Ambulance District recognized for time without accidents

The Callaway County Ambulance District has gone nearly three years without a lost time accident - 1,065 days as of Aug. 14, earning the district honors from the insurance provider Missouri Employers Mutual.

CCAD Director Charles Anderson said that achievement is particularly meaningful after having had problems with accidents several years ago. He attributed the district's progress in that area to a renewed focus on safety.

"We had experienced several significant loss of time injuries, and because of that our worker's comp premium had risen dramatically," Anderson said. "We instituted a more formalized safety program and transitioned to using the power stretchers."

He said the district placed more emphasis on safety training - particularly for new employees.

"Our crew and staff meetings periodically include going over safety issues," Anderson said. "Things we weren't paying attention to before we are now, and that does make a big difference."

In addition to strengthening its safety policies and training, Anderson said the district also formalized its accident investigation process, "so we can determine the root cause of the accident."

"So if it's a system issue, we can address the system and if it's an employee issue we can retrain the employee," he said.

Anderson said he hopes the district will maintain its record, recently telling the board, "we've come leaps and bounds on our safety issues, and we hope that continues."