1

FORESTPORT – About 11a.m. on the morning of Novem-ber 2, state Department ofTransportation worker GaryFarrell was working as aflagger along Rt. 28, directingtraffic through a work zonewhile his co-workers weredoing routinetrench mainte-nance along thebusy highway.The roadworkhad closed offone lane, andFarrell wasstopping north-bound traffic toallow south-bound traffic through. In anoth-er ten minutes, he would haveleft work early, as he had putin for a half-day off to gohunting, one of his favoritepastimes. It was a trip he wouldnever get to take.

Suddenly, a 63-year-oldwoman driving a pickup trucknorthbound barreled throughthe work zone, ignoring the

three signs she passed warningdrivers to slow down, drivingover the orange road cones andstriking Farrell. Despite theefforts of his co-workers andrescue personnel to revive him,Farrell was pronounced dead

on the scene.

Farrell hadworked for the pastthree years as ahighway mainte-nance worker I forthe DOT out oftheir Alder CreekSub-Residency. Hewas well-liked andrespected by all hisco-workers, said

his supervisor, Dan Goodhines,a highway maintenance super-visor II.

"He was a great guy,everybody liked working withhim and he was easy to getalong with. He was a jack ofall trades, and he was alwayswilling to help people out withmechanical problems on theirtrucks, and he was real goodwith electrical work," he said."He was a good-natured man,and always had a smile on hisface. He was a pleasure to havearound."

Farrell, 48, was a lovinghusband and father of threechildren, ages 3, 8 and 11. Hewas active in his community,working for the Holland PatentSchool District as a substitutebus driver, maintenance workerand custodian, and as a volun-teer firefighter for the HollandPatent Fire Dept.

CSEA Utica DOT Local505 President Peter Niznik saidthat Farrell's death came as ashock to all DOT workers.

"It devastated our wholedepartment. He got up in themorning to go to work like weall do, and he didn't go homeat night," he said. "Our peopledid everything safety-wise thatthey were supposed to. Theonly thing in DOT that we can'tcompensate for is that wildcardof a driver coming into thework zone being inattentive towhat's going on around him orher."

CSEA Occupational Safetyand Health Specialist LynnetWitherell investigated thescene that afternoon, alongwith a representative from thePublic Employee Safety andHealth Bureau of the stateDepartment of Labor. TheDOT Regional Safety Officer

Safety Hot Topic: DOT Workzone FatalityJoe Miceli, Safety & Health Committee Chair Colleen Wheaton, Central Region President

Spring 2010

The CSEA Central Region 5 Safety & Health Newsletter

by CSEA Communications Specialist Mark KotzinInside

A Message fromRegion PresidentColleen Wheaton Page 2

Messagefrom the Chair Page 3

Safety HappeningsAround the Region Pages 4, 5

Safety Reports Page 5

Safety Tips: HighwayWork Zones Page 6

Safety Highlight:WVP at LiverpoolLibrary

Page 7

Hot Topic: MakingWorkzones Safer Page 8

"Our people did everything safety-wise that they were supposed to. Theonly thing in DOT that we can'tcompensate for is that wildcard of adriver coming into the work zonebeing inattentive to what's going onaround him or her." P

hoto

: Ant

hony

Mas

i

Gary Farrell

Continued on Page 3...

2

On Wednesday, April28, we honor those work-ers who gave their livesfor their job, by observingWorkers’ MemorialDay nationally, and righthere in our Region.

It is a day set aside to“Mourn for the dead andfight for the living,” as theslogan says. It is notsomething that should betaken lightly. The statisticsfor deaths on the job, or related tothe job, are frighteningly high. Whileit is important to note that and paytribute to those we’ve lost, it isequally if not more important todedicate ourselves to preventingneedless death or injury in theworkplace. Not one day of the year,but every day. Only when we are allproactive, only when we are all safetyconscious, and only when labor andmanagement work together, can wereach our goal of preventing thesetragic losses.

