Employees Step Up With Safer Access
(4th Quarter 2007)

Vecellio & Grogan crews have climbed another rung on the ladder of safety with their latest jobsite innovation, a more secure way to get in and out of a trench box.

The sturdy, moveable side-wall structures are required on underground jobs exceeding certain depths or slopes, and are typically accessed by a ladder propped at an angle into the box. But the ladder’s feet are not always level and the ladder itself can sometimes be in the way, noticed Charles “Alabama” Crane, a Pipe Crew Foreman on V&G’s airport jobs in Greens­boro, NC.

What if the ladder were secured to one of the side walls, instead? With this concept in mind, Alabama sketched out some designs for a ladder bracket and access platform, then sent them to V&G’s shop in Beckley for fabrication.

The result? Pipe crews now have a safer method for entering and exiting the trench box, with the ladder kept neatly out of the way against a side wall.

“This was great teamwork and really shows that ‘Safety Is Job Number One’ for us,” said Bob Kennedy, Vecellio & Grogan’s Safety Director. “Thanks to all those involved!”

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Group Named Finalist For Contractor Safety Award
(4th Quarter 2007)

The Vecellio Group’s “Safety is Job #1” program was just four points away from being named the #1 safety program in America for companies its size in the CNA Contractors Safety Award, co-sponsored by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

“As the selection committee noted, it was an honor just to make the final cut for the award,” said Gary Lopez, Ranger Construction’s Senior Safety Director, who entered on behalf of Ranger and Vecellio & Grogan.

Companies were judged on management commitment, employee participation, incident investigation, audit procedures, safety planning, risk assessment and other criteria.

The Vecellio Group competed in the top-level category, for companies with greater than 1 million employee hours worked during the previous year.

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