DeKalb County Implementing Safety Improvements at Solid Waste Transfer Station

July 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Government is in the process of implementing corrective actions to hazard violations discovered by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) in the wake of a fatal accident at the Solid Waste Transfer Station last month.

69-year-old Alvin Armour, a long-time solid waste department employee, died after he was accidentally struck and run over by another county garbage truck driver at the transfer station on June 10.

County officials notified TOSHA of the accident as required by law and a compliance officer conducted a subsequent site visit during which violations were observed from Unsafe or Unhealthful Working Conditions. TOSHA requested that the county take “corrective action to abate all of these hazardous conditions for each violation”.

DeKalb County Public Works Director Brian Reed said many of the safety improvements at the solid waste transfer station have already been implemented.

“Many of the counter measures were implemented the following day after the accident,” said Reed. “The only thing that has not been fully implemented yet is the line markings on the lot for direction flow and the pedestrian cross walk and things of that nature”.

Reed said he wanted to thank County Commissioner Tony Luna, who only days after the fatal accident in June and at his own expense, purchased safety vests for the county’s solid waste truck drivers and site attendants at all the convenience centers.

“When I learned during a county commission meeting, after Mr. Armour’s death that no one at the solid waste department had safety vests I immediately I got on Amazon and purchased enough safety vests for all employees of solid waste,” said Commissioner Luna.

County Mayor Matt Adcock and Reed have identified the improvements that have been made or planned at the solid waste transfer station as follows:

1. Employees are to wear hi-visibility clothing when outside of the vehicle.

2. Employees are to maintain a minimum of 15 ft clearance between their equipment and other equipment.

3. Employees are to maintain a minimum of 15 ft of clearance between themselves and equipment operated by others.

4. Employees are to stay within 5 ft of their equipment unless they are in a designated parking area.

5. Employees are to confirm eye contact has been made and signal their intentions before crossing paths with another vehicle.

6. Employees are to blow their horn before backing.

7. Traffic into the transfer station is to be limited to a maximum of 3 vehicles at a time in line. Any additional vehicles will have to wait to weigh in until others have exited in order to reduce congestion.

8. Traffic lines, direction arrows, pedestrian crosswalk, and non-traffic areas are to be painted on the pavement.

During Thursday night’s committee of the whole meeting, County Mayor Adcock introduced Reed to the county commission and some of commissioners as well as a member of the public in attendance were complimentary of him.

“I am very proud of the entire team I have in the solid waste department,” Reed told WJLE. “I appreciate the complimentary comments made by county commissioners and others but it’s not just me. I could not do my job without the team around me,” said Reed.

July 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Have you received your water bill this month?

Smithville Mayor Josh Miller has announced that due to a Nashville postal facility sorting error, many City of Smithville Water/Sewer Customers have not received their bills through the mail this month. A similar incident recently occurred at Watertown.

“I want to stress that this is not the fault of anyone and especially not the Smithville Post Office. It was due to a sorting error at the Nashville facility where all the mail goes. We regret the error and hope it never happens again,” said Mayor Miller.

City of Smithville water/sewer bills are due by the 26th of the month.

If you did not receive your bill this month, please make arrangements for payment by July 26th. However, because of this incident the city is extending a grace period to water/sewer customers through August 5th.

July 19, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County has a new Medical Examiner/Director.

During Thursday night’s committee of the whole meeting, County Mayor Matt Adcock informed the county commission that he has appointed Dr. Caleb Cantrell to succeed Dr. Denise Dingle subject to the approval of the commission.

Cantrell, who was at the meeting Thursday night, introduced himself to the commissioners. “I was born and raised in DeKalb County. My dad is Blake Cantrell. I was an undergrad at Tennessee Tech and in med school at UT Memphis. For the last three years I have been at Mobile, Alabama. I am excited to come back and serve the town I grew up in here,” said Cantrell.

Off duty ambulance service staff, trained and willing, will be on a call list to perform deputy medical examiner investigation duties working under Dr. Cantrell when there is an ambulance call involving a death. EMS Director Hoyte Hale will serve as the backup if no staff member is available at the time.

The new EMS operating budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year includes provisions for payment to EMS staff for these extra duties: The budget includes a total of $5,000 including $2,000 (for payment) in the medical personnel salary line item and $3,000 for overtime. Director Hale is to make quarterly reports to the county’s Health, Education, and Public Welfare Committee on how this new plan is working.

« First ‹ Previous 1 43 133 141 142 143144 145 153 243 2494 Next › Last »