This afternoon, MDOT held a "ROADEO" in Newton, where MDOT employees had the chance to challenge themselves in a series of heavy machinery challenges to help improve their skills.
No matter where a person works there is an understood assumption that no physical harm will come to them while they are on the job. This is the nature of the work for Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintenance and construction crews who are put directly in harm’s way every day.
“MDOT has approximately 3,400 employees statewide,” said Executive Director Melinda McGrath. “Almost 75 percent of these employees are maintenance and construction staff who work in the field along the state’s highways, day in and day out, to ensure our roads remain in the best possible condition.”
Working alongside traffic, particularly in high volume areas, is dangerous. The road is the “office” of MDOT’s maintenance and construction crews. MDOT crews work as safe as possible, but their work environment can be unpredictable.
“Each member of our crews goes through extensive safety training before they go out into the field,” McGrath said. “They follow strict federal, state and agency guidelines to ensure they are performing their duties safely.”
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