In the News & Good Catches!

INDUSTRY LEADING IN ALL WE DO

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Employee Spotlight

Dennis Laviolette

Driver

Hometown:

Newport, Vermont and baptized in Derby Line.

Family:

My wife and daughter, Lana, and all my cousins are up in Newport.

Pets:

Just lost my Yellow Lab.

First Job:

Driving a commercial wrecker up 290 in Worcester, MA - that, and a 31-yard rear-load garbage truck.

Dislikes:

Inefficiency.

Favorite Color:

Black.

Favorite Food:

Chinese.

Pet Peeve:

I hate to see milkers. We all have a job to do, do it. If it is going to take 8, don't make it 10.

Hobbies:

Tinkering with motorized things. My daughter needed a rider (mower); I bought 3 and made her one.

Best part about your job:

Being out on the road, it's in the blood.

Guilty Pleasure:

None, I quit them all.

Who do you most look up to?

Doug Casella. He is always there, hardworking, and always took me with him. Started driving a packer for Waste in '87, and ran a dump truck when he needed. Then, when Construction moved to Mendon, Doug moved me to Construction full time.

Best advice you ever received:

Be on your best behavior and take care of scale house. If you don't, you'll be at the back of the line!

Something everyone should know about you:

I speak French!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Many good memories, some of my favorite go back to the beginning of Bethlehem, mid-90's. I can remember the place we stayed was a bar and restaurant with some rooms upstairs Doug rented. Place burned down since, but Chris Kallen, Tucker, Howard, Dolphin and I used to stay there - had no fridges, so in the winter we used to put our beer out the window on the roof.

Been driving for over 50 years. Many of them for the Casella family.

Safety Topic: Electrical Safety

Water and electricity can be a fatal combination. Damp areas and metal objects can offer good shortcuts for electricity to reach the ground.

If your hands are sweaty, if socks and shoes are moist or damp, if the floor is wet, or if you are standing in a puddle of water, the moisture will allow more current to pass through your body.

If work is to be done with metal objects or in damp areas, please recognize the hazards and take necessary precautions, which include rubber gloves and boots, rubber mats, insulated tools, and rubber sheets to cover exposed metal.

Remembering a few tips can help avoid electrical accidents:

Treat every electrical wire as if it were a live one
Inspect equipment and extension cords before each use
Take faulty equipment, or plugs with bent/missing prongs, out of service for repair
Only qualified electricians should repair electrical equipment or work on energized lines
If a plug doesn't have three prongs, or if the receptacle doesn't have three openings, make sure the tool is grounded in some other way before use
Never try to bypass an electrical system by cutting off the third prong or plug

Turn off the power and report the smell of hot or burning plastic, smoke, sparks, or flickering lights
Stop using a tool or appliance if a slight shock or tingling is felt
Never disconnect an electrical plug by pulling on the cord
Whenever working on an electric circuit, the circuit should be turned off and locked out at the circuit breaker or fuse box to ensure that the circuit cannot be accidentally turned on
Those who regularly work on or around energized electrical equipment should be trained in emergency response and CPR

Remember: In wet, winter months, extra caution should be used when working with electrical equipment or when working near grounded objects.

Please stay safe!

In the News

Representing in the Community!

Cornells Volunteer in Castleton

Kyle Cornell + family volunteered to help with a second-grade class project at Castleton Elementary School earlier this winter. They received a shout-out on the class website!

Dan Caputo's Daughter Recognized

Congrats Alicia!

Alicia Caputo, a graduating senior at Rutland High School and Stafford Technical Center, has been named a Career and Technical Education candidate as part of the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program!

The Career and Technical Education candidates were nominated by their Chief State School Officers based on their accomplishments in career and technical education fields.

Check out the full VT Digger article on Alicia here.

Do you have some good news to share about you or your family? Have you had a fun experience volunteering? Tell us about it!

Good Catch Submissions

Thank you to everyone who has submitted a Good Catch/Near Miss report. Below are some recent submissions that have helped keep us safe, and helped us learn from you:

Transportation called to arrange the pick-up of a broken dozer, which needed to be dragged down to the trailer because it would not move. Transportation was planning on sending the 25-ton trailer, which was higher off the ground. With the weather causing slick conditions, this did not seem to be ideal or safe, so Brian Rossier made the decision to bring a low bed instead.

A submersible pump came in for a damaged cord and after removing the handle, Howard Biathrow noticed the top cover was cracked in several spots. Water had gotten into the sealed motor and the unit was run this way. This was identified as an electrocution hazard, and the pump was removed from service.

While hauling stone from MQ to OMYA, Lance Bussino emptied his load, went back to do his mud flaps and checked his tires, where he found a recap coming apart.

Jeff Gokey noticed that some bolts on the cutting edge of a loader bucket had come loose - enough so that the cutting edge was moving around, potentially with broken bolts that could have caused the cutting edge to come off.

Marc Rozell notified Ken Black that multiple people inside the wastewater treatment facility had tested positive for Covid-19, and had access to a restroom that was inside the building.

During his pre-trip, Paul Ricard found a bolt missing out of his battery box and step. The battery box and step were loose.

While exposing utilities during the excavation process, spotter Kenneth Brewer stopped the operator to avoid approaching well pump power, saving potential damage to the utility.

Jessey Chapin pointed out that the chain guardrail system above his tool cabinet did not have hi-vis markings every 6 feet, as per OSHA regulations.

Please keep the submissions coming - we can make a difference for each other!

We are hiring for spring!

Do you know someone who could make a positive difference on our team this spring?

Please ask your most talented contacts to apply!

See our job postings here.

And let's not forget the thank you.

If someone you recommend is hired and stays with us at least 90 days, we will thank you with a $250 referral bonus in your check! (Just make sure they mention your name in their online application.)

Contact Melissa Coltey or Kim Lewis with recommendations: [email protected] or [email protected]

Click here for more information about the employee referral program.