In light of these tight economic times, it is the infrastructure of Wisconsin that will move our state toward a stronger economy.  Now more than ever, our roads are at the foundation of a better tomorrow.  Helping to keep this infrastructure healthy on a daily basis are our county highway departments and their dedicated employees. 

Without them, state roads would suffer and greatly impact quality of life for Wisconsinites.  After all, it is these employees who clear snow to get families out the door in the middle of winter, fill dangerous potholes for a safe ride for all motorists and maintain safe roadways year round.

The job of county employees is not an easy one.  The recent death of a Dane County highway employee on the job tragically demonstrates the dangerous working conditions for highway workers.  Poor visibility during storms, lifting heavy objects and often working mere feet from speeding traffic makes for a situation ripe for accidents.

To provide ongoing safety training for county highway employees, Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation (County Mutual), the insurance carrier for counties in the state, sponsored the 2009 Highway Safety ROADeo in Wisconsin Dells on June 9, 2009.

The free event was held in conjunction with the Wisconsin County Highway Association Summer Conference and brought together county highway employees from 17 counties.  Attendees took part in four separate rotations, which included:

•    A written street and road safety exam,
•    A vehicle inspection where participants had to identify five things wrong with the truck that would provide a safety hazard;
•    A presentation by speaker Bob Emmerich on working safely on elevated platforms, and
•    A driver skills course that employees had to maneuver in a county truck.  Situations on the course included safely backing up and manuevign in tight spaces.

There were a total of 500 points available to participants between the written exam, vehicle inspection and driver skills course.

This year’s keynote speaker was Bob LoMastro, who gave a dynamic presentation on “Defining Safety.” Following his speech, an awards ceremony was held and this year’s top finishers were:
 

• First place: Mark Bobholz, Dodge County.
• Second place: Todd Olson, Polk County
• Third place: Gary Puestow, Washington County
• Fourth place: Brian Klos, Ozaukee County

The 2009 County Mutual Highway Safety ROADeo was planned by Aegis Corporation, the general administrator of the County Mutual.  Volunteers from the Wisconsin County Highway Association also served as volunteers and helped to coordinate events throughout the day.

The Highway Safety ROADeo is just one of many safety and training seminars provided by the County Mutual.  Aegis Corporation’s staff of safety specialists typically makes over 500 on-site loss control and risk management training visits a year to member counties, with topics ranging from sexual harassment to chainsaw safety.

“Our county highway employees are providing one of the most visible services to our taxpayers.  Their work can be dangerous at times and we believe it is critical that they continue to receive the latest in safety training,” said John Dirkse, Aegis Corporation Executive Vice President.  “The County Mutual is steadfast in our belief that we must keep safety a top priority for all of our employees.  The Highway Safety ROADeo provided an arena for our highway employees to focus on safety and is yet another way the County Mutual proves itself to be different from others in the industry with its strong safety philosophy.”

For more information on the Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Corporation, visit www.wisconsincountymutual.org.