Construction Outlook September 2019 by Ucane

SEPT | 2019

UCANE Files Response to DPU Emergency Dig Safe Regulations

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IN THIS ISSUE

OFFICERS President RICHARD PACELLA, JR.

5 President’s Message:

President-Elect MARCELLA ALBANESE

7 Legislative Update:

R. M. Pacella, Inc.

Albanese Brothers, Inc.

Treasurer RYAN McCOURT

McCourt Construction Company

Secretary BRIAN COONEY

C. C.Construction Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS VINCENT BARLETTA

Barletta Heavy Division

NICK BIELLO

J. D’Amico, Inc.

MIKE BISZKO, III

Biszko Contracting Corp.

TONY BORRELLI

Celco Construction Corp.

BEN CAVALLO

C&S Insurance Agency

ANDREW DANIELS J. Derenzo Co.

GEORGE DeFELICE

DeFelice Corporation

JERRY GAGLIARDUCCI

Gagliarducci Construction, Inc.

NICK GAMACHE

Rain for Rent - New England

MARCO GIOIOSO

P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc.

MIKE GORMAN

E. J. Prescott, Inc.

DAN HORGAN

R. H. White Const. Co., Inc.

BILL LEONARD

Aqua Line Utility, Inc.

JOHN OUR

Robert B. Our Co., Inc.

QUERINO PACELLA

RJV Construction Corp.

BRIAN RAWSTON

Jay Cashman, Inc.

PAUL SCENNA

Albanese D&S, Inc.

DAVID WALSH

Pawtucket Hot Mix Asphalt

Partnerships Critical to Our Success • UCANE and Other Interested Parties Voice Concerns on “Emergency Dig-Safe Regulations” • Baker-Polito Administration Awards $12 million to Improve Skills Training • Resilient MA Action Team Created to Address Climate Adaptation Plan • Commonwealth’s Unemployment Rate Drops

19 Construction Safety & Compliance:

An Interview with Cheryl Devlin, Safety & Claims Specialist, D’Allessandro Corp.

25 UCANE Files Response to DPU Emergency Dig Safe Regulations 27 Turn Employee Potential Into Performance 32 UCANE Member MTV Solutions Starts Aerial Drone Division 37 UCANE Hosts New Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law Seminar Presented by Prince Lobel Tye LLP 39 Just How Much Waste is in That Water You’re Swimming In? 43 Save the Date: UCANE’s 65th Annual Banquet 45 UCANE to Take Part in 5th Annual “Imagine a Day Without Water” Campaign to Raise Awareness About the Value of Water 47 Vacuum Excavation: Safe, Efficient, and Customizable Options for Urban Excavation 49 Public Works Pipeline:

An Interview with Marc Valenti, Manager of Operations, Town of Lexington - Public Works

51 Construction + Impairment = Big Problem 59 Safety Corner: “I’ve Been Doing it This Way for Years.”

63 UCANE Joins MWRA Advisory Board Officials for Annual Field Trip 64 UCANE Welcomes New Members 65 Technology in Construction: A Modern Software Platform at RJV Construction Corp.: Equipment Maintenance Software

69 Spotlight on Cape Cod:

Barnstable Devotes Short-Term Rental Tax Proceeds to Water Treatment Editor: Anne Klayman, Associate Editor: Suzanne Hatch, Magazine Designer/Assistant Editor: Sherri Klayman Construction Outlook Chairman: Richard Pacella, Jr. Editorial Board: Richard Pacella, Jr., Marcella Albanese, Ryan McCourt, and Brian Cooney CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK published monthly by the Utility Contractors’ Association of New England, Inc., 300 Congress Street, Suite 101, Quincy, MA 02169; Tel: 617.471.9955; Fax: 617.471.8939; Email: aklayman@ucane.com; Website: www.ucane.com. Statements of fact and opinion are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of UCANE and the Construction Outlook editorial board and staff. Subscriptions are included in dues payments for UCANE members. Presorted Standard postage paid at Brockton, MA. POSTMASTER, please send form #3579 to Construction Outlook, Crown Colony Office Park, 300 Congress Street, Suite 101, Quincy, MA 02169.

ANNE KLAYMAN

Executive Director

JEFF MAHONEY

Assistant Executive Director

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Partnerships Critical to Our Success

UCANE is celebrating its 65th Anniversary this year, and our Association was founded for one simple reason. Several like-minded business owners, while competitors, saw the benefits of joining together to speak with one unified voice that would benefit the underground utility construction industry as a whole. Thus, in 1954, our Association had its humble beginning.

hat sense of cooperation and willingness to form partnerships is a major reason why UCANE has grown into one of the most highly respected and successful associations in the nation. Of course, the most important partnership is the one that exists between our members. Our Contractor and Associate Members have a long history of doing business with one another and supporting each other and UCANE events and activities. These relationships are the lifeblood of our organization. We also maintain critical partnerships with the leaders of our state agencies and local officials. Over the years, UCANE has recognized how important it is to be able to communicate directly with them and meet with the leaders of agencies such as MassDEP, the MWRA, Boston Water & Sewer Commission, and other state agencies and awarding authorities. We have been very fortunate that these leaders also recognize the benefit of this relationship, and as a result we are able to resolve issues and have questions answered much more quickly, which allows projects to move forward more efficiently. The same holds true with our local officials. UCANE has also made it a priority to meet and partner with Public Works officials outside of the jobsites. A case in point is UCANE’s September 25th Dinner Meeting, where three UCANE contractors and three municipal officials will participate in a panel discussion about the most pressing issues facing our industry, and how we can better work SEPTEMBER, 2019

together to get the job done on time and on budget. These types of discussions and relationships can hopefully help avoid unnecessary delays and conflicts when working together on underground construction projects. Our advocacy efforts, both at the state and federal levels, also benefit from multiple partnerships. We were one of the founding members of the Clean Water Construction Coalition (CWCC), which is a national group of 28 underground construction associations from across the country. While UCANE continues to have strong relationships with the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, the CWCC allows our industry to have a broader and more effective voice on Capitol Hill. On Beacon Hill, we have worked closely with many legislators who have been tremendous allies of UCANE and who understand the need to upgrade and/or replace our aging underground infrastructure. We have also been an active member of the Water Infrastructure Alliance, which is a group of over 30 associations advocating for increased investment in water infrastructure, and we meet regularly with other construction associations to discuss issues of mutual interest. So while we look forward to UCANE’S next 65 years of advocating for its members, we will continue to grow and strengthen our Association so that our “unified voice” will become even louder and stronger in an effort to help us further our mission. n

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UCANE and Other Interested Parties Voice Concerns on “Emergency Dig-Safe Regulations”

he Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), of its own accord on July 18, issued an order instituting an emergency rulemaking proceeding adopting emergency revisions to 220 CMR 99.00, “Procedures for the Determination and Enforcement of Violations of Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 82, §§ 40 through 40E (Dig Safe).” In making revisions to the Dig Safe regulations, the DPU treated the amendments as emergency regulations because their immediate implementation was deemed necessary to ensure public safety. According to the DPU, these revisions are designed primarily to implement the federal minimum safety requirements for damage prevention, pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Parts 192 and 196. The DPU also adopted changes to 220 CMR 99.00 for the following reasons: (a) to clarify the obligations of both excavators and utility companies; (b) to establish more efficient procedures for the enforcement of violations; and (c) to correct minor errors and delete outdated, duplicative, or unnecessary information (such as deleting definitions that are identical to those in the Dig Safe law, Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 82, §§ 40-40E). UCANE, as well as a number of utility companies and wide-ranging stakeholders, including, but not limited to Dig Safe Systems, Inc., the Northeast Gas Association, Construction Industries of Massachusetts, the American Council for Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Water Works Association, all weighed in on the regulations. In its comments, UCANE highlighted a significant number of areas in a submitted “redline” version of the regulation. Specifically, UCANE expressed concern about the wholesale changes and stated: SEPTEMBER, 2019

“As you might expect, our contractor members are all experienced with the Dig Safe One-Call System and Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 82; §§40-40E – the “Dig Safe” laws – as well as 220 CMR 99.00 et. seq.. Likewise, UCANE has a long history of working together with various state agencies, including the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), to ensure the safety of our jobsites. Apart from the need to make one change to comply with federal law relative to the notification of public safety officials in the event of an emergency utility strike, the consensus among UCANE members is that the current Dig Safe System, before this emergency order, was working. Specifically, the process outlined in 220 CMR 99.03 – 99.05 (Premarking, Notifying Dig Safe, Marking, and Remarking) was working successfully as designed in the statute. In recent discussions with Dig Safe and a few major utility owners, they appear to be of the same opinion. While this is not to say that 220 CMR 99.00 et. seq. was perfect or would not benefit from certain clarifications, the main thrust of the regulations – getting utilities marked out while allowing excavation projects to proceed safely and in a timely manner - was working. With this in mind, the regulatory changes proposed in DPU 19-43 make several revisions to the Dig Safe regulations that will result in disruption to the current working system, create expensive project delays, adds costs to contractors, utility owners and municipalities – without increasing public or worksite safety.” Of particular concern to most commenters was a requirement that limited the “markout” distance to continued on page 9

