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Neal Spoon of Hamilton give Principal Mary Russell a check.
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Salem elementary school shares in ODOT contractor's injury-free success
Fluorescent orange safety vests and hand-held stop signs are common attention-grabbing sights for motorists, indicating both construction zones and school crossings. These guardians in neon have a common goal: to keep those in their community safe. So when OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program contractor Hamilton Construction reached 50,000 hours of injury-free work on Bundle 212 in south Salem, Hamilton celebrated by making a $2,500 safety grant to Miller Elementary School. Miller Elementary School is near Hamilton’s work zone on Interstate 5.
Hamilton’s business manager. “The best place to build and reinforce those habits is in schools.”
From the posters in the school’s hallways to the lessons taught in the classrooms, Miller Elementary takes every opportunity to include a safety message in the students’ daily lives.
“We teach our students that safety comes first, and this grant from Hamilton is a great chance to show the kids that safety is important in every environment,” said Mary Russell, principal of the school.
Principal Russell will work with the school board and the staff to determine the best way to use the grant. Initial ideas include removing the gravel from the playground area, equipping the school with more outdoor lighting to keep vandals away, and moving the parent and bus drop-off zone.
“I’m honored that someone even thought to give us any funding,” Russell said. “I think it’s great that Hamilton has reached 50,000 hours and that they’re giving back to the community. It says a lot about them.”
Hamilton’s success in construction safety builds on the record that the bridge program’s management consultant, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners, has already achieved. Last September, OBDP celebrated 700,000 work hours without a recordable injury, lost-time incident or a restricted-time incident.
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