Vehicle & Equipment Safety   Safety is always our primary consideration when working on heavy equipment. In the Equipment Division, our safety concerns are twofold, gravity and maintaining our equipment in a safe and productive condition. Our equipment is heavy and awkward. We are constantly lifting heavy and unwieldy items while having to work underneath the vehicles and equipment to maintain or repair them. On a weekly basis, sometimes daily, our shop personnel discuss methods to perform maintenance and repair work on the equipment efficiently, and above all, with the safety of the mechanic in mind. If vehicles are not properly supported while working underneath them, or loads are not properly slung when being lifted, gravity's relentless effects can have serious results on our mechanics. The second concern is maintaining our equipment in a safe and productive condition. The task of providing vehicles and equipment that stop and steer safely, seat belts and lights that work properly, tires that have sufficient tread depth, and controls that do what an operator expects them to do, is like gravity in that it is a constant challenge. As machinery is used, it wears and can develop structural weaknesses (cracks) that require routine inspections and maintenance to keep it functioning as the manufacturer intended. Taking proper care of your equipment ensures that it will function as expected, reliably and safely. I wish to commend the Underground vehicles and equipment team for working 725 work days without incident. A "Fond Adieu" to Debbie Warwick Back in September of last year, Underground got its first inkling that change was "a comin'". Letting us know that her husband Jim, had taken a job in Houston, Texas, and that her departure was eminent, Debbie Warwick began her final few months as Underground's official Operations Support Supervisor and unofficial Benicia facility "Mother Hen Extraordinaire". During her eleven plus years with us, and wearing whatever hat was needed for managers, engineers, field or office staff, Debbie juggled requests to be everyone's personal administrative assistant, travel agent, computer trouble-shooter, receptionist, and office generalist and humorist. And this was just for starters. As Underground's resident Martha Stewart, she was known far and wide by customer and employee alike, for being the hostess with the "mostest". Whether it was arranging a retirement dinner, company luncheon or annual golf tournament we all knew that it would come off flawlessly with Debbie running the show. In her role as Editor of the company newsletter, Debbie stayed on top of the latest and greatest Company news as well as heralding the important employee news. Thanks to Debbie, we all knew when there were new awards to be proud of or new parents congratulated. We can't forget that in her "spare time" she planned and prodded us to be good community citizens by setting up blood drives, gathering Christmas gifts for foster children and helping out with the annual Boy Scout Construction Lunch-O-Ree. In short, this was our in-house live wire, plugged in and always running for the next task. We bid a fond adieu and want to thank Debbie for her contributions to Underground as employee and friend to us all and wish her and husband Jim well in their new endeavors and location.   Note: Sonja Gossling replaces Debbie as the Operations Support Supervisor and new Editor of the Company newsletter. We want to welcome her to Underground and hope that those who haven't had the opportunity to meet her yet will pick up the phone and extend a warm howdy. Back to Top of Page