J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. announced that Matthew Rehlander, senior director of EHS, fleet and risk management with National OnDemand, Inc., is the 2024 J. J. Keller Safety Professional of the Year (SPOTY) Award winner. Harry Crabtree, chief risk officer with Paladin Capital, Inc., placed second, and Bart Miller, director of EH&S with Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery, placed third.

The SPOTY Awards, now in their 22nd year, are among the most prestigious recognition for safety professionals, highlighting individuals who achieve excellence by building a culture and vision for safety and ensuring employees return home each day to their families. The winning safety professionals were selected by a panel from J. J. Keller’s staff of 70+ safety consultants and editors.

First Place: Matthew Rehlander, Senior Director of EHS, Fleet and Risk Management, National OnDemand, Inc. 

National OnDemand, Inc. is a leading provider of fiber construction and last mile services for the fiber, wireless, energy and technology sectors in the United States. The company has more than 1,600 employees. Rehlander leads of team of eight in EHS, Fleet and Risk Management today. When he began with the company about 18 months ago, he immediately began to build out the department and formalize EHS and Risk Management functions while instilling a safety culture that teaches people to be their own safety professional in keeping themselves and others safe. 

“For the safety profession, it needs to be about meeting the workforce where they are at,” said Rehlander. “Participate with them as the expert in solving their safety and risk concerns. Take their ideas and suggestions and formulate the resources to make those real. Change the culture from ‘I have to do safety’ to ‘I want to do safety.’”

Among other efforts, Rehlander’s team created approximately 125 procedures, protocols and guidelines for the organization; lowered the OSHA recordable injuries from 19 in 2023 to 2 in 2024; created an in-house driver training program; and centralized all information, forms and safety talks for easy access across locations. Progressive leadership at National OnDemand could immediately see the return on this safety investment and has supported a safety-focused culture that is now ingrained.

“We are incredibly proud of Matthew Rehlander and the profound impact he has had on our organization in such a short time,” said Douglas Boteler, National OnDemand, Inc. CEO. “His dedication to building a robust safety culture from the ground up, combined with his forward-thinking approach to risk management, has been transformative for National OnDemand. Matthew’s leadership ensures that our employees not only feel safe but are empowered to take ownership of safety in their daily work. His recognition as J. J. Keller’s Safety Professional of the Year is a testament to his commitment to excellence, and we are thrilled to see him honored with this prestigious award.”

In honor of Rehlander as the first-place J. J. Keller SPOTY Award winner, he will receive prizes valuing more than $44,000 in value, including a free one-year subscription to the J. J. Keller^® SAFETY MANAGEMENT SUITE (for up to 10 users), $1,200 in free online training from J. J. Keller, $250 toward J. J. Keller® SAFEGEAR^TM personal protective equipment, and a $2,500 donation to the 501(c)3 organization of his choice – Special Olympics.

Second Place: Harry Crabtree, Chief Risk Officer, Paladin Capital, Inc.

Paladin Capital, Inc. provides dedicated truckload direct store delivery of groceries and dry goods in the Eastern United States, with 1,000 shareholders. Crabtree has been with Paladin for 17 years and has a total of 45 years in the transportation industry. Today he leads nine full-time shareholders in risk management roles. Most recently, he has led the company in deploying event recorders, or dash cams, on all tractors within all eight Department of Transportation operating affiliates and in deploying a progressive disciplinary process around hand-held mobile devices. He has initiated many risk management “best practices” over the years which are used in the industry today.

“It is our team's belief that if we can't measure it, we can't manage it,” said Crabtree. “So we identify those worthwhile metrics, track the metrics and then manage against those metrics. We praise the drivers and recognize those that are meeting expectations. And for those drivers which are deviating from expected performance, we provide them coaching. There are a lot of critical metrics included in our Risk Management process, and the data shows what we’re doing is working to make the highways safer for all concerned.”

“Our organization is extremely pleased to see the many years that Harry has built a world-class safety culture around all the affiliate companies of Paladin Capital,” said Brian Hall, Paladin Capital CEO. “We live and breathe safety every day, and for him to be recognizes by outside affiliates is very rewarding.”

To honor Crabtree as the second-place J. J. Keller SPOTY Award winner, J. J. Keller will provide a prize package of J. J. Keller products and services as well as make a donation in his name to the nonprofit of his choice – Niños de Mexico.

Third Place: Bart Miller, Director of EH&S, Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery

Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery serves over 250,000 residents and thousands of businesses throughout Contra Costa, Napa, and Solano counties in California. Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery combines excellence in safety and customer service with competitive rates, operating recycling and recovery programs designed to increase sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Miller and his team have excelled in analyzing the risks associated with complex employee-machine interfaces and developing protections against those risks, and reinforcing defensive driving skills for the company’s drivers, who are always working in the midst of the motoring public.

“We are currently coaching to driver behaviors and workspace ergonomics for multiple job tasks using video technology,” said Miller. When asked what his next focus in safety will be, he answered that it “will be working toward a robust, leading metrics-driven Supervisor-Employee Connection program.”

“The goal is to influence safe decisions through constant feedback and ensure those frontline conversations on safety, wellness and workplace security are occurring. This accountability, positive reinforcement and engagement will help all employees identify and address frequent risks and even those less-frequent risks with serious potential for a life-changing injury or crash.” 

In honor of Miller as the third-place J. J. Keller SPOTY Award winner, J. J. Keller will provide a prize package of J. J. Keller products and services and make a donation in his name to the nonprofit organization of his choice – ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County.

Free webcast scheduled: Hear firsthand the stories of these outstanding safety professionals

Join J. J. Keller and the SPOTY Award winners on Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. central time, for a free webcast titled "Outstanding Stories of Safety: Meet the J. J. Keller Safety Professional of the Year Winners." Rick Malchow, Industry Business Advisor with J. J. Keller, will interview Rehlander, Crabtree and Miller to learn how they have created a safety-first culture with outstanding safety metrics and achievements, and hear about their personal commitment to keeping employees safe. Register for the free webcast.