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Legislative Update continued from page 7 500 feet. In the case of many utility installations (i.e. gas and water) and roadway milling or reconstruction, the contractor can perform well over 500 feet of work in a single day. As noted by many commentators, requiring excavators to coordinate onsite meetings with utility representatives is unworkable in the vast majority of cases. Notwithstanding the fact contact names and numbers are not readily available, UCANE’s testimony also highlighted that “anecdotal comments from utility companies indicate that they do not have enough staff to accommodate all these meetings – nor do contractors. The redrafted language of 220 CMR 99.3(4) will result in costly delays to infrastructure projects and increased personnel costs to both the excavator and the utility companies.” As stated by other commentators as well, these costs will inevitably be passed on to the municipality or the ratepayer. In interesting commentary to the emergency Dig Safe regulations, a combination of utilities ranging from National Grid and Eversource to Columbia Gas, focused their comments on (1) the marking of abandoned facilities; (2) privately-owned underground facilities; (3) on-site consultations; and (4) the notification requirements associated with marking new facilities. As to abandoned facilities, the

utilities are pushing against identifying abandoned utilities, instead offering their representatives for consultation on an as needed basis. With respect to privately-owned underground facilities, the utility companies expressed concern that the new requirement “shifts the burden of determining the presence of these privately-owned underground facilities from the excavator, who is responsible for safe excavation of the site, to the companies, who are responsible for marking their own facilities that may only cross a small portion of the site.” As to “on-site consultations,” the utilities expressed concern about the idea of personally visiting worksites, as such, but asked the DPU to make video conferencing a means of compliance as well as requiring excavators to provide summaries of these interactions. Finally, the utilities argued that Dig Safe is already positioned to notify excavators about new facilities and, therefore, no new requirements should be placed on the utility companies. The DPU has 90 days from the regulations’ promulgation to potentially amend the new regulations. A copy of the DPU’s Order and Emergency Regulations, and all comments submitted, may be viewed on www. eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom (enter “1943”). continued on page 11

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Legislative Update continued from page 9

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $12 Million to Improve Skills Training

he Baker-Polito Administration announced in August the awarding of $12 million to 45 high schools, colleges, and educational institutions that will use the grant to acquire the newest technologies to educate students and expand career education opportunities. Schools can also now apply for an additional round of Skills Capital Grants, totaling $15 million that will be awarded in the fall. The goal of the Skills Capital Grants, which range from $50,000 to $500,000, is to help high schools, colleges, and other workforce training organizations invest in the most up-to-date equipment to give their students an advantage when they continue in their chosen field or area of study. These grants cover a broad array of fields, from construction and engineering to healthcare and hospitality. According to a press release issued by the Governor’s Office, the program has awarded more than $65 million to 233 different programs over the past four years. Through Skills Capital Grants, schools

have expanded their enrollment capacity in highdemand occupations, enabling more than 12,500 additional students to enroll in these educational programs that are a priority for employers across the Commonwealth. Four of the organizations received Skills Capital Grants for the first time. Several schools plan to use the grant to launch new career pathway programs, which give students knowledge and skills in a particular industry sector such as health science, information technology, environmental science, engineering, or manufacturing. In an effort to close the skills gap in certain industries, the state launched Innovation Pathways, a program to encourage high schools to give students exposure and experience in fields that are rapidly growing in the Commonwealth. Through Innovation Pathways, high school students take college-level courses in an area of study, receive technical instruction, and work at internships with local employers who partner with high schools. continued on page 13

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Legislative Update continued from page 11 The Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education work together to help schools design programs, which must follow certain principles to receive official designation. Of particular note to the construction industry, the following schools and educational institutions received Skills Capital Grants in this round: Barnstable High School - $250,000 Environmental Science & Technology Pathway. Students who participate in the Environmental Science and Technology Pathway will be able to gain industry credentials, including Waste Water Certificate/License and Drinking Water Operator. The grant will support the design and construction of a Water Quality Analysis Lab to conduct sampling techniques and analysis using industry specific equipment and demonstrate practices related to municipal waste and drinking water treatment. Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School - $300,000 Welding Technology Automation. Many workers who possess welding skills are employed in the building and construction trades, as well as emerging wind energy sector. The grant will enable the school to enhance its technology with virtual welding simulators, vertical tilt bandsaws, press break, a hydraulic shear, and CNC Plasma Table.

Massasoit Community College - $250,000 Diesel Technology Program. New diesel engine equipment purchased with the grant will support the college’s existing programs, as well as introduce a new Alternative Fuels and Emissions certificate to complement its associate degree program, giving students an option to earn an entry-level credential. In addition, the college has partnered with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department to pilot a program to train soon-to-be-released inmates to become diesel technicians. Somerville High School - $186,900 Welding and Metal Fabrication Technician. Somerville High School’s Welding Simulation project will use cuttingedge welding technology to enhance the learning experience of students entering the workforce and adult learners looking to reenter the workforce with new skills. Lincoln VRTEX Welding Simulators will be integrated into Somerville High School’s metal fabrication and welding program to teach students core welding techniques in a safe, controlled environment where they can work at a steady and personalized pace. For more information about the Skills Capital Grants Program, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/ upgrading-technology-with-skills-capital-grants. continued on page 15

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Legislative Update continued from page 13

Resilient MA Action Team Created to Address Climate Adaptation Plan

n an effort to continue the work towards addressing climate change, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the establishment of the Resilient MA Action Team (RMAT), an inter-agency team that will work to implement the Commonwealth’s Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan and improve resilience to climate change. Led by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the RMAT will be staffed by designated Climate Change Coordinators from each Executive Office. According to the Baker-Polito Administration, the work of RMAT implements a core component of Governor Baker’s Executive Order 569, which established an integrated climate change strategy for the Commonwealth. The RMAT will provide guidance and decision-making for State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan implementation, further refine priority actions, and ensure actions are integrated into agency practice and policy. In its first year, the RMAT will be exploring development of statewide climate resilience standards and completing a resilience evaluation for our annual capital planning process to ensure that investments are climate-smart. The State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan, released in September 2018, provided a model for integrating hazard mitigation priorities with forward-looking climate change data and solutions. The plan recom-

mended 108 actions for the Commonwealth to pursue to increase resilience and reduce risks and vulnerabilities to natural hazards and projected climate change. The State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan is also implemented by municipal partnerships through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. The creation of the RMAT occurs as the Massachusetts legislature considers climate resiliency legislation in the form of House Speaker Bob DeLeo’s “GreenWorks” legislation and the Governor’s Resilient MA legislation. Both bills, although through different funding mechanisms, seek to support municipalities and help protect Massachusetts’ residents, communities, economy, natural resources, and infrastructure from the adverse effects of climate change. While the plan passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in July relies on bonds, the Governor seeks to increase the excise tax on real estate transfers to fund a substantial and sustained investment in climate change adaptation through programs like MVP and the implementation of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan. The Commonwealth’s “Statewide Hazards Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan” may be found at: https:// www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/10/26/SHMCAPSeptember2018-Full-Plan-web.pdf.

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Legislative Update continued from page 15

Commonwealth’s Unemployment Rate Drops

he Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced in midAugust that the July total unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point at 2.9 percent. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 3,500 jobs in July. Over the month the private sector lost 4,100 jobs as losses occurred in Leisure and Hospitality; Education and Health Services; Professional, Scientific and Business Services; Construction; and Financial Activities. Manufacturing jobs level remained unchanged over the month while Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Other Services; and Information added jobs. Government added jobs over the month. From July 2018 to July 2019, BLS estimates Massachusetts added 37,300 jobs. The July unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped four-tenths of a percentage point. The labor force decreased by 4,400 from 3,838,800 in June, as 2,100 fewer residents were employed and 2,400

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fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The state’s labor force participation rate – the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks – dropped one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 67.6 percent. Compared to July 2018, the labor force participation rate is up onetenth of a percentage point. The largest private sector percentage job gains over the year were in Other Services; Education and Health Services; Information; and Leisure and Hospitality. With respect to industries within and impacting the construction industry, the following information was reported: • Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 600 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 1,500 (+0.3%) jobs. • Professional, Scientific, and Business Services lost 1,100 (-0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services gained 3,300 (+0.6%) jobs. • Construction lost 500 (-0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction has lost 2,500 (-1.6%) jobs. • Government added 600 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government gained 6,700 (+1.5%) jobs. The July estimates show 3,723,200 Massachusetts residents were employed and 111,200 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,834,400. The unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point at 2.9 percent. The July labor force decreased by 4,400 as 2,100 fewer residents were employed and 2,400 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force participation rate, the share of working age population employed and unemployed, dropped one-tenth of a percentage point at 67.6 percent. The labor force was up 18,000 from the 3,816,400 July 2018 estimate with 34,400 more residents employed and 16,400 fewer residents unemployed. The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends. Labor force and job estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Friday, September 20, 2019. Detailed labor market information is available at www. mass.gov/lmi n

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Construction Safety & Compliance: An Interview with Cheryl Devlin Safety & Claims Specialist D’Allessandro Corp.

