The Silver Star Construction crew from Moore, Oklahoma, was following all the safety rules on that spring morning as they paved. Distracted, the driver of a pickup truck bore down on the work zone at 50 miles per hour.
The catastrophic accident that unfolded in the next few moments touched off a crusade for the commercial paving company of Craig W. Parker, the new 2018 chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA). He’s vice president of Silver Star, an employee-owned company. Now, as he assumes his new post, Parker is taking his safety cause coast-to-coast.
“You can rest assured that NAPA and I are committed to enhancing safety for the industry,” Parker told about 900 people at the association’s 62nd annual meeting in San Diego this week. “This is a major focus for NAPA in 2018.”
Just after taking his oath to the leadership role on Monday, Parker implored members to commit to three goals in the next year: “safety, quality, and following through.” Company leaders can make a difference by setting an example and pushing for change, he assured them. And there’s much at stake.
“Everyone in this room knows that this industry can be dangerous,” Parker says.
“More than two roadway construction or maintenance workers are killed on the job every week. Another 40 workers are injured every day.
