By Jay Mendiola
The 11th Annual Contractor Recognition/SAFE Event was held in Northern Nevada on September 21, 2016, at the Carson Nugget in Carson City. There were approximately 60 people in attendance. The participants enjoyed a buffet breakfast while they listened to the presentation by Patrice Heyer from USAN. The presentation covered NRS requirements, NAC requirements, 5 steps to a safe excavation and new website enhancements at USAN. After the presentation, awards were given to excavators in three categories.
The category winners were:
- Granite Construction (>=201 Tickets)
- Jet Plumbing (51 – 200 Tickets)
- Lakeside Excavating (5 – 50 Tickets)
This year, the top category was named the “Ken Jones Memorial Award.” This award is in honor of Ken Jones for his dedication to damage prevention. While he worked at the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, Ken devoted the majority of his time to damage prevention. He was instrumental in educating excavators, utility operators and the public about damage prevention. During his tenure, the number of damages in Nevada dropped drastically. This was, in a big part, due to Ken and his passion for underground utility safety. With this award, Ken’s legacy will live on.
