Kristin O’Driscoll, fleet manager for Baxter Healthcare, was honored with the 2014 Fleet Safety Award at a lunchtime ceremony held on July 23 during the 3rd annual Fleet Safety Conference in Schaumburg, Ill.

O’Driscoll manages a fleet of 1,000 vehicles and has guided the company to a 22.5% decrease in accidents per million miles since 2012. She has instituted a number of safety initiatives during her tenure at the company, according to her application.

The award was announced by last year’s winner Sandra Lee, director of worldwide fleet for Johnson & Johnson, and presented by Pam Sederholm, executive director for the American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA).

“Fleet safety--driver safety--is rapidly ascending the list of core priorities for businesses and organizations across all industry segments. In fleet, the task of creating and sustaining a safety program requires knowledge, creativity, innovation and leadership. The 2014 winner of the Fleet Safety Award, Kristin O’Driscoll, brings all these skills and more--measureable results--to the driver safety program at Baxter Healthcare Corporation,” Sederholm said when presenting the award.

The award was accepted on behalf of O’Driscoll, who was unable to attend the ceremony, by her colleague Peggy Ross, RN, COHN-S/CM, CSP, CPE, corporate EHS manager, Occupational Safety & Health for Baxter.

When accepting the award, Ross read a statement from Driscoll:

"I am deeply honored to be recognized for the Fleet Safety Manager award at the 2014 Fleet Safety Conference. Unfortunately, I am unable to accept this recognition in person. At Baxter, all employees are responsible for safety and we recognize the importance of our employees as workers and drivers. As fleet managers we see how important it is to draw attention to and educate our drivers on safety every day. Simple lessons such as how to avoid distractions make our drivers safer on the road while reducing overall fleet risk. Everything we have worked towards in the last few years and what we are striving for in the future really has been a team effort with our Risk Management champion and Environmental Health and Safety champion who I am so happy you had the chance to meet today as Peggy Ross is here to accept this award on Baxter’s and my behalf. I feel it is also important for us to acknowledge our sales force. While we implement our programs and enhance our safety standards, they are the ones that embrace and adhere to it. I feel that they really have done a great job with this."

O’Driscoll, who attended the first day of the conference, was honored during a short, private ceremony on July 22.

The Fleet Safety Award, which was first presented in 2012, is co-sponsored by Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet magazine, and AALA. It seeks to recognize candidates who have shown leadership, innovation, and measurable results in enhancing the safety of their employees, those travelling with them, as well as everyone else who shares the road with them.

--By Chris Wolski