KC Scout Hosts Student Leaders

KC Scout -- always the good host --  has welcomed visitors from other states, other countries, universities, private businesses, ITS professionals, boy scouts, girl scouts and high schools across the metro. Last week they met the possible future business partners, engineers and ITS professionals from high schools in the Northland with the CAPS program. 

Northland Center for Advanced Profession Studies (CAPS) serves junior and senior students in Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Liberty, North Kansas City, Park Hill, Platte County and Smithville. The program rovides high school students the skills needed to succeed in the competitive college environment and global work force.

In addition to Scout staff, they also met with MoDOT Traffic Specialists.  

Safety Shout: Protect Your Hearing

Benefit Golf Tournament - Oct. 8

2018 Service Awards Reception (Photo Gallery)

MoDOT Kansas City honored numerous employees on Thursday, Sept. 20 for their years of service to the Department of Transportation. Employees who have serves either five, ten, or fifteen years of service were presented with a certificate for their dedication.

Awards were presented by District Engineer Brian Kidwell, Assistant District Engineers Perry Allen and Susan Barry, as well as Assistant to the District Engineer Joseph Hinton.

For a full photo gallery of the ceremony, visit our album for the 2018 Service Awards Reception

Five Years of Service - 
Eric Bailey, Kathryn Bauer, Lorene Bayan, Gregory Bledsoe, Travis Brand, Deirdre Braun, Nicholas Brimer, Vance Chambers, Anthony Crusha, Derrick Daniels, Richard Dreher, Christopher Driver, Ricky Flandermeyer, Paul Hancock, Deborah Hogan, Dustin Hoyt, Maria Hulmes, Christopher Karlin, Rojelio Lara, John Mackey, John Mays, James Miles Jr., Anthony Mitchell, Joshua Motti, Simon Ngugi, Russell Penner, Carl Phillips Jr., Newell Reeser, George Rich, Adam Riley, Robert Riley, Michael Rolf, Trisha Sen, Dennis Sloan, Daryl Smith, Eva Steinman, Jordan Swing. 

Ten Years of Service - 
Floyd Bessard Jr., Christopher Divine, Jeff Hardy, Elizabeth Hart-Hopkins, Francisco Hernandez, Jerry Howard II, Nabor Madrigal, Thankum Mathew, David McDaniel, Stacey McKinley, Ryan Monroe, Mark Montgomery, Noel Norman, Timothy Schroeder, David Shouse, Brian Strong, Paul Valadez.

Fifteen Years of Service - 
Mark Burroughs, Torrey Canady, Lloyd Crawford, Loren Moore, Eric Oakes, Cedrick Owens Sr., Brian Pennock, Jodie Puhr, Scott Rogers, Carla Shaw, Kevin Simcosky, Stephen Spire, Milton Valentin, Christopher West, Randy Whyde, Tammy Wimmer, Stephen Butler, Ahimed Yimer. 

Fifteen Years of Safety - 
Scott Banes, Mark Burroughs, Stephen Butler, Lloyd Crawford, Clifford Everts, Eric Oakes, Cedrick Owens, Keith Rush, Kevin Simcosky, Stephen Spire, Randy Whyde, Ahimed Yemmer.

2018 Day of Remembrance Ceremony (Photo Gallery)

Safety Shout: Slips, Trips, and Falls

Most of us have been walking for awhile, so it’s not like we need practice. Why, then, are slips, trips and falls the most common injuries at MoDOT year after year? It’s one of those impossible questions, kind of like, “Why are there Interstates in Hawaii?” or “If a cannibal ate a comedian, would he taste funny?” or “Do stairs go up, or down?” I don’t know the answer, but there is a solution. Read on.

