Summer 2012 - Barriere Construction
Summer 2012 - Barriere Construction
Summer 2012 - Barriere Construction
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i n t e r s e c t i o n s<br />
n o l a m o t o r s p o r t s p a r k<br />
Letter from Laney Chouest, MD • Owner, NOLA Motorsports Park, to Dawn D’Angelo, Project Manager, SSA<br />
The unique challenges of building a worldclass,<br />
private asphalt paving project arose<br />
for the South Shore Asphalt Division.<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> <strong>Construction</strong>’s paving of the<br />
NOLA Motorsports Park auto racing tracks<br />
has been one of the most interesting and<br />
rewarding Hot Mix jobs in our history.<br />
Located in Avondale, on the Westbank<br />
of Jefferson Parish, Dr. Laney Chouest’s<br />
vision of a state-of-the-art facility, drawing<br />
racing interests from all over the world,<br />
has come to fruition. While our execution<br />
and performance were under constant<br />
scrutiny, Dawn D’Angelo, Project Manager,<br />
and her team earned the accolades of the<br />
project owner. Below is Dr. Chouest’s letter<br />
to <strong>Barriere</strong>, recognizing our commitment<br />
to excellence:<br />
Dawn, we are nearing the first year of<br />
life of our 2.75-mile road racing course<br />
at NOLA Motorsports. That piece of road<br />
is the best in south Louisiana, and the<br />
only one that a car or motorcycle can<br />
drive on at speeds over 200 mph. We<br />
inthisissue:<br />
NOLA Motorsports Park 2<br />
President’s Message 3<br />
The Retirement of Mr. Robert Thompson 4<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> Responds to Hurricane Isaac 5<br />
Ethics Reminder 5<br />
Safety and Health Extravaganza 6<br />
The United Way–Hurricane Isaac Recovery 12<br />
knew that we had a major task with<br />
major challenges and risks and were<br />
comfortable working with <strong>Barriere</strong>. When<br />
you and your owners promised that they<br />
would do it, that was enough for us.<br />
I am happy to report that, after one<br />
year of being in place, there is not even<br />
one crack in the entire lay of polymer<br />
asphalt. This includes the approximately<br />
3 miles of large track surface, the 7.75<br />
story continued on next page…<br />
ABOVE KArt trAcK<br />
summer<strong>2012</strong><br />
Reneé Morgan Promoted to Foreman 7<br />
Field Supervisory Training Program 13<br />
Saving for Retirement 14<br />
TPR Cranks It Up 16<br />
Up the Ladder 17<br />
Every Day is a New Start 18<br />
August Safety Rewards 19
Published for the<br />
emPloyees of barriere<br />
ConstruCtion ComPany, l.l.C.<br />
1 GAllEriA BOulEVArd<br />
SuitE 1650<br />
MEtAiriE, lA 70001<br />
PhOnE: 504-581-PAVE (7283)<br />
FAx: 504-581-2270<br />
EMAil: inFO@BArriErE.cOM<br />
WEBSitE: WWW.BArriErE.cOM<br />
summer <strong>2012</strong><br />
Contributing Writers:<br />
PAul AlBrEcht<br />
chArliE cASSrEinO<br />
dAVid MAyEr<br />
MilliE MunSch<br />
tOni tAllutO<br />
chriStOPhEr WilliAMS<br />
GEOrGE WilSOn<br />
PEtEr WilSOn, jr.<br />
Proofreaders:<br />
PAul AlBrEcht<br />
dAVid MAyEr<br />
MilliE MunSch<br />
layout:<br />
thE BrAnd cOnStructOrS<br />
w w w .BrAndcOnStructOrS.c o m<br />
continued…<br />
acres of autocross pad, and the 1.5<br />
miles of kart track.<br />
In our business, our success is entirely<br />
dependent on our running surfaces.<br />
Customers from all over the world<br />
have complimented us on all of them.<br />
It is best to let you know some of the<br />
projects that we are working on that are<br />
all playing a role in the development<br />
of New Orleans as a motorsports<br />
destination:<br />
1. The American Motorcycle<br />
Association has scheduled their<br />
national finals, Oct 5-7, <strong>2012</strong>. All<br />
of the Pro teams in that race were<br />
here testing in July; several said<br />
it was the best track that they<br />
ever ran on.<br />
2. Ducati, the Italian maker of exotic<br />
sport motorcycles, had a new<br />
motorcycle launch as our first<br />
major event at the facility. As a<br />
result of their experience, they<br />
have scheduled 9 days of use of<br />
our facility in November <strong>2012</strong>,<br />
to hold an event that they have<br />
never held outside of Europe.<br />
3. After having some of their racing<br />
teams do some testing at our<br />
track, the ALMS is very interested<br />
in having one of their major<br />
American LeMans circuit races in<br />
New Orleans.<br />
4. As I write this, we are in serious<br />
discussions to host an IRL race<br />
in the spring of 2013. Indy Car’s<br />
safety inspector has visited our<br />
facility and declared it safe for an<br />
Indy Car race.<br />
5. The owners of two amateur sport<br />
motorcycle racing organizations,<br />
WERA and California Superbike,<br />
both told me, personally, that<br />
NOLA Motorsports has the best<br />
racing surface in America at this<br />
time. Both groups have canceled<br />
events planned at other tracks to<br />
move them to NOLA Motorsports.<br />
Thanks for all the the time and effort. I<br />
was impressed with the crew you sent<br />
to our job. Their ability to remain civil,<br />
professional, and calm in the heat of<br />
last August is obviously the result of<br />
good management and incentives.<br />
We had a world-class challenge,<br />
and <strong>Barriere</strong> stepped up with worldclass<br />
solutions for us. We are very<br />
happy with the product that we have;<br />
more importantly, our customers are<br />
happy, and our region is on the way to<br />
becoming a motorsports destination,<br />
which will provide a nice boost in<br />
economic activity that is sorely needed.<br />
Thanks to you, your owners, and your<br />
supervisors, machine operators, and<br />
rake and shovel operators, for meeting<br />
the challenge.
