County receives safety grant for completing WorkSafe Champions

Hill County recently received a $3,000 grant for safety equipment from the Montana State Fund for completing a nine-month series of WorkSafe Champions classes set up by then-Hill County Safety Coordinator and Hill County Commission Executive Assistant Sheri Williams.

Williams is running as a Democrat for a seat on the Hill County Commission against incumbent Republican Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean and independent candidate Les Odegard.

Williams stepped down from her position as county safety coordinator last week, but said she is still very happy about being able to put the county on the road to this grant, and a safer work environment in general.

“It’s rewarding. I mean I started the program from the ground up,” she said.

She said when the position of safety coordinator opened up and no one was taking it she expressed an interest in the position. She said she took on these responsibilities on top of her full-time job as commission executive assistant and received no extra pay, so seeing that endeavor return something tangible is very gratifying.

She said the duties of safety coordinator have been absorbed by the county’s human resources position, which recently became full time, and she hopes efforts to improve safety in the county continue, as she thinks there is still plenty more work to be done.

Williams has said that WorkSafe Champions was part of a larger effort to improve safety in the county, for the sake of workers and to lower the county’s workers’ compensation rate, which was one of the highest in the state.

She said she was hoping to set up safety classes during her time as safety coordinator, but there wasn’t enough time, so she’s hoping to see that in the future.

She also said departments need to stay up to date with safety inspections and evaluations.

She said she’s proud of everyone who participated in the WorkSafe Champions classes, which she knows took a significant time investment from everyone to attend and she appreciates their work.