- Video shows Public Works and City officials sharing excitement for reaching the 1,000-day milestone, something they have not done before.
- The Public Works Department says they haven't had an injury disrupt their work since before April 2021. Prioritizing safety and taking the time to analyze every safety protocol before heading out on the job is key, they say.
- Anthony Morales, safety manager with American Safety Services says, “It’s pretty impressive. It’s really a testament to the workforce that they’ve bought into the safety culture that the city of Tehachapi is trying to introduce."
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Public Works Department here in Tehachapi is celebrating a pretty large milestone to finish off January: 1,000 days of uninterrupted work.
"Without the buy-in of our staff and their willingness to take the time every day to analyze their jobs and the hazards…we wouldn't be here today," said Tyler Napier, Deputy Public Works Director.
Napier says risks come with the job, but the department takes the time to make sure safety is top of mind.
Before heading out for their workday, Napier says workers make sure they know the safety protocol for the work they'll be doing. Depending on the day, they could be working with all sorts of potential risks.
"Our staff all work in confined spaces. [They have] electrical hazards, chemicals hazards, trenching, shoring, all sorts of things. working in the road, weather," said Napier. "Any hazard in the trade industry you could think of, we deal with it."
"To be able to power through that and to see that through and to reach 1,000 days–or 150,000 hours of staff time– with no accidents or injuries is unprecedented for sure," said Napier.
Anthony Morales is a safety manager with American Safety Services, an outside company that provides training to the public works team.
He says his company has worked with the city for over a decade, and he's seen their commitment to safety first-hand.
"We see a lot of different industries, and these types of runs without injury are not very common. So it's a very big feat from Tehachapi to be able to complete something like that," Morales said.
City Manager Greg Garrett says the uninterrupted time also ensures city projects stay on their projected timelines.
"These guys are boots on the ground. They're putting themselves in harm's way with traffic, being in trenches–that sort of thing," said Garrett. "To achieve a thousand days of no lost time… I couldn't be more proud, and I thank them for doing that."
Napier agrees.
"You reach 1,000 days, you know that you're protecting your employees. We're protecting the investment that we have in the staff, and we're also able to provide the best level of service to our community as possible."
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