The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has announced that Tilcon New York Inc., West Nyack, NY, a division of Oldcastle Materials Group, has won the Workzone Safety Innovations Award. The company received its award at a special ceremony during the association’s 48th annual convention in San Diego, CA.

This is the first year for the award recognizing companies that have used innovative ideas leading to improved worker safety in workzones and whose overall safety practices are outstanding.

Tilcon New York Inc. won the award for several practices that it has incorporated into its work routines.

To assist the paving crews working in humid, hot weather in the summer, the company bought special Miracool bandanas and vests that have chemical crystals inside them to cool down the workers and provide some relief from the heat.

The company also bought fan/water mister units that reduce temperature in the immediate area by 25 degrees. These measures not only made employees cooler, but also allowed Tilcon to enforce its requirement that employees wear at least a Class 2 vest. These vests improve worker visibility and increase workzone safety.

In addition, the company went beyond contract requirements to help commuters avoid damage to their vehicles when traveling over raised potholes on roads that had been milled but not yet repaved.

For every inch of rise in the manhole, the company feathers out 12 in. (30 cm) all around. It calls this process “wrapping the manhole.” The workers then spray the entire edge of the manhole with high-visibility orange paint so that motorists can see it more easily.

Another innovation is Tilcon’s use of a patch skid, eliminating the need for workers to lift and push wheelbarrows of asphalt or walk long distances with heavy shovel loads.

The company also stores its cans of marking spray paint in coolers with a small amount of ice. This eliminates explosions caused by high temperatures or by cans falling from the truck.

For more information, call 888/468-6499 or visit www.hotmix.org.

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