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AEP Award Highlights Cianbro’s Commitment to Safety
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overcame multiple challenges with innovative solutions. One such innovative solution was a direct result of the team setting a goal to decrease labor hours and cost associated with conductor installation. As the project team was preparing the conductor installation plan with pull force calculations, the team developed a plan to utilize hard line and pull two conductors simultaneously. To control the angle of the hard line traveling off the puller/tensioner, the team worked with our internal engineering resources to design a roller-fairlead that would act as a guide for the hard line both vertically and horizontally. This approach proved effective and resulted in significantly fewer labor hours. This innovation has been implemented on current projects and incorporated into our project pursuit process.
The success of this project has led to additional opportunities with AEP including the Deer Creek-Wes Del 138kV BOLD® Transmission Line Project in Indiana that started in July 2020 and includes approximately 20 miles of transmission line rebuild. Thanks to the project team for their effort, innovative ideas, positive attitude, and hard work:
Josh Turner, Pat Chamberlain, James “Andy” Wolf, Darren Herschberger, John Trainer, Jeremy Harshbarger, Chad Page, Joe Schackart, Eddie Ferreira, Quinton Johnson, David Korb, Roy Bolton, Guy Berthiaume, Luke Chamberlain, Bryton York, Austin Burgoyne, Tyler Craft, Bryan King, Danielle Anthony,
Tony Gunsaulis, Josh Gale, Zeb Underwood, and many other team members. Each year, American Electric Power (AEP) honors three of its top contractors with the Contractor Safety Award. To earn this recognition, contractors must excel in protecting their team through operational tasks and practices, backed by leadership committed to the Zero Harm approach to injury prevention. This year, AEP chose Cianbro as one of the Contractor Safety Award recipients.
Some key areas of focus that have helped Cianbro’s Power & Energy team create an award-winning safe work environment include reviewing safety measures and seeing where we can improve, encouraging regular communication among team members, sharing and learning best practices, and always focusing on doing what is right. “We submitted our first safety improvement plan in 2017, and each year we continue to see the value of the process,” said Paul Franceschi, Vice President and General Manager of Power & Energy. “We continue to include a larger group of team members to help develop our safety plans, not only engaging our team on AEP projects, but leadership from across our entire business unit. Through our commitment to safety, we have implemented improvements on all projects with all customers.”
In November 2020, Pete Vigue, Chairman of The Cianbro Companies, presented the AEP Contractor Safety Award to Franceschi and Josh Gale, Assistant General Manager of Power & Energy. The two accepted the honor on behalf of all the Cianbro team members and subcontractors who have worked on AEP projects.
Cianbro’s first AEP project was in 2015 in Salem, Virginia. Since then, Cianbro has worked on 16 AEP projects across Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“We are confident that we will see continued success, and are very appreciative of the guidance AEP has provided us,” said Franceschi. “Together, we’ll achieve Zero Harm.”
American Electric Power Award Highlights Cianbro’s Commitment to Safety