p r e s i d e n t’s m e s s a g e<br />
BArriErE WEAthErS hurricAnE iSAAc<br />
The damage done by Hurricane Isaac<br />
will exceed $1 billion. Due to the very<br />
heavy rainfall, high storm surge, and<br />
fierce winds, it is safe to say that<br />
the extent of the damage was much<br />
greater than expected—especially<br />
for a Category 1 hurricane. Through<br />
it all, <strong>Barriere</strong> was well prepared<br />
for the storm, thanks to a good<br />
plan and the strategic execution of<br />
that plan by all of our employees.<br />
Equipment in low-lying areas was<br />
quickly moved to higher ground, and<br />
signs and barricades were quickly<br />
secured. The $14 billion flood and<br />
drainage improvements to the federal<br />
levee system in the Greater New<br />
Orleans area withstood their initial<br />
test, while areas outside federal<br />
protection were not so fortunate.<br />
Parts of Plaquemines Parish, both<br />
East and West Bank, were badly<br />
flooded, as were parts of St. John<br />
the Baptist Parish, in LaPlace. We<br />
have employees that live in some of<br />
those areas, and our hearts go out<br />
to all of them. As we have done in<br />
past hurricanes, we will be offering<br />
assistance on a case-by-case basis.<br />
Our employees will always be our<br />
biggest competitive advantage, and<br />
we remain committed to their safety,<br />
health, and well-being.<br />
Two days after the storm<br />
struck, we had crews<br />
performing emergency work in<br />
Plaquemines Parish. As some of<br />
the area’s first responders, those<br />
dedicated crews worked through the<br />
weekend to restore roads<br />
and assist in the cleanup.<br />
“<br />
”<br />
It goes without saying that we<br />
sincerely thank those employees<br />
who answered the call of duty and<br />
helped those who needed it most. The<br />
North Shore had a real scare with a<br />
number of rivers and a reservoir that<br />
were at flood stage, but no major<br />
damage was sustained. Overall, most<br />
of us lost power for a few days, had<br />
several sleepless nights, cleaned<br />
up some debris from trees, and<br />
are happy to have power restored<br />
and to be back at work. More than<br />
anything, Hurricane Isaac served<br />
as a reminder of the devastation<br />
experienced by the entire area 7<br />
years ago from Hurricane Katrina,<br />
and how much better off we are as a<br />
result of the $14 billion “Hurricane<br />
and Storm Damage Risk Reduction<br />
System”. While the company and<br />
our employees lost a week of work,<br />
it could have been much worse for<br />
many people in the area. Loss of<br />
power, inconvenience, and cases of<br />
water damage quickly become minor<br />
problems, when compared to what<br />
might have happened had the storm<br />
been stronger.<br />
The work outlook remains unchanged<br />
since our last Intersections in the<br />
spring. Both Asphalt Paving Divisions<br />
and our Concrete Paving Division<br />
have sufficient backlog, while<br />
the Heavy Civil <strong>Construction</strong><br />
Division is still struggling to<br />
acquire work. We have seen<br />
a surge in paving work on the<br />
South Shore, in preparation<br />
for the 2013 Super Bowl,<br />
which will be held in New<br />
Orleans next February.<br />
Work on I-10 in Kenner, the<br />
Airport Connector Road, and<br />
the roadways beneath the<br />
expressway<br />
downtown<br />
are all being<br />
completed in<br />
preparation<br />
for the<br />
Saints’ second<br />
Super Bowl<br />
victory. In the<br />
Heavy Civil<br />
<strong>Construction</strong><br />
by George H. Wilson, Jr.<br />
Division,<br />
we see no end in sight to a tight<br />
market for bid work. However, we are<br />
adjusting to the market conditions<br />
and are now beginning to bid in a<br />
more targeted way to match our<br />
strengths and abilities to the jobs<br />
available to build.<br />
Maintaining our good safety record,<br />
properly planning and building quality<br />
work, and keeping our equipment<br />
maintained to run at optimal<br />
performance remain keys to our<br />
success. We need the buy-in of all<br />
our employees in these programs in<br />
order to be successful in the highlycompetitive<br />
markets where we work.<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> has been around for more<br />
than 60 years, and we have lived<br />
through both good and bad market<br />
cycles. With your help, we will emerge<br />
from this downturn a much stronger<br />
and more competitive company.<br />
3
t h e re t i r e m e n t of mr. robert thomp son<br />
from <strong>Barriere</strong>’s Board of Directors<br />
by George H. Wilson, Jr., President<br />
After 12 years of friendship and<br />
unwavering support for the growth and<br />
prosperity of <strong>Barriere</strong>, Mr. Robert “Bob”<br />
Thompson retired from our Board of<br />
Directors in August <strong>2012</strong>. With more<br />
than a decade of service on our Board<br />
of Directors, it is safe to say that no<br />
single Board member has had more<br />
of an impact on the success of our<br />
business than Bob. Bob’s time with<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> will forever be marked by his<br />
vision, commitment to excellence,<br />
and unrelenting competitive spirit.<br />
In honor of a great friend, and even<br />
better person, we have included a short<br />
biography below:<br />
Mr. Thompson is the former President<br />
and Co-founder of Thompson-McCully<br />
Co., an asphalt paving company in<br />
Plymouth, Michigan, and is currently<br />
the President and Owner of McCoig<br />
Materials, a ready-mix concrete supplier<br />
in Michigan.<br />
With over 40 years of experience in<br />
asphalt paving, Mr. Thompson has<br />
4<br />
served as chairman of the National<br />
Asphalt Paving Foundation (NAPA),<br />
president of the Michigan Road Builders<br />
Association, the Michigan Asphalt<br />
Pavement Association and the National<br />
Center for Asphalt Technology. He holds<br />
some of the industry’s highest honors,<br />
including the Asphalt Institute Roll of<br />
Honor, NAPA Man of the Year, Michigan<br />
Road Builders Lifetime Achievement<br />
Award, and Engineering News-Record’s<br />
Award of Excellence.<br />
With $3,500 in savings, Bob, and his<br />
wife, Ellen, along with Thompson’s uncle,<br />
Wilford McCully, started the Thompson-<br />
McCully Co. in 1959. McCully left the<br />
company in 1960, but Thompson stayed<br />
on, developing the company until it<br />
became Michigan’s largest asphalt<br />
paving company.<br />
When Bob developed heart problems, he<br />
decided to sell the business to Oldcastle<br />
Materials in 1999. Thompson shared<br />
nearly one-third of the $461 million sale<br />
with his employees. He gave bonuses up<br />
lEFt rOBErt thOMPSOn (lEFt)<br />
rEcEiVES A PlAquE, rEcOGnizinG<br />
hiS yEArS OF SErVicE On BArriErE’S<br />
BOArd, FrOM GEOrGE WilSOn (riGht).<br />
to $1 million to those loyal employees<br />
who had been with the company for<br />
years, and set up annuity accounts for<br />
others who are still years away from<br />
retirement. That same year, Bob and<br />
Ellen Thompson founded the Thompson<br />
Foundation with $100 million from the<br />
sale of the Thompson-McCully Company.<br />
The Thompson Foundation’s mission is<br />
to help low-income people rise out of<br />
poverty and become self-sufficient.<br />
The Thompson Foundation has already:<br />
• Established 1,000 Detroit private<br />
school scholarships for Detroit<br />
inner-city kids, 500 scholarships at<br />
Schoolcraft Junior College in Livonia,<br />
100 Michigan Tech University<br />
undergraduate engineering<br />
scholarships, and 20 Michigan State<br />
University graduate scholarships.<br />
• Granted funds to dozens of other<br />
programs, such as food banks,<br />
guidance centers, and job placement<br />
and training facilities.<br />
• Completed over $100,000,000 in<br />
construction work on new school<br />
buildings and renovations.<br />
On behalf of my brothers, Peter and<br />
Bert, it is with an abundance of<br />
gratitude that we thank Bob Thompson<br />
for his time, service, and dedication<br />
to both our family and our company.<br />
And, as they say, behind every great<br />
man there is a great woman. We extend<br />
our sincere appreciation to Ellen, for<br />
allowing Bob to be away from home to<br />
help us.
