riggs newsletter.indd
Transcription
The POWER LINE Message From The Safety Group -Donald L. Masters, Director “What Do We Want to be Remembered For?” After our jobs have been completed, and at some time in the future when we’ve retired or departed for greener pastures, all of us, to some degree, will be remembered. The question is: “What do we want to be remembered for?” I ask this question due to the increase of negative articles appearing in a variety of publications, as well as on the news. The general theme has been to explore a fairly negative opinion about the direction the construction industry appears to be taking with regards to occupational safety and health. Most of the authors seem to agree on two major points. First, that the presence and/or quality of contractor safety programs and practices have slipped. Second, a corresponding increase in the number and severity of work related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities have occurred because of it. Most agree that the two main factors having the greatest influence over these alarming trends seem to center around Management’s perception that the cost of safety is no longer affordable, and that they lack the resources needed to effectively implement and manage such a program. In short, there appears to be enough evidence to support the fact that a few companies (who in some cases are actually being named in those articles) are opting to return to the old dinosaur days. Whether they realize it or not, they’re paying a high price for doing so. At Riggs Distler, safety is an attitude, a frame of mind. It is the constant awareness of our actions. It is a way of life. If it’s not safe, we don’t do it! Our reward? At the end Save the Date(s) Safety Meetings & Training Thanks for Your Efforts This Year! -Leo Sniger, CEO It’s hard to believe that another year is coming to an end. 2006 has brought much change and growth to Riggs Distler. We opened a new office in the Orlando, FL area, received many awards for outstanding job performances, as well as safety excellence, and as a result, have added to our already extensive client base. We even started “The Power Line” to keep everyone informed of our progress. As we move into 2007, I look forward to our continued growth, and feel that the coming year will be more exciting than the last, providing new opportunities for carer advancement for those who wish to grow with our organization. I would also like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication, and to wish all of our employees and their families a very joyous Holiday Season! November/December 2006 Safety First of the day, our people go home safe and sound, and we have the opportunity to work for the best clients in the industry. So again I ask the question, “What do you want to be remembered for?” Having a reputation for always doing a great job in a safe and compliant manner, or being referred to negatively for all the world to see? The decision is up to everyone associated with our organization, as you too, will be remembered either for the good, or the bad that we accomplish. Wishing everyone and their families a Happy & Safe Holiday Season! Baltimore - December 12th Sharon Hill -December 14th TOPIC: Final Review & Exam Baltimore - January 16th Sharon Hill - January 18th TOPIC: To Be Announced Time: 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm Computer Corner -Scott Zemaitatis COMPUTER ISSUES? A new Citrix server was recently installed. If you are experiencing any problems or difficulties, please contact me at 609-254-3858. Also, be sure to check out our updated website at www.riggsdistler.com ~Scott Zemaitatis Safety Excellence on the Job -David Eader, Safety Group During the month of August, two Riggs Distler Overhead Line crews began work at a major Maryland power supplier’s substation. They were under the direction of Foremen William (Tip) Tipton and Christopher (Shawn) Tipton, two very experienced employees in the Over Head Group. Each crew consisted of a Small Job Foreman, a Journeyman and 2 Apprentices. Our customer had expectations that the five print job from the substation in Howard County to the Montgomery County line would be completed by October 1st. The crews not only met the requirements of the customer, but worked without any injuries, incidents, outages, or customer complaints. They moved into the additional three print Montgomery County portion of the job prior to the expected start date and are currently ahead of schedule. Above from L to R: Lawrence Parrish, Bryon Eader, Christopher Tipton, Dennis Bush, Jay Queer, William Tipton, Josh Bare, Josh Hayghe. Not pictured: Bill Hayghe, Brett Banghart, and General Foreman Vinnie Vietri. To offer an overview of the scope of work, the following are some of the tasks performed: 58,200’ of 336 wire installed & 58,200’ of #2 wire removed; 27 poles (50’ & 55’) installed and transferred; 3 poles cut and kicked; 2 regulators installed; 3 disconnect switches installed; transfer of load from old to new before removal; worked under State Highway permit restrictions of 9am – 3pm; and utilized contract flag persons daily. The crews were also responsible for setting up their own WAP (Work Area Protection) daily. Continuous Training is Routine for Riggs Distler Crews -Manfred Konrath, Vice President, Underground Utilities Above: Instructor Steve Didier explains how to use fault locating and tracing equipment. Steve has been with Riggs for over 18 years. Far right: Thursday’s class gets a first hand look at proper fault locating technique. Street Light Fault Locating classes were held at the White Marsh Training Area on November 9th and 10th. The class, designed and taught by Riggs’ own Steve Didier, outlined fault locating techniques from the fundamental basics through more complicated scenarios – all with an emphasis on safety. The proper use, care, and maintenance of locating and cable tracing equipment was taught, as well as the correct applications and limitations of each. The training was attended by Ray Ladzinski, Jose Guilarte, Ron Tobar, Chris Cullings, Michael Martino, Durrell Wooden, and Wayne Gerbes on Thursday, November 9th. Friday’s class was attended by Greg Trotta, Nemiah Harris, Clint Page 2 Kestner, Stewart Thornton, Chance Canterbury, and David Brune. The classes were also visited by several representatives from an area power supplier. Periodic hands on training classes such as this one ensure that Riggs Distler is providing the best and most highly trained workforce for our clients. Project News Our Crews are Key to Contract Renewals -Manfred Konrath, Vice President, Underground Utilities Great news from the Underground! We were just renewed for a 6 year period on a Primary Cable Replacement Contract for a major East Coast utility. This contract includes replacing primary distribution cable by means of directional boring and excavating. It also covers replacing