The Editors of Construction Outlook magazine recently caught up with Cheryl Devlin at a busy construction site in Boston. Cheryl is the Safety & Claims Specialist with UCANE member firm D’Allessandro Corp. We were able to get a few minutes of Cheryl’s time to discuss the importance of safety in today’s heavy construction industry. What is your background in Construction Safety? I‘ve worked for D’Allessandro Corp. for 12 years now. At first, I started off working on claims. Because claims and safety go hand in hand, I took some safety courses and my duties expanded with the company to include site visits, not only to investigate claims but to proactively work with the crews to increase safety awareness and to assist with corrective actions. I joined UCANE’s Safety Committee several years ago and performed a Risk Management Workshop for D’Allessandro Corp. regarding the review of how to process claims, and the documentation needed when filing and defending a claim. During the workshop, I cited actual events that occurred to show how a company should properly record such events for their insurance company. Tell us about the culture of safety that exists at D’Allessandro Corp. Company President, Jon D’Allessandro promotes a strong safety culture and has done so for years. So much so, that in addition to daily site inspections by our genSEPTEMBER, 2019

eral manager, and visits by myself with inspections and tailgate talks, he also has an outside safety company, Contractors Risk Management, do unannounced site inspections. All foremen present Tool Box talks weekly to crews, and conduct a daily site inspection with a work plan before starting the job for the day. Our new hire safety training lasts two days or more before a new employee is released to a jobsite. We have seven core values that are sent daily as a reminder to our employees’ cell phones. We start every spring off with our annual continued on page 21

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Safety & Compliance continued from page 19 Safety Day Training for all employees. We conduct three Stand Downs annually. Upper management has trainings for Foremen, Project Managers, Assistant Project Managers, and Field Engineers. We also do specific trainings/refreshers for Respirator Fit Testing, CPR, Competent Persons, Asbestos, Fire Extinguisher, Hazwoper, and Compliance Training. What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a safety director? First and foremost is getting our employees to understand the need for safety measures and then having them really buy in, without becoming complacent. Training is necessary, but over time I have explored different ways of trying to get our employees really involved in safety. One way has been through the establishment of our own in-house Safety Committee, com-

prised of one employee from every crew, which is now a total of 10 members. We have our Committee members serve for six months at a time, then we rotate in different employees so eventually, all employees have served. A chairperson and vice chairperson are volunteers and will run the meetings. The Committee reviews claims, accidents, and all safety issues. The members really get involved in open discussions, because they are running it. So far, they have developed some creative means of solving some recurring safety issues. Some have taken it beyond the meetings and have sought resolutions to problems by searching the internet for specific safety matters. They then bring these ideas to the Committee for review and, sometimes, incorporate them in the field. Committee members have also been instrumental in developing new procedures for certain work tasks or improving upon existing procedures in order to imcontinued on page 23

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Safety & Compliance continued from page 21 prove both safety and efficiency. This has created a sense of teamwork and a safety culture that employees have themselves explored, created, and acted upon. What advice do you have for new Safety Directors, specifically pertaining to the current construction climate/ current jobsite risks? Transparency helps in a preventative safety culture. When any injuries or claims occur, the details of these incidents are divulged to all field employees, with the exception of the names of workers directly involved. Visits to each site happen immediately after the incident. Discussions are initiated with the crews about corrective actions. The crews really get involved and by doing this, it creates the understanding of how and why it happened, along with the

preventative actions to be taken. I try to incorporate safety on an interactive basis and, with any non-injury related site visits, even include a bit of humor. I find laughter can make people more relaxed, attentive, receptive, and willing to participate. It also promotes team spirit! How do you think Contractors, as well as their workers, can benefit from organized and OSHA endorsed events like Safety Week and the National Safety Stand-Downs? D’Allessandro Corp. does three stand downs a year, May is OSHA’s Fall Protection, June is Trench Safety, and August is OSHA’s Safe ‘n Sound Week. My thoughts are that by having safety subjects being introduced on a regular basis, it creates subconscious thoughts of safety as they work. That way safety becomes a habit, not a chore! n

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UCANE Files Response to DPU Emergency Dig Safe Regulations On July 18, 2019 the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued Emergency Order 19-43. Effective immediately, the Order is an extensive rewrite of DPU Regulation 220 CMR 99.0, which governs both excavation activities and utility line mark out (Dig Safe) requirements throughout Massachusetts.

he DPU issued the order as a response to the catastrophic gas line incident last year in Lawrence, MA, although that incident involved no excavation activities and no violation of existing DPU regulations or Massachusetts statutes. The DPU issued the order without obtaining input from construction industry associations, utility companies, or even the Dig Safe System. The Emergency Order took excavators, utility company owners, and Dig Safe System by surprise. A quick read of the Order revealed major changes to the regulations that would impact all interested parties and would also have the potential to increase the cost of public and private infrastructure projects dramatically. The issue was discussed at length during UCANE’s Board of Directors Meeting on July 24 and a Subcommittee was established to further analyze the impacts to UCANE contractors and to prepare a written response to the DPU regarding Emergency Order 19–43. The Subcommittee includes Mike Lenihan (UCANE Staff), Querino Pacella (RJV Construction Corp.), Paul Scenna (Albanese D&S, Inc.), Tony Borrelli (Celco Construction Corp.), and attorney Bob Ferguson (Hinckley Allen, LLP). The group sought and received comments from other UCANE members and from UCANE’s Safety Committee. The Subcommittee prepared line-by-line comments including a redlined markup version of Order 19-43 showing all UCANE recommended changes and/or deletions to the order. On August 26, Assistant Executive Director Jeff Mahoney attended the public hearing at the DPU office in Boston and formally presented UCANE’s comments and the redline markup version to the DPU legal team. Approximately 12 other comment letters were received by DPU. Testimony was given by Bob Finelli, President SEPTEMBER, 2019

of Dig Safe System and John Kennedy from Kinder Morgan Pipeline. Many of the written comments received, and much of the testimony, were in objection to the same issues objected to by UCANE. Several respondents asked DPU to convene an industry working group to address proposed revisions to 220 CMR 99.0. The DPU will review all comments and will respond within 30 days. It is anticipated that additional revisions to 220 CMR 99.0 will be forthcoming prior to the expiration of Emergency Order 19-43 (90 days = October 16, 2019). Both Emergency Order 19-43 and UCANE’s written comments to the order can be seen on our website at: www.ucane.com All of the written comments submitted to DPU can be seen at: https://eeaonline.eea. state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom/dockets/bynumber and type in the docket number 19-43.

PLEASE NOTE: Until notified otherwise by DPU, Emergency Order 19-43 remains in full force and effect. n

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Turn Employee Potential Into Performance Imagine on a Monday you discover that your meticulous, rule-following accountant and creative, eccentric marketing person have switched positions. How’s this likely to work out?

n truth, some variation of this misalignment is common in most organizations. The Waybeloe Potential Corp. was operating at the break-even point for five years. The CEO Harvey Waybeloe was frustrated. Another CEO told him about an employee-alignment process that was delivering amazing results for other companies. Out of desperation, he decided to try it. Within two years, profits increased from break-even to $3.2 million. The fix? Putting the right people in the right positions. Most business leaders say that 80% of the work is done by only 20% of the workforce. This 20% are the top performers. They usually produce three to four times more than the others. The main reason is due to job alignment rather than attitude or drive. Here’s evidence: It’s common for top performers to be moved or promoted and then become poor performers. Likewise, many poor performers become top performers when moved to appropriate roles. Bottom line: Everyone can be a top or poor performer depending on how well the work aligns with his or her innate characteristics. How do you deliberately create an organization where people’s work is aligned with their innate characteristics and abilities? Here’s an overview of a proven process: Shift your mindset from focusing on skills, experience and education to innate characteristics first. It’s common for people who are “great on paper” to get hired and become poor performers. In that same vein, many top performers started off lacking in the “required” skills experience and education. When people’s work aligns with their innate characteristics, they can utilize their natural abilities and unleash their passion for their work. Also, even the best training and management will not turn poorly aligned employees into top performers. Select the right assessment tool. Many organizations use personality assessments in the hope of gaining more objective informa-

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tion about people to set them up for success. However, the results are usually disappointing due to four inherent pitfalls: 1. What you think of as personality is mostly surfacelevel, observable behaviors — not what’s underneath, driving these behaviors. The drivers of behavior are more accurate, predictive and stable. 2. Assessment-takers usually provide different answers based on which of the following they consider: how they actually see themselves, how they believe others see them and how they want to see themselves. 3. Assessment-takers use a specific context or situation to answer the questions. For example, answers to questions related to “extroversion” (sociability and talkativeness) may vary depending on context differences: small vs. large groups, familiar vs. unfamiliar people, level of interest in the topic of conversation, etc. 4. If an assessment is used for a job application, the applicant often has an opinion on what traits the employer is looking for and skews the answers accordingly. A better option is to select an assessment that delves beneath the personality into what is more core or innate with people. This eliminates the biases of personality assessments and provides more valid and reliable data. continued on page 29

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Employee Potential continued from page 27

Determine which innate characteristics are critical and where they need to measure.

Establish trust with employees.

The hiring team determines which innate characteristic is critical for each job duty family. They also agree on the desired range for each characteristic. For example, on a 1-10 scale, the range for creative thinking should be between 7 and 9. Now you can develop an optimal range for each critical characteristic.

Inform the employees about the company’s commitment to align their work with their natural gifts. Don’t hide things or surprise people. People want to do work they’re good at and enjoy. Develop an understanding of the innate characteristics being measured. Before you can align people’s innate characteristics with their work, it’s essential to understand what these characteristics mean. In other words, how each one impacts the way people think and behave. Now, you have the basis to identify which characteristics are needed for different types of positions within your organization. Develop clarity on the job duty breakdown. It’s important to know what people will do on a day-to-day basis in each job. The hiring team (direct manager and others with a major stake in position success) meet to gain clarity on the percentage of time spent performing each job responsibility. Group together duties that are very similar in nature (family of duties). Estimate the percentage of time spent working on each job duty family.

Administer assessment and align employees with job functions. Assess both current employees and potential new hires and compare to the desired ranges. Take the appropriate action based on how strong the level of alignment is. Top performers almost always fit into desired ranges for each critical innate characteristic. If this is not the case, you need to adjust your desired ranges based on the data. When current employees don’t align with their jobs, evaluate other positions within the company that do align well. Openly discuss available options with employees who are misaligned. Develop a plan to shift roles or tweak job descriptions when this is feasible. Frequently, there are other employees who’d be thrilled to trade positions or some duties that better match with their own innate characteristics. continued on page 31

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Employee Potential continued from page 29

Est. 1926

For applicants applying to open positions, only interview the people who align well with the desired innate characteristics. When you interview people who don’t align, you may be tempted to discount the assessment results. This rarely ends well.

