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Where: Village Inn, 6205 Ramada Dr., Clemmons, NC 27012

When: February 19 (8:30-4:30) & February 20 (8:30-12:00)

Cost: Registration fee is $75. (members) and $85. (non-members).

Lodging: Call the Village Inn at 800-554-6416 before February 1, for a guaranteed rate of $64.00 (+ 13.75% tax).

Registration: Registration may be completed by filling out the Online Conference Registration Form or the paper form below and forward to the address indicated.

Make checks payable to NCALGESO. Registration deadline and last date to cancel is February 10,2010.

More Info:

• Agenda
• Online Conference Registration
• Paper Registration Form (PDF)

Mail to: 

Terry Story, Town of Boone, P.O. Drawer 192, Boone, NC 28607

828-269-6200 or  (fax) 828-268-6208

Terry.story@townofboone.net

Visit the following link to sign up for Certified Flagging Training

• http://ncalgeso.com/ClassReg.aspx

Benton Stacy, Safety Coordinator for The City of Charlotte Department of Transportation, was recently recognized with the NCALGESO Lifetime Achievement Award. NCALGESO (North Carolina Association of Local Government Employee Safety Officials), of which Ben is a member, honored him at the Annual Conference, held in Wilmington. Stacy is the legislative chairperson to the board of directors and the rest of the board managed to keep the award secret from him until it was sprung on him during the annual conference. Ben was indeed surprised at receiving this award.

NCALGESO has never given an award like this, and it was, in fact, created specifically with Ben in mind. This award is in recognition of a lifetime of commitment to improving safety and health. It will be hard to find another person equally deserving. Ben has been part of the association for over 20 years, serving in many positions, including president, and now acts as Legislative chairperson.

The text below is from the recommendation of Ben Stacy for the award by Fred Allen, Safety Director, City of Greensboro;

Mr. Benton Stacey is an embodiment of the award. Ben has spent a lifetime in promoting the safety agenda and NCLGESO. He has served in many capacities in NCLGESO over the last twenty years, board member, President, and supporting vendor. He instituted the Public Safety Group (PSAG) that formulated a liaison with the department of labor. He led a contingent to Washington DC to discuss with the Federal OSHA that state plan states were not getting recognized by federal safety laws which changed formally in the federal register. He has been instrumental in a number of safety schools for NCLGESO including the Charlotte safety school the Western Conference and NCLGESO representative in the Statewide Safety Conference. He has been a liaison to the Department of Labor, both on the State and Federal levels and in the forefront of the safety issues including underground utilities. All of this while representing Safety for the Charlotte DOT. He has always taken an interest in helping many cities and those safety representatives for which the purpose of NCALESO exists. These are but a few achievements that I am aware.

Although it is hard to believe that he has achieved this and more Ben has done these things! Hard to believe, yes.

Ben will retire within the year. Certainly this is the right time and the right place to recognize him as a NCALGESO Lifetime Award winner.

Ben is one of our greatest resources not only for historical information but also for providing guidance ensuring NCALGESO’s continued success. His dedication, directness and professionalism are unmatched and greatly appreciated.

On behalf of the Board and Members of NCALGESO, it is my pleasure to congratulate The City of Charlotte DOT for having an employee of this caliber and Ben for receiving the Lifetime Achievement award.

The NCALGESO Board of Directors is accepting nominations for the annual Hubert Tarkenton Outstanding Achievement Award.  The Board will review all nominations and select one person to receive this award.  The award is to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of safety.

The recipient will be invited to attend the NCALGESO Annual Conference where the award will be presented.  The conference is held in July at Wilmington and motel and registration fees will be paid for by NCALGESO.

Please take the time to nominate a deserving person for the award.  The nominee does not have to be a member of NCALGESO.  NCALGESO Officers and Board Members are not eligible. 

All nominations must be received no later than July 13, 2009.

Mail, Fax or e-mail to:

Cathy Coomer

BuncombeCounty

164 Erwin Hills Road

Asheville, NC  28801

Fax-828-250-6265    e-mail – cathy.coomer@buncombecounty.org

If you have questions, please call me at: 828-250-6613

• Download The Nomination Form (PDF)

The N.C. Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health offers free general industry and con­struction industry courses to employers and employees across the state.