a r r i e r e r e s p o n d s t o h u r r i c a n e i s a a c<br />
by Chris Williams, Project Analyst<br />
With the path of Hurricane<br />
Isaac eminent, Plaquemines<br />
Parish officials contacted<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> days before<br />
the storm to secure our<br />
resources for disaster<br />
recovery. <strong>Barriere</strong>’s long<br />
history as a safe, reliable,<br />
and quality resource<br />
for Plaquemines Parish<br />
positioned our team to<br />
answer the call of duty in an<br />
extreme time of need.<br />
Two days after the storm<br />
hit land in Grand Isle, <strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
first responders were on the ground,<br />
working on the west bank side of<br />
Plaquemines Parish. Our crews, led<br />
by Foremen Tommy Huff and Steve<br />
Navarre, began grading the top of<br />
the levee on Thursday, August 31.<br />
From that point on, and through the<br />
Labor Day holiday weekend, we moved<br />
to the east bank side of the Parish<br />
into Braithwaite, where we helped<br />
emergency responders and residents<br />
by adding stone to the top of the<br />
e t h i c s r e m i n d e r<br />
Amid the pre-season excitement of<br />
New Orleans Saints’ <strong>2012</strong> campaign,<br />
the LSU Tigers, and the other great<br />
football programs around our city and<br />
state, we are reminded of the <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
<strong>Construction</strong> Code of Ethical Conduct<br />
and Corporate Compliance Program.<br />
The Code, which has been in place for<br />
the past few years and applies to all of<br />
us, is an excellent source for guidance<br />
regarding Gifts and Entertainment. We<br />
are all also aware of the Super Bowl<br />
being played early next year in<br />
New Orleans.<br />
Our code states, “Please understand<br />
that there are significant limitations, if<br />
not prohibitions, involving invitations<br />
to employees of customers for sporting<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong>’s First Responders<br />
Bart Breland – Vice President<br />
Ricky Dantin – Project Manager<br />
Todd Hountha – Superintendent<br />
Tommy Huff – Foreman<br />
Steve Navarre – Foreman<br />
Josh Clement – Senior Field Engineer<br />
Earl Bacchus, Jr. – Craftsman II<br />
John Dantagnan, III – Lt. Operator<br />
Ron Franklin – Operator II<br />
Heath Huff – Craftsman III<br />
Blaise Isidore – Operator I<br />
Shelby Rohner – Operator I<br />
levee. A smooth, reinforced levee then<br />
served as the main roadway and first<br />
point of drivable access for the people<br />
of Braithwaite. Periphery roads in<br />
Braithwaite remained underwater until<br />
Tuesday, September 4, and <strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
work proved vital to their recovery<br />
efforts. Our temporary roadway on<br />
the top of the levee provided valuable<br />
routes for all those who crossed the<br />
river to offer assistance. With heavy<br />
hearts, our dedicated crews provided<br />
support to the people of Plaquemines<br />
Parish in immeasurable ways. Fueled<br />
events, including golf outings, which<br />
limitations and prohibitions likewise<br />
apply to the customer, as a guest of<br />
our suppliers and/or subcontractors.”<br />
Our code does not distinguish between<br />
public and private customers. “For<br />
this reason, it is important that all<br />
employees be extra-sensitive when it<br />
comes to giving or receiving gifts and<br />
entertainment from non-government<br />
personnel.” The present value limit<br />
is $50.00.<br />
If you are unsure, always check with<br />
your supervisor or the compliance<br />
officer before you participate or attend.<br />
Some of the fall events this year are<br />
expensive and outside the permissible<br />
spending range. In such cases,<br />
by emergency supplies and MREs,<br />
the people of <strong>Barriere</strong> acted swiftly,<br />
safely, and responsively to the needs<br />
of the Parish. Our hearts go out to the<br />
people of Plaquemines Parish, and we<br />
extend our sincere gratitude to those<br />
dedicated employees who were called<br />
to help. Service like this is what has<br />
defined The <strong>Barriere</strong> Way for the last<br />
60 years, and the company is proud<br />
to serve as a dedicated partner to the<br />
people of Plaquemines Parish.<br />
by David Mayer, Vice President, Business Development<br />
individuals are expected to pay their<br />
own share if they wish to attend and<br />
participate in an event, ball game,<br />
or outing.<br />
5
<strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
23 rd Annual<br />
On<br />
6<br />
s a f e t y a n d h e a l t h e x t r a v a g a n z a<br />
Saturday, April 14, <strong>2012</strong>, <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
held its 23rd Annual Safety and Health<br />
Extravaganza. Audubon Zoo’s Corporate<br />
Picnic Pavilion once again provided a<br />
perfect venue for the festivities. Over<br />
1,000 people (employees and their<br />
families) were in attendance. For this<br />
year’s theme, we decided to use our<br />
new tag line, “Building Better”, which<br />
was rolled out on January 1, <strong>2012</strong>, in<br />
conjunction with our new logo.<br />
Special guests of the day included<br />
representatives from Sterling Wellness<br />
Solutions, Willis of Louisiana, Tikia<br />
Consulting, ING, 401(k) Advisors, The<br />
SchOlArShiP rEciPiEnt ShAnE A. richArd,<br />
With hiS PArEntS And BEtty WilSOn<br />
Brand Constructors, Think:Shoe Creative<br />
Communications, and Second Harvest<br />
Food Bank.<br />
One of the highlights of<br />
the day was recognizing<br />
the retirement of Donnie<br />
Todd. After 52 years<br />
of service to <strong>Barriere</strong>,<br />
Donnie Todd decided it<br />
was time to hang up his<br />
hard hat! A large group<br />
of Donnie’s family and<br />
friends were present<br />
to celebrate this<br />
momentous occasion.<br />
by Millie Munsch, Administrative Assistant<br />
Bert Wilson gave a heartfelt, emotional<br />
tribute to Donnie and spoke about<br />
Donnie’s many contributions to <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
over the past half century.<br />
The recipient of the 2011/<strong>2012</strong> Betty<br />
A. Wilson Education and Safety Scholarship<br />
was Shane A. Richard, who is the son<br />
of George Richard, an Operator in our<br />
North Shore Asphalt Division. Shane<br />
graduated in May from Lakeshore High<br />
School, in Mandeville, where he earned<br />
a 3.86 GPA and was ranked 4th in his<br />
class of 161 students. Shane served<br />
as his school’s Quiz Bowl President and<br />
Key Club Vice President. In addition, he<br />
was a member of the National Honor<br />
Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Shane<br />
enjoys playing baseball and has been<br />
a volunteer assistant baseball coach<br />
at Pelican Park. His plans are to attend<br />
college in the fall, where he will pursue<br />
a degree in Pre-Med. His intended<br />
career choice is Pediatric Cardiology.<br />
Shane’s scholarship is for $4,000 over<br />
4 years. During that time, Shane must<br />