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UCANE Member MTV Solutions Starts Aerial Drone Division

MTV Solutions, Inc., located in Holbrook, MA, is one of UCANE’s newest members. Established in 2010 by President and owner Tom Keough, the company has grown to be one of the largest power line contractors in Massachusetts. MTV crews tackle both overhead and underground electric lines, working for the largest electrical utility companies, municipalities, and private owners. Emergency response is an MTV specialty and you might find MTV crews in any state in the Eastern U.S. following a major storm. “The experience we’ve gained in our industry has shown us that Aerial Inspections are a natural extension of our business,” says President Tom Keough. “We also see a growing potential for drones in many other areas of construction and facility management. MTV began researching drone applications and the many types of drones on the market about 6 months ago. We ultimately decided to invest heavily in this new division, and we purchased some of the most technically advanced drones on the market today,” stated Tom proudly. Scott Davidson, MTV’s Director of Operations, assigned key MTV employees, Manager Julie Holmes and Aerial Division Pilot in Command Kristen Grant to head up the new division. “I’m very excited about my new role,” said Julie. “I think the drone industry is still in its infancy and we are seeing new uses and applications for our

equipment on a daily basis. The fact that MTV has invested in the best equipment, tech, and personnel, gives us a leg up on other drone operations. We have some of the highest end optics and zoom magnification available today and our tech allows us plenty of room for growth and expansion. Our thermal imaging equipment can produce images and readings from distances never thought of before.” Of course, a critical component in the drone business is the Pilot of the unit. MTV was fortunate to have Local 104 member Kristen Grant, who had been working with drones as a hobbyist for several years. Kristen, a proud member of the IBEW, studied diligently to obtain her Part 107 FAA license as an unmanned commercial pilot and has completed her certification in Thermography. “I’m proud that MTV has shown their confidence in me! This is the future of inspections,” said Kristen.

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Aerial Division Pilot in Command Kristen Grant

Manager Julie Holmes

“My experience with IBEW involves lots of distribution, storm restoration, and inspection work, giving me a wellrounded background in electrical utilities. Additionally, on our crew is seasoned IBEW local 104 Lineman Ian MacMaster. Ian has over 15 years of experience working as a lineman and is a huge asset to our team!” Julie and Kristen are quick to point out that power line inspection is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential for the use of these sophisticated drones. All types of assets need inspections on a regular basis, such as bridges, high rise buildings, storage tanks, commercial roofing systems, and solar arrays to name just a few. In all instances these inspections can be done quicker, safer, and less expensively than traditional manual inspection methods. The software utilized by MTV allows them to produce a high quality permanent product, which can be easily organized, shared, edited, or utilized in the field instantly.

Pipeline and Highway Applications

Drones are suited for almost any type of horizontal construction project. Whether it is a distribution, oil or gas pipeline 20 miles long, or a highway project 5 miles long or a new water main 3 miles long, flying over the site and documenting the progress by drone video saves valuable time and money over having your superintendent driving the route or hiring a helicopter to fly and video the route. The records obtained are permanent and valuable and can improve project coordination, production, and equipment assignments. The drone records can assist in preparing pay estimates and project schedule updates. Also,

SEPTEMBER, 2019

aerial views of the sites can often spot potential safety concerns before they become a safety issue. On buried pipelines that are in operation, the thermal imaging capabilities can pinpoint liquid leaks via temperature variations sometimes from 100 feet off the ground. The MTV drones, easily locate leaks and even insulation deficiencies in underground steam lines, as well. Drones that can stop and hover at every bolt and connection and easily view cables on large span bridges, are slowly phasing out risky climbing by bridge inspectors. These drones are capable of being programmed to fly specific routes using GPS coordinates. They can be set to automatically lift off from the docking station at specific time intervals and return to the docking station where the film can later be viewed. In cases of right of way maintenance, drones can identify when mowing or tree cutting is needed or they can identify property encroachments by abutters or suspicious activities by unauthorized personnel.

Tanks, Roofing Systems, and Solar Arrays

The savings in time and the near elimination of safety concerns for inspectors are obvious advantages that drones offer when it comes to inspecting commercial roofing systems and today’s massive solar arrays. With the development of thermal imaging technology, drones have the ability to spot defects or locate breakcontinued on page 35

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MTV Solutions continued from page 33 downs in roofing or insulation and faulty equipment or defective cells in solar panels through temperature variations. In all types of storage tanks MTV’s Aerial crew can determine sludge depths, wall thickness variations, and spot potential maintenance issues through the temperature variations recorded along the tank sidewalls or roof. No staging, no climbing, and no safety risks for a ground crew.

Power Lines, High Tension Lines Helicopters are noisy, ecologically unsustainable, and expensive. The average cost for a helicopter power line inspection can reach $1 million. Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, once again offer a quieter, cleaner, less costly option for aerial power line inspections that will yield higher quality, more detailed information. They are being widely adopted by energy and utility companies for a variety of applications. For example, Duke Energy is using drones to conduct infrared equipment inspections on transformers and insulators, survey storm damage, and inspect support and communication towers. Soaring over difficult terrain, drones Kendall Lubricantscomprehensive Announcement 7.5 x data 5 6-18.qxp_Dennis Burke 6/21/18 can capture along theK.planned

route and deliver results to the client in real time, all at a fraction of the cost of hiring a helicopter or ground crew. Julie and Kristen insist that there are hundreds of additional applications yet to be found for drones in construction and in many other industries. With their combined enthusiasm, one can only expect that they will be finding them soon and looking for Tom and Scott to expand their fleet.

We are proud to count MTV Solutions, Inc. and Tom Keough as UCANE members and we are quite confident that Julie Holmes and Kristen Grant will bring the MTV Aerial Division to “new heights” in the very near future. n

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UCANE Hosts New Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law Seminar Presented by Prince Lobel Tye LLP

ith the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law set to take effect on October 1, 2019, UCANE presented an expert panel from Prince Lobel Tye LLP at The Lantana in Randolph, MA to discuss what companies need to do to comply with the new law and answered questions from attendees. Attorney Richard Wayne, well known to UCANE members, opened the seminar with introductions and an overview of the law. Attorney Dan Tarlow then made a presentation on the required postings, notice provisions, how to determine a company’s eligible workforce, and calculating the necessary contributions and deductions. Attorney Joe Edwards then discussed the various types of Richard Wayne acceptable leaves, the procedures for requesting leave, and the Prince Lobel Tye LLP reinstatement obligations. The final speaker of the day was Attorney Laurie Rubin, who gave the practical applications of the law, including how the new law will intersect with existing laws that provide time off, and how to manage and respond to leave requests. Throughout the day, attendees asked questions and were provided vital information as all companies try to implement and comply with the statute. UCANE will continue to provide our members with the most up-to-date information on this issue in the weeks and months ahead. n

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Just How Much Waste is in That Water You’re Swimming In?

othing can ruin a day at the beach like a rain storm – especially when the runoff from that rain carries with it potentially hazardous levels of excrement from nearby wildlife. And that’s exactly what happens at thousands of beaches across the country every year, according to a newly-released report from the research and advocacy group Environment America. The report looked at sampling data for 2018 from 4,523 beach sites in 29 coastal and Great Lakes states, and came to a simple conclusion: American beaches are often unsafe for swimming. Of those sampling sites, more than half had bacteria levels indicating potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination for swimming on at least one day, and almost a quarter were unsafe at least 25 percent of the days that sampling took place. Sites were considered potentially unsafe if bacteria levels exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Beach Action Value” threshold, which the EPA suggests states use as a baseline measurement of bacteria levels when deciding to close a beach. In Massachusetts, 223 out of 583 beach sites (38 percent) were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one day in 2018. The average was slightly higher in Rhode Island, where 42 percent of 129 sites were found to be potentially unsafe. The numSEPTEMBER, 2019

ber was lower in New Hampshire, which saw only 32 percent of sites found to be potentially unsafe, but the total number of test sites, 47, was far lower and many samples were from freshwater sites instead of coastal marine beaches. Results within each state also varied. In Massachusetts, Provincetown Harbor Beach on Franklin Street was deemed potentially unsafe on 50 percent of the days that sampling took place, a number nearly 9 percent higher than any other site. In Rhode Island, Easton’s Beach in Newport tested as potentially unsafe for 10 total days (34 percent of the days that sampling took place). Both Provincetown Harbor bBeach and Easton’s Beach were more than double the average of the rest of the sites in the state.

The Cause of High Bacteria Levels Most species of bacteria that are found in the ocean are perfectly harmless when humans come in contact with them. It’s only when certain bacteria reach certain levels that a problem arises. When determining if a beach is safe for swimming, local health departments and state officials measure levels of the bacteria enterococcus, which typically makes its way into marine water through fecal matter. High levels of enterococci in ocean water continued on page 41

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Just How Much continued from page 39 are a red flag that the water may also contain other disease-inducing microbes, which is why it is referred to as an “indicator” bacteria. This is why beaches are often closed after heavy rainstorms — rain that isn’t absorbed into the soil or diverted can pick up fecal matter from pets and wild animals and flow it into the ocean. “Storm water is a major culprit for beach closures related to fecal bacteria,” said Bethany Traverse, coordinator of the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment’s Beach Water Testing Program. “In any populated area, you have roadways and other infrastructure that affect the flow of contaminated water into the surrounding water bodies. When it rains, a lot of water is diverted into storm drains and away from bathing areas. But it’s not perfect; bird and animal waste will make its way into the water and storm water helps it get there in a rapid ‘flush.’” The Environment America Report adds that in recent decades U.S. coastal areas have seen significant increases in development, increasing the total amount of impervious surfaces such as roadways and parking lots that can help carry the flow of contaminated rain water. Sewage overflows and aging septic systems can also fail, leading to human waste entering waterways and the natural environment.

