Spotlight on Safety

NOVEMBER, 2013

The L.E. Myers Co. helicopter crew can quickly deploy atop structures using a harness and a long line, (left), or by ‘bonding on’ to the structure using a wand to mitigate electrical charges (right), then stepping off the skid.

“It's the best way to get to the

work,” says Ryan Perkins, one

of two foremen for L.E. Myers'

ten-member helicopter crew.

“The helicopter is more efficient

and allows us to get more done.

Climbing is boring compared to

the helicopter.”

“I really enjoy doing what I do,”

said Nate Crosier, a crew mem-

ber for 19 months. “People look

at you like you've got two heads

when you tell them you’re riding

on a helicopter. They don’t really

understand what you mean.”

“It’s not something everybody

can do or wants to do,” said

Northeast Regional Safety Man-

ager Jim Foley. “It requires a lot

of trust in your pilot. You have no

control; you’re 100 percent reliant

on the pilot to get you where you

need to go safely.”

THE FLYING LINEMEN OF L.E. MYERS

A helicopter rumbles overhead.

Two men in harnesses dangle

below, tethered to the chopper

by a hundred-foot line. On the

ground, a motorist at a road

crossing is frozen in suspense,

amazed at the two flying fel-

lows wearing yellow helmets.

These airborne human specta-

cles are not reality-TV dare-

devils, circus performers, or

stuntmen in some Hollywood

blockbuster. They are L.E.

Myers linemen and appren-

tices, precisely performing

their parts in the construction

of transmission lines for the

MPRP project.

As the chopper hovers, the

linemen transfer on to a 65-foot

wooden structure and deftly step

onto its cross arm. Within a few

minutes, the bird will return, de-

livering the first of three stringing

blocks that the men will hang

from the structure.

“The use of helicopters in wire-

stringing operations is the wave of

the future,” says Steve Cava-

naugh, MYR Group Vice Presi-

dent of Safety. “Helicopters have

been used in building transmission

lines for a long time, but they’re

getting more popular and used

with more frequency.”

That's because helicopters offer

certain advantages, such as de-

creasing project construction time,

making remote areas accessible,

and reducing environmental im-

pact.

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The Helicopter Crew

The flying linemen pose for a quick group photo in October at a temporary land-

ing zone setup between Rt 3 and Higgins Rd in Searsmont.

This is the view helicopter linemen see before they deploy onto structures from the skid.

Perkins, whose father was a helicop-

ter mechanic, says he knows what to

look for in a pilot.

“I watch how they present them-

selves,” he said. “Are they looking at

the machine? The closer they look at

the machine, the better the pilot.

When I don't feel comfortable, I call

the helicopter company's chief pilot

and say I need somebody I can trust,

with a little more awareness of their

surroundings.”

Crosier says it's important to have a

pilot who is “not being cocky; not

being a cowboy.”

“You don't have to

rush,” he said. “He's

got plenty of fuel; he

can wait. Do it safe

and do it right. Just

because it's loud and

noisy doesn't mean

you have to hurry.”

“But being overly cautious and over-analyzing can also be a problem,” he added. “That makes

things much harder because you're spending more time on the radio, not keeping communication

short and sweet.”

According to Foley, the MPRP Project has “been very fortunate to have some excellent pilots. It’s

probably one of the most challenging activities we have, and we’ve had very few issues.”

“This job is not any more dangerous than other aspects of line work,” said Crosier. “It's like any-

thing else -- you follow procedures, and you inspect and respect your equipment.”

What's most important to Perkins is remembering that “the helicopter is there to hover.”

Page 3

PROJECT TO DATE

SAFETY STATISTICS

L.E. MYERS WORK HOURS: 759,764

RECORDABLE INCIDENTS: 12

RECORDABLE INCIDENT RATE: 3.15

SAFETY minutes

Winter Driving

As temperatures drop, watch for ice and frost on the roads, mats, and ground surfaces and take extra caution. Drive slowly and watch your step, particularly before the sun comes up and melts the frost. Take the safest – not always the quickest – path available.

Ice Cleats

We will be purchasing NEOS ice cleats for those that were not here last winter and expect that everyone have a pair and wear them when it gets slippery. If you don’t have cleats, mention it to your supervisor or safety so that the right size can be provided.

Working alone

On rare occasions when you are required to work alone, certain safety precautions must be taken: Make sure your supervisor knows where you are, and check in frequently. Also, be sure to carry your fully charged cell phone and Spot Locator.

Page 4

Most “over the road” vehicles in the MPRP fleet — 3500 trucks and up — are now equipped

with the new Zonar inspection system, which captures and records location, inspection compli-

ance and maintenance data and immediately sends the information to Shop Supervisor

Dave Saucier.

The Zonar 2010, a hand-held unit mounted on the dashboard, works by reading radio-frequency

tags that have been installed in critical inspection areas on the vehicle.

