Bristol municipal departments recently earned the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers. Front from left: Deputy Treasurer Lisa Peters, Parks Director Lara Sargent, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sandra Lane, Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr., and Code Enforcement Officer Joe Rose. Back: highway department employee Sean Hunter, Deputy Clerk Jessica Westhaver, Bristol-South Bristol Transfer Station Manager David Poland, and Town Administrator Chris Hall. (Maia Zewert photo)
All of Bristol’s municipal departments recently earned the Safety and Health Award for Public Employers, which recognizes public-sector employers who maintain an exemplary safety and health management system.
Since 2005, the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards has given the award to public-sector employers who meet high standards for safety and health policies and procedures, according to the department’s website. To earn the award, employers must go through a rigorous inspection by the department’s SafetyWorks! program, which aims to reduce job-related injuries. SafetyWorks! is a free, voluntary program.
The award recognizes all of Bristol’s municipal departments: Bristol Fire and Rescue, Bristol Parks and Recreation, the Bristol Highway Department, the Bristol-South Bristol Transfer Station, and the town office.
This is the second time the town departments have earned the award. The first was in 2014.
The recognition is good for two years, according to Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman Jr. At the end of the two-year period, the departments must undergo the review again.
A plaque recognizing the achievement is on display in the town office.
