USIC and Safety

Chicagoman · December 23rd, 2008, 12:32 AM

Does anyone know how many times we are to have a safety meeting in a month or tailgate meeting.? When I started 7 years ago with SM&P we met every two weeks (pay day) We never meet anymore. we get alot of worthless emails about the 12 days of Christmas!!!!! We had some safety audits and we were told by are Supervisor's to memorize are USIC Job Briefings sheets on are Laptop, put on your vest and put out your cones. I guess we look good on paper. But if you ever get shot on the job. You are a unsafe locator. Life and times of a USIC locator LOL

**Hurricane9** · December 23rd, 2008, 02:59 PM

It really depends on your location, and your DM. Weekly meetings are really a waste of time with the advances of technology. With my team, I used to do daily conference calls, lasting about 10 minutes. Those seem to work pretty well. I would be comfortable with a monthly meeting, but sometimes went two months without a meeting.

As a supervisor, I have seen some of the "stupid" safety issues, like tripping on a flat surface, and slamming hands in car doors, or banging a head on the top of the truck cap hard enough to get a few stitches. I know safety is supposed to be common sense, but common sense isn't so common.

Chicagoman · December 23rd, 2008, 03:53 PM

The thing I got most out of a tailgate meeting and this going to sound really stupid When we meet to together we work together as a team I have not seen my fellow locator in one area in about 7 mos. The Company is always preaching team work. If you dont know or feel like a team how can you become one. As a good leader or Supervisor you can make a meet ing a great and productive experence. I truly beleive if you look at the #'s you will find we had less damages with onsite team meeting then without.

**flagsrme** · December 24th, 2008, 12:07 PM

We have team meeting twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. I recieve so many safety e-mails I don't even read them anymore just hit the delete button.

The fun thing about safety in my area is that the locators that are the most efficiency (a.k.a productive) are the ones getting hurt and getting workers comp.

**sprayandpray** · December 25th, 2008, 07:47 AM

"Rumor Has It" --- The Co. is planning on eliminating 10 to 20% of the Locators after the 1st of the year. The ones eliminated will be chosen by their past results with a strong emphasis on Safety and Quality. They will be replaced with new hires. I know we are expected to memorize the Decision Driving, 10 Deadly Sins and the 7 Intersection Rules by the time Corporate comes down shortly after Jan 1st.

Again, this is just a rumor, but it came from a Management person.

By the way, why are all of the bad accident pictures sent out by USIC always involving a CLS vehicle?

**UULC** · December 25th, 2008, 10:17 AM

Spray,

This is NOT a rumor. As a Supervisor in Florida, We have RIF'ed 15 folks with another 5 after the first of the year. I know this as fact as most of the 15 were my crew. We have lost the Mastec/Verizon contract and will lose 1.3 million in 09 due to the loss of this contract. We will not have a project crew anymore.

**yahoo** · December 25th, 2008, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by UULC

Spray,

This is NOT a rumor. As a Supervisor in Florida, We have RIF'ed 15 folks with another 5 after the first of the year. I know this as fact as most of the 15 were my crew. We have lost the Mastec/Verizon contract and will lose 1.3 million in 09 due to the loss of this contract. We will not have a project crew anymore.

UULC pm me when you have time and explain to me how the project crew works , what is it exactly and how does it pay for itself.....and how does those guys get raises ...etc.....thanks

**yahoo** · December 25th, 2008, 01:44 PM

hey UULC....who picked up that new contract in florida????

**UULC** · December 25th, 2008, 04:28 PM

The Project crew was for the FIOS installation in the Tampa Bay area. We located Verizon phone for the prime contractor MasTec who was installing the Fios. MasTec is no Longer the prime for 09. It will be TCS Communications and Advance Communications. Both of them already locate Verizon in-house.

Verizon has cut their production for 09 by 75% due to the economy. We will no longer have a 20 person crew to do the project. The project only marked the utilities that would normally be marked and mark Verizon. Verizon was the money maker. We have since lost the contract with MasTec we lost the 1.3 million. We are in a union area and they would get their raises the way the contract is written.

Yahoo, Pm me when you can.

**Color Blind** · December 25th, 2008, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by UULC

We will not have a project crew anymore.

Project crew? We finished out the busy season up here being down by 4 employees.

**UULC** · December 25th, 2008, 09:49 PM

At our most busiest part of the season, we were doing 500 to 900 tickets week. We always had 2000 to 3000 tickets on the crew board every day. We had control chaos for us, trting to get the tickets done for the contractors to star digging.