This year, ourRegion mourns theloss of Gary Far-rell (see story onpage 1), who waskilled by a driverwhose vehicle blewthrough his road-side work zone de-spite all thewarnings to slowdown. Unfortunate-ly, it seems there

was nothing thatcould have been done to prevent hisdeath, as the DOT reportedly did setup the work zone properly. Farrellhad been properly trained in flagging,and there was no indication thatanything was amiss. He was simplyin the wrong place at the wrong time.

We also mourn the loss of formermember Sharon LaDuke. Sharonpassed away last May due to theeffects of Mesothelioma, an asbestosrelated cancer. Sharon worked as asenior clerk/registrar in the Villageof Potsdam and was likely exposedto asbestos due to improper removalprojects done over the years in thebuilding where she worked.

This year, to commemorate Work-ers Memorial Day and to rememberour fallen brothers and sisters, we aredoing something new. Our Safetyand Health Committee will bestarting a brand new tradition that wehope will be very meaningful.

On Wednesday, April 28, we willgather outside the CSEA CentralRegion Office in East Syracuse at 4p.m. to plant a tree and hold a briefservice in memory of those we’velost. I invite all our members to attendand join us in paying tribute.

We also encourage CSEA Localsand Units to hold their own worksiteobservances to commemorate Work-ers Memorial Day.

In Solidarity,

A Message From Region President Colleen Wheaton

Workers Memorial Day: We Remember

Is an official publication of theCSEA Central Region

Safety & Health Committee

Colleen Wheaton, PresidentJoe Miceli, Chair

Jeffrey S. Colburn, AdvisorLynnet Witherell, OSH Specialist

Mark Kotzin, Editor

Send address corrections to:CSEA, 6595 Kirkville Road

East Syracuse, NY 13057

Colleen Wheaton

Alive!

Sharon LaDuke

If your Local or Unit or another unionin your area is holding an event tocommemorate Workers’ Memorial Day,we’d like to know about it!

Please contact CSEA Communica-tions Specialist Mark Kotzin with detailsabout the event so we can post it on ourweb site calendar at:www.csealocal1000.org/r5/region5.php

3

The Region 5Safety and HealthCommittee re-

mains dedicated to ourmission - to promote

safety and health and educate ourmembers to ensure the safest workenvironments possible.

In our last newsletter, I said thatone of our committee goals was toestablish an annual Workers Memo-rial Day observance to honor thoseworkers who died needlessly in theworkplace. With our upcoming cere-mony, we have now accomplishedthat goal. Sadly, we will remember

one fallen union brother and sister atour Committee’s first annual WorkerMemorial Day observance.

We will hold a brief memorialservice and tree planting ceremonyoutside the CSEA Central RegionOffice in East Syracuse on Wednes-day April 28 at 4 p.m.

Future events will be held annu-ally thereafter at different sitesthroughout our Region to honor thosebrothers and sisters and their familieswho miss them. Please join us for thissolemn service to honor our brothersand sisters on this date. We will also

rememberthem atthe SafetyandHealthConfer-ence inLake Plac-id laterthat week, where we will join togetherfrom all over the state to re-energizein our fight to prevent future work-place injuries and death.

A message from the Chairby Joe Miceli, Chair, Region 5 Safety & Health Committee

Joe

reported that the work zone had been setup correctly, and that all proper safetyprotocols were followed. "According toall involved, everything that should havebeen done was done," Witherell said. StatePolice are still investigating the driver ofthe truck to determine the cause of thefatal incident, but no charges have beenfiled as this issue went to press.

CSEA Central Region President Col-leen Wheaton said, "This is a terrible lossthat has shaken our CSEA family. Wemourn our brother Gary Farrell's passing,and we extend our sympathies to his wife,children, family and co-workers. Thisshould serve as a reminder to everyone tobe more careful around our roadways. Nofamily should have to face what his familyis now facing."

Activists at the Region's Fall ExecutiveBoard Meeting took up a collection forthe Farrell family, raising more than $450.CSEA members wishing to make dona-tions can send them to a fund to benefitthe Farrell children, c/o Gary’s sister,Kathleen McGahey, PO Box 108, 7873Steuben St., Holland Patent, NY 13354.

