Mainline Equipment Operator Receives Recognition for Questioning Attitude
Maryland Quarterly Safety Award – 4th Quarter 2022
Mainline Equipment Operator Yeri Calderon (left) awarded Safety Excellence Achievement Award by Safety Director Dominic Pope (right).
Veteran workers play a significant role on construction crews. Not only do they have the responsibility to mentor less experienced crew members, but they must also lead by example. That is not a problem for Yeri Calderon. He puts his 17 years of site development experience with Gaines and Company to work by leading his crew with his words, performance, and attention to safety. Yeri was recently awarded the company’s quarterly Safety Excellence Achievement Award for continually exhibiting a questioning attitude on the jobsite.
Gaines and Company’s Safety Excellence Achievement Award is designed to recognize employees who enhance the organization’s safety culture through continuous attention to personal and team safety. The award is presented on a quarterly basis to employees throughout Gaines and Company’s Maryland and North Carolina locations. Recipients of the award are first nominated by a foreman. Their performance is then evaluated by a selection committee before determining recipients.
“Yeri is deserving of this award because he is very dependable and not afraid to speak up to make sure the entire crew is working safely,” said Foreman Dave Ruffa. “He asks a lot of questions, which not only keeps himself safe, but also encourages other crew members to consistently think about their safety performances and decisions.”
Yeri started his career at Gaines and Company 17 years ago as a laborer. Thanks to his ambitious, team-focused mentality, Yeri earned his way to his current role as a mainline equipment operator. His responsibilities are focused on safe excavations for Gaines and Company’s utility projects. This includes making sure equipment is in good condition, crew members are out of harms way, and safe digging practices are followed.
Yeri performs expert excavation operations that are focused on jobsite safety.
Safety Director Dominic Pope added, “Yeri is never afraid to help. He is always looking one step ahead, making sure the jobsite is safe.”
Yeri continually takes opportunities to advance his safety knowledge. He successfully completed OSHA 10, Excavation Safety, First Aid/CPR, and Competent Person trainings.
Yeri was awarded a certificate, hat, and $150 in safety bucks to redeem through Gaines and Company’s online safety store. He is also eligible for the 2022 Year-End Safety Excellence Achievement Award.
Gaines and Company is a full-service grading and excavation company with nearly 70 years of experience, including underground utilities, grading and excavating, sediment and erosion controls, and road work. The organization is proud of their groundbreaking safety excellence program. In both the Maryland and North Carolina divisions, a Safety Excellence Achievement Award is given on a quarterly basis to employees who go above and beyond in their dedication to safety.
