The City of Brookings received a safety award during the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) annual conference in late September. The City took home the Gold Award, which is the highest possible level.
City/County Insurance Services (CIS) presented the award to Mayor Jake Pieper in recognition of the City’s employee safety record during the 2016-17 year. The annual CIS/LOC award, more than 30 years old, rewards cities with the fewest number of work days lost due to on-the-job injuries. It showcases employee safety, focusing on training, a proven track record in avoiding injuries, and management’s commitment to a safe work environment.
“At CIS, we’ve redoubled our focus on keeping safety front and center for our workers’ compensation program members,” said CIS’ Executive Director Lynn McNamara. “Our winners are cities that adopt safe work practices and make sure those practices are followed, day in and day out. Their commitment and vigilance produce results: employees stay on the job, and costs stay down.”
For the annual safety awards, open to all members of the LOC, qualifying cities may win a gold, silver or bronze award.
The City is recognized based on the number of time loss injuries the city has, and their duration, compared to the number of hours worked in a year. Gold awards went to those cities with zero time-loss injuries or the fewest injuries within its population class.
“We are very pleased with this special recognition,” said Mayor Pieper. “This award means that all our employees and volunteers are doing an outstanding job in making the City a safe place to work.”
The City has a Safety Committee which meets regularly to inspect City facilities, review accident reports and make recommendations to management for improvements to workplace safety.