Illinois Tollway credits safety team as incident rate falls 65% since 2016

The Illinois Tollway Board received an update on employee and roadway safety at its meeting, where staff reported the agency's average safety-related incident rate has fallen from nearly 11 to under 4 since February 2016. The reduction, described to the board as a roughly 65% improvement, was attributed to training programs, engagement initiatives and transitional duty programs led by the Tollway's safety and risk management teams. "Their work has driven down our average incident rate from nearly 11 to under 4, marking a 65% improvement in the frequency of safety related incidents," Paul Blonsky, the Tollway senior manager of insurance risk and loss control, told the board. Blonsky said the change allowed the agency to reduce workers' compensation reserves by more than $15,000,000. He framed the result as both a safety outcome for staff and a financial benefit for the agency, saying the improvements "directly safeguard our colleagues, our facilities, and our ability to deliver uninterrupted services to the millions of drivers who rely on the tollway every day." Chairman Rivera and other directors recognized department chiefs Kathy Williams and Arthur Grice and their teams for the work that staff said produced the results. The recognition occurred during the agenda's safety message portion; there were no public comments on the topic recorded in the meeting transcript. The board did not take a formal vote on the safety update; the presentation was an informational briefing by staff.