Safety Champions 2023

December 2023

Nicholas Gentry

Recycling Supervisor Nicholas Gentry has been selected as the December 2023 UVA Facilities Management Safety Champion. Nick has been a fixture on the UVA FM Landscape & Recycling Safety Committee for more than 5 years, first as a member, then as an alternate, and now serving as the co-chair. This group meets monthly to review seasonal hazards associated with employees' work tasks, discuss needed training, and annually create a safety poster.

Nick has been instrumental in suggesting safety improvements across Grounds, including adjusting the location of a compactor switch to a safer location, painting loading dock edges to make the drop off more visible, and performing needed maintenance on existing compactors to prevent incidents. In addition, Nick makes it a point as supervisor to listen to his teammates and encourage them to speak up for safety. He is especially keen to hear the observations of recently hired employees, knowing that their fresh outlook is a golden opportunity for progress and change. Thanks to Nick for being a true leader in safety at work!

November 2023

Dan Shantler

UVA Facilities Management would like to recognize Dan Shantler, UVA FM Systems Control Center Manager. Dan collaborated with the FM Occupational Health & Safety Team in 2023 to provide Active Attacker and UVA Alert trainings to each department at UVA FM. He has given several presentations at FM Safety Committee meetings and toolbox talks. He also created resource documents for Active Attacker Response for Employees, Active Attacker Response for Supervisors, as well as UVA Alerts. (Requires UVA FM login.)

With his help and knowledge sharing, FM employees are able to be aware and access these materials as needed to educate each other and their staff. Dan has conducted training with the following groups:

• Landscape and Recycling Safety Committee
• HSPP Safety Committee
• Energy and Utilities Safety Committee
• Custodial & Housekeeping leadership
• Zone Maintenance Safety Committee & Toolbox Talks
• Construction & Renovation Services Toolbox Talks

...and more! Reach out to Dan if you're interested in scheduling a training for your team.

October 2023

Matt Acree

Matt Acree, Assistant Director of Fire & Life Safety is the October 2023 UVA Facilities Management Safety Champion. He was selected by the Occupational Health & Safety team for his efforts to bring fire extinguisher training to FM employees. Matt worked with FM OHS and UVA Environmental Health and Safety to schedule monthly voluntary, hour-long fire extinguisher training for the everyday user to be held through December 2023. Knowing how to properly use a fire extinguisher can save lives and having the knowledge and confidence to use an extinguisher can help prevent the fire from spreading and causing harm to individuals and property.

FM employees generally are not required to fight fires but are trained in how to respond to fire emergencies by sounding the alarm and evacuating safely. This training was created to raise awareness on how to manage small fires at home and outside of work environments. It includes information on how to extinguish small fires and when to alert the fire department. Successful completion of the course becomes a part of the employee's safety training record, which can be requested from your supervisor at any time.

September 2023

Benji Boatwright

UVA Facilities Management would like to recognize Central Grounds Zone Senior Electrician Benji Boatwright as September Safety Champion. He was chosen by the FM Occupational Health and Safety Team for always keeping safety first both on and off Grounds. In addition to his overall efforts to promote a good safety culture at work, he is an active member of the Zone Maintenance Safety Committee, as well as a member of the Electrical Safety Focus Team, which advises on the UVA FM Electrical Safety Program. In addition, Benji assists with teaching FM's Electrical Safety Training as a subject matter expert.

This year, Benji collaborated with the OHS team to complete the annual inspections for his group's personal fall arrest equipment. Additionally, Benji serves as one the electrical instructors for the FM Apprenticeship Program and is always encouraging apprentices to work safely and be aware of their surroundings. Benji's contributions to FM safety are numerous and OHS is very appreciative of his support. Thank you, Benji!

August 2023

Zachary Carter

Zachary Carter, a senior electrician working in Health System Physical Plant Zone 2 at UVA Facilities Management, was nominated and chosen by the FM Occupational Health & Safety team as the August 2023 Safety Champion. Zach was chosen due to his outstanding effort in promoting both safe practices and developing a strong safety culture in his team.

Zach has served as the HSPP Safety Committee chair in the past and remains an active safety committee member. He leads his zone's Toolbox Talk every month using the HSPP Safety Committee's Safety Insights presentation that contains incident data, safety tips, seasonal reminders, and more. He has scheduled these toolbox talks the day after the HSPP Safety Committee meets so that the information will still be fresh in his mind.

In addition, Zach maintains his zone's information and safety communication boards, as well as the PPE inventory and supplies. He takes the time to educate himself on safety equipment, practices, and products so that he can be a resource for his teammates.

Zach is a Safety Champion for leading his crew by example and taking the time to check in on them and making sure they know he is available if they have suggestions or concerns. FM-OHS appreciates his hard work and dedication to keeping everyone safe at work.

July 2023

Tracy Saul

UVA Facilities Management Heat Plant Supervisor Tracy Saul is being recognized as the July 2023 Safety Champion. Tracy was nominated by his leadership and selected by the FM Occupational Health & Safety team for taking the initiative to make work a safe place for everyone. Tracy has been working at UVA FM since 2017 and joined the Heat Plant team in 2022. His Heat Plant leadership cited his “unending quest for answers and willingness to devote his time and energy to improving the process” as a key reason for his nomination, as well as his ability to “inspire others to look past the status quo.” Thank you, Tracy, for protecting those around you and being an example for us all!

