Operator Receives Safety Award for Second Consecutive Year
North Carolina Quarterly Safety Award – 4th Quarter 2022
Foreman Darryl Wysk (left) awards T.J. Jochem (right) the Safety Excellence Achievement Award for his instinctive safety awareness.
When safety is prioritized, it is instinctively rooted in all work performed throughout the day. As little as one employee with this mindset can create a ripple effect that spreads throughout the entire jobsite. Gaines and Company recognizes employees who start this ripple and enhance the organization’s safety culture with the Safety Excellence Achievement Award. Mainline Operator T.J. Jochem, who is not a stranger to this award, recently received this recognition at Gaines and Company’s North Carolina location.
Safety Director Dominic Pope said, “Employees like T.J. Jochem don’t even have to think about being safe. They take the trainings. They participate in safety talks. They speak up if something doesn’t seem safe. It’s who they are and engrained in how they work. Safe work is their primary goal and it shows.”
The Safety Excellence Achievement Award is given on a quarterly basis to employees in Gaines and Company’s Maryland and North Carolina locations. Foremen or supervisors nominate employees who display an overwhelming dedication to safe work practices. Nominees must be aware of their surroundings, not afraid to speak up, and prioritize team safety. All nominees are presented to the selection team – which includes members of leadership – who determine which employees will receive the quarterly recognition.
T.J. has been with Gaines and Company for nine years. This is his second consecutive year receiving the Safety Excellence Achievement Award. He was recognized in 2021 by a different foreman for his thorough attention to safe work practices. T.J.’s numerous safety certifications include OSHA 10, Competent Person, Confined Space, Heavy Equipment Operator, CPR/First Aid, and Excavation Safety trainings. As a Mainline Operator for the Utility division, he is responsible for safely operating equipment, securing the work zone, and performing safe trench work.
Foreman Daryl Wysk said, “I can always count on T.J. to ensure the trench is sloped properly or there is a trench box in place. He has a watchful eye on the entire crew to make sure they are consistently working safely.”
“T.J. is very aware of the situations that he is in while excavating,” said Superintendent Darren Martiano, who was also part of the selection team. “He always thinks about the safety of the crew on the ground.”
T.J. was awarded a Safety Excellence Achievement Award certificate, exclusive award recipient hat, and $150 in safety bucks to use on gear on the company’s online safety store. He is also in the running for the 2022 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.