Beach Water Testing Program, said that while data for the 2019 season hasn’t been compiled yet, the number of exceedances of bacteria levels at Cape Cod beaches has been “par for the course” compared to previous years. “In 2018, 3.38 percent of the total number of continued on page 42

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Just How Much continued from page 41 samples taken at public beaches throughout all of Cape Cod — almost 3,000 public samples in total — exceeded the limits for fecal indicator bacteria,” she said. One community where the number of exceedances seemed to spike was Provincetown, which had 33 exceedances in total out of 18 beaches. This could be a result of the higher population in the area, Traverse said. “There are a lot more people in that part of the Cape, which also means a lot more dogs,” she said. “There’s also all the infrastructure that goes with that. And geographically there’s an embayment, which traps the water and doesn’t allow it to flush out as easily.” The Barnstable County Department of Health And Environment website lists water sample results for 14 of the 15 communities in the county (Sandwich does not participate in the beach water quality monitoring program). For the most recently posted samples, taken on Monday, August 5, two communities had beaches with active postings for high bacteria levels, including Chatham (Cockle Cove Creek) and Provincetown (451 Commercial Street beach and Ryder Beach). Dennis’ Bayview Beach failed its test on August 5 but had passing results on re-tests the following day.

said some beaches on the Cape are known to have historically higher bacteria levels than others. These sites may close after a single exceedance and without the need for a retest, but that none of these “hot spots” are among the more frequently-visited beaches (a list of these beaches is not available to the public).

Should People be Worried? Heather Simpson studied biology at Tufts University and said she’s well aware of the harmful bacteria that may be lurking in the water she and her two young children swim in. Whether it’s a routine trip to Rexhame Beach just a few minutes away from her Marshfield home, or a day trip down the coast to visit friends on the Cape, she’s confident that measures will be taken if levels are exceeded. “I do check the beach advisories from time to time, but there is so much testing that gets done that I’m sure a beach will get posted if levels get too high,” she said. “That’s why we have local and state agencies checking in. From my experience, any time a beach is closed it gets reopened a day or two later, which says to me it’s just a temporary problem. It’s not like the beaches are closed for weeks at a time.” Traverse agreed that overall, water quality on Cape Cod is “very good.”

“I wouldn’t say that recreational water quality on Cape Cod is something people should be worried about; it’s something they should be aware of,” she said. “These water bodies are influenced by rain, Massachusetts uses the same testing procewind, tides, animals, humans ... they are part of nadures for all marine beach sites, although Traverse ture and with that comes some degree of unpredictability. That’s why the state mandates that we conduct sampling weekly.” MBO Precast Inc. Ferguson said the real trou4 Marion Drive • Carver, MA 02330 blesome part, and what people T: 508-866-6900 • F: 508-866-5252 should be keeping in the backs of www.MBOPrecast.com their minds, isn’t bacteria levels in 2019, but what it could mean further into the future. Stone Strong Retaining Wall Systems “Global warming, climate Manholes / Catch Basins / Custom Structures change, increased precipitation Septic Tanks / Leaching Products with much more aggressive rainfalls, all the development that’s going on, it all has an impact on the world we live in,” she said. “The water quality is getting worse because of all these factors.” Written by Matthew Reid, GateHouse Media. Reprinted with permission. n Provincetown’s Commercial Street beach had been closed for more than a week, having failed five consecutive tests from July 29 to August 6.

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

UCANE to Take Part in 5th Annual “Imagine a Day Without Water” Campaign to Raise Awareness About the Value of Water

UCANE will once again join elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, educators, and businesses from across the country on October 23 as part of the 5th Annual Imagine a Day Without Water Campaign, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Led by the Value of Water Campaign, a thousand organizations across the country will raise awareness about not taking water for granted and the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water systems.

n investment in our drinking water and wastewater systems is essential to our national health, safety, environment, and economic prosperity. Turning on the tap and expecting clean, safe drinking water, and flushing the toilet with no second thought about what happens to wastewater, are actions most Americans take for granted every day. But drought, flooding, and population changes are stressing our water and wastewater systems to the max. While most Americans enjoy reliable water service, our nation’s water infrastructure is aging and is in need of investment. A day without water service is a public health and an economic disaster: a single nationwide day without water service would put the public at risk, and also put $43.5 billion in economic activity at risk. “We're thrilled that UCANE is a part of Imagine a Day Without Water. This national day of action educates our neighbors and public officials about the essential role water plays in all of our lives,” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US

SEPTEMBER, 2019

Water Alliance and Director of the Value of Water Campaign. “Most Americans have enjoyed clean, safe, reliable water service for very low costs for generations. But the infrastructure and service it takes to bring water to our homes and businesses and take it away is not free and can’t be taken for granted. We all need to educate ourselves about where our water comes from and the investment these critical systems need.” The Imagine a Day Without Water campaign is an opportunity for diverse organizations, from environmental advocates to coffee shops, aquariums to car washes, city halls to water utilities, to talk about how and why water is important to them. Over the past five years, it has provided a platform for educating the public and advocating for leaders to prioritize investing in water today, so in the future no American will have to imagine a day without water! Learn more at imagineadaywithoutwater.org and follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater. n

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Vacuum Excavation: Safe, Efficient, and Customizable Options for Urban Excavation Eliminating the Unknown Beneath the surface of a street, sidewalk, or green space in any city lies an intricate web of utilities that make residents’ daily lives exceedingly convenient. When those lines are disturbed, the results can range from annoying to catastrophic. If a machine cuts a fiber-optic cable, then the neighborhood can lose phone, internet, and/or cable services. If the damaged line is for gas or electric, the situation can be dangerous. While protocols are in place to help contractors identify these lines, they are not fail-safe. Contractors go to great lengths to understand where utilities are before digging, but the lines are underground, and mapping isn’t always 100% accurate. Far too often, contractors don’t know exactly what they’re dealing with until they break ground. Any misstep can be dangerous for crew members, as well as the surrounding community. In addition to the associated danger, risks to individuals, and properties, the repairs to damaged utilities can be quite costly.

Digging Technologies Mechanical digging, typically by means of a hydraulic excavator, has been the go-to means by which contractors have dug trenches for installation and repair to utilities. Over time, hydraulic excavators have advanced and become much more compact. These advancements predominantly offer solutions to the numerous obstacles above the surface. For example, tight tail excavators limit interference with heavy auto and foot traffic by not swinging the counterweight into traffic, and new camera technologies help identify items normally out of the operators field of vision. These advancements do not address helping contractors avoid a strike on underground utilities. On a typical water and sewer project in urban areas there may be hundreds of old utility lines to dig around and under. Dig Safe laws prohibit the use of excavators within 18 inches horizontally of existing utilities. To stay in compliance many contractors have removed the soils adjacent to these often-fragile conduits using hand digging and compressed air when working near utilities. Neither method is 100% fail proof as damage can still occur and workers can be placed in harm’s way.

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a solution that, when done correctly, is not only safe but also an efficient alternative when digging around utilities. Owners and operators of vacuum excavators have been providing feedback to manufacturers over the last 10+ years. The latest vacuum excavators are designed with overall safety as a top priority. Operators can work in tight spaces and confidently excavate around existing utility lines without the fear of damaging one, which can make the jobsite safer for the surrounding community as well. One of the main benefits of using a vacuum excavator is that operators can quickly and safely identify the location of utility lines using a machine that won’t damage them in the process. Pressurized water or air is shot into the ground and simultaneously vacuumed away along with the disturbed soils. This significantly reduces the chance of harming the buried line. Some projects could benefit from utilizing water over air (or vice versa) at either a high or low pressure. Today’s vacuum excavators are available in different sizes and can be customized by the manufacturer to fit specific chassis in order to create a machine that is best suited for the end users work. Benefits are not limited to safety and operational efficiency. Damage to underground infrastructure can create a host of expensive problems for an excavation contractor, not to mention the bad publicity and potential citations from various agencies. As these benefits have become more obvious, many contractors are weighing the advantages of renting or possibly owning these machines particularly for work on urban jobsites. n

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An Interview with Marc Valenti, Manager of Operations Town of Lexington – Public Works Marc Valenti is the Manager of Operations for the Town of Lexington’s Department of Public Works in Lexington, MA. He provides general supervision and guidance over the Operations Divisions, which includes Water, Sewer, Highway, Parks, Forestry, Cemetery, Fleet, and Environmental Services. Marc grew up in a family contracting business concentrating on road and site work. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from WIT and headed into the Big Dig. From there, he spent over 15 years working on civil construction projects and has over seven years of experience in the heavy civil aspects of the industry. He has held roles as Field Engineer, Project Engineer, and Superintendent on utility, site work, "top down" construction, deep foundation systems, concrete, marine construction, and utility rehabilitation projects for a number of companies with annual sales revenues ranging from $10 million to $200 million. He has also worked in most of New England and as far south as Texas. Since joining Lexington in 2010, Marc has become heavily involved in the American Public Works Association (APWA) and he is extremely active in the APWA National Winter Maintenance Subcommittee. This group is comprised of snow and ice professionals from North America that help develop new SEPTEMBER, 2019

technologies, provide research, and train staff. Marc has been training and presenting with this group since 2013. Currently, he is President of the Norfolk, Bristol, Middlesex Highway Association (NBM). Their primary goals are to help educate their members of the three counties with new and innovative technologies inside the municipal arena, improve current practices in the highway maintenance field, and disseminate helpful information to members in order to improve their organizations. Has the Town or your Department done an Asset Management Plan or a Needs Survey for the underground infrastructure owned by the Town? The Town of Lexington currently uses a working set of as built that helps us document the data of items like pipe size, pipe material, and break locations. We also work with numerous engineering continued on page 50