According to OSH Specialist Wither-ell, the fatality points out the need fortougher enforcement in workzones andpublic education. She also said the unionoffers Work Zone Safety/Flagger trainingthrough a collaboration with AFSCMEthat is very valuable for union memberswho work in highway work zones.

“Even though everything was doneright in this case, there are many workzones that are not properly set up, and thatonly adds to the potential danger to ourhighway workers. Everyone needs to beproperly trained to do this type of work,to eliminate as much of the danger aspossible,” she said.

CSEA makes the training available toboth members and management represen-tatives, and at no cost to attendees. Groupsinterested in having the CSEA trainingpresented at their workplace shouldcontact CSEA Occupational Safety andHealth Specialist Lynnet Witherell at(315) 433-0050, ext. 4217.

DOT Workzone Fatality (Continued)

News You Can Use

NYS DOT Local 505 President PeteNiznik talks about Gary Farrell’sdeath to fellow activists at ourRegion Fall Executive BoardMeeting.

4

Safety Happenings: Around the RegionA Region Safety Overview from Occupational Safety & Health Specialist Lynnet Witherell

Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP)Workplace violence prevention re-

mains a busy agenda item for many ofour municipalities, and requests forassistance continue to be on the rise.CSEA is continuing to review draftpolicies and make recommendations,attend Labor-Management (L-M) meet-ings, and provide tools and templates fordocumentation to assist employers withtheir processes. Here is a sampling ofemployers or union groups who havebeen working with CSEA since our lastreport:

Village of North Syracuse; ThousandIsland State Parks; Madison County; Cityof Oneonta; Town of Cicero; SUNYOswego; SUNY Binghamton; GreaterBinghamton Health Center; CNY Psychi-atric Center; Mohawk Valley PsychiatricCenter; Village of Potsdam; LiverpoolLibrary; Herkimer County; City of Fulton;City of Auburn; Broome DevelopmentalCenter; SUNY Morrisville; and OCFSFinger Lakes Residential Center.

CSEA has also developed a compel-ling DVD on Workplace Violence thatcan be used for training WVP TaskForces, to educate members, or forgeneral awareness training. Please con-tact me for additional information.Technical Assistance

We continue to provide ongoingtechnical assistance to many Units andLocals. The issues listed below werebrought to management’s attention oraddressed through L-M meetings. Someare continuing to be addressed, and somehave been resolved. Issues included:� H1N1/Pandemic Concerns - Provided

updated information to CSEA LaborRelations Specialists and ourLocals/Units related to H1N1, includ-ing: vaccination program, pendingregulations, recommendations, bestpractices, and policies; and

� City of Oneonta - assisted their L-MCommittee in identifying training needs.

Investigations/Inspections/L-M MeetingsWhen safety issues are not addressed,

we often conduct walk through inspec-tions or record reviews, going over theresults in L-M meetings to ensureappropriate corrective actions. Here aresome areas we’ve addressed concerns:

� SUNY Oswego - Worked through L-Mto address electrical safety concerns,update training and obtain appropriateprotective clothing;

� Hutchings Psychiatric Center- Ad-dressed electrical safety practices andLock-Out/Tag-Out issues;

� SUNY Cortland - Participated in aninvestigation and L-M meeting toaddress Asbestos-related issues;

� Village of Potsdam - participated inWorkplace Violence presentation andwalkthrough with consultant and taskforce representatives;

� SUNY Oswego - conducted a walk-through inspection related to Indoor AirQuality and mold to ensure appropriateclean-up;

� City of Elmira Parole Board - Assistedwith halting construction-related relo-cation of workers and air qualitymonitoring at the facility due to theconstruction;

� Syracuse City School District - Per-formed ergonomic evaluations for twoworkers;

� Tupper Lake CSD Bus Garage -Conducted a walkthrough inspection,after a lift failed, injuring a worker.Made recommendations to managementand filed a PESH complaint that wasupheld;

� Oneida East (Utica) State DOT -Investigated November work zonefatality. Conducted a site visit withPESH and a follow-up meeting withmanagement;

� City of Auburn - attended L-M Safety& Health Committee’s accident reviewand committee meetings;

� CNY Psychiatric Center - AttendedL-M meeting to follow-up on asbestosconcerns and assist with developmentof WVP program;

� Onondaga County- participated inPESH annual variance inspection at theCivic Center;

� Onondaga County - assisted in investi-gation and follow-up on incidents ofviolence at several County sites: Hill-brook, Van Duyn, Onondaga Lake Park;

� Syracuse State DOT - Investigated anaccident at the Camillus Residencywhen a plow blade that was removedfor welding repairs fell, pinning aworker;

� Onondaga County - Worked with RiskManagement related to potential leadexposure during recent renovation.Although no CSEA members routinelywork in the affected area, the Countyincluded CSEA members in theirfollow-up medical evaluations. Kudosto County management for that positiveresponse to a Safety & Health issue;and

� Chemung County Library - performedan ergonomic evaluation for a workerwith musculoskeletal injuries.

TrainingsThe following trainings were held

recently:� Workplace Violence Prevention, Full

Compliance Training: Town of Cicero,Liverpool Library;

� Workplace Violence Prevention, TaskForce Training: SUNY Oswego, Vil-lage of North Syracuse, City of Fulton;

� Workplace Violence Risk EvaluationTraining for OCFS Finger LakesResidential Center;

� Attended NYS DOL sponsored SafePatient Handling Conference; and

� Continued participation in H1N1 coali-tion teleconferences.

Safety Happenings Around The Region

Continued on Page 5...

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PESH ViolationsThe following locations were issued

PESH violations after unannouncedvisits to facilities or union complaintsfiled. CSEA then followed up onposting/compliance and abatement:� SUNY Binghamton - violation related

to Workplace Violence Program;� Thousand Island State Park & Clark

Reservation State Park - violationsrelated to Workplace Violence Program;

� City of Oneonta - violation related totrenching;

� Village of Potsdam - complaint filedand upheld related to electrical safety;

� Herkimer County - complaint filedrelated to Workplace Violence Preven-tion; and

� Town of Owasco - PESH notifiedfollowing a truck fire in the town garage.

Safety Happenings and Reports

Safety Report: SUNY OswegoSafetyHappenings:Continued...

Contributed by Andy Salvagni, Local 611 Safety & Health Committee Chair

Safety Report: SUNY Cortland

When their supervisor told cleaners ina residence hall to clean up mold whichhad spread throughout several areas oftheir building, they contacted our LocalSafety & Health Committee. Black moldhad taken over ceilings, walls, pipes andcabinets in several areas of the basement.

Region OSH Specialist Lynnet With-erell and I surveyed the areas and came tothe conclusion that, due to the amount ofarea covered, the work should be per-formed by the campus mold abatementteam. The cause of the mold also neededto be determined and corrective measurestaken to ensure that it didn’t return. Severaldepartments were involved in correctingthe problem which involved mold cleanup as well as repair and replacement ofpipe insulation; fixing or replacement ofleaking valves; painting; updating thebuilding’s ventilation system and purchas-ing and installing dehumidifiers. To datethe mold has not returned.

A long-standing issue involving un-trained staff resetting campus electrical

breakers has come to astalemate with our Safe-ty & Health Committee.Local president Joe Micelihas filed a grievance tostop this practice and weare awaiting a hearingdate. Our administrationhas argued that if peoplecan reset a tripped breakerin their homes, theyshould be able to do it atwork. The union is arguingthat trained electriciansshould be doing the work, asour transformers on campusare rated greater than 150 kvawhile the residential rating isfar less, creating a greater riskof arc flash. There may also be multiplefactors which could cause a circuit breakerto malfunction and a trained electricianshould be evaluating the situation beforeany circuits are reset and an accurate logshould be kept to help document the causeof the malfunction.

Contributed by Rick Nauseef, Local 605 President

Since members Tom Hingher and DonGardner were trained throughCSEA/AFSCME’s Confined Space SafetyTrain-the-Trainer program last year, wehave become a more productive and safercampus at SUNY Cortland. Working withGlenn Wright and the Employee Healthand Safety Dept., we have implemented astrong confined space response program.Our campus Confined Space Safety Teamincludes 4 CSEA Local 605 members.They have canvassed the campus todocument all confined spaces, visitingmore than 40 buildings, including allcooling towers, dropped ceilings, elevatorpits, manholes and sewers. They identified79 confined spaces, 57 of which weredesignated as Permit Required areas thatrequire air monitoring. A subsequentequipment review found that our equip-ment needed upgrades to meet standardsand make working in these areas safe. Asa result, the campus has purchased theequipment as well as a mobile storage

trailer to keep it organized and accessibleto everyone who needs it.

CSEA/AFSCME’s Train-the-Trainerprogram was the single most importantcatalyst for our progress. We learned howfar we were from being in compliance andwere able to work with college manage-ment to purchase the equipment neededto achieve a safe and efficient confinedspace program. Hingher and Gardner willsoon be attending a refresher course. Usingour own members to train all staff whohave to work in these areas is invaluable.The staff responded very well to learningfrom their co-workers and many didn’trealize the dangers they were facing whileperforming their jobs. With this knowl-edge, our staff now feel and work saferevery day. I can’t express enough howthankful we at Local 605 are that there aresuch programs available to our membersfrom CSEA and AFSCME.

We also continue to follow up on an

asbestos issue on campus. With OSHSpecialist Lynnet Witherell’s diligenceand working with our management, wewere able to get baseline evaluations forany affected members at no cost to them.Without the help and combined effortsfrom Lynnet, Glenn Wright, our members,and our Human Resources Dept., this issuewould not have come to a resolutionacceptable to all parties. I am glad to reportthat, so far, almost all our affectedmembers have taken advantage of theevaluations, and were happy to know thatCSEA was willing to come to Cortland tostand up for their rights. These types ofsituations have only strengthened ourresolve to be safe at work and at home.They also make us stronger and moreunified as a Local in CSEA.

I want to thank our Central RegionOffice for their resources and professionalstaff which have been an immeasurablehelp in making our Local a better, safer,and more member-responsive union.

6

� In any work zone along any road,major or minor, Expect the Unex-pected! Normal speed limits maybe reduced, traffic lanes may bechanged, and people and vehiclesmay be working on or near theroad.

� Advance warnings - diamond-shaped orange warning signs areposted in advance of road con-struction projects. Slow down! Bealert! Pay attention to the signs!

� In addition to other warning signs,a "flagger ahead" warning signmay be posted in the work zone.When you see this, stay alert andbe prepared to obey the flagger'sdirections. In a work zone, aflagger has the same authority asa regulatory sign, so you can becited for disobeying his or herdirections.

� You may see flashing arrowpanels or "lane closed ahead"signs. Merge as soon as possible.Don't zoom right up to the laneclosure, then try to barge in - ifeveryone cooperates, trafficmoves more efficiently. Motoristscan help maintain traffic flow andposted speeds by moving to theappropriate lane at first notice ofan approaching work zone.

� Slow down when the signs say to.A car traveling 60 m.p.h. travels88 feet per second. If you're going60mph, and you pass a sign thatsays "‘Road Work 1500 feet'"you'll be in that work zone in 17seconds.

� Stay calm. Work zones aren't thereto personally inconvenience you.They're necessary to improve theroads for everyone.

� The most common crash in ahighway work zone is the rear-endcollision, so remember to leavetwo-seconds of braking distancebetween you and the car in frontof you. The amount of spacerequired to provide two-secondsof stopping time will increase thefaster you're driving!

� Keep a safe distance between yourvehicle and traffic barriers, trucks,construction equipment and work-ers. Just like you, highway work-ers want to return home safelyafter each day's work.

� Some work zones - like linepainting, road patching, and mow-ing are mobile, moving down theroad as the work is finished. Justbecause you don't see the workersimmediately after you see thewarning signs doesn't meanthey're not out there. Observe theposted signs until you see the onethat says you've left the workzone.

� Expect delays, plan for them andleave early to reach your destina-tion on time. Highway agenciesuse many different and varyingways to inform motorists aboutthe location and duration of majorwork zones. Often, the agencieswill suggest a detour to help youavoid the word-zone entirely. Planahead, and try an alternate route.

Source: US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Safety Tips: Driving Safely ThroughHighway Work Zones

Safety Reports

Pho

to: W

ayan

Vot

a

“Just like you,highway workers

want to returnhome safely after

each day’swork.”

Note: CSEA recently experienced the fatality of member Gary Farrell who was killedwhen a car went through his work zone. Please be mindful of the belowrecommendations to help prevent future fatalities.

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Safety Highlight: Liverpool Library gets new WorkplaceViolence Prevention program right

LIVERPOOL -- About fifteen yearsago, a man lurking outside the LiverpoolLibrary frightened patron Yvonne Fulleras she went inside with her young children.

Later that evening, after Fuller had leftand as terrified Library workers andpatrons watched from inside, that man shotand killed another female patron, laterfound to be his wife, as she exited thelibrary. At the time, the workers feared fortheir safety, but weren't sure how to bestrespond to protect themselves and theirpatrons.

It’s a memory that's never far fromFuller, who now works for the Library asa librarian assistant in Community Rela-tions and Reference.

Today, CSEA-represented Libraryworkers and their patrons feel more secureknowing there's an effective WorkplaceViolence Prevention (WVP) program inplace, the culmination of months of hardwork and collaboration that everyoneinvolved is praising as a shining exampleof what true labor-management coopera-tion can bring about.

The program is comprehensive, includ-ing: a new policy; an ongoing program ofrisk assessment; identifying and imple-menting control measures to minimizethose risks, such as hiring new securityguards; and ongoing employee training.

Last Fall, CSEA and Library manage-ment sponsored a day-long training for theworkers to ensure that all the workers arefamiliar with the new law and how theLibrary and the union are responding tomake a safer workplace for both workersand patrons. Workers heard about work-place violence risks, and how to minimizethem. They viewed CSEA's "WorkplaceViolence Prevention" DVD, as well as avideo called "Active Shooter" with guide-lines how to respond to a gunman in theworkplace. They had the opportunity toask questions of management and securitystaff, and make any additional concernsknown.

The process began in July, whenDorothy Morgan, the library's administra-tor of personnel and business, heard aboutthe new workplace violence preventionregulations. She reached out to the union,eventually being put in touch with CSEAOccupational Safety and Health SpecialistLynnet Witherell. That started a two-month long collaborative process, with theend resulting in the WVP program thatwas presented.

"We needed to be madeaware of the dangers, andthis training really broughtit into focus. We do thinkthat libraries are safeplaces, but we have unusu-al people who frequent thelibrary and their behaviorcan get riled up. You don'tknow if it's going toescalate or not, so youneed to make our work-place as safe as possiblewithout compromising ourlevel of service to ourpatrons," Fuller said.

For OSH Specialist Witherell, workingwith management went beyond what thelaw required, and that will benefit every-one involved.

"After the first meeting with Dorothy,she had a totally different perspective onwhat compliance with the law wouldmean. She owned the responsibility for it,and she worked with us to come up witha meaningful response, that wasn't just lipservice. I appreciated that," she said."Their cooperation and efforts will benefitour members."

Morgan said that the training was justthe beginning of the Library's commitmentto Workplace Violence Prevention.

"It doesn't stop today. The implemen-tation, the training continues. This wasjust a starting point," she said.

CSEA Liverpool Library Unit Presi-dent Pam Sprague, community relations

coordinator for the Library, said that thecooperation between the library and CSEAset a great example.

"This current management has beenreally open and willing to work with theunion on this issue, and they really did itenthusiastically," she said. "I thought theprogram was excellent. The staff got tosee that there were CSEA representatives

and management and supervisors workingtogether. I thought that was a really goodexample to set."

Liverpool Library Executive DirectorJean Armour Polly agreed that the union'scooperation was invaluable in developinga successful WVP program.

"The union bent over backward tomake sure we had all the information weneeded to come into compliance with thelaw and going beyond that to embrace themindset of workplace violence prevention.Lynnet's passion and insights helped us tofocus on what we could do in a proactivemanner to try and mitigate these threats,"she said.

