Safety Champions 2016
December 2016
Judy Kingrea
Facilities Management Occupational Health & Safety is delighted to announce Judy Kingrea is UVA Facilities Management’s December 2016 Safety Champion. Judy is a housekeeping supervisor who believes in empowering her staff to speak up to improve safety in their workplace. She has instituted a Daily Safety Tip for her employees, so that everyone stays mindful of possible dangers at work; she nominates deserving employees as Safety Stars, recognizing their contributions to making their workplace safer; and she and her staff take part in Stretch and Flex daily to warm up their muscles and prevent injuries. She has created a safe environment of reporting for her staff without fear of retaliation, allowing everyone to learn from events and circumstances that may lead to injury if they go uncorrected or unrecognized. Judy is a safety ambassador for employees at UVA Facilities Management, having served as a member on UVA Facilities Management’s Safety Committees for many years. She leads by example and looks forward to continuing to make working conditions the safest they can be for Facilities Managament employees.
November 2016
Brad Pace
Facilities Management Occupational Health & Safety is proud to honor Brad Pace as the November 2016 Safety Champion. As the Damage Prevention Technician with UVA Geospatial Engineering Services, Brad displays his dedication to keeping the UVA Facilities Management community and outside contractors safe, not only by marking sometimes hard-to-locate underground utilities on construction sites, but also through his promotion of resources; repeat visits to construction areas; and by training employees, contractors, and subcontractors on the importance of complying with Virginia’s Underground Utilities Damage Prevention Act.
Brad uses the latest technology to locate utilities and makes them more easily locatable for future jobs. However, his job is so much more than just “paint on the ground,” thanks to the vision of Geospatial Engineering Services manager Jennifer Heckman, who created his position. Brad’s part in CFO Donald Sundgren’s goal of making UVA the safest university in the nation is key, with damage prevention playing a major role in preventing loss of life, injury and in preserving necessary infrastructure. Brad, along with the technicians and archivists of Geospatial Engineering Services, work together to keep everyone safe from dangers hidden just below the surface.
October 2016
Marcus Johnson
This month's Safety Champion is Marcus Johnson. Marcus epitomizes the idea of looking out for those around you. While at a loading dock, Marcus observed an employee getting ready to walk behind a vehicle that was in the process of moving. Neither the spotter nor the driver saw the employee. At the same time, Marcus observed two children playing on a Kubota unsupervised. Marcus approached the children and asked them to move away from the Kubota and inquired about the location of their parents. Both of those situations did not put Marcus in harm’s way, but he went above and beyond to make sure other people were safe. For setting such a great example of how we should all look out for each other, Marcus Johnson is this month's Safety Champion.
September 2016
Marcus Klaton and Freddie Rogers
Making Facilities safer – one cord at a time.
Marcus Klaton and Freddie Rogers have been tasked with looking for ways to improve their safety program. Drawing from their past experience, they created a system of color coding electrical cords which raised attention to problems that might have otherwise been overlooked. Once this system was implemented, there were many deficiencies noted and quickly remedied. Freddie states that “through this process the safety committee has stood behind us 100%, and been open minded to any suggestions.” This process has now begun to spread throughout other business groups, leading to safer workplaces throughout UVA Facilities Management.
August 2016
Teresa Dillard and Glenda Walton, Construction & Renovation Services
Teresa Dillard (left) and Glenda Walton
Teresa Dillard and Glenda Walton are the Safety Champions for August 2016. The heat and humidity increased rapidly, creating not just an unpleasant work experience, but creating a health and safety risk as well. Glenda and Teresa, as they do so often, rose to the occasion by supplying weary workers with much needed hydration. Delivering both water and snacks to not only Construction & Renovation Services, but to any worker who asked, they made challenging conditions not just more comfortable, but also much safer.
July 2016
Ryan Taylor, Central Grounds Zone Superintendent
Ryan Taylor has been selected as the Safety Champion for July 2016. Occupational Health and Safety is proud to recognize Ryan because of his humility and compassion to others. With the recent disastrous flooding in West Virginia, Ryan knew immediately he wanted to make a difference in the same state he grew up in and still has family living. Ryan remembers a flood from when he was 9 years old, and he remembers just how the community was affected. More so, he knew how the Facilities Management family community would come together to help and make a difference to people in need. Because of Ryan's kindness, he was able to transport a truck load of donations from the University of Virginia to West Virginia, where the people needing it most would be able to benefit and receive safe and healthy relief in such a difficult time.
Thank you, Ryan!
June 2016
Kenny Bower, West Grounds Zone Manager
Kenny Bower has been selected as the Safety Champion for June 2016. Kenny reported a “near miss” that occurred when a contractor was working in a laboratory with an active laser. Because of this proactive behavior, a collaboration with UVA Environmental Health and Safety identified several opportunities for safety improvements. If Kenny had not reported the incident, a serious hazard would have gone unidentified.
Dr. Tom Leonard, director of Environmental Health and Safety stated “Kudos to your team for an exemplary response. This is how we all improve. Thank you and well done.”