Buddy Taylor has kept busy the past 34 years driving trucks, flagging traffic, shoveling… doing whatever it takes to get the job done as a member of the ditching crew at the Clermont County Engineer’s Office.
Throughout those many years (27 with the Engineer and seven with Williamsburg), Taylor has kept safety forefront of his work.
“I want all of us to go home at the end of the day,” said Taylor, 62. “I don’t want to be hurt, and I don’t want anybody else to be hurt.”
Clermont County Safety Coordinator Gary Caudill said Taylor acts as a reminder to crew members to wear their safety equipment before starting work tasks.
“He is the first one out of the truck, always wearing his safety gear,” Caudill said. “He works with our new employees, teaching them right from wrong with safety. He is excellent at teaching our young drivers the importance of vehicle safety, right down to how to get in and out of a truck using three points of contact.”
Ron Anter is foreman of a ditching crew that includes Taylor, Willie Turner, Dylan Nickell and Cody Ansteatt. They help maintain more than 400 miles of county roads.
Anter appreciates how Taylor routinely wears his hard hat and safety gear and possesses keen awareness of his surroundings while maneuvering and backing a 22-foot tandem-axel truck. Taylor remains safety-conscious while working around impatient or incautious drivers.
“Buddy sets an example for us,” Nickell said. “He is a reminder for us with his good safety habits.”
