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Janie Ritter, (608) 258-3400
Katy Pettersen, (608) 661-6916
Wisconsin Safety Professionals Named 2014 ‘Rising Stars of Safety’
National Safety Council honors two Wisconsin safety professionals
Madison – The National Safety Council (NSC) recently recognized the 2014 Class of NSC Rising Stars of Safety. Two of the 41 honorees are from Wisconsin and both winners work for companies which received the 2013 Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award.
Both of the following individuals also work for companies that are recipients of the 2013 Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award.
Ryan Vieau, 35, is Vice President at Lakehead Painting Company in Superior.
“With his employees, Ryan talks a lot about family and why it’s so important to not only earn a dollar for your family, but also to return safely to them at the end of each day,” said Vieau’s nominator, Shawn Helmer, Director of Risk Management at United Piping. “Over the last three years, Ryan attained his certification so he could train and certify employees in First Aid and CPR. Not only does he train Lakehead’s entire crew, but he also opened the doors to the employees’ family members to get trained and certified. Neither Ryan nor the company charge the family members for the costs associated with this training.”
Brian Zoeller, 39, is Vice President of Safety and Security at Neenah Foundry in Neenah.
“Upon starting the job at Neenah Foundry, Brian found that one of the most common injuries was upper-extremity soft tissue injuries in our new hire group,” said Zoeller’s nominator, Annaliza Ternes, Health Services Supervisor at Neenah Foundry Co. “Brian initiated a work hardening program for all new hires, which involved collecting injury data for three months, creating a structured stretching program and a transitional work hardening schedule. The transitional work hardening schedule was implemented in our finishing departments, which had the greatest exposure and occurrence of incidents. After implementing the work hardening program for our new hires in the finishing departments, it yielded a decrease in recordables by over 60 percent. This positive influence triggered a corporate wide stretching program.”
About WSC
The Wisconsin Safety Council is a division of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and the state chapter of the National Safety Council. Founded in 1923, WSC represents more than 4,000 members from all industries. Contact (800) 236-3400 or visit www.wisafetycouncil.org for more information.