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Public Works Pipeline continued from page 49 firms, based on their area of expertise (water, sewer, transportation), to help compile data, build models, and evaluate our systems along with Long Term Assessment studies, hundreds of hours of video inspections, visual inspections, and forensic analysis of pipe couplings from breaks. There has to be a balance of data, calculations and sound judgment to make the proper decisions for a great program. What do you currently see as the most pressing infrastructure needs for the Town? Is there a 5-year plan in place to address those needs? We are currently utilizing a 5-Year CIP program for funding projections, however, our individual infrastructure assessment studies project beyond that time frame. We are very fortunate to have great support and understanding from the residents and public officials when it comes to infrastructure needs. Through our Capital Improvement Project (CIP), we have funding for our entire infrastructure including water, sewer, roads, sidewalks, and stormwater. We are consistently working on our entire infrastructure every year. There is $3 million to $4 million (based on the year) of work publicly bid for the Town’s CIP,

which includes water, sewer, drain, roads, sidewalk, and signals. How does your municipality normally fund water and sewer projects? Does your city/ town utilize the SRF Loan Program through MassDEP for water infrastructure projects? We are part of the MWRA community and we utilize every funding option to finance our projects, whether it’s grant programs, tax levies, bonds, etc. We do consider the SRF Loan Program as an option for our projects, but we work closely with our Finance Department and pursue the best possible option for our needs. UCANE’s Annual Industry Directory is distributed to key officials like yourself in every City/Town in Massachusetts. Do you find the information useful when considering material purchases, equipment rentals, and emergency repairs? Yes, it is helpful. We also have a multitude of annual contracts with vendors for materials and services through the public procurement process. n

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Workplaces in the United States are filled with impaired people. That could be considered an inflammatory statement because many would argue “only a small percentage of people use drugs.” While intoxication from drugs might be the first kind of impairment to come to mind, Merriam-Webster actually provides two different definitions: 1. “unable to function normally or safely (as when operating a motor vehicle) because of intoxication by alcohol or drugs” 2. “diminished in function or ability”

n the construction industry, attention to detail and spatial awareness is incredibly important. One mistake, by one person, even just one time, may not just injure the worker but their colleagues and even innocent bystanders. That means identifying impairment, caused by either of those definitions, is of paramount interest to an employer for a safe workplace. But the different sources of impairment require different solutions. In regards to the first definition, many substances can create impairment. They range from legal drugs like alcohol and prescription medications to illegal drugs like heroin and methamphetamines. It also includes marijuana, unique in its status (illegal at the federal level but legal to some degree in 46 states), and because presence does not necessarily mean impairment. Regardless of the substance, impairment from intoxication is a societal problem. The fol-

SEPTEMBER, 2019

lowing statistics about alcohol are representative of the challenge: • 29 people in the United States die every day in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcoholimpaired driver (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1) • 20.7 million people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2) • 7.1% of workers reported drinking alcohol during the work day (State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation in Oregon 3) According to the American Society of Safety Professionals4, “the injury rate for construction workers is 77 percent higher than the national average.” That same analysis reported “nearly 15 percent of concontinued on page 53

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Construction + Impairment continued from page 51

dom) along with supervisory monitoring and performance assessment. But it is still rampant. “The loss to companies in the United States due to alcohol and drug-related abuse by employees totals $100 billion a year”9 is a sobering statistic to employers.

struction workers deal with substance abuse.” That is obviously a very dangerous combination. Bringing it closer to home to the UCANE readership, they also reported that from 2011 to 2015 “the construction and But with all of those negative statistics and trends extraction industries accounted for 26 percent of all do not lose sight of the second definition – diminopioid-related overdose deaths. This calculates to ished capability. While that can obviously be caused 150.6 deaths per 100,000 workers, six times the averby substance abuse, it can also be caused by other age rate for all Massachusetts workers.” A March 2018 reasons. A non-exhaustive list from the Canadian study of 28 states (including much of New England) by Center for Occupational Health and Safety10 includes the Workers Compensation Research Institute5 found “family or relationship problems, fatigue (mental or that “workers who had longer-term opioid prescriptions to treat lower-back injuries were away from work three physical), traumatic shock, or medical conditions or times longer than those who were not prescribed opitreatments.” Impairment while at the workplace can Boston oids.” To state the obvious, prescription opioids can be also comeArea from cellphones (i.e. inattention), language Locations continued on page55 impairing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “fatal four”6 methods of 2 Dexter Street death – falls (38.7 percent), struck Everett, MA 02149 by object (9.4 percent), electrocuBoston Area Boston Area tions (8.3 percent) and caught-in/ Locations Locations 431 Second Street between (7.3 percent) – can be Everett, MA 02149 dramatically impacted by some2 Dexter Street 2 Dexter Street one’s impairment. The Engineering Everett, MA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 News-Record (“Construction In431 Second Street dustry Tackles the Opioid Crisis”)7 431 Second Street and BOSS Magazine (“The ConEverett, MA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 BOSTON AREA LOCATIONS struction Industry Opioid Crisis and What Can Be Done About It”)8 pub100 Fremont Street 2 Dexter Street 431 Second Street Worcester, 01603 Everett, MAMA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 lished articles specifically about the construction industry in 2018 that are very helpful – and frightening. When taking all of this information into consideration, the construction industry is uniquely impacted by impairment and the implications are huge. Could driving under the influence be a problem for a construction company operating 13-ton dump trucks? Could being cognitively imMinichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc., Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc. paired create quality or safety isServes over 2500 customers a week and is one of New England’s largest Serves customers a week and is one New England's largest buyers, sues for the construction worker on over 2500 buyers, sellers, and processors of scrap metal. Forour overgoal 60 years our goal sellers and processors of scrap metal. For over 60 years has remained st th either the 1 or 10 floor of a new remained the same - to in provide the best along prices in thetop industry along with the same - tohas provide the best prices the industry with notch building? Could intoxication be a top notch service! Fred Rogers at 617-595-5505 customer service! Callcustomer Fred Rogers at Call 617-595-5505 hazard to the constant movement of Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc., people and things at a construction Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc., Serves site? Not only is the answer yes over to 2500 customers a week and is one New England's largest buyers, sellers and processors of scrap metal. For overa60week years ourisgoal Serves over 2500 customers and onehas Newremained England's largest buyers each of those questions (and more) the same - to provide the best in theof industry along with notch sellers and prices processors scrap metal. Fortop over 60 years our goal has remain but the results could be catastrophic Callsame Fred -Rogers at 617-595-5505 to provide the best prices in the industry along with top notch by even a single person customer being im-service! the customer service! Call Fred Rogers at 617-595-5505 paired. This kind of impairment should be addressed by corporate drug Turn your metal into money today! and workplace safety policies. It Turn your metal into money today! is identified by drug tests (pre-emMinichiello Bros. Inc./Scrap-It Inc. Minichiello Bros. Inc.,/Scrap-It Inc. ployment, post-accident, and ran

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Construction + Impairment continued from page 53 barriers, and toxic (both physical and emotional) work environments. Another source of impairment is reduced cognitive abilities due to aging or disease. With the number of Americans over the age of 65 increasing from 40.2 million in 2010 to 88.5 million in 205011, managing an aging workforce will provide increasing challenges. The repercussions can include not just absenteeism (where they do not show up for work) but also presenteeism (where they are physically but not emotionally present and their lack of focus reduces productivity and motivation). So the question is not whether a workplace – including the construction site – has impaired workers. Given all of the statistics and trends, impairment in the workplace is a daily circumstance. Impairment on the job reduces quality and safety and can even serve as a de-motivator for those not impaired. The more pertinent question at this point is how to address impairment from whatever source. Ultimately it comes down to one simple question: Can they do the job? Part of the solution is more education for the entire workforce on how to recognize impairment – the inability to do the job – and for management to utilize coaching techniques to help each person achieve their

potential. The focus is always on their behavior and performance that is non-judgmental and objective. A paper trail of interventions makes finding them a different job – or different employer –an easier transition. Building a Human Resources process for managing impairment requires thinking through the sources and impact of impairment and strategies to address it. The Canadian Human Rights Commission12 uses the following characteristics to describe potential signs of impairment: • personality changes or erratic behavior (e.g. increased interpersonal conflicts, overreaction to criticism); • appearance of impairment at work (e.g. odor of alcohol or drugs, glassy or red eyes, unsteady gait, slurring, poor coordination); • working in an unsafe manner or involvement in an accident/incident; • failing a drug or alcohol test; • consistent lateness, absenteeism, or reduced productivity or quality of work. Another part of the solution is a detailed job description of body and brain expectations along with a baseline (for the individual and with their peers) to gauge performance. It is much more difficult to hold employees accountable without all stakeholders continued on page 57

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Construction + Impairment continued from page 55

knowing what “meeting expectations” means in relation to their physical and mental job duties. To be fair to both the employer and employee, having detailed written expectations and consequences is a key. There are three guiding principles for addressing impairment: 1. Wellness – The company’s management needs to establish (talk) and model (walk) a culture of physical, psychological and emotional wellness. 2. Safety – These include policies and procedures to notice onsite impairment paired with empowerment to address that impairment before it creates a problem. 3. Education – This should include not just the dangers of impairment (health, family, job loss) but also the benefits of not being impaired.

Any solution without addressing all three areas will be incomplete.

