of our business—without them, our material doesn’t get moved!
Employees from Davis Quarry, Aggregate Sales, HSE and Communications set up the Dolese tent at the quarry exit and offered drivers free doughnuts in the morning and hot dogs in the afternoon. Along with food, drivers received a laminated flyer depicting the quarry safety requirements and a specially designed safety coin with the reminder, “Your truck is your haven. Stay in it.”
“Over the years, we’ve seen multiple injuries associated with customers getting out of their trucks, so we encourage them to stay in their trucks as much as possible. There’s a designated area for getting out of your truck at every Dolese quarry. Other than that area, drivers should stay in their vehicles,” Regional Manager—Aggregate Operation Bryce Coffman said. “Staying within the protective barrier of their truck helps them avoid the need for PPE and chock blocks for their trucks, which typically aren’t accessible. It also protects them from injuries from other equipment and other customers’ trucks.”
The top priority for the event was to emphasize to customers that their safety was a top priority for us. In addition, MSHA violations such as improper PPE, failure to use chock blocks and climbing into truck beds can result in fines from the government to both Dolese and our customers.
All the drivers at the event expressed appreciation for the food and the safety reminder. One driver even took the time to write a personal thank you note.
The event at Davis was an opportunity for us to test-drive this approach. Based on its success, we plan to continue to hold Driver Safety and Appreciation Day events at our other quarries throughout 2023.