remain a full-time student and maintain<br />
a 3.0 grade point average.<br />
Also recognized were <strong>Barriere</strong>’s current,<br />
on-going scholarship recipients that<br />
were in attendance.<br />
dOnniE tOdd And hiS WiFE, MElAniE
ABOVE driVErS WhO rEcEiVEd A SAFE driVEr BOnuS<br />
The Safe Driver Incentive Program was<br />
designed to reinforce our goal of Zero<br />
Accidents. It progressively awards<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> drivers who drive safely each<br />
year, up to a maximum of $2,500.<br />
Any <strong>Barriere</strong> driver who operates or is<br />
assigned to regularly drive a lo-boy,<br />
tanker truck, tack truck, fuel truck,<br />
mechanic truck, or service truck was<br />
eligible. Those drivers who received a<br />
safe driver bonus were: Barry Alfortish,<br />
Tommy Bailey, Zachary Bellard, Ryan<br />
Betz, James Bradley, Jason Bravado, Kevin<br />
Breaud, Craig Brown, Andre’ Callais, Lynn<br />
Campbell, Brian Davis, Ronald Franks,<br />
Willie Hampton, Wilford Jackson, Danny<br />
Knight, Joseph McDaniel, Malcolm Peters,<br />
George Richard, Brad Rodrigue, Tory Smith,<br />
Greg Tatum, Earl Thomas, Leroy Ussin,<br />
Kurt Washington, David Watts, Jessie<br />
Westerman, and Gary Williams.<br />
In August of 2011, <strong>Barriere</strong> created<br />
the Safety Recognition and Rewards<br />
Program to acknowledge and reward<br />
our field employees for positive safety<br />
behavior. This Program, which is<br />
monitored by the Safety Committee,<br />
was instituted to continually educate<br />
our employees, and to ensure that our<br />
workforce stays up to date on all of the<br />
proper safety-related work practices.<br />
All employees who received a Safety<br />
Recognition Award since the program’s<br />
inception last year were eligible to<br />
win a television, donated by Willis of<br />
Louisiana. The winner of this<br />
year’s Willis television award<br />
was Ryan Betz.<br />
Picnic attendees feasted<br />
on crawfish—a new and<br />
welcomed addition this<br />
year—as well as the usual<br />
fare of hamburgers and<br />
hot dogs. Other events of<br />
the day included door prize<br />
drawings, a Spacewalk, photo<br />
booth, face painting, crafts<br />
for the children, volleyball,<br />
horseshoes, tetherball, and<br />
admission to the Zoo. We<br />
extend our sincere thanks to<br />
the following companies for<br />
their services: Audubon Zoo,<br />
Design the Planet/The Brand<br />
Constructors, 401(k) Advisors,<br />
Fun Services, ING, A. Leopold<br />
Advertising Specialties, Mele<br />
Printing, Sterling Wellness<br />
Solutions, Think:Shoe, and Willis<br />
of Louisiana.<br />
We also thank those<br />
employees and their family<br />
members who kept the day’s<br />
activities running smoothly.<br />
Months of time and effort are<br />
involved in putting together<br />
this yearly event, which would<br />
not be the success that it is<br />
without our many volunteers.<br />
ABOVE ryAn BEtz, WinnEr OF thE<br />
WilliS tElEViSiOn AWArd<br />
crAWFiSh!<br />
ABOVE WilSOn GEn 4 FOOd driVE<br />
7
SErVicE AWArdS WErE GiVEn<br />
tO thE FOllOWinG EMPlOyEES,<br />
cOMMEMOrAtinG thEir yEArS OF<br />
SErVicE At BArriErE<br />
35 years – MArGiE huntEr<br />
25 years – jASOn FOrESt, dAVid lEBrEtOn,<br />
8<br />
dOuGlAS OlSOn, And chriStOPhEr<br />
tOdd, Sr.<br />
20 years – jAMES FultOn, WilliE jAcKSOn, And<br />
ruBy WAtKinS<br />
15 years – MichAEl BittnEr, SAMuEl hEStEr,<br />
BriAn iShEE, EArl jOnES, MildrEd<br />
MunSch, PAMElA VEGAS, And<br />
EdMOnd zErinGuE<br />
10 years – jAMES BrElAnd, jr., rOGEr clAy,<br />
iSAAc jiMcOily, rOBErt jOhnSOn,<br />
MichAEl lyOnS, lindSEy MArtin, OrAn<br />
McElVEEn, chAd MOrAlES, GEOrGE<br />
richArd, ShAWn rizzO, lOuiS SAnchEz,<br />
Sr., EArl thOMAS, hEAth WAhdEn, And<br />
clAudE WilliAMS<br />
5 years – dAniEl AllAin, VincEnt AlliSOn, jASOn<br />
BArAdO, zAchAry BEllArd, hEnry<br />
BuStAMAntE, AndrE’ cAllAiS, lucAS<br />
cAruSO, PhiliP crOW, MichAEl GriFFin,<br />
StEVE GriFFin, KEndAll huBBArd,<br />
StAnlEy jOrdAn, KEnny KniGht,<br />
lEOn lOVEtt, jOSEPh MAGGiO, jOSEPh<br />
McdAniEl, MEliSSA MillEr, BrEndOn<br />
MyErS, BrAd rOdriGuE, jASOn<br />
rOdriGuEz, chriStiAn tArullO, lExiE<br />
VErdin, And GAry WilliAMS<br />
3 years – BArry AlFOrtiSh, ryAn AndErSOn, EArl<br />
BAcchuS, jr., MichAEl BlAdES, rAndEll<br />
BrOcK, jErMAinE clAyBOrnE, BriAn<br />
dAViS, StEVEn dAViS, MAtthEW FitznEr,<br />
MichAEl FurMAn, rOBErt jArrEll,<br />
dArrEll jOSEPh, MAtthEW lAnGE,<br />
jOhn lAPOrtE, iii, rOnAld lEdEt, jr.,<br />
jAiME MArtinEz, jr., BrAdEn MOOdy,<br />
trOy rOGErS, juAn SAnchEz, rOBErt<br />
SEnGElMAnn, chArlES SiMMOnS,<br />
tOrrEy SMith, jAMES tABOr, iii,<br />
jOnAthAn tArdO, rAyMOnd thiBOdEAux,<br />
EddiE VEAl, KirK WAShinGtOn, Sr.,<br />
EdWArd WAttS, iii, jESSiE WEStErMAn,<br />
And AArOn WilliAMS<br />
35 years<br />
25 years<br />
20 years
15 years 10 years<br />
5 years<br />
3 years<br />
5 years<br />
5 years<br />
3 years<br />
9
1 0
ABOVE dOnniE tOdd And hiS FAMily POSE With BEtty, GEOrGE, PEtEr, And BErt WilSOn<br />
ABOVE SchOlArShiP rEciPiEnt ShAnE richArd, With BEtty WilSOn<br />
And PASt SchOlArShiP rEciPiEntS<br />
1 1
t he united way–hurric a ne is a ac rec ov e r y<br />
In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, we<br />
would like to make you aware of some of<br />
the services that are available to you and<br />
your loved ones through The United Way,<br />
and how you can help with the recovery.<br />
NEED HELP?<br />
Dial 2-1-1 for information on nonemergency<br />
services, such as shelters,<br />
food, counseling, and more. The 2-1-1<br />
Call Center counselors are available 24<br />
hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide<br />
crisis counseling, information, and<br />
referrals for help with food, shelter,<br />
medical care, financial assistance,<br />
counseling programs, substance abuse<br />
treatment, childcare, etc. 2-1-1 agencies<br />
work in concert with city, parish, and<br />
state governments, as well as other<br />
organizations, to provide disaster-related<br />
information. Whether the disaster is a<br />
hurricane, flood, fire, etc., the 2-1-1 Call<br />
Center is ready to respond.<br />
1 2<br />
HOW YOUR UNITED WAY IS HELPING:<br />
United Way and 2-1-1 have provided critical safety and referral<br />
information to the citizens of Louisiana, and they are currently<br />
working with the American Red Cross to assist in relief efforts,<br />
through coordinated response to immediate needs and muchneeded<br />
financial resources.<br />
United Way of Southeast Louisiana serves Jefferson, Orleans,<br />
Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and<br />
Washington Parishes.<br />
WANT TO HELP?<br />
United Way appreciates that many of you<br />
have reached out, asking how you can<br />
help. Here are some suggestions<br />
for action:<br />
GIVE. We all know that this will be a long<br />
and expensive recovery for many of our<br />
neighbors, and financial resources will<br />
be needed for services, both immediate<br />
and long-term. The most effective way for<br />
us to assist United Way in the recovery<br />