Creating an impairment-free workplace seems to get more difficult and complex with each passing day. Ultimately it comes down to promoting not just a productive but safe workplace. At its most basic, managing impairment is about ensuring the employee can do the job they were hired to perform as safely as possible. n

By Mark Pew (Senior VP, Product Development & Marketing Preferred Medical) for UCANE Construction Outlook.

www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/index.html www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/druggeddriving#references 3 www.saif.com/employer-guide/workplace-impairment.html 4 www.assp.org/news-and-articles/2018/08/28/national-crisisopioid-abuse-in-the-construction-industry 5 www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/study-links-longer-termopioid-prescriptions-to-more-time-off-work 6 https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html 7 https://www.enr.com/articles/44720-construction-industrytackles-the-opioid-crisis 8 https://thebossmagazine.com/construction-industry-opioidcrisis/ 9 https://www.verywellmind.com/substance-abuse-in-theworkplace-63807 10 https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/impairment.html 11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015335/ 12 https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/ managing-workplace-issues/impairment-and-substance-use 1 2

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Patrick W. Saltmarsh Corporate Safety Director J. Derenzo Companies

“I’ve Been Doing it This Way for Years.”

“We’re all working together; that’s the secret.” ~ Sam Walton

ver the years, I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented and skilled workers in the business. Regretfully, I have also come in contact with those that seem to have been infected with what I like to call, the curse of experience. This is where the seasoned veteran reminisces about the good ole’ days, complains about the way things are, and are unwilling to change their ways. They seem to have allowed their past experiences, good or bad, to affect their current work behavior. We all come from different walks of life, location, upbringing, finances, etc. Some of us may have degrees and some of us do not. Nonetheless, we all walk onto the job site in the morning and don our hard hat, zip up the safety vest, and assume the role we have been hired to do. That role, whether you like it or not, is to be an active member of a team (work crew). Each member of the team must contribute and play to their own strengths. Looking towards those seasoned veterans, we should communicate, brainstorm, and educate each other on just about everything, or so you would think. Regretfully, on occasion, I am reminded that there is actually an “I” in TEAM. Why you may ask? Because I hear it from some of those knowledge filled veterans, as they energetically inform me “I’ve done it this way a thousand times before and have never gotten hurt,” or my favorite, “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years.” It is so easy to think that “it’s not going to happen to me,” especially for those employees who have been working in the industry for some time SEPTEMBER, 2019

Veteran J.Derenzo Co. employee providing oversight and skill training on the use of a cut-off saw. now. Taking the time to recount past incidents with the employees in which an injury or property damage occurred as a result of an unsafe work practice can help drive your safety message and make the risks associated with the tasks a reality. continued on page 61

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24 Ray Avenue Burlington, MA 01803

Custom and Standard Concrete Products... Our Specialty! United Concrete Products, Inc.

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173 Church St. Yalesville, CT 06492

Offering a full range of products: Manholes, Catch Basins, Septic Tanks, Leaching Chambers, Dry Wells, Distribution Boxes, Pump Chambers, Grease Traps, PreTreatment Tanks, Utility Vaults, Meter Pits, Yard Drains, Box Culverts, End-Walls, Wing Walls, Curbs, Water Quality Structures, Prefab. Pump Stations, Storage Buildings, Dugouts, Concrete Barriers, Cable Concrete, Retaining Walls, Restroom Buildings, Telecommunication Shelters, Prestress Bridges, National Grid, Traffic Control Structures and many more.

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

Safety Corner continued from page 59 There may be times when one worker may see another worker performing a task unsafely, and think to themselves “that’s not my job, not my problem.” Unfortunately, this cannot be further from the truth. When an employee problem of this type gets ignored, this unsafe behavior has an opportunity to spread. An employees’ unsafe attitude runs the risk of becoming contagious, and can begin to affect other members of your team.

While uttering this phrase is rarely grounds for dismissal, perhaps it should be. Human beings can be remarkably selfish, so if you do happen to hear those dreaded words come from someone in your organization and they don’t properly explain themselves, look for the root of the problem. Emphasizing team safety rather than individual safety will help bring about a culture of safety and shift to engage all members of the team, so that as a whole, they may look towards working safer today than they did yesterday. n

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

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Perma-Liner ™ Our cured-in-place-pipe lining systems rehabilitate the underground infrastructure without digging! The Perma-Lateral system is used for the structural repair of house laterals while the Point Repair system is used to repair damaged spots in the main line.

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

UCANE Joins MWRA Advisory Board Officials for Annual Field Trip On Thursday, August 22, UCANE joined MWRA officials, public works directors, and several other stakeholders as the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Advisory Board once again hosted its Annual Field Trip. This year’s focus was on the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) program and its improvement projects, along with an overview of progress made as a result of the Boston Harbor Cleanup.

he day began at the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Facility, which is the centerpiece of the MWRA’s harbor cleanup. The plant removes human, household, business, and industrial pollutants from wastewater that originates in homes and businesses in 61 greater Boston communities. At the facility, MWRA officials made a presentation to attendees about several recent and upcoming CSO projects including: Improvements to Alewife Brook Pumping Station, Prison Point, and Chelsea Headworks Facility. Attendees then boarded boats to view the ongoing development of the waterfront, and heard from MWRA officials about water quality standard variances, performance standards, and an update on beach water quality. Attendees were also able to observe

SEPTEMBER, 2019

UCANE member Jay Cashman, Inc. employees on the job, as the boat passed crews hard at work on the Boston Harbor Dredging Project. The day ended with a return trip to Deer Island for a barbeque lunch, as well as tours highlighting the use of renewable energy at Deer Island. Each year, Advisory Board Executive Director Joe Favaloro and his staff organize this August “Field Trip” as a way for Advisory Board members and interested parties to experience and see activities at MWRA facilities. UCANE would like to thank the Advisory Board for an informative and enjoyable day and congratulate the MWRA and all the UCANE member companies who continue to partner with the MWRA to complete the many projects over the years that have made the Boston Harbor Cleanup such a success. n

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Years of Excellence 1954-2019

Equify Financial

305 South Main Street Andover, MA 01810 Rep: Colin Leland Tel: (617) 285-9599 Email: colin.leland@equifyllc.com ASSOCIATE

Globalcycle, Inc.

700 Richmond Street Taunton, MA 02718 Rep: Steve Pozner Tel: (508) 828-1005 Fax: (508) 824-2486 Email: spozner@globalcycleinc.com Website: www.globalcycleinc.com ASSOCIATE

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1305 Walt Whitman Road Melville, NY 11747 Rep: Molly Devin Zajac Tel: (781) 254-5782 Fax: (864) 751-6345 Email: molly.devin@mpxusa.com Website: www.merchantproexpress.com ASSOCIATE

MTV Solutions, Inc.

782 Plymouth Street Holbrook, MA 02343 Rep: Julie Holmes Tel: (781) 963-1100 Email: jholmes@mtvsolutions.com Website: www.mtvsolutions.com CONTRACTOR

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

Greg Norris, B2W Software, Inc.

A Modern Software Platform at RJV Construction Corp.: Equipment Maintenance Software NOTE: This is the third in a three-part series on software technology at RJV Construction Corp. The article in the July issue of Construction Outlook magazine covered estimating and field tracking, and the article in August covered fleet maintenance and management.

Need for Data

ata is more critical than ever to successful, competitive heavy construction operations, according to Matt DeLuca, Project Manager at RJV Construction Corp. To get more of it, get it faster, and convert it easily to reports that managers can act on, the company turned to an electronic cloud-based solution to replace paper forms. RJV now uses e-forms and reporting across a wide range of use cases, from vehicle inspections and safety to human resources. “The big advantages are getting data in real time and generating powerful reports and alerts with ease,” says DeLuca. “You can do almost anything you want to, in terms of reporting, and you can view the data in every way imaginable.” Daily vehicle inspections are vital to the safety and preventive maintenance programs at RJV, and this is one of the first applications where e-forms delivered dramatic improvements. DeLuca says it was not uncommon for it to take up to two weeks for paper inspection forms to find their way back to the office or the maintenance manager. “Now, with the iPad, operators do them quickly, hit submit, and we see it instantly,” he explains. The maintenance team responds faster and more efficiently, preventing small problems from becoming big ones and limiting downtime. The deluge of phone calls and e-mails that used SEPTEMBER, 2019

to greet Equipment Manager Dave Pacella most mornings has also been limited. “Now, inspections along with repair requests from the field are all in the system and easy to review and organize,” explains Pacella. “We set inspection forms up so if there is a service request needed or if a truck needs repair, I get an alert through e-mail or a text message,” he adds. “I can check what’s wrong, transfer it to a work request, and get that vehicle checked out as quickly as possible.” Safety is another area where the switch to eforms and reporting is paying dividends at RJV. “We use it for toolbox talks and all our safety inspections,” says DeLuca. “Foremen love it, and it’s definitely better than a binder full of paper. The paper forms used to get lost. They’d be covered with dirt or oil, and sometimes it would be a week or two before we would see them in the office.” “It’s been a great tool for improving the overall safety at RJV, because we see reporting coming in real time, as things happen in the field,” concurs Querino Pacella, Vice President and Estimator. RJV has also applied the e-forms and reporting tool to track training and certifications more effectively and proactively. The company is starting to convert its human resources forms as well. “I think we’re just breaching the surface of what we can do with it, and we’re looking forward to applying it in more areas across the company,” says DeLuca. continued on page 67

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L. GUERINI GROUP, INC. SINCE 1917

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CONCRETE PUMPING EQUIPMENT “TELEBELT” MOBILE CONVEYORS STONE SLINGER SERVICE Pumps Up To 200 yds/hr • Booms Up To 142’ Reach Line Pumps • Grout Pumps Material Placement To 106’

