The Oceana County Road Commission (OCRC) was presented three Statewide Safety Awards from the County Road Association Self Insurance Fund (CRASIF). CRASIF is the workman’s compensation/liability pool for 72 of the road commissions in Michigan.
The first award is the Goose Egg award for zero reportable worker’s compensation losses during 12 months. "Zero workers' compensation losses in our industry over a 12-month period is phenomenal," CRASIF Administrator and CEO Joyce Porter exclaimed. "Regarding the unique name of the award, we had to come up with an eye-catching name for the award since it is a unique achievement."
CRASIF provides safety training and workers' compensation coverage for road commissions.
Chairperson of the CRASIF Board of Trustees and a Commissioner at Mackinac County Road Commission, Tom Doty, stated, "You can't get any better than '0' incidents and '0' losses. What is amazing is that road commission work mainly involves manual labor and putting our people at significant risk of harm while they work in the roadway. The road commission is either lucky or good with employee safety. A little bit of both helps."
"Zero workers' compensation losses also mean(s) that more of the taxpayers' dollars can go directly to maintaining our roads," Porter added. "The road commission should be applauded for their extraordinary achievement."
OCRC has received nine Goose Egg awards.
The second award is an Honor Roll award for having a lower than average injury rate. "Low injury rates just don't happen in our industry," Porter said about CRASIF providing safety training and workers' compensation coverage for road commissions. "Maintaining 75% of all roads in Michigan (is) the responsibility of county road commissions and departments. It takes energy and focus to constantly remind employees that their safety on the job is a primary concern of management."
The third award is for OCRC having the lowest injury rate in the state in its payroll class. "Road commissions that have lower than average injury rates qualify to be on our Honor Roll. Oceana County Road Commission not only got on the Honor Roll," Porter noted. "They also had the lowest injury rate in their payroll category. They are the best of the best. They should be recognized for their achievement."
“These awards are a great reflection on staff and bargaining unit employees and their commitment to working safely on a daily basis and their buy-in to safety training and using the correct equipment and PPE,” OCRC Managing Director Mark Timmer stated.
The awards were announced at the CRASIF Annual Membership Meeting held in Bay City on Sept. 23, 2025.