During a driver's daily walk-around inspection, the driver scans each tag on the unit and gives

push-button responses to a checklist of items specific to that area.

“For example, in the rear of the vehicle some of the items are left rear light, license plate light,

and tail light,” Saucier explained. “If something is broken or defective, you scroll over and

choose from a list of options. If the defect is not on the list, there's a text area where you can ex-

plain whatever you want.”

If the driver finds a problem, the unit asks if the vehicle is safe to operate. If not, it flashes a

“stop” sign and immediately e-mails Saucier's smartphone with the specific problem and the ve-

hicle's location.

“So if I'm driving to work and get an e-mail, I can call a mechanic immediately and have him

take care of it,” Saucier said.

When the inspection is complete, the driver places the Zonar 2010 back into the dashboard

mount, and the information is transmitted to a secure database that Saucier can access.

While the Zonar system is designed to eliminate paper-based vehicle inspections, drivers must

continue to fill out and submit the Burns & McDonnell Safety Inspection Sheet, at least for the

time being.

Zonar inspection system Installation

“Everyone needs to continue

to do both – the Zonar sys-

tem and B&M safety

sheets,” said Northeast Re-

gional Safety Manager Jim

Foley.

“We'll contact B&M and

show them the Zonar sheets

and see if we can eliminate

the B&M sheets for units

with Zonar.”

News and Notes from Burns & McDonnell

First of all, Burns & McDonnell would like to

congratulate the Northern Loop team on your

achievement of ONE MILLION WORK

HOURS. Awesome job!

As we move forward with the holiday season

approaching, we must continue to focus 100

percent on safety.

Although we make every effort to meet our

client's expectations, our efforts are in vain if

we allow anyone to get injured.

We have had a few bumps along the way but

have diligently responded with a positive atti-

tude.

We have proven that we will not accept any-

thing less than total commitment to making

safety our absolute priority.

At this point, I would ask everyone to put ex-

tra effort into sailing this ship in the right

Armand Berube Burns & McDonnell Northern Loop Safety Specialist

Page 5

direction.

Every activity has hidden hazards that must

be identified. Keep digging in and expect that

the unexpected will happen, especially if

complacency slips in.

The sticker on your hard hats clearly reflects

your commitment as a company: “SPEAK

UP, I'LL LISTEN: EVERYONE EVERY DAY

EVERYWHERE

Project to date we have worked over 4.8 mil-

lion work hours, our TRIR is: 0.92 DART:

0.33 RECORDABLES: 22 and DARTS: 8

Doug Hurling, Vice President for Central Maine Power helps MYR Group Sr. Vice President Bill Green pull names out of a bin for cash prizes in appreciation of L.E. Myers Co. crews reaching one million safe work hours on the Northern Loop portion of the MPRP project at a breakfast last Friday in Palmyra. (Dave Gauvin photo)

Page 6

Along the Lines: Glen Ridley

Glen Ridley

Quality Assurance Supervisor Glen Ridley

works seven days a week at a job with enor-

mous responsibilities. But when he takes off his

hard hat, he's wearing a mischievous grin and a

baseball cap.

“I've never seen him without one,” said North-

east Regional Safety Manager Jim Foley. “He's

always up to something and has a good sense of

humor.

Ridley lives in Litchfield, Maine, where he was

born and raised. He holds an engineering de-

gree from the University of Massachusetts at

Amherst and spent 13 years at Atlantic Engi-

neering before joining L.E. Myers two years

ago.

“L.E. Myers tried to hire me just for concrete,

and I said I'd do it for month or two,” he re-

called. “But then they wanted me for the steel

towers – they had a lot of linemen but needed

engineering staff to work on the technical end.”

On a typical day, Ridley is making sure that

bolt cages, rebar and all other parts going into

structure foundations are installed exactly

where they should be.

“He makes sure everything is in place within

the specs,” said Foley. “You have to be very

compliance oriented and thorough to do that

job, and Glen takes his job very seriously.”

“There are a lot of steps we have to comply

with,” said Ridley.“We follow the specs and

make sure our subcontractors follow the engi-

neers' specs as closely as possible. We try to

give the client the best bang for the buck.”

Ridley also keeps an eye on matters involving

the environment, materials and safety.

“He looks out for safety issues, and he'll call to

give us a heads up on something that needs to be ad-

dressed,” said Foley.

When it comes to safety, L.E. Myers “has done a

great job,” said Ridley. “This company is vigilant

about making the job safe, which can be tough to do

with 150 to 200 guys. A little thing can really slow

things down and mess things up.”

Ridley enjoys motorcycle riding in his spare time –

that is, if he had any.

“The concrete business is seven days a week and has

been for many years,” he said. “In Maine, the mud

season keeps hammering you.”