effort is to continue to support <strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
annual United Way employee campaign.<br />
In addition to working with numerous<br />
partners on immediate needs, such<br />
as food and water, United Way is also<br />
working on long-term recovery efforts to<br />
address the needs of the hundreds of<br />
families who have lost their homes.<br />
VOLUNTEER. If you would like to volunteer,<br />
United Way has recently partnered with<br />
HandsOn New Orleans—an organization<br />
which provides service opportunities for<br />
citizens in the New Orleans community.<br />
HandsOn New Orleans provides<br />
worthwhile and effective volunteer<br />
options. If you are interested in a<br />
volunteer opportunity, please contact Mr.<br />
Peyton Juneau, United Way’s in-house<br />
representative, at (504) 827-6892.<br />
ADVOCATE. You can also be of assistance<br />
to United Way by sharing this information<br />
with your family and friends. Please<br />
help spread the word that United Way<br />
is here to respond to the immediate<br />
and long-term needs of our community<br />
and its citizens in the wake of Hurricane<br />
Isaac. As always, your continued support<br />
is critical to United Way’s success. If<br />
you know someone seeking help, ask<br />
the person to call 2-1-1 (or 1-800-749-<br />
2673), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.<br />
This free, confidential service links<br />
people who need help with more than<br />
3,100 local health and human<br />
service programs.<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong>’s Heavy Civil <strong>Construction</strong> Division is collecting donations for the local people affected<br />
by Hurricane Isaac. If you have any items you would like to donate, please send them to the Belle<br />
Chasse Office, 1610 <strong>Barriere</strong> Road, Belle Chasse, and we will donate them to the local Red Cross<br />
for distribution.<br />
Thank you for your help.
e n e é m o r g a n p r o m o t e d t o f o r e m a n<br />
by Peter A. Wilson, Jr., Field Intern, North Shore Asphalt<br />
On Friday, August 17, <strong>2012</strong>, Reneé<br />
Morgan was promoted from Heavy<br />
Operator to Foreman. While the<br />
promotion signifies the internal<br />
advancement of a skilled and hardworking<br />
employee, Ms. Morgan will also<br />
be <strong>Barriere</strong>’s first female Foreman.<br />
“<strong>Barriere</strong> is certainly one of the best<br />
companies to work for. I’ve been treated<br />
equal from Day 1. But, being a woman<br />
who works in construction is not like<br />
sitting at home, cooking and cleaning.<br />
It takes determination and willpower,”<br />
Ms. Morgan says. Raising two boys and<br />
a girl, she has certainly proved that it is<br />
possible. One of her sons, Brandon, now<br />
works for <strong>Barriere</strong> after returning from<br />
his tour of duty as a Marine in Operation<br />
Iraqi Freedom. “In the morning, I would<br />
call my daughter from work to make<br />
sure she was awake to make the bus on<br />
time. It’s tough coming home after work<br />
with young kids; feeding them, making<br />
sure they bathe, and then going to sleep<br />
before their bedtime. You never can let<br />
anybody get you down. You have to hold<br />
your head up high and be proud of what<br />
you do.”<br />
Ms. Morgan began working as a flagger<br />
for Mike Seal 16 years ago. Three<br />
years later, she was promoted to a<br />
groundsman for 5 years before eventually<br />
becoming an operator. She served as an<br />
operator, mostly on Danny Walker’s crew<br />
before his promotion to Superintendent,<br />
before her promotion to Foreman.<br />
“Everything I know about being a flagger,<br />
groundsman, and operator I learned<br />
from <strong>Barriere</strong> and the people I worked<br />
with along the way, especially James<br />
Easley. I’ve made a lot of good friends at<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> and have really enjoyed seeing<br />
things being built from the ground up.”<br />
During her time at <strong>Barriere</strong>, Ms. Morgan<br />
certainly has seen many employees<br />
come and go. “If I could give some<br />
advice to a new employee, I would tell<br />
them that you cannot always start at the<br />
ABOVE PEtEr WilSOn, Sr., cOnGrAtulAtES rEnEé MOrGAn On hEr PrOMOtiOn.<br />
top. Sometimes, you have to learn from<br />
the bottom and work your way to the<br />
top. It’s especially hard during the first<br />
6 months,” she says. “An employee who<br />
is going to succeed is somebody who is<br />
willing to jump into any situation to help,<br />
ask questions, and is easy going. You<br />
have to sit back and watch sometimes,<br />
but you also have to pull your weight<br />
when asked. A new employee who is not<br />
going to make it is somebody who is<br />
over-confident, attempts everything on<br />
their own, and never helps anybody<br />
else out.”<br />
There is no doubt Ms. Morgan has had<br />
to overcome her fair share of difficult<br />
times. “There have been times when I<br />
was on the back of a rubbertire backhoe<br />
in the freezing cold, driving down from<br />
one end of a job to the other, and all<br />
I wanted to do was go home and jump<br />
into the bathtub to thaw out. I felt like,<br />
no matter what, I couldn’t put enough<br />
jackets and layers on to keep warm.<br />
I couldn’t feel my fingers, ears, or toes,<br />
and thought they must have gone ahead<br />
and fallen off,” she says. “But, at the end<br />
of a long day like that, you just make it.<br />
Not everybody can do it, but, if you’re<br />
determined, you can make it.”<br />
Well, Ms. Morgan made it. She made<br />
it from Flagger to Groundsman,<br />
Groundsman to Operator, and,<br />
now, Operator to Foreman. While<br />
her promotion certainly marks the<br />
noteworthy occasion of the company’s<br />
first woman Foreman; perhaps the<br />
greater story is of her own determination<br />
and willpower to advance through the<br />
ranks of the company. Perhaps that is<br />
something we all can learn from.<br />
Please join us in congratulating<br />
Ms. Morgan on her promotion.<br />
1 3
f i e l d s u p e r v i s o r y t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m<br />
Motivation, Communication, and TAR Meetings are the Focus of the<br />
Second Session of <strong>Barriere</strong>’s Field Supervisory Training Program<br />
At the start of <strong>2012</strong>, <strong>Barriere</strong> reinstituted<br />
our Field Supervisory<br />
Training Program, which was designed<br />
for our Field Supervisors to actively<br />
participate in six learning modules—<br />
including the completion of case<br />
studies and even “homework” from<br />
time to time. The goals of the program<br />
are to address all key areas of<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong>’s operational effectiveness<br />
throughout the year, and to continue<br />
our investment in the company’s<br />
biggest asset—our talented and<br />
dedicated workforce.<br />
During the months of May and<br />
June, Supervisors from each<br />
division gathered to discuss the<br />
1 4<br />
topics of "Motivation” and<br />
“Communication”. In first<br />
