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Bus Operators Honored for Perfect Safety Records

March 9, 2000

Forty-five Los Angeles bus operators were honored for compiling a perfect safety record and remaining injury-free on-the-job.

EHS Today Staff

Twenty years ago, bus operator Gene Freeman came to work for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

More than 500,000 miles later, Freeman hasn't been involved in one work-related accident in all that time or had a passenger complaint lodged against him.

Freeman was one of 45 top operators honored at an awards banquet for compiling a perfect minimum five-year safety and customer service record and remaining injury-free on-the- job.

Those honored received the "Best of the Best Award."

"I guess I'm lucky," said Freemen who drives Line 17 out of South Bay to LAX. The diligence and professionalism required to maintain a perfect driving and safety record "is just part of the job," he said.

To qualify for the "Best of the Best" award, an operator's record must be entirely free of accidents, customer complaints and workplace injuries for the fiscal years 1994 through 1999.

Each of the 45 honorees received a commemorative plaque and a voucher for a special uniform jacket with the "Best of the Best" slogan embroidered on it.

"You've my job easy," said Deborah Guy MTA's risk management director told the honorees. "When you're on the road, I don't have anything to worry about."

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.