• NCDOL / OSH Training Newsletter (PDF)

NC law requires all passengers in a vehicle to wear a seat belt. NC Seat Belt

Law - G.S. 20-135.2A Summary of law

updated 12-01-06

Senate Bill 774 was introduced and sponsored by Senator William R. Purcell during the 2005 Session of the NC General Assembly and was passed by NC General Assembly during the 2006 Session. The ratified bill was signed by Governor Easley July 19th. Changes to the NC Seat Belt Law went into effect December 1, 2006.

Ages/Positions Covered:
All drivers and passengers, in the rear seat as well as in the front seat, ages 16 and older must wear their seat belts. Children less than age 16 are covered by the NC child passenger safety law.

Vehicles Covered:
The seat belt law applies to all vehicles required by federal standards to have seat belts. In general, these are cars made after 1967 and light trucks and vans made after 1971.

Restraint Required:
The full restraint system provided for the seating position must be properly worn. Both the lap and shoulder belt must be properly worn even if the position is equipped with an automatic shoulder belt or air bag. Placing the shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm is not allowed.

Exemptions:

• Vehicles not required to have belts. In general, these are cars made before 1968 and light trucks and vans made before 1972.
• Drivers of noncommercial motor vehicles with a professionally certified medical condition or mental phobia preventing use.
• Rural letter carriers and newspaper carriers while performing duties.
• Frequently stopping delivery vehicles if speed between stops does not exceed 20 mph.
• Vehicles with "Farm" license plates while being used for agricultural purposes in intrastate commerce.
• Any occupant of a motor home, as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(27)d2, other than the driver and front seat passengers. Responsibility:
• The driver of the vehicle is responsible for himself and all children less than sixteen.
• Passengers ages sixteen and older are responsible for themselves.

Penalties
Drivers and Front Seat Occupants Older than age 15

• Penalty of $25
• $75 court costs

No driver license or insurance points are assessed. Rear Seat Occupants Older than age 15

• Penalty of $10
• No court costs
• No driver license or insurance points are assessed.

More Information: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us

BACKGROUND: On April 24, 2006, at 71 FR 20915, the FHWA published and NRPM proposing to establish a policy for the use of high-visibility safety apparel for workers who are working within the Federal-aid highways rights-of way. This notice proposed regulations implementing the requirements of Section 1402 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A legacy of Users, which directed the Secretary of Transportation to, within one year, issue regulations to decrease the likelihood of workers injuries and maintain the free flow of vehicular traffic y requiring workers, whose duties place them on or in close proximity to Federal-aid highway to wear high-visibility safety apparel. The comment period for the NRPM closed on June 23, 2006.

There has been an increase in the amount of maintenance and reconstruction of the nation’s highways that is being accomplished in stages while traffic continues to use a portion off the street or highway for purposes of travel. This has resulted in an increase in the exposure of workers on foot, to high-speed traffic and a corresponding increase in the risk of injury or death for highway workers.

High visibility is one of the most prominent needs for workers who must perform tasks near moving vehicles or equipment. The need to be seen by those who drive or operate vehicles or equipment is recognized as a critical issue for worker safety. The sooner a worker in or near the path of travel is seen, the more time the operation has to avoid an accident. The FHWA recognized this fact and included language in the 2000 Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to address this issue. This text in the 2000 MUTCD led some agencies to adopt polices and specifications requiring workers to wear high-visibility vests or shirts on their highway projects. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) also released ANSI 107-1999, a standard for high visibility garments.

The FHWA recognized the need for a more specific recommendation and included language to that effect in the 2003 Edition of the MUTCD. As a result of the text in the 2003 MUTCD, many agencies have revised their policies to require their employees to wear ANSI Class 2 safety apparel at all times and they are revising their specifications to require contractors’ employees to wear compliant safety apparel also. Although the text was made more specific in the 2003 MUTCD, it was still a recommendation rather that a requirement and some agencies have, therefore, not incorporated the use of high-visibility safety apparel into their policies and contract documents.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 1402 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), this final rule establishes a policy for the use of high-visibility safety apparel. The FHWA establishes a new Part in title 23, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that requires the use of high-visibility safety apparel and provides guidance on its application. This rulemaking applies only to workers who are working within the rights-of-way of Federal-aid highways. The FHWA is taking this action to decrease the likelihood of fatalities or injuries to workers on foot who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction vehicles or equipment while working within the rights-of-way of Federal-aid highways.

DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is effective November 24, 2008. The incorporation by reference of this publication listed in this regulation is approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register as of November 24, 2008.

(Copied with permission from a safety magazine provided by Safety Products) 3637 N. Graham St. Charlotte, NC 28206 704-339-0024

Ben Stacy
Legislative Chair