The White House on Oct. 27 announced that President Donald Trump will nominate Scott Mugno, vice president of safety, sustainability and vehicle maintenance, to head OSHA, the federal agency tasked with promoting and enforcing occupational safety and health.
According to the White House:
“Mr. Mugno is currently the Vice President for Safety, Sustainability and Vehicle Maintenance at FedEx Ground in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was previously the Managing Director for FedEx Express Corporate Safety, Health and Fire Protection in Memphis, Tennessee. His responsibilities in both those positions included developing, promoting and facilitating the safety and health program and culture. Mr. Mugno was twice awarded FedEx’s highest honor, the FedEx Five Star Award, for his safety leadership at FedEx Express. Prior to FedEx, Mr. Mugno was a Division Counsel at Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s Waste Isolation Division and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the Eastern Region U.S. Army Military Traffic Management Command. He also held other legal positions in the U.S. Army JAG Corps at the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia and in small private–practice law firms before joining the U.S. Army JAG Corps. Mr. Mugno is a graduate of Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas and St. John’s University, Jamaica, N.Y.”
Mugno oversees four departments of 200 EHS and maintenance professionals who are “focused on creating a safe work environment for 95,000 team members and the public,” according to his company bio.
On its website, FedEx proclaims “Safety Above All.” The company says, “Each business day, we deliver more than 10 million packages to customers in more than 220 countries and territories. We have more than 100,000 fleet vehicles, 650 planes that serve nearly 400 airports, and more than 400,000 team members at hundreds of locations around the world.
Ensuring the safety of the people in our global network – along with our customers – is a complex job. But it’s absolutely essential, and one that we take extremely seriously.”
The company also notes:
- Proactive, safety-focused workplace education forms a cornerstone for all of its training programs.
- Its Quality Action Teams continually search for root causes and propose safety procedure improvements to reduce preventable accidents.
- FedEx sets exacting safety standards and protocols, many of which exceed DOT or FAA requirements.
- The company annually invest millions of dollars in equipment and technology to prevent injuries and accidents, both on the ground and in the air.
“In short, we have high standards," notes the company website. "To ensure we live up to them, our global network of safety professionals works closely with management and team members on methods to avoid injuries and accidents. They also collaborate with our service providers to ensure accountability for safety.”
Some of the on-the-road safe workplace practices routinely covered by safety and driving teams include the following:
- Driving in adverse weather such as snow, ice, and extreme temperatures
- Hours of service regulations and compliance
- Distracted driving
- Vehicle inspections
- Driver wellness
- Hazardous materials safety
- Safety personnel also monitor compliance with safety regulations, policies, and procedures, like those pertaining to the many special-materials shipments FedEx delivers each day.
“We also regularly acknowledge and reward individuals with consistent safety records,” the company’s website notes. “Each year, individual locations are recognized for outstanding safety performance. Accident-free driving is recognized through award programs that celebrate safe-driving milestones. We’re proud that thousands of our drivers have logged millions of miles without accidents during their careers.”
FedEx drivers regularly participate in the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), a rigorous competition that tests the skills of highly qualified drivers with impeccable safety records. In 2015, five drivers representing FedEx operating companies were crowned NTDC National Champions in their respective driving classes. In addition, a FedEx Freight driver was named National Rookie of the Year.
“These efforts have produced tangible results. But we understand we can’t rest when it comes to safe operating procedures. FedEx will continue to work to eliminate accidents and injuries across all of our operating companies.”