Recently our Waynesville Quarry in North Carolina was awarded the Mining Star Award at a luncheon held in their honor. They are now one of six mines, and the only aggregate mine in the state to hold the award, which makes them part of an elite group that has designed and implemented outstanding safety and health programs. Oldcastle Materials congratulates the employees of the Waynesville Quarry on their accomplishment.



On February 8, employees at the North Carolina Waynesville Quarry, and Harrison management and safety personnel, were awarded the Mining Star Award at a luncheon held in their honor. They are now one of six mines, and the only aggregate mine in the state to hold the award, which makes them part of an elite group that has designed and implemented outstanding safety and health programs. Oldcastle Materials congratulates the employees of the Waynesville Quarry on their accomplishment.


The Mining Star Program is offered through the North Carolina Department of Labor and is designed to recognize and promote effective safety and health management programs. The program exemplifies a partnership between employees (who must agree to participate), management (who agree to operate an effective program that meets an established set of criteria), and the NCDOL (who verifies that the individual company’s program meets the high standards).

The Department of Labor’s Mine and Quarry Bureau (MAQB) offers and provides education and training to assist the mine in achieving the award. It also reassesses the site every three years to confirm that the mine continues to meet its strict criteria.

An initial self-assessment checklist helps to determine eligibility for the Mining Star Program. The checklist covers everything from management commitment, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, safety and health training, and employee participation. A written application and pre-site and/or on-site review are part of the process.


The quarry submitted its completed application in June of 2007. An evaluation team from the MAQB conducted a comprehensive on-site review on September 24-25, 2007. The team confirmed that the company met all of the requirements to qualify as a Mining Star Worksite.

One of the requirements was that the three-year average for both the industry and illness incidence rates and the lost/restricted workday injury and illness case rates must fall below the most recent federal rates for the mining industry. That proved to be no problem for them because Waynesville’s Lost Workday/Restricted Workday Injury and Illness Case Rate is 0.0 or 100% below the 2005 national average of 2.0. The site’s three-year average Injury and Illness Incident Rate is 2.0 or approximately 51% below the 2005 national average of 4.1.

The MAQB based its report on information provided in the application along with the health and safety program documentation reviewed at the site and interviews of management, operations employees and on-site contractors conducted by the team members. The team members conducted a total of 10 interviews, both formal and informal. The interviews were conducted spanning all areas and shifts of the operation. The total number interviewed represents 40% of the 25 employees and on-site contractors for Harrison’s Waynesville Quarry. A site evaluation was conducted that included the quarry, plant area (primary and secondary), plant maintenance area, laboratory, loading and stockpile areas.


The evaluation team determined that the site met or exceeded all of the requirements for the Mining Star Award. In fact, it ranked high in many areas: management commitment to safety, employee enthusiasm for the safety and health programs, annual safety and health training (part 46), Take 5, Job Safety Analysis, advanced First Aid/CPR/AED, HazCom, site specific (non-employee) training, dust and noise sampling, Safety Audit Team, respiratory and hearing conservation, accident investigation and written programs.


Commissioner Cherie K. Berry of the DOL was the first to address the group of 45 at the awards luncheon. She congratulated the group on the effort that went into earning the award and to keeping workers safe. “You are very special people and have achieved remarkable records in North Carolina. We have accomplished the lowest injury and illness record in our great state. The downward trend in the fatality rate is promising; from 2006 to 2007 the rate dropped almost 30%. That means that 20 more people are still with their families today. No death is acceptable to us at the DOL.

Although it may at times feel like a regulatory jungle, our rules and regulations are there to keep you safe, and we place the emphasis on education and training to achieve the highest potential,” she said. She also addressed the importance of the industry to the state. “You contribute billions of dollars to the state, and we couldn’t build anything without you. So many products that we depend upon on a daily basis come from the ground,” added Commissioner Berry. To make a point about the importance of mining not only for infrastructure and building, but also for mineral based products, such as cosmetics, Commissioner Berry applied her lipstick at the podium to the applause of the group.



Pictured: Commissioner Berry of the North Carolina Department of Labor (right) presents the Mining Star flag to Darrell Mathis, operations manager (center) and Dean MCMillan, plant foreman, (left).

William W. Gerringer, CMSP and Mining Star Program manager, told the crowd that the Mining Star flag, which will now fly at the Waynesville Quarry, "sends a strong message to the public: vendors, neighbors, contractors and visitors will see the visible symbol of the commitment your company has toward safety and health."

Others who spoke from the DOL at the ceremony included Safety and Health Representative/Team Leader Allan C. Greene, CMSP. Originally a miner himself, Mr. Greene said that he has been in the trenches and seen the near misses; he knows what it is like to tell a wife that her husband has been seriously injured, or even worse. But because of dedicated individuals like the men at the Waynesville Quarry it is now safer to work in an NC mine than to go into a retail establishment. "I am proud to call everyone here today a friend and each one of you deserves a pat on the back for your contribution toward achieving this goal," he said.


Michael Davis, division president of Harrison Construction Co., and Lee Cole, Oldcastle’s safety and health director, both had words of praise for the group. Mr. Davis told the men that he appreciates the effort that went into this accomplishment. "Our Division has an incredible 5.2 million hours without a lost-time injury. I challenge the Martin Mariettas and Vulcans of the world today. We need more quarries to achieve the level of safety that it takes to earn this award. Now that you have the award, don’t let up." Mr. Cole thanked the group on behalf of Oldcastle for their commitment and excellence in safety performance. He added that they are now the benchmark for safety best practices at Oldcastle.


Others to speak included Jasper (Jay) Stem, Jr., PE of the North Carolina Aggregate Association. As executive director, Mr. Stem is dedicated to promoting the environmentally sound, responsible and economically viable extraction of crushed stone, sand and gravel for use in all types of construction for public benefit and positive, statewide economic development. He conveyed the following message at the luncheon: "I want to congratulate the Waynesville Quarry for being the first crushed stone operation in NC to receive the Mining Star Award. Receiving this award shows the commitment to safety by all the employees throughout the Harrison organization. The NC Aggregates Association has stressed for years that our industry is committed to the safety and well-being of our employees. With this award, Harrison has become a leader in our Association in promoting a strong safety program that will be a model for all our members."


The men at the Waynesville Quarry, under the leadership of NC Operations Manager Darrell Mathis and NC Safety Director Foreman Bradley, worked as a team to achieve the Mining Star Award, and, more importantly, have created a very safe work environment where each one of them takes responsibility for safety and health. Congratulations to the following men for achieving this level of safety excellence. Keep up the great work!



Team(some not shown): Brian Albury, Mike Ashe, Danny Brown, Patrick Brown, Chip Cogdill, Brandon Coggins, Charlie Espiritu, Gene Farmer, Gary Fish, Frank Galluzzi, Ryan Gibson, Mike Hoxit, Matt Inman, Harold Kelley, Gary Lakey, John D. McMillan, Bobby Nicholson, Hutt Nicholson, Mike Queen, Kevin Reece, Walter Wright, Steve Zito