segment of this session,<br />
motivation was defined as<br />
“the desire or drive of each<br />
individual to satisfy his or<br />
her own needs”. The group<br />
read a case study and<br />
shared numerous examples<br />
of personal stories of<br />
motivation. It was ultimately<br />
determined that, while all<br />
people are motivated by<br />
something, no Supervisor can motivate<br />
each member of their crew, because<br />
motivation is a desire that comes<br />
from within each individual. It was<br />
fascinating to listen to Supervisors of<br />
all levels—from Division President to<br />
Foreman—share their own sources of<br />
“Internal Motivation”, and to hear how<br />
their goals have changed throughout<br />
their careers.<br />
The second segment of the training<br />
session focused on “Active<br />
Communication”, and it is no secret<br />
that our Supervisors spend the<br />
majority of their day communicating<br />
with numerous different parties.<br />
Communication was defined as<br />
“the process of sending thoughts,<br />
instructions, or messages from one<br />
person or group to another, and<br />
guaranteeing understanding”. With<br />
safety, daily production goals, quality<br />
assurances, and planning ALL at the<br />
top of the priority list, it is not hard<br />
to imagine that the communication<br />
process quickly becomes extremely<br />
complicated. Even with the help of<br />
cell phones, e-mail, text messages,<br />
and radios, the ability to effectively<br />
communicate can never be taken for<br />
granted. Each person involved in the<br />
process has distinct responsibilities,<br />
and the only way to effectively<br />
by Chris Williams, Project Analyst<br />
communicate is if the sender, the<br />
message, and the receiver are all<br />
in tune.<br />
With Communication in mind, the<br />
group set out to identify and share a<br />
list of “best practices” for our daily<br />
TAR (Task Analysis Review) meetings.<br />
I had the opportunity to video—<br />
tape several <strong>Barriere</strong> Supervisors<br />
presenting their TAR meetings in the<br />
field, and then use those videos to<br />
share our “best practices” across<br />
divisions. Of all behaviors displayed<br />
in the videos, our Supervisors<br />
determined that, in every Daily<br />
Huddle Meeting, the most important<br />
contributions are made by the crew<br />
members. Increasing communication<br />
during these daily meetings enhances<br />
our safety behavior throughout the<br />
day, and we can only improve if we<br />
continue to raise any and all safety<br />
concerns as they arise. As <strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
first Core Value states, “We put the<br />
safety of our employees and the public<br />
first”, and these daily TAR meetings<br />
serve as every employee’s opportunity<br />
to prove their commitment.
s a v i n g f o r r e t i r e m e n t by Charlie Cassreino, CPA, Director of Tax<br />
I am sure that everyone has read or<br />
heard about the problems with the<br />
Social Security System. Many so-called<br />
experts believe that it is on life<br />
support and will<br />
not be there<br />
when most of<br />
the younger<br />
workers<br />
retire. Others<br />
think that it will<br />
survive, but that<br />
the benefits will be<br />
severely reduced.<br />
No matter what you<br />
think about social<br />
security, I think<br />
everyone would agree that it is not<br />
adequate to secure a comfortable<br />
retirement. Who wants to take on a<br />
job at Wal-Mart for minimum wage just<br />
because their only retirement income is<br />
Social Security?<br />
Fortunately, <strong>Barriere</strong> has a plan<br />
in place for its employees to save<br />
for retirement, with the help of the<br />
company and the government: the<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> <strong>Construction</strong> Co. 401(k)<br />
Savings Plan.<br />
The <strong>Barriere</strong> 401(k) plan allows its<br />
employees to save for retirement using<br />
before-tax dollars. What this means<br />
is that the money that you put in the<br />
plan, plus the earnings on your savings,<br />
are not taxed until you withdraw the<br />
money after you retire. For instance, if<br />
you decide to save $4,000 a year and<br />
you are paid weekly, $76.92 will be<br />
deducted from your weekly paycheck.<br />
Since this is done before taxes, your<br />
paycheck will only go down by $57.69<br />
if you are in the 25% tax bracket.<br />
In addition to the money you save,<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> matches 50 cents on the<br />
dollar, up to 8% of your compensation.<br />
For example, if you save $4,000 per<br />
year and you make $50,000, <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
will put $2,000 into your 401(k)<br />
account for you. This is free money,<br />
which you will not get if you don’t<br />
participate in the plan.<br />
Here are some examples of the money<br />
that you can accumulate in the 401(k)<br />
plan, assuming that you contribute<br />
$4,000 of your own money and <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
puts in $2,000 each year. I’ve assumed<br />
a 5% rate of return, which, over the<br />
long haul, is a conservative number.<br />
Years<br />
in Plan<br />
Your Contributions<br />
+ Earnings<br />
If you participate in the plan for 40<br />
years, even at this modest level,<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong> will have given you over a<br />
quarter of a million dollars. If one of<br />
the Wilsons offered you $250,000,<br />
would you turn him down? Combined<br />
with your savings, you will have<br />
over three-quarters of a million to<br />
supplement social security! Not a bad<br />
result for giving up $57.69 per week.<br />
Even if you are too old to expect to<br />
participate for 40 years, you can still<br />
accumulate a significant amount<br />
of money.<br />
I know saving is difficult when you are<br />
trying to pay today’s bills and you have<br />
kids to raise and educate. But I’m sure<br />
we can all find some things that can we<br />
can do without or stop wasting money<br />
on. You don’t need to find all of the<br />
money in one spot—just a dollar a day<br />
is $365 a year. Find another thing that<br />
saves $10 a month (Netflix or premium<br />
channel) and now you have another<br />
$120. Remember, if you want<br />
to save $4,000 a year (and get<br />
$2,000 free from the company),<br />
you only need to find $3,000 on your<br />
own, since the government helps with<br />
the taxes.<br />
Take it from me (I’m 63): when you<br />
get close to retirement, no matter how<br />
much you have saved, you will wish you<br />
had saved more. If you don’t save, you<br />
will be looking at retirement without the<br />
extra dollars to spend on the grandkids<br />
or just enjoying life.<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong><br />
Contributions<br />
+ Earnings<br />
Total<br />
20 $138,877.01 $69,438.50 $208,315.51<br />
30 $279,043.16 $139,521.58 $418,564.74<br />
40 $507,359.05 $253,679.53 $761,038.58<br />
1 5
t p r c r a n k s i t u p<br />
<strong>Barriere</strong>’s nationally recognized TPR (Total<br />
