Page 8 - Q2_2020_Newsletter

Safety at roSendin iS our top priority, and our teams acrosS the
nation do everything they can to enSure each others' safety.
were innovative or exceeded the CDC guidelines. Many Our COVID-19 response has included not only our Safety
innovative COVID-19 practices being implemented are also Department, but also our IT department. When the CDC,
being tested as permanent solutions. state, and local jurisdictions began to recommend reduced
group sizes, Rosendin was able to shift very quickly to a
For example, Rosendin's Oregon offices in Hillsboro and 50% or more remote workforce. Rosendin's IT department
Prineville purchased several Power Breezer evaporative had the tools, security, and software already in place to
coolers as a means of disinfection against COVID-19. While keep our workforce productive. Ensuring our workforce was
the Power Breezer is an effective evaporative cooler, it was connected to their data and had access to collaborative
not originally designed as a chemical sprayer or applicator. tools for communicating and managing the work was a
The Power Breezer is an industrial-grade evaporative top priority. Training around the software was increased
cooler that has been repurposed to create a thin wet film to maximize the benefit to our teams. When COVID-19
of disinfectant over a large area. The Power Breezer has began to impact the U.S., Rosendin quickly and confidently
been used with great success at Rosendin's Oregon offices moved 50% of our workforce to a remote work environment
as well as on two large data center projects. The Power leveraging our existing cloud infrastructure.
Breezer disinfects tools, laydown areas, and all touch
surfaces in prefabrication shops. Offices that do not have
the Breezer are using sprayers to clean these areas. Several Addressing Mental Health
of Rosendin's offices have also used backpack foggers for Beyond the practical work issues, Rosendin's Executive
disinfecting purposes. Team felt that it was equally, if not more important, to
address the emotional health of employees. We turned
The essential protocol, however, is Rosendin's stop-work to two of our Core Values, "We Care" and "We Listen."
policy that predates the pandemic, which encourages Frequent and transparent communication became essential
employees to call out unsafe practices, regardless of who in addressing employee concerns regarding their health,
is acting in an unsafe manner. Safety at Rosendin is our top safety, job security, and mental well-being. A dedicated
priority, and our teams across the nation do everything they email address was established for employee concerns
can to ensure each others' safety. To protect our workers, and questions, as well as an 800-number. The Executive
customers, and communities, Rosendin implemented a Team, led by CEO Mike Greenawalt, began sending emails
4-level investigation should anyone show COVID related and videos to employees. These communications served
symptoms on a job site. to outline the steps taken to ensure the health and safety
of our craft workers and office employees alike. Rosendin
worked closely with construction organizations and
Seamless Transition to Remote Workforce building trades, such as the National Electrical Contractors
Rosendin's forward-thinking spirit positioned us for a Association (NECA), Associate General Contractors (AGC),
successful and sudden transition to a remote workforce. and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW) local unions, to establish guidelines and set the
industry standard.
Working Safe to Keep Job Sites Open
Our industry manages a highly productive workforce. Now,
more than ever, we count on those teams to come to work.
It is essential to finish projects cost-effectively and execute
contractual obligations. This means that our teams need to
not only feel safe, but we have a responsibility to implement
extensