The winners of the award will be announced in Fall 2010. The two grand prizes will be awarded to the fleets with the best records in two divisions based on annual vehicle miles traveled: less than 20 million miles and more than 20 million miles. Complete rules and entry forms are at http://www.volvosafetyaward.com.

The Volvo Trucks Safety Award is open to all U.S. and Canadian fleets operating at least five Class 8 units. Fleets must have at least one Volvo tractor in operation to be eligible for the award. Entrants will be ranked by their accident frequency rates. Participating fleets will also be judged on their accident prevention activities. Michelin is also a sponsor of this year’s award.

The Energy Star indicates that each plant is in the top 25 percent of cement plants in the nation in terms of energy efficiency. Holcim improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to the plants.

“Holcim is pleased to accept EPA’s Energy Star in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Patrick Dolberg, president and CEO of Holcim (US). “We have a strong commitment to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources throughout the company, and this achievement reflects the relentless efforts by the management and employees at each plant.”

Three Fisher sites were recognized: the Billings, Mont., site managed by Jim Rahr; the Glendive, Mont., site managed by Loren Boese; and one of the portable North Dakota operations managed by Joel Meyer.

“Safety is a top priority and is engrained in everything we do at Fisher Sand & Gravel,” said Tom Fisher, president of Fisher Sand & Gravel. “It takes commitment from every person on our staff for our operations to exceed safety practices and procedures, and we’re honored to have our dedication to safety be recognized.”

In addition to being recognized with the three industry awards, Fisher Sand & Gravel was honored with 13 Safe Mine Achievement Awards for 2008, also awarded by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, Rocky Mountain District. Five were certificate of honor awards, recognizing work hours performed without a fatal accident or permanent disability and work hours performed without incurring a lost workday injury. The remaining eight awards were Safe Mine Achievement Awards for efforts to reduce violations, accidents, and injuries. 

According to the NSSGA, Suzio has been instrumental in leading efforts to reduce injuries and illnesses, which have played a critical role in driving down the incidence rate in the aggregates industry to a record low. Since 1995, York Hill has had zero recordable injuries among workers. In addition, in this period, the company’s executive and workforce commitment, as well as strong safety and health programs, reduced the number of MSHA citations to just 3.5 citations per year.

Suzio has also played a leading role in her industry at the state and national levels. At the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, she established various safety committees and helped initiate the CCIA’s program for recognizing safety excellence. Nationally, Suzio has long been an NSSGA advisor on safety and health issues, at various times chairing the Safety and Health Committee, chairing NSSGA’s Division of Environment, Safety and Health, and serving on the association’s task force on regulatory affairs. Additionally, she has worked as a member of the committee of the MSHA-NSSGA Alliance for education and training, and worked successfully with MSHA to secure federal funding for MSHA refresher training. Suzio has worked with the entire senior leadership of the industry as a member of the NSSGA Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

“Cheryl’s diligent work to boost safety for all is a great example of the aggregates industry’s commitment to worker safety celebrated by the James M. Christie Award,” said NSSGA President and CEO Joy Wilson in a NSSGA press release. ”Cheryl has made a substantial impact not only on her company and workforce, but on workers and companies in the state of Connecticut and throughout the United States. “

Anne Kelhart, director of Safety and Human Resources for Martin Stone Quarries and current chair of NSSGA’s Safety & Health committee added, “Cheryl’s achievements stand as a clear illustration of our industry’s commitment to creatively and diligently work to eliminate injuries and fatalities in support of one of NSSGA’s most important guiding principles: preventing all occupational injuries and illnesses.”  

“As Environmental Director for the National Lime & Stone Company, Dan has made many significant and positive contributions to the environmental progress of not only his company, but to the aggregates industry in Ohio and nationally,” said NSSGA President and CEO Joy Wilson in announcing the award. 

Mapes has earned an outstanding reputation for more than 30 years among the mining community, business community, government officials, and regulatory agencies. He has served on numerous state and local committees that have focused on key issues facing the industry. In his roles as current chairman of the Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association’s Legislative committee and past chairman of the Environmental committee, he was pivotal in helping to shape the future landscapes of Ohio with his work on developing a general air permit for the industry; helping to negotiate enabling legislation implementing the Great Lakes Compact; working with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to allow lime kiln dust to be reclassified as a beneficial use for mine reclamation; and helped author the Ohio Environmental Compliance Manual for the aggregates industry.
 
One of his many letters of nomination stated, “Dan is a quiet leader who leads by example and has earned respect for his uncompromising dedication to the National Lime & Stone Company and the entire aggregates industry by working to advance responsible, scientific and fact-based solutions to solve the industry’s environmental issues.”

The Environmental Leadership Award provides recognition to any individual in the aggregates industry who has made superior and substantial contributions to his or her company’s, or the industry’s, efforts to achieve environmentally sound operating practices.

Safety Excellence Awards
The Safety Excellence Awards, originated in 1987, are presented based on the ability of an individual mine site to maintain a safe workplace, evidenced by its safety performance over a consecutive period of time without a Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reportable injury.

Sterling Award
The Sterling Safety Award, created in 1994, recognizes individual companies’ safety performances. The individual producer company that achieves the lowest total incidence rate for the previous calendar year (in its respective category) will receive top honors. In the event of a tie, competitors’ total incident rates in preceding, consecutive years are compared until the best incidence rate is identified.

James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional Award
The James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional Award, created in 1987, affords national recognition to one individual for superior and substantial contributions to his or her company’s – and the industry’s – effort toward proactive safe operating practices. This competition is open to any member safety and health professional with direct responsibility for the establishment, administration, implementation, and/or enforcement of corporate safety and health policy, who:

     • Has also made significant contributions to the industry’s safety and health responsiveness;
     • Is actively involved in either NSSGA’s or a state safety and health program; and
     • Has direct, day-to-day involvement in his or her own company’s safety and health affairs.

For more information, please contact Joe Casper or Trayvia Watson.

In the photograph, (left to right), Bill Canary, Executive Director, Alabama Business Council; Governor Bob Riley; Mike Kirkland, Vulcan Materials Co., North Alabama Sales Manager; Mike Bailey, President, Alabama Technology Network.

* Gold — Original Research category, Between a Rock and a Hard Place;

* Silver — Regular Column, Contributed category, Carved in Stone;

* Bronze — Original Research category, Forecast 2008; and

* Bronze — Special Section category, 2008 USGS Aggregates Industry Atlas.