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

Technology continued from page 65 Almost every electronic form at RJV requires an e-signature and includes a GPS location and time stamp confirming where and when it was signed. Those features provide efficiency, data integrity, and validation advantages over paper forms. Photos, videos, and other attachments are frequently included with the e-forms. Each form feeds a weekly or monthly report that assists managers at RJV in analyzing operations and making data-driven decisions. Many are also set up like the equipment inspection forms to trigger an immediate alert delivered by e-mail or text to selected recipients when a field is filled out in a certain way. “Any incident that occurs, like a vehicle accident or an injury, for example, triggers an instant alert to our management team and our safety director,” according to DeLuca. “There is no delay and no data lost in translation.” Building electronic form templates and publishing and managing the forms has been a lot easier than DeLuca and his colleagues anticipated. “It’s basically drag and drop,” he explains. “Once you know a few basic principles, you can very easily create any type of form you want.” Implementation and buy-in from employees in the field was also smoother than expected. Employ-

ees are equipped with iPads and iPhones. Even the ones that weren’t the biggest fans of those devices have embraced the electronic process, because they see the clear benefits, according to DeLuca. “We have some seasoned people that have worked for 20 or 30 years in the industry, and they were actually some of the easier ones who picked up utilizing the software quickly,” adds Querino Pacella. Choosing an e-form and reporting solution that is unified within a software platform being used for estimating, resource scheduling, field tracking, and equipment maintenance was also beneficial at RJV. Operational data such as employee, equipment, and job lists is maintained in one central database that can be accessed as well as updated by each of the software elements in real time. This structure allows “data binding” on electronic forms. Drop-down menus can be created easily for form fields requiring the names of employees, equipment, or jobs, for example. This speeds up the process of filling out forms and it guarantees accuracy and consistency. When the central database is updated, so are the options on any linked forms. “Having that one centralized database, where all of the software elements can communicate with each other, has been key to the success of our company,” concludes Querino Pacella. “It has streamlined so many different aspects of how we operate.” n

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UCANE_Construction_Outlook_EJ_2019_half_page.indd 1

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

Barnstable Devotes Short-Term Rental Tax Proceeds to Water Treatment The Barnstable Town Council on August 16 voted to dedicate its share of proceeds from the State’s new short-term rental tax to wastewater treatment and sewering.

he vote to establish a Stabilization Fund for the Comprehensive Management of Water and Wastewater was unanimous, but only after another vote – on a proposal to dedicate a portion of those proceeds to housing relief – failed 5:8. Led by Councilor Paula Schnepp, that alternative plan earned the support of Councilors Schnepp, Britt Beedenbender, Debra Dagwan, Paul Hebert, and Jessica Rapp Grassetti. “The barriers to housing aren’t money,” said Council President Jim Crocker. “There is money moving forward for housing. There just isn’t enough money for septic and sewer. The barriers and resolve for sewer is only right here at this dias. Nobody’s going to resolve sewer but us. We need money for sewers. Sewers are a big barrier for housing.” Council chambers were packed with residents, many of whom thanked the councilors for revising Phase 1 of the town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan to include sewering around Lake Wequaquet and Shootflying Hill Road. Beaches there have a posted Pet Advisory due to toxic algae blooms triggered by nutrient overload since the summer population influx. “We are under federal mandate to take care of our water,” said John Flores, council vice president. “Water and wastewater is the No. 1 issue on Cape Cod.” As the result of a 2011 lawsuit filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, Cape Cod towns are legally mandated to develop and build wastewater management systems to clean up nitrogen pollution. With an estimated price tag of $4 billion to clean up and

SEPTEMBER, 2019 2016

maintain good water quality on the Cape, the State Legislature last year developed the Cape & Islands Water Protection Fund for Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties, to provide funding assistance for critical municipal or regional water pollution abatement projects. The CIWPF is funded by an additional 2.75 percent occupancy excise tax applied equally to both short-term rental and traditional lodging accommodations in the region. “The water and wastewater plan is our compass,” said Councilor Paul Neary. And Councilor Jennifer Cullum added, “We need to focus on cleaning up our lakes and sewering. Water is the No. 1 issue facing us now.” However, proponents of Schnepp’s alternative plan argued for providing more flexibility toward increasing the town’s affordable housing supply. continued on page 71

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GENERAL CONTRACTOR Manufacturer and Installer of Bituminous Concrete Products 100 Wales Avenue-Rear Avon, MA 02322 Office: 508-583-2029 Plant: 508-587-6953

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226 Nicks Rock Road Plymouth, MA 02360 Scale House: 508-732-9148 Asphalt Plant: 508-732-9140

Send NSI Your Next Shoring Challenge! NSI Contracting designs and installs engineered sheet pile shoring for a range of excavation situations • • • • • •

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

Spotllight on Cape Cod continued from page 69 “Short-term rentals are replacing the long-term rentals,” said Councilor Jessica Rapp-Grassetti. “I want to keep our options open.” Councilor Debra Dagwan said “housing is just as important” as wastewater treatment, “and the two (efforts) need to be meshed.” Elizabeth Jenkins, director of Planning and Development, and Arden Caden, Housing coordinator, had opened Thursday’s meeting with a presentation on the town’s Affordable Housing Trust and progress to date. Since 2017, Barnstable has added 270 multifamily units, Jenkins said. Ten more are currently under construction, 116 additional units are permitted, and 40 are currently in permitting. “Compared to a lot of other communities, this is very strong housing production,” Jenkins told the council. Said Councilor Matthew Levesque, “This is not to downplay housing. There’s a sense of urgency with water that housing doesn’t have.” The wastewater fund should be left as it is, said Councilor James Tinsley. “We keep biting at that pie, and the entire reason we created that fund is being watered down. The No. 1 issue on Cape Cod is water and wastewater.”

An ARELLO COMPANY

To that end, the council later approved a $1.3 million bond issue to sewer the intersection of Route 28 and Yarmouth Road. Dan Santos, DPW director, said the town would realize substantial savings by timing that construction for this fall, “while the road is open and someone else is paying for it,” namely MassDOT. In addition, the council approved another $975,000 bond issue to sewer north of Route 28, along and east of Yarmouth Road, beginning next spring. Written By Bronwen Howells Walsh. Reprinted from the Barnstable Patriot. n

Crushed Stone & State Specified Dense Graded Base Manufacturer & Installer of Bituminous Concrete Products:

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SEPTEMBER, 2019

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E.H. Perkins Construction, Inc. & Subsidiaries P.O. Box 301, Wayland, MA 01778 (508) 358-6161 • (781) 890-6505

-PLANT LOCATIONSQUINN-PERKINS S & G CO. Burlington (781) 272-0200 PANDOLF-PERKINS CO. Sterling (978) 422-8812 • (800) 339-3389 KANE-PERKINS CO. Hudson (978) 562-3436 • (800) 287-3436 GRAVEL • SAND • STONE FILL AND LOAM BITUMINOUS CONCRETE (PAVING) READY-MIX CONCRETE PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTS

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Advertisers’ Index ATS Equipment, Inc. ...............................................................6 American Shoring, Inc........................................ Ins. Back Cvr. B2W Software, Inc................................................................. 11 BakerCorp..............................................................................13 Benevento Companies..........................................................34 Boro Sand & Stone Corp....................................................... 17 Brennan Consulting...............................................................60 Dennis K. Burke, Inc..............................................................35 C&S Insurance Agency..........................................................28 Concrete Systems, Inc...........................................................36 Core & Main.............................................................................4 Dagle Electrical Construction Corp.........................................2 Darmody, Merlino & Co., LLP................................................70 Dedham Recycled Gravel......................................................50 DeSanctis Insurance Agency, Inc. ........................................66 Dig Safe System, Inc.............................................................54 The Driscoll Agency...............................................................64 EJ...........................................................................................68 Eastern Pipe Service, LLC.....................................................62 Eastern States Insurance Agency, Inc..................................55 Eastpoint Lasers, LLC........................................................... 41 T. L. Edwards, Inc..................................................................70 Ferguson Waterworks............................................................58 Genalco, Inc........................................................................... 41 Gorilla Hydraulic Breakers.....................................................68 L. Guerini Group, Inc..............................................................66 Hinckley Allen LLP.................................................................22 Hydrograss Technologies Inc................................................71 Industrial Safety & Rescue....................................................15 JESCO...................................................................................61 P. J. Keating Company...........................................................24 P. A. Landers, Inc...................................................................46 Lawrence-Lynch Corp............................................................29 Lorusso Corp.........................................................................68 Lorusso Heavy Equipment, LLC............................................ 14 MBO Precast, Inc...................................................................42 MJ-Hammer.............................................................................8 Mass Broken Stone Company...............................................71 Milton CAT...............................................................Back Cover NSI Contracting .....................................................................70 National Trench Safety..........................................................56 Norfolk Power Equipment, Inc...............................................61 North American Crane & Rigging LLC..................................16 North East Shoring Equipment, LLC.....................................21 Northland JCB........................................................................56 Ocean State Oil......................................................................23 Palmer Paving Corp.................................................................9 Pawtucket Hot Mix Asphalt....................................................31 E. H. Perkins Construction Co., Inc.......................................72 Podgurski Corp......................................................................66 E. J. Prescott, Inc................................................Ins. Front Cvr. Putnam Pipe Corporation......................................................67 Rain For Rent-New England..................................................30 Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers......................................................62 Rodman Ford Sales, Inc........................................................10 Rogers & Gray Insurance......................................................12 Schmidt Equipment, Inc...........................................................1 Scituate Concrete Products Corp..........................................52 Scrap-It, Inc............................................................................53 Shea Concrete Products, Inc. ...............................................20 SITECH New England............................................................48 Starkweather & Shepley Ins. Brokerage, Inc........................40 Sunbelt Rentals......................................................................26 Taylor Oil Company...............................................................54 Tonry Insurance Group, Inc...................................................31 T-Quip Sales & Rentals, Inc..................................................58 United Concrete Products.....................................................60 United Rentals Trench Safety................................................38 Webster One Source.............................................................60 C. N. Wood Co., Inc. .............................................................44 Woodco Machinery, Inc.........................................................18 Xylem, Inc...............................................................................57

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