Congrats, Nick and Jeremy!

INDUSTRY LEADING IN ALL WE DO

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Employee Spotlight

Bob Cavanaugh

General Manager of Transportation

Hometown:

Newtown, CT.

Family:

I am one of 5 kids - 2 girls, 3 boys - and my wife is one of 4 daughters. We have 2 daughters, Kellin and Logan, and we couldn't be prouder of how they have turned out.

Pets:

Golden Retrievers - we've had 1 or 2 for almost 40 years. Currently, it's Wylie (like the coyote) - he is 6 years old and full of it!

Pet Peeves:

Be punctual, be prepared, take responsibility, and no matter what you do, make sure to do it the best that you can.

Favorite Food:

Grilled swordfish steak.

Favorite Color:

Khaki, light or dark, like cargo pants essentially.

Guilty Pleasure:

Sweets...my wife's homemade chocolate chip cookies. Also, Nutella and peanut putter on a toasted bagel.

Dislikes:

Slackers, laziness, sloppiness and BS.

Hobbies:

Landscaping, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and I've been told I play a pretty mean game of tennis. Oh, and I can definitely read a good book.

First Job:

I was a paperboy at age 9 with a route of 32 that expanded to 102 when I stopped at age 15. My first professional career was as a Cost Accountant.

Something everyone should know about you:

I'm pretty disciplined and a creature of habit. I will bend but not break and never quit. I'm also an excellent listener...I try to subscribe to the school of thought to listen 90 percent of the time and speak 10 percent of the time.

Who do you most look up to?

There are a number of people who have helped mold me into who I am today. My parents were key on the personal front and 3 professional people taught me a lot about life and business. My wife and 2 daughters are also an inspiration, as they have worked through a lot and always persevere.

Best advice ever received:

It's more of a mantra and it's in a lot of things that you read, but "learn from your mistakes." Another is "don't take things for granted," but this is a lesson that kind of gets slapped across your head.

Best part about your job:

It's a terrific opportunity to learn new things and meet new people...there's no truth to the saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks! Casella is in a great place within the community and they donate quite a bit...it's important to have a stake in where you live and work.

July Good Catch Winners of the Month

Congrats, Nicholas Martin!

Nick, who is part of the maintenance crew, discovered a solenoid issue that was causing an enormous amount of heat in the wiring, and fixed the problem.

[Nick receives his $100 gift card from Brad Matteson]

Congrats, Jeremy Rowell!

Jeremy, who is part of the construction crew, identified play in the swivel of an excavator tool, and pointed out exactly what was happening. This could have been overlooked as being loose, but because of his detailed description, the Maintenance Department took it apart and identified a ring gear carrier that was broken in two pieces.

[From left to right: Aaron Vice, Matt Williams, Charlie Wadleigh, Douglas Flint, Winner Jeremy Rowell, Joe Matteri]

Great catches, Nick and Jeremy! Thank you for keeping an eye out for safety issues. Enjoy your $100 gift cards!

Communication across departments!

Nick's Good Catch was submitted by a member of the construction department - and Jeremy's Good Catch was submitted by a member of the maintenance department! We are thrilled to see communication like this between departments. This is the type of teamwork that sets us apart from other companies, and is what will continue to make our safety culture a success. Thank you!

More July 2021 Good Catches:

David Morris reached out on the radio while driving a haul truck to let us know one of our subcontracted trucks had a right rear tire that was blown on that truck.

Paul Higgins noticed a crack in the dump body of a co-worker's truck, so after dumping they inspected the rest of the dump body and found several more cracks.

After getting stuck, a bulldozer that pushed Andrew Bedard III out began going too fast. Andrew radioed the bulldozer operator to prevent damage to the equipment.

A confused driver almost backed into Gregory Rickert Sr., who honked his horn to alert the driver.

Dan LaFountain found the hose under the bucket arms had rubbed through the rubber coating.

In the process of attaching a trailer, Jeffrey Michaud noticed that the ball was loose on the hitch, and brought it in to be tightened before attaching the trailer.

While Jeffrey Stearns was opening up a corporation (so we could shut it off to switch a water line the next morning), an employee noticed that it was leaking. If left on, it would have flooded our open ditch overnight - causing numerous man hours to relocate services and utilities.

Alfred Churchwell noticed that jumping jack number 10127 was not operating properly. He identified an issue with the gas line, and corrected the problem.

Christopher Rozell inspected car trailer 6478 and identified a broken spring shackle on the driver side.

While attending Safety Day, Ed Gibson noticed that a bent grate in the floor was causing employees to stumble, and pointed it out. A cone was placed to deter people from walking in that location.

While attending Safety Day, Jackson Bouchard noticed that the vacuum system was missing its front cover, leaving the wires exposed.

While observing subcontractors on site, Joe Casella noticed that they were not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the tasks that they were performing. Joe brought this to their attention, and informed them of the expectations while working at Casella Construction jobsites.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a Good Catch / Near Miss! Every submission educates us, and helps keep us all safe. Keep up the great work!

BlueCross BlueShield Card Change

A reminder from Human Resources

On 7/1/2021 BCBS changed their prescription partner to Vermont Blue RX.

If you have BCBS of VT for your medical insurance, please make sure you are using your new insurance cards (you should have received them in the mail prior to the 7/1/2021 change in Rx coverage).

On the back of your new insurance card it should say:

Vermont Blue Rx

If you have not received your cards, please contact Kim Lewis at

802-774-1362 or email [email protected] and she can order you new ones.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Finding a vaccine site has been simplified!

To find a vaccination site near you, just click here, enter your zip code and mileage radius, and the CDC site will give you exact addresses.

Please stay safe out there!

Safety Topic: Types of Electrical Hazards

Electrocution is one of the most common hazards across construction sites, according to OSHA.

Identifying electrical hazards can help raise awareness of the risks, their severity, and how they can harm you.

Here are common electrical hazards in the workplace:

Overhead Power Lines: Overhead powered and energized electrical lines have high voltages which can cause major burns and electrocution. Remember to maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet from overhead power lines and nearby equipment. Conduct site surveys to ensure that nothing is stored under overhead power lines. Also, safety barriers and signs must be installed to warn nearby non-electrical workers of the hazards present in the area.
Damaged Tools and Equipment: Exposure to damaged electrical tools and equipment can be very dangerous. Do not fix anything unless you are qualified to do so. Thoroughly check for cracks, cuts or abrasions on cables, wires, and cords. In case of any defects, have them repaired or replaced. Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) procedures should be performed at all times before commencing electrical maintenance and repairs.
Inadequate Wiring and Overloaded Circuits: Using wires with inappropriate size for the current can cause overheating and fires to occur. Use the correct extension cord designed for heavy-duty use. Also, do not overload an outlet and use proper circuit breakers.
Exposed Electrical Parts: Secure these items with proper guarding mechanisms and always check for any exposed parts to be repaired immediately.
Improper Grounding: The most common OSHA electrical violation is the improper grounding of equipment. Proper grounding can eliminate unwanted voltage and reduce the risk of electrocution. Never remove the metallic ground pin, as it is responsible for returning unwanted voltage to the ground.
Wet Conditions: Water greatly increases the risk of electrocution especially if the equipment has damaged insulation.