June 2023

Ron Crawford, Wade Sharpe, Ryan McCarthy

For June 2023, The Facilities Management Occupational Health & Safety team would like to recognize Ron Crawford, Wade Sharpe, and Ryan McCarthy as UVA FM Safety Champions for going above and beyond in support of their FM teammates. Ron and Wade work on the Central Grounds Zone Maintenance team as a plumber and a senior HVAC assistant, respectively. Ryan is a plumbing apprentice that usually works with the Newcomb Zone Maintenance team but was working with the Central Grounds crew for this event.

Ron, Wade, and Ryan, along with the UVA FM Facilities Management Energy & Utilities team were recently called to assess an emergency plumbing issue in the Central Grounds Zone Maintenance area. Everyone involved worked together to determine the source of the issue and found it to be within the Energy & Utilities crew's area of responsibility. Rather than abandon the task once the source was identified, Ron, Ryan, and Wade stayed to assist the E&U team in rectifying the situation, working to be sure drivers, pedestrians, and employees all had clear and safe ways to move around the jobsite. This allowed the E&U team to focus on identifying and addressing the root cause of the issue, restoring service to UVA residents in a timely manner and saving University resources in the long run. These FM employees were nominated by a member of the E&U team that they worked with for their professional, courteous, and diligent attention to the matter. Thank you for being team players and helping your colleagues maintain a safe worksite at a moment's notice.

May 2023

Bob Manz

Bob Manz has been nominated by his leadership and selected by UVA Facilities Management Occupational Health and Safety as the May 2023 Safety Champion. Bob works as a plumber lead with UVA FM Construction and Renovation Services. He has served many years on the C&RS Safety Committee and has been lauded by his leadership for his safety-mindedness. Bob shares his institutional knowledge of UVA facilities with other plumbers in his group to keep UVA operating at its very best. In a recent recognition, Bob received praise for finding the source of a gas-like smell and abating it, and for showing his teammates the proper way to disable a drain trap in case there are unknown hazards present. Bob's day-to-day actions and application of his safety knowledge help keep UVA running safely for everyone! Thank you, Bob, for being a great example of keeping everyone safe every day.

April 2023

Spiro Jokic

The UVA Facilities Management Occupational Health and Safety team would like to recognize FM Electrical Supervisor Spiro Jokic for his work inventorying and replacing outdated timer-based light switches in UVA Health buildings. The OHS team was alerted to the presence of these switches by a non-FM UVA employee who encountered the outdated wiring when accessing the switch. As part of the Health System Physical Plant Zone 2 Maintenance Team, Spiro spearheaded the replacement of these switches with a new programmable style control that uses up-to-date wiring techniques and interior controls. FM-OHS is grateful for his attention to detail and follow-through in making sure this task was completed in a timely manner.

March 2023

Jamie Shifflett

Jamie Shifflett consistently plans for safety on his jobs and collaborates with FM-OHS team to keep his employees working safely. This includes planning safe work strategies for work at heights. In some cases, this means arranging for necessary fall protection and MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platform) training. Most recently, this collaboration and planning happened while performing work at the Aquatic Fitness Center, where the team installed banners. His attention to arranging for proper training, appropriate equipment for the task and documented inspections meant that his team went home safely at the end of the day. Thank you Jamie Shifflett for being a leader in creating and maintaining a safe work environment and positive safety culture for your team and UVA FM.

February 2023

Steve Thompson

The UVA Facilities Management Occupational Health & Safety team has selected Steve Thompson, Senior HVAC Mechanic in UVA FM's & Utilities Chiller Plants. Steve has been a UVA Facilities Management employee since 2015 but has more recently begun to take part in the E&U Safety Committee, where he's serving as chair. At the helm of the Safety Committee, Steve has stepped up and willingly taken on a leadership role in keeping his colleagues safe: He's organized a monthly toolbox meeting with his entire team to review the hazards present on the jobsite as well as to review proper procedures for getting the job done safely. He's also shown his team how to navigate the FM-OHS website to find the resources they need for JHAs, safety programs, PPE requests, how to join a training, and more. As chairperson of his team's Safety Committee, he oversaw the creation of the Safety Committee's February 2023 Safety Poster, which focused on the dangers of extended exposure to loud noise. The FM-OHS team commends Steve's leadership of his peers, as he educates and informs them of safety requirements on the job.

See who is your Safety Committee.

Reach out to FM-OHS@virginia.edu if you're interested in becoming a Safety Committee Member.

January 2023

Dave Brown

UVA Facilities Management Senior Plumber Dave Brown has been selected as the January 2023 UVA FM Safety Champion. Dave works in the North Grounds Maintenance team and has been proactive with safety observations and corrections, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and identification of hazards. He collaborated with the FM Occupational Health and Safety team to recognize and mitigate fall hazards and confined spaces within his zone. Another project involved using a new chemical in outdoor water fountains: Dave consulted with OHS to be sure that his team was prepared with the proper PPE, correct safety data sheet, and a plan for use going forward. Dave is an asset to his team and values the health and safety of his colleagues. Noticing and reporting potential hazards is essential to workplace safety.

Contact the FM-OHS team to report safety concerns in your area: FM-OHS@virginia.edu