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July 2005
Maintenance expo reflects new safety concerns
Methamphetamine is manufactured with dangerous chemicals that are often disposed of illegally along roadsides.
The safety of maintenance workers and the traveling public has always been a popular topic at both the spring and fall maintenance expos. The 2005 Minnesota Spring Maintenance Training Expo, held at the St. Cloud Convention Center April 20 and 21, featured even more safety-related classes than usual. In addition to traditional topics like chain-saw safety, work-zone traffic control, and workplace safety, the expo included classes on recognizing and safely dealing with methamphetamine labs, skin cancer, and West Nile virus. These topics reflect new health and safety issues for today's maintenance worker.
This was the second year in which CTS was the primary sponsor for the event, in cooperation with the Minnesota Local Road Research Board, Mn/DOT, the Minnesota Street Superintendents Association, and the Minnesota Public Works Association. More than 515 state, county, and city highway and street workers from all across the state, as well as other interested parties, attended. Participants earned continuing education units and Minnesota LTAP "Roads Scholar" credits (see the Roads Scholar page to learn more about the Roads Scholar Program).
April 20's general session on methamphetamines began with a description of the growth in production and use of this dangerous drug in Minnesota and throughout the country. Methamphetamine—which is manufactured with explosive, flammable, toxic, and corrosive chemicals—creates safety and health problems wherever it is produced, and the illegal disposal of waste products is a growing problem. Speakers from the Minnesota Department of Health described meth labs and waste products so that maintenance workers can more readily identify them along roads and respond safely.
Other training sessions at the expo varied from homeland security and the impacts on maintenance operations to spring load restrictions and truck weight issues, pavement preservation, dust control for gravel roads, erosion control for maintenance operations, and commercial vehicle license requirements. In addition, an array of exhibitors displayed their products and services, many related to safety.
Cheri Marti, CTS assistant director, gave the welcome and opening remarks on the first day of the event. Mn/DOT's Kathleen Schaefer, instructor with the Circuit Training and Assistance Program, presented a concurrent session on proper work-zone traffic control and flagging for maintenance workers. Schaefer was joined by Wendy Frederickson, Mn/DOT's Salt Solutions coordinator, and Connie Fortin of Fortin Consulting Inc., in a preview of the Minnesota Snow and Ice Control Field Guide, which will be published later this summer by Minnesota LTAP and other partners.
Serving on the planning committee from the University were Gina Baas, Jim Grothaus, and Mindy Carlson of CTS, and Lori Graven and Teresa Washington of the College of Continuing Education.