• Preventing slips trips and falls is as easy (and as difficult) as watching where you’re going and where you put your feet. Take a second to look down, which can sometimes be easier said than done. Never assume the footing is good, especially off the roadway or sidewalk. Ruts and holes abound, and numerous injuries happen when stepping in one. There have actually been compound (open) bone fractures to MoDOT employees from nothing more than stepping into a rut. Be careful.
• Wear the right footwear for the job. Maintenance and most other safety-sensitive employees wear safety toed boots every day, but many non-safety-sensitive employees also spend some time in the field. Wearing sneakers, or worse, high heels, is the cause of many a sprained ankle or worse. You might be a fashion plate, but only until you need a steel plate to repair your broken bone. Don’t be such a heel.
• “Keep your sole clean” is not just something your preacher once said. It applies to boots and shoes too. Plus, it’s a lot easier. Anyway, the tread on your soles is useless if it’s filled with asphalt, mud, or is worn down to a nub. You wouldn’t drive to work in the winter on racing slicks, so why would you walk on them?
• It ought to be a foregone conclusion, but use the handrails on steps. That said, just about everyone goes merrily up and down every once in awhile without them. Usually down. Stop stairing at me.
• Use 3 points of contact, or 4-3-4 points of contact, like your life depends on it, because it might. Every winter, several employees get hurt doing headers out of trucks or loaders. The fall didn’t hurt a bit, but that sudden stop at the bottom really sucks.
• Housekeeping (or lack thereof) is the single biggest cause of slip, trip and fall injuries. Stuff lying around, extension cords, or just dirt, water or snow on the floor are easy problems to fix. Concussions, broken bones, and knocked out teeth are not. Take a minute to clean up after yourself.
• Know when to say no. If you’re going to be working at unprotected elevations over six feet, you’re required to use proper fall protection equipment and be trained in fall protection (a four hour class; not Gear Up). If you’re not comfortable with a situation, talk to your supervisor.
• Use ladders properly, and never carry stuff up a ladder in your hands or on your shoulder. OSHA’s sad statistics tell us that falls from ladders are one of the most common causes of workplace death. Be careful on and around a ladder, so it doesn’t become become your stairway to heaven.

Fall is a great time to prevent one! If you would like more information on preventing slips, trips and falls, contact your supervisor or district Risk Management.

Dept. of Natural Resources is Hosting a Blood Drive in Honor of Fallen Trooper

KC's Top Eight Charities for MSECC

Fall meetings are right around the corner on Oct. 17 and 18. At the fall meetings, you'll be able to pledge a donation to a variety of charities through the Missouri State Employee Charitable Campaign! Listed here are the eight charities that received the most money from the Kansas City District during last year's campaign. You can find a full list of charities here. 

MSECC 2017 KC Area Top 8

Great Plains SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

https://www.greatplainsspca.org/adopt/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9S0y7XC3QIV0LjACh3d8A92EAAYASAAEgLz8PD_BwE

Children’s Mercy Hospital

https://www.childrensmercy.org/

American Red Cross Greater Kansas City Chapter

https://www.redcross.org/local/missouri/about-us/locations/greater-kansas.html

Heartland Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

https://www.heartlandtherapeuticriding.org/

JAKES Club

http://www.jakesclub.org/

Harvesters - The Community Food Network

https://www.harvesters.org/

Pets for Life, Inc.

https://www.kcpetsforlife.com/

Missouri Search and Rescue K-9 Canine

http://www.missourisearchandrescue.com/

Safety Shout: Near Misses

Check out these snippets about near misses that happened this year in the Kansas City district. They may not be big hits, but they’re definitely near misses!

• A MoDOT driver and several cars in front were forced to take the shoulder when a large part of a metal discharge chute detached from a concrete mixer in front of them and hit the road. Taking a shoulder was much less controversial than taking a knee, but the message was the same…”Hey bro, don’t chute me!”
• During a bridge flushing operation, a third party rig passed our TMA and appeared aimed for a head-on collision with an approaching car. The MoDOT flush truck operator quickly made room for the tractor-trailer driver to get back in his lane, preventing a serious crash. Just goes to show you how a courteous flusher can save your life!
• Speaking of flushing…While a crew was flushing beet juice from tanks, a hose clamp failed as they ‘turnip’ the pressure, and a hose sprayed 5000 gallons of beet juice into the containment area. Oh, yam! The crew was able to suction the beet juice out of the containment for later use, using a large tuber and a powerful motor…Wow, it coulda’ had a V-8!
• After a tire contractor repaired some tires, a MoDOT employee hopped in a truck and tried to drive it, only to discover the contractor had left the jack under it. Ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels? So what’s the message here? If you put the jack on, ensure you take the jack off. Circle check, please! Careful how you say that. Anyway, it must have been an older truck since it was recently re-tired, after a very Goodyear.
• An employee went to move a piece of equipment, stepped back without looking, and tripped over a bag of chloride. He fell into a large hole, landing on his backside right in the middle of the re-bar. Better to hit the bar than to fall into traffic, I guess. Anyway, it’s a good thing that re-bar was situated horizontally and not vertically! I rectum that would have ended poorly.
• A felon fleeing police at high speed drove into and through a work zone, causing a MoDOT employee to literally jump out of the way to avoid being hit. After hitting a contractor truck, Mr. Meth blew a tire and bailed out. Police caught the passenger, but the driver got away for the time being and the chase was abandoned. The timing of the Crispy Crème Donut Light was purely coincidental…that’s their story and they’re stickin’ to it.
• Here are some of the saddest near misses of all: Colts 45, Chiefs 44. Titans 22, Chiefs 21. Broncos 14, Chiefs 10. Steelers 18, Chiefs 16. Dolphins 17, Chiefs 16. Patriots 27, Chiefs 20. Colts 38, Chiefs 31. Colts 10, Chiefs 7. OMG, will it ever end? Are you listening, Mr. Mahomes?
  
