North Carolina Quarterly Safety Award – 4th Quarter 2020

Carlaes Gardener (left) was recognized for his close attention to safety policies and procedures, as well as individual and team safety, by Safety Director Dominic Pope (not pictured) and Foreman Jose “Red” Ramirez (right)

Gaines and Company delivers expert grading and excavation services to various industries, including developers and municipalities, as well as nuclear power plants and government agencies. Policies and procedures may differ from project to project, but the organization’s commitment to safe, quality work is always priority. Gaines and Company recently recognized North Carolina employee, Carlaes Gardener, for his dedication to safe work practices on a federal installations project at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Fort Bragg is home of the U.S. Army’s airborne and special operations forces, and is one of the largest installations in the world. Gaines and Company works with American States Utility Services (ASUS) on this project to supply water and wastewater systems for the headquarters and its surrounding airfields.

“Not only are special clearances required to work at Fort Bragg, but 99% of the work has regulations that are stricter than normal site development projects,” said Gaines and Company Safety Director Dominic Pope. “I am so proud of Carlaes for receiving continual praises from ASUS for his unmistakable attention to safety considerations and proactive safety attitude.”

Carlaes joined Gaines and Company five years ago as a laborer and has worked his way up to a rubber tire loader operator. His daily objective is to safely and efficiently deliver materials to the excavator crews to ensure an uninterrupted flow of work. This includes gathering and tying down materials, as well as driving the load through project sites and public roadways.

Jose “Red” Ramirez, Carlaes’s foreman who nominated him for the award, said, “Carlaes is always following site safety procedures – like wearing his seat belt when operating the wheel loader and properly securing all loads. When he’s not on the loader, he’s watching out for the safety of the crew, which is just as important as his personal safety actions.”

Carlaes has certifications in OSHA 10, Confined Space Training, Heavy Equipment Operator Training, and Rigging Safety Training.

Carlaes was recognized with the Safety Excellence Achievement Award, which is awarded to an employee at both Gaines and Company’s Maryland and North Carolina locations each quarter. The award acknowledges employees for their individual dedication and commitment to safe work practices, as well as the safety of others.

Carlaes was presented with a Safety Excellence Award certificate, hat exclusive to awardees, hooded sweatshirts, and $150 in safety bucks to use on gear from the Gaines and Company online safety store. He will compete against all other quarterly awardees for the year-end 2020 Safety Excellence Award.