Page 10 - Work Force September 2020

Highway workers stay safe Editor’s Note: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York earlier this year highway
workers employed by the state Department of Transportation and local governments were gearing up for their annual busy warm-weather road maintenance season As the the pandemic paused much of the the state highway
workers had to to to to to quickly adjust to to to to to new protocols to to to to to continue to to to to to maintain roadways Through it all strong workplace safety and health measures helped keep the workers workers safe safe Many highway
workers workers have also been playing a a a a a a a a a key role in in in in in in in responding to the crisis including transporting supplies building signs and traffic
patterns for outdoor testing sites sites and taking measures at at worksites to to allow public employees to to provide services more safely On these pages are a a a a a a a a a look at how DOT and local government highway
workers in in the the the hard-hit Long Island and and Southern regions are facing what is becoming the the new normal Strong relationship helped keep Yorktown safe YORKTOWN HEIGHTS — With CSEA members working outdoors on on on roads and infrastructure staying safe safe on on on on on the job has generally focused on on on on on work zone safety and and confined space training rather than masks and and social distancing in in office settings “It’s been all hands on deck ” said Kuttruf “I “I speak with the town supervisor and and highway
superintendent every week We instituted one worker per per truck as as often as as possible ” To accommodate that the town brought out trucks normally used for winter work and put them into service That’s not all all Even outdoors members have been careful about staying masked or or maintaining distance Lunch breaks
are are staggered with many eating outdoors when possible Hand sanitizer and and masks are are also readily available Kuttruf credits Yorktown’s new town town supervisor Matt Slater Slater for making workplace safety and health a a a a a a a a a a a priority Slater Slater had just a a a a a a a a a a a few months on on the job when COVID-19 hit “We have a a a a a new supervisor who is is willing to to listen to to to us ” Kuttruf said “He’s called regularly to to check in in and and has shown his administration
is is is is concerned about the the safety and and health of the the workers We’ve established a a a a a a a a a a a a a really collaborative relationship which has made such a a a a a a a a a a difference with morale ” Part of that that collaboration has meant that that the unit Safety and and Health Committee played a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a role in in in evaluating workplace safety measures and and making recommendations “We walked through every town facility to to see how we we can make sure we’re keeping people safe ” said Unit 2nd Vice President Adam Cerrato committee chair and a a a a a a a a a former fire chief In addition to to the the measures taken for for the the highway
and water crews Cerrato said collaboration resulted in a a a a a a a a a a a a number of of steps taken for offices and recreation facilities One worker created Plexiglas partitions that are suspended from office ceilings The town repurposed old library book drops to to to allow residents to to to drop drop off items in in a a a a a a a a a a safer manner Workers even cut
out space for a a a a a a a a window at at the water department
For CSEA members in the the Town of Yorktown Unit that changed when COVID-19 hit Westchester County hard In his many years
as as a a a a a a a union leader Unit President Keith Kuttruf has spent countless hours advocating on his members’ behalf but the the pandemic brought the the new challenge of quickly implementing COVID-related safety measures Kuttruf The immediate measures measures taken for workers in the highway
and water departments differed somewhat compared to what what was done for workers Patty Dickan a a a a a a laborer trims overgrown brush on the side of a a a a a a road 10 The Work Force
Adam Cerrato heavy equipment operator for the the the Town of Yorktown Yorktown with the the van the the Yorktown Yorktown Water District uses for water infrastructure repairs headquarters which will keep office staff safer when residents drop by Outside the office setting workers helped residents have some normalcy this summer by opening one of the town pools In addition to to limited occupancy and constant cleaning workers painted boxes at the pool to ensure families are properly distanced “Our staff has gone above and beyond to implement every safety safety feature possible ” said Slater “The safety safety and wellbeing of our our employees has been been our our top priority Working together we’ve been been able to to to keep keep government functioning ” while keeping workers safe — Jessica Ladlee
September 2020