  All of these near misses, and some others not included here, could easily have ended far less favorably than they did. Although they’re all different, the lessons are similar. Keep your head on a swivel. Pay attention. In fact, pay extra attention to help compensate for those who don’t care enough to. Check your equipment like you mean it; don’t just go through the motions. “So we all go home” DOES NOT mean the funeral home. If you would like more information on near misses, contact district Risk Management staff.

MoDOT Worker Rescues Man Who Nearly Ran Him Off the Road

MoDOT Maintenance Worker Robert "Bob" Martinez didn't expect things to go the way they did one late night last month.

Martinez was headed back to the Northmoor Maintenance Facility from a work project when a driver clipped his work vehicle on Thursday, August 30.

It happened while Martinez was driving down 69 Highway near Line Creek in Riverside, MO.

Martinez says the driver in the SUV jolted him when he attempted to pass him on the shoulder, driving at a high rate of speed.

The force of the bump caused the SUV driver to lose control, drive off the road and overturn his vehicle in Line Creek.

Martinez stopped his truck, got out and immediately began to head for the SUV that was submerged in chest-high water.

As soon as he got to the SUV, Martinez said he could hear the man yelling for help. Matinez was able to break the window of the SUV and help the man out. 

Martinez says the man told him he didn't want to be late for work and that's why he was speeding and took an incredible risk passing him on the shoulder.

For going above and beyond the call of duty, on Thursday, Sept. 13, Martinez was awarded a Meritorious Safety Award and Certificate of Appreciation. Congratulations to him.  

2018 Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign

It's  that time of year for the Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign. Division and district coordinators will be contacting employees with event opportunities and all the ways you can make a positive impact on Missouri through your generous donations. 

Did you know: Last year, 7,380 state employees donated a total $1,069,422 to the campaign. Let's help beat that record this year!

Helpful FAQs can be found on the MSECC website -  https://msecc.mo.gov/ or you can check out this video!

Stay tuned - more to come!

2018 EAEC Coin War!

To raise money for our 2018 Christmas Family, the The Bridge is hosting a coin war! Jars will be made available at each maintenance facility and the district office. Add as many coins as you can for positive points! At the fall meetings as well as through the upcoming days, other buildings and departments will have the chance to sabotage other teams with cash. The team with the most points at the end of fall meetings WINS!

POINT BREAK DOWN: Coins are POSITIVE. Cash is NEGATIVE. Sabotage other teams by adding cash to their buckets!
Penny: + 1 point

Nickel: + 5 points

Dime: + 10 points

Quarter: + 25 points

1 dollar: - 100 points

2 dollars: - 200 points

10 dollars: - 1000 points

…. and so on!

Dump Truck Catches Fire at the General Services Building

At 1 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm at the MoDOT Kansas City General Services Facility at the District Office. 

When the fire department arrived, smoke was coming from the unoccupied facility. 

Firefighters found a 2012 International 7500 Work Star Dump Truck engulfed in flames. 

One automatic fire sprinkler head above the truck had activated and kept the fire in check until fire crews could extinguish the blaze. 

After confirming the fire was out, the sprinkler system was shut down and the smoke was removed from the building.

Fire damage was isolated to the dump truck with minor smoke damage to the inside of the service area. 

Although the cause of the fire is still being investigated, it is speculated that an electrical issue behind the driver’s seat may have been the cause. 

The truck had been brought in for service due to a lack of engine power.

“We are extremely lucky to work in such a great building that we were able to manage a fire like this,” said Chris Zern, equipment technician supervisor. 

“Had this happened somewhere else, we might have seen much more loss.”  
General Services staff spent Friday morning cleaning up from the blaze. 

 Kudos goes out to all of them for the cleanup and Senior Facilities Specialist Randy Whyde who showed up at the facility at 1 a.m. with the fire department to help manage the incident.