Cultivating a Safe Workforce: Cianbro’s Safety Mentorship Program n
Shaw Brother’s Retaining Wall n
By Jeff Giggey
The Shaw Brother’s Retaining Wall project in Yarmouth, Maine was awarded to Cianbro thanks to the company’s past experiences working with Shaw Brothers. The total scope of the project included re-routing Interstate 295’s Exit 15 off-ramp, the addition of a northbound on-ramp, a new park and ride, and re-routing the southbound on-ramp that Shaw Brothers constructed. Cianbro was contracted to install the cast-inplace retaining wall, as well as to install soil nails, precast gutters, and precast barriers. Cianbro subcontracted out the installation of the soil nails to Schnabel Foundation Company of Massachusetts, who has worked for Cianbro in the past. Schnabel installed approximately 90 soil nails and around 1,800 square feet of shotcrete wall, varying in thickness from four to eight inches. Once the soil nails were installed, Cianbro built one-sided forms out of patent structures and a form ply facing. The onesided forms are supported by pipe braces at the bottom and coupling attachments to the new soil nails throughout the wall system. The Cianbro team also installed a precast rain gutter system at the top of the retaining wall and a precast barrier that runs at the base of the wall. One of the biggest challenges for this project was the tight schedule. The Exit 15 ramps had to be open by June 28th for the Yarmouth Clam Festival. Another challenge the Cianbro team overcame was the installation of soil nails near existing piles and in unstable soil conditions. Nonetheless, the team overcame these challenges safely and productively.
4 1,735 Project Safe Hours 14
By Dan Coffey
Cianbro takes great pride in the continuous ability to improve as a company and to foster an environment of growth for team members who are collectively responsible for the company’s successes. Among Cianbro’s greatest assets is the good fortune to have many individuals who have been longtime team members. These veteran team members possess a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with the rest of the team. It’s crucial in the development of Cianbro’s new team members that the company provides the opportunity for newcomers to build relationships with more experienced veterans and to seek guidance from those experienced men and women when needed. In light of that philosophy, Cianbro has developed a Safety Specialist Mentorship Program to aid in the progression of new safety specialists. The program provides a consistent learning experience among new team members, setting them up for success by ensuring a sufficient understanding of the safety role before the trainees take on responsibilities in the field. The mentorship program runs for one year, and begins with a five week hands-on job shadowing assignment during which the new team member works side-by-side with a curMentor Kris Chipman, rent safety specialist, Mentee Julio Matul and or specialists. At the Yard Foreman Mark Carbone end of this five week at Georgetown Fab Shop period, the mentee’s supervisor deterThe safety of Cianbro’s team mines if the new team member is ready to be members is the company’s first assigned to their own priority. The implementation of the jobsite or if more shadowing is necessary. mentorship program is a valuable The program timeline addition to Cianbro... lays out items that the mentee should be exposed to, and should demonstrate proficiency in. Proficiency is checked within the first five weeks, again within six months, and finally within one year of hire. The program also incorporates required/recommended training for the mentee to pursue along the way. Each week, the mentor and mentee meet (via phone call or face-to-face) and discuss questions or concerns while the mentor provides guidance. This is the most important aspect of the mentorship program. It will be crucial that the mentor and mentee mesh and develop a solid relationship that fosters an environment of ongoing two-way communication. The supervisor of the new safety specialist will complete a mentee evaluation sheet at the five week, six month, and one year mark. Since the same evaluation sheet is filled out three times over the course of the year, the progression of data will help to show the mentee’s growth in each of the scored categories, as well as where improvement is needed. The mentor will review each evaluation with their mentee and help coach them in the necessary steps for improvement. The safety of Cianbro’s team members is the company’s first priority. The implementation of the mentorship program is a valuable addition to Cianbro and will translate into better trained safety specialists and safer jobsites. The program will also contribute to the formation of a bond between mentor and mentee that, ideally, will carry on throughout the remainder of their Cianbro careers. The program is a perfect example of Cianbro’s ongoing ability to identify an area for improvement and to take the necessary actions that further evolve the company.
C I A N B R O S P R I N G / S U M M E R C H AT T E R