Cone Rack Invention Earns Safety Award

A June 6 CDOT article about a safety invention by Joseph Young, then TM-I in the Gypsum area for Grand Junction Maintenance Section 2, Region 3, told about Young's unique perspective on safety.  "With me," he said at that time, "it's always safety first."  Young has since transferred from Gypsum to Patrol 68 at Pueblo for Pueblo Maintenance Section 4, Region 2. 

On Thursday, Oct. 16, Young was named winner of the 2014 CDOT Statewide Safety Innovation Award for his invention, a cone rack which safely stores 15 or more cones on the rear of a CDOT two-ton truck, nearly eliminates repetitive movements that can lead to injuries, and reduces the crew needed to place work zone cones from two persons plus a driver to one person plus a driver.  The rack eliminates the sometimes-hazardous duty of moving cones from their typical storage place at the front of the truck bed, just behind the cab, to the tailgate, an activity that often required clambering over and around other materials stores in the bed, as well as debris the crew may have picked up. Now, the cones can be stored safely on the rack. "From the first time we used it, it worked great," Young said.  "I'd like to see every CDOT maintenance patrol have one of these. "Young's basic rack design, which he built using surplus parts around his maintenance shed in just one day, mounts and removes quickly and easily with a hitch pin/clip assembly.  It is designed so that the truck's end gate can be lowered while the rack is installed.