CSEA's Occupational Safety andHealth Department has many tools to assistworkplaces in developing their own WVPprograms to comply with the new stateregulations. Please contact your CSEAOSH Specialist or the department at800-342-4146 for assistance.

by Mark Kotzin, CSEA Communications Specialist

Safety Reports

Liverpool Library Executive Director Jean ArmourPolly welcomes workers to the WVP training

Region 5 Safety & HealthCommittee Members

We need toknow!

Keep 5 Alive Spring 2010

Joe Miceli, Chair, SUNY Oswego.............................................................(315) 312-2732Jeffrey Colburn, Regional Advisor...........................................................(315) 366-2221Lynnet Witherell, Staff Advisor................................................................(800) 559-7975Gary Beach, SUNY Binghamton...............................................................(607) 777-2392Cheryl Burns, Jefferson Co......................................................................((315) 785-7810Brian Cunningham, Elmira Correctional................................................(607) 734-3901King Davis, Syracuse State Employees....................................................(315) 423-1274Anthony DeCaro, Cayuga Co....................................................................(315) 283-1608Jeannette Engle, Oswego Co......................................................................(315) 963-5287Jon Englert, Greater Binghamton Health Ctr........................................(607) 773-4565John Frankl, SUNY Oneonta....................................................................(607) 436-3551Barney Freeborn, Madison Co..................................................................(315) 366-2221Tom Gabak, Cayuga Co.............................................................................(315) 729-4939Brenda Harwood, Jefferson Co.................................................................(315) 785-7775James Jackson, Oswego Co.......................................................................(315) 341-2906Norm Jacobson, CNY DDSO....................................................................(315) 336-8413Lynn May, Jefferson Co.............................................................................(315) 486-9958Suz McManus, SUNY Binghamton..........................................................(607) 777-3073Steve Meszko, NYS Barge Canal..............................................................(315) 576-8174Richard Nauseef, SUNY Cortland............................................................(607) 753-2120Linda Park, Onondaga Co.........................................................................(315) 435-3280Andy Roche, Cayuga Co............................................................................(315) 253-6511Eugene Scarsciotti, Syracuse NYS DOT..................................................(315) 672-8152Jennifer Struble, Greater Binghamton Health Ctr................................(607) 773-4625Karen Tisci, Southern Tier State Emp....................................................(607) 741-4414

8

If you come across aserious workplace hazardor have any type of emer-gency situation arise that

has or could jeopardizethe safety of CSEA

members, youshould immedi-ately notify

your nearestCSEA Officer, and

request that they imme-diately report the situa-

tion to CSEA Occupational Safety andHealth Specialist Lynnet Witherell.

CSEA can most effectively respond toemergency situations and protect your safetywith prompt notification. This allows us toassess the situation andto hopefully addressproblems beforeanyone is hurt.

OSH SpecialistLynnet Witherellcan be reached atthe Region Officeat (800) 559-7975,ext. 4217.

In response to two recent work zone fatalities, CSEA isproposing a campaign to address work zone safety anddistracted drivers. Kevin Forsythe (Region 6) and Gary Farrellwere both victims of driver inattentiveness. Work zones areset up to protect the workers, however the awareness of drivershas proven to be a critical factor in all too many work zoneincidents and fatalities.

The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)and PESH standards are the minimal requirements. CSEA ispromoting more effective measures that go above and beyondthe laws to ensure workers’ safety. These include: additionalprotective devices such as rumble strips and jersey barriers;adapting measures that other states have found effective;providing CSEA train-the-trainer sessions to ensure that all

DOT/ DPW workers get the proper training and knowledge;public education regarding work zones through drivereducation and defensive driving courses; and the use of TVand radio ads to heighten awareness.

CSEA held its first conference with the NYS DOTLabor-Management Committee to review and initiate actionsto address these issues. Additionally a focus at the 2010 CSEASafety and Health Conference will be to form a Work ZoneSafety activist group geared toward public education. TheRegion 5 Safety and Health Committee is also sponsoring aWork Zone Safety Program at our Spring Conference topromote CSEA’s Work Zone Safety Training and heightenyour awareness that Work Zones are set up for the benefit andsafety of both the workers and the traveling public.

Hot Topic: Making Highway Work Zones Saferby OSH Specialist Lynnet Witherell