Process Reliability) program recently<br />
surveyed its customers: our foremen,<br />
superintendents, and project managers.<br />
The results have been collected by Ben<br />
Tucker and his team: Pat Klaman, Rick<br />
Crochet, Brett Todd, James Bradley, and<br />
Matt Zuvich. The Field Survey asked<br />
questions about Availability (service<br />
and equipment), Courtesy, Quality, and<br />
Effectiveness.<br />
We are pleased to report a 95% positive<br />
response from our TPR customers. Here<br />
are some of the comments from our folks:<br />
“The work has been done with good<br />
quality and a fast response time.”<br />
“I think Matt does a great job. You can<br />
get him on the phone and he will have<br />
the problem fixed in a timely manner<br />
without a lot of cost.”<br />
“The Maintenance Department works<br />
hard at getting problems solved.”<br />
Ben Tucker, <strong>Barriere</strong>’s Equipment Manager<br />
and TPR guru, is quick to point out that<br />
there is room for improvement and it is<br />
time to RE-INVIGORATE TPR!!!<br />
1 6<br />
Recently, Ben made a presentation to<br />
the Executive Committee at <strong>Barriere</strong>. He<br />
pointed out some of the strengths we<br />
gained from TPR:<br />
• Our people understand the value<br />
of the program; it has become part<br />
of our culture over the past ten<br />
(10) years.<br />
• Our equipment is cared for by<br />
our operators, and it shows. Our<br />
machinery uptime is improved, and<br />
we have fewer breakdowns.<br />
• Our production on construction<br />
and paving projects is greatly<br />
improved by using reliable<br />
equipment. Basically, Ben and his<br />
team have created a culture of<br />
caring, strong accountability, and<br />
lower equipment costs.<br />
Additionally, we can expect a “Go<br />
Forward Plan” in the works. We are<br />
developing a TPR support structure<br />
in Preventative Maintenance for<br />
superintendents and field engineers.<br />
Additionally, there will be a refinement<br />
of the PM process to become more proactive.<br />
Ben envisions a library of “One<br />
Point Lesson Plans” on small repairs.<br />
The TPR team is also looking at a<br />
Rewards and Recognition Program and<br />
by David Mayer, Vice President, Business Development<br />
an Operator Care and Development Guide<br />
and Certification.<br />
When all is said and done, <strong>Barriere</strong>’s<br />
TPR Program has set some remarkable<br />
records in Key Performance Indicators.<br />
Our equipment maintenance costs fall<br />
well below the national industry average.<br />
Our TPR team keeps us up and running,<br />
keeps us competitive, and brings safety<br />
and value to <strong>Barriere</strong> projects every day.
u p t h e l a d d e r<br />
p r o m o t i o n s<br />
North Shore Asphalt Division<br />
Theresa (Reneé) Morgan, Heavy<br />
Equipment Operator to Foreman<br />
David Watts, Heavy Equipment<br />
Operator to Foreman<br />
Justin White, Field Engineer to<br />
Estimator/Project Manager<br />
South Shore Asphalt Division<br />
Michael Lyons, Heavy<br />
Equipment Operator to Foreman<br />
Matthew Wilson, Sr. Field Engineer to<br />
Estimator/Project Manager<br />
Aaron Williams, Lt. Operator to<br />
Field Clerk<br />
Concrete Paving Division<br />
Stephen Abadie, Intern to<br />
Field Engineer<br />
General Administration<br />
Brian Cooney, Vice President/Chief<br />
Financial Officer to Executive Vice<br />
President - Finance & Administration<br />
David Mayer, Manager of Business<br />
Development to Vice President-<br />
Business Development<br />
Heath Wahden, Financial Controller to<br />
Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer<br />
n e w h i r e s<br />
North Shore Asphalt Division<br />
Kasie Creel, Craftsman I<br />
Stephen Jones, Craftsman II<br />
Charles Armstrong, Craftsman III<br />
Jamie Crain, Craftsman III<br />
Tyler Jones, Craftsman III<br />
Cleotha Martin, III, Craftsman III<br />
Joseph Miller, Craftsman III<br />
Lucien Wicker, Jr., Craftsman III<br />
Michael Wilkins, Craftsman III<br />
Edward Harris, Lt. Operator<br />
Robert Stafford, Lt. Operator<br />
Douglas Coates, Operator I<br />
Justin Cleland, Lt. Operator II<br />
Ralph Thomas, Plant Groundsman III<br />
Heavy Civil <strong>Construction</strong> Division<br />
Gerardo Duron, Carpenter III<br />
Brian Young, Carpenter III<br />
Michael Balfour, Estimator<br />
Jacob Roberts, Field Engineer<br />
dOuBlE rAinBOW in FrAnKlintOn<br />
South Shore Asphalt Division<br />
Rashaad Jones, Craftsman III<br />
Allison Khodra, Craftsman III<br />
Gary Banks, Field Engineer<br />
Jonah Brown, Field Engineer<br />
Matthew Gibson, Operator I<br />
Benjamin Beverly, Operator II<br />
Albert Sims, III, Operator II<br />
Edward Tyson, Operator II<br />
Jesse Robinson, Jr., Surveyor Helper<br />
Jerry Tanner, Loader Operator I<br />
Concrete Paving Division<br />
Timothy Briscoe, III, Cement Finisher II<br />
Robert Palmer, Cement Finisher II<br />
Pernell Joseph, Cement Finisher III<br />
Kerry Lawless, Cement Finisher III<br />
Devon Nelson, Cement Finisher III<br />
Byron James, Craftsman II<br />
Shon Lucien, Craftsman III<br />
Alex Tatum, Craftsman III<br />
William Rhodes, Craftsman III<br />
by Toni Talluto, Human Resources Manager<br />
1 7
e v e r y d a y i s a n e w s t a r t<br />
Every day is different, so we should never<br />
start a safety meeting by saying, “it’s the<br />
same thing we did yesterday”. Are things<br />
exactly the same as they were yesterday?<br />
Even when our tasks remain the same<br />
on the jobsite, the conditions around<br />
us change constantly. Perhaps we are<br />
approaching a high traffic intersection,<br />
an overhead power line, a school zone…<br />
maybe it rained, perhaps someone didn’t<br />
show up for work today, or a new crew or<br />
subcontractor has started to work on the<br />
project, creating more work zone traffic.<br />
That is why, when it comes to safety,<br />
every day is a new challenge.<br />
A long record of success can end quickly<br />
when we become complacent. Some of<br />
our tasks are repetitive, so we get a false<br />
sense of security. We begin to believe that,<br />
if something has not happened to us, it<br />
never will, rather than acknowledge that, if<br />
the wrong things happen at just the right<br />
time, an incident will usually occur.<br />
Often on long-duration jobs, we start with<br />
a strong sense of safety because it is a<br />
new setting and we have a high sense of<br />
awareness. Once we become comfortable<br />
with the location and the crews we are<br />
working with, we drop our guard. This is<br />
usually when incidents occur. After an<br />
incident occurs, it raises our awareness<br />
and we take specific action to prevent<br />
it from recurring. This roller coaster will<br />
repeat itself until we stop and look at<br />
every situation.<br />
1 8<br />
The Situation How to Prevent an Incident<br />
You’re performing a<br />
task you’ve performed<br />
“hundreds of times.”<br />
You do not expect<br />
anything to happen or you<br />
are doing something you<br />
think is easy.<br />
You are thinking or<br />
worrying about something<br />