secondary service cables to residential, commercial, and industrial customers on an emergency basis. I would like to thank Foremen Paul Hanlin, Ralph Young, Dan Aronhalt, Ken Kessler, Joey Perry and their crews, as well as General Foreman Tim Harris, whose outstanding efforts were instrumental in the renewal. Diversity in Our Work Paul Bizon, Vice President, Electrical Group instrumentation cables. After finishing the tray we will install the cables for the high voltage switch gear and controls to operate a 33,000HP, 5KV Blower motor. We will also install the main instrumentation homerun cables and equipment, plus the lighting and power on the “L” structure. The “L” structure is the main portion of this unit, consisting of 12 levels and is 287’ high. At a Philadelphia area chemical manufacturer, our work consists of installing new alarm notification devices Trivia Question Q: Who invented the first light bulb and when was it invented? A: The first electric light was made in 1800 by Humphry Davy, an English scientist. Many people believe it was Thomas Edison, who actually improved upon the almost 80 year old idea. Presently we are showing real diversity in our scope of work. Several ongoing and finished projects range from high-end condominium buildings to designing and building new power and instrumentation controls for a client’s new production line. In downtown Philadelphia, we are currently working on a hotel to condominium conversion. The work consists of construction and renovation of 108 high end condominiums and common areas on the 14th through 21st floors of the existing hotel structure. The lower floors of this historic structure will remain functional as a hotel. This project has been in negotiation since February. We are currently completing another condominium project in the Philadelphia area. This project entails the installation of conduits in the elevated concrete deck of a parking garage associated with a new condominium development by a prestigious builder. To date we have installed approximately 40,000’ of conduit. A Philadelphia refinery is keeping us busy, as we have been awarded two new projects. The work involves installing large quantities of various sizes of cable tray for power, control, and Above: General Foreman Tim Harris and Foreman Joey Perry in the process replacing cable that had been torn out of the pad mounted equipment by another contractor. page 3 throughout the entire facility. Our new strobes and sirens will tie into the existing fire alarm system. Another major chemical manufacturer in the Philadelphia area kept us busy as we worked on their fall outage. The work involved eliminating several old substations and providing more reliable power from newer equipment. The work required extensive planning to best utilize our work force during the limited 8 hour power outage the customer provided. We had to reroute many aerial feeders and safe-off many others for future demolition needs. In Southern New Jersey we installed the instrumentation, power, and controls for a new production line that provides the raw material for a manufacturer of cement based shingles and siding products. This was essentially a design/build project, as it was constructed as a fast track schedule. Much of the engineering followed our installation, requiring us to anticipate how the system would operate and foresee how to make it functional. The client is extremely pleased with the final product and our ability to adjust to their needs. Employee News Mission to Africa Two of our Philadelphia electricians, Matt Connelly and Kurt Taylor recently returned from a two week trip to George, South Africa, where they did missionary work with a church. George is located approximately one hour east of Cape Town, surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. Though a developed part of Africa, they did observe a variety of wildlife and were awed by the amazing scenery. Matt will be returning at the end of this month for another two week trip. ‘Tis the Season to Give On the Mechanical Side -Steve Haller, Vice President, Mechanical Group We have reached a major milestone here at the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit of an important Mid Atlantic fuel producer. The top rings, cone, and stack of the absorber have all been set, marking the end of the structural erection. Congratulations to all involved for a job well done thus far. Everyone’s hard work and long hours spent in getting to this point are greatly appreciated! Though we have accomplished a tremendous amount of the work, this project is far from over. We are now This year, Riggs Distler would like to give to those less fortunate during the holiday season. We have chosen to donate to The Ronald McDonald House Charities as their mission is to provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. More detailed information will be forthcoming in your pay envelope The past quarter has been a very as to how you can help make this a busy one for Department 650, Overbrighter holiday for those in need. head Distribution. Riggs Distler crews We thank you in advance for your recently completed large projects in generosity and assistance. Dover, DE and Berlin, NJ for a key energy holding company. This company owns five subsidiaries and provides power to almost 1.8 million customers, making it one of the largest electricity delivery companies in the mid-Atlantic region. Additionally for this company, our crews have begun a large PAC cable project, with another to follow in the St. Georges County, MD area. This year may not have been an active hurricane season, but the Over page 4 at a critical point in the progress of the job, and there is still much work to be done. The internals have to be packed, completion and testing of the piping systems, and building the FD fans and duct work which are required for the tie in outage on November 27th. Not to mention welding out the stack itself! Left: The stack is carefully set into place on the absorber. Above: An intricate web of pipe work sits atop of the recycle tank. What an impressive web of work. Powering Up from the Garden State to the Sun Shine State -Steve Zemaitatis, Operations Manager, Over Head Utilities We Support Our Troops Head crews in Ft. Lauderdale are keeping busy. They recently began an extensive concrete pole project for a leading producer and supplier of electricity in Florida and will begin a second concrete pole job later this month. Also later this month, a reconductoring project for a Southern New Jersey power supplier is set to begin. Riggs Distler anticipates a very busy 2007, as we are currently negotiating with two major utility companies - one in the South and one in the Midwest. The negotiations are for longterm overhead distribution contracts.
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(Future topics will be built
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