ODOT Director speaks on salt costs, vests at health and safety meeting

Above: Ohio Department of Transportation Director James Beasley (far right) fielded questions from members of the agency's labor-management / health-and-safety committee and addressed concerns on the increasing price of materials like salt and diesel fuel.

Sept. 12, 2008 - Ohio Department of Transportation Director James Beasley met with the ODOT labor/ management Health and Safety Committee this week to answer questions and address some concerns.

He responded to questions and addressed the issue of the price of salt increasing, now that the colder months are approaching.

To get more accurate bids, ODOT recently changed the percentage range of their projected needs for the winter from 50-150 percent to 50-120 percent. Beasley said ODOT also agreed to award bids much quicker than the standard 60-day response time, and would reply in 15 days instead.

He said the average bids in Northwestern Ohio came in at $55 per ton. Other areas ranged from $65 to $140 in places like northeastern Ohio. No bids were sought in Southeastern Ohio, he said.

“All of our salt barns are full,” Beasley said. “If we have a normal winter, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Committee members also asked Beasley about a laundering system for ODOT safety vests. In the past four or five years, $120,000 has been spent each year to replace 4,000 vests.

The system will be an outside operation, but will save the agency and state money as well as encourage going “green” and reusing and recycling the vests.

“It is being contracted out, but one the cost-saving methods the agency is pursuing,” said Willa O’Neill, OCSEA / ODOT assembly president. “It will decrease the cost spent on new vests, and extend the life of them.”

The committee is currently assessing the benefits the laundering program and asking workers to bring in older vests for washing. The estimated cost of laundering will be at $0.20 per vest. Vests should be able to be laundered between 25-50 times.

See Related

ODOT Union Toolbox

Health and Safety - How to move your concerns forward

OCSEA Fact Sheet: ODOT Agency Specific Agreement on page 5 (PDF)