outside of work.<br />
Something distracts you.<br />
EVERY situation.<br />
Distractions at Work<br />
Look around for anything<br />
unusual or what might<br />
have changed.<br />
Perform the task one<br />
step at a time.<br />
Clear your mind while at work.<br />
Off the job, try to address<br />
the problem.<br />
Finish or stop your task. Secure<br />
equipment as needed. Then turn<br />
your attention to the distraction.<br />
Make sure all safety measures<br />
are in place and properly<br />
adjusted. Look ahead.<br />
Sometimes, we have personal problems<br />
that occur outside of work. When your<br />
focus is on personal problems instead<br />
of the task, you can overlook a hazard<br />
that can lead to an incident or injury.<br />
The problem could be financial, or a<br />
disagreement with a friend or significant<br />
other. We have frequently seen an increase<br />
in incidents after major weather events.<br />
Our minds may be elsewhere, such as<br />
lack of power to our homes; our property/<br />
homes may be damaged; or we may have<br />
even been displaced from our homes.<br />
If you feel that you are distracted and need<br />
to regain your focus, try the following tips:<br />
• Accept the fact that you can’t solve<br />
the situation that is distracting you<br />
immediately, and clear your mind until<br />
you have the time to resolve it.<br />
by Paul Albrecht, Field Safety Supervisor<br />
• During a break, you can talk about<br />
what’s troubling you with a friend.<br />
• Clear your head. Take a minute to walk<br />
away, stretch, or grab a drink of water.<br />
Don’t Lose Focus<br />
Staying tuned into the risks present on the<br />
jobsite is key to staying safe, day-in and<br />
day-out. Many incidents occur when we get<br />
complacent or too comfortable with our<br />
routines. Bottom Line: We can’t see into<br />
the future, so we don’t know exactly when<br />
an incident will occur. Otherwise, we would<br />
all have won the Powerball by now. What<br />
we do know, though, is that when we let<br />
our guard down, there are enough hazards<br />
in a construction work zone that we are<br />
increasing our odds of being injured.<br />
One thing is certain—we always want to<br />
conduct a thorough TAR, cover all hazards<br />
to be encountered with our work, and<br />
explain how we are going to mitigate these<br />
hazards. We want to communicate this<br />
information in a manner that everyone<br />
will understand. It is important that all<br />
employees participate during the TAR,<br />
because the employees that conduct<br />
the work every day have the most to<br />
contribute. We want everyone to stay<br />
focused. Our work is very important, and<br />
so are our employees. Please help to keep<br />
everyone alert and focused, so that they<br />
can return home safely each day.
a u g u s t s a f e t y r e w a r d s<br />
As you all know, last year, <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
created the Safety Recognition and<br />
Rewards Program, to acknowledge and<br />
reward our field employees for positive<br />
safety behavior. This Program, which<br />
is monitored by the Safety Committee,<br />
was instituted to continually educate<br />
our employees, and to ensure that our<br />
workforce stays up to date on all of the<br />
proper safety-related work practices.<br />
This Program also serves as a way<br />
for <strong>Barriere</strong> to reward our employees<br />
for promoting safety, by identifying<br />
leading indicators in the field. Leading<br />
indicators are preventative measures<br />
that can help predict the likelihood of<br />
an event before it occurs. Basically,<br />
the earlier we can identify a potential<br />
safety hazard, the greater chance we<br />
have of avoiding a serious accident in<br />
the future.<br />
Since we last reported the list of<br />
recipients this spring, Field<br />
Supervisors and the Safety Committee<br />
issued $6,700 in gift cards to 51<br />
employees who displayed exemplary<br />
safety behavior.<br />
We would like to congratulate and<br />
thank the following employees for their<br />
continued dedication to safety:<br />
c o m p l i m e n t s o n h i g h w a y 10 8 2<br />
Letter from Arthur R. Pittari to Jason Latiolais<br />
Dear Jason,<br />
As I told you yesterday during our<br />
telecon, I compliment <strong>Barriere</strong><br />
<strong>Construction</strong> for the outstanding<br />
performance of the 1082 Project.<br />
All phases of work were performed in an<br />
organized and expedient manner. The<br />
finished product is beyond excellent.<br />
Traffic control was the best I have<br />
ever experienced.<br />
Earl Bacchus, Jr.*, Austin<br />
Bass, Ryan Betz, Brandon<br />
Beverly, Michael Bittner,<br />
Randell Brock, Connie<br />
Brown, Andre Callais,<br />
Edward Cook*, John<br />
Dantagnan, III, Roland<br />
Darby*, Brian Davis*,<br />
Patrick Dyson, Matt Fitzner,<br />
Jason Forest, Jerome<br />
Fortune*, Ron Franklin,<br />
James Fulton, Jr., Christian<br />
Garrison, Roshaun Gilmore,<br />
Michael Griffin, Heath<br />
Huff, Blaise Isidore, Willie<br />
Jackson, Lakeisha Johnson,<br />
Edwin Johnson, Sr., Melvin<br />
Jones, Josh Kennedy,<br />
Allison Khodra, Elizabeth<br />
LaFrance, Abe LeBlanc, Roland Lockett,<br />
Jerome Lyons*, Kim Madison, Cesar<br />
Madrid*, Joseph Marceaux, Dale<br />
Mattingly, Wilson Morehead, Steve<br />
Navarre, Ronald Norton, Malcom<br />
Peters*, Walter Sharpe, Reynard Simon,<br />
Jr., William Smith, Howard Tate, Aaron<br />
Turner, Leroy Ussin, Eddie Veal, Andrew<br />
Warihay, Johnny Weber, Roosevelt<br />
White*, Nate Williams, John Wilson*,<br />
and Edmond Zeringue’s Crew.<br />
*Awarded Additional Funds<br />
I have been in the fields of commercial,<br />
marine, and industrial construction<br />
for over fifty years. During that time,<br />
I have worked on many projects on<br />
which <strong>Barriere</strong> was also working. Your<br />
equipment, personnel, performance of<br />
the work, and the finished product has<br />
always been of the highest quality.<br />
Highway 1082, “Old Military Road”, is<br />
a Louisiana Scenic Highway. I live four<br />
miles beyond the north end of it. That<br />
means I travel the full length of it almost<br />
daily. The rolling hills, pastures, and<br />
forest along its length make it a very<br />
enjoyable ride. Your roadwork enhances<br />
that experience.<br />
Please let everyone involved with this<br />
project know that their work has not gone<br />
unnoticed. It is greatly appreciated!<br />
Arthur R. Pittari<br />
House Creek Road<br />
Bush, LA<br />
by Chris Williams, Project Analyst<br />
Thank you for your efforts to keep<br />
yourself, your co-workers, and the<br />
public safe. As we did earlier this<br />
year, all award recipients in <strong>2012</strong> will<br />
be entered into a raffle at next year’s<br />
company picnic for a chance to win<br />
a prize.<br />
1 9
B<br />
b a r r i e r e<br />
c o n s t r u c t i o n<br />
1 GAllEriA BlVd., StE. 1650, MEtAiriE lA 70001-7595<br />
WWW.BArriErE.cOM<br />
hAlliE KinlEr lOVEd hEr Shirt<br />
And hAt; ShE WOrE it All OVEr<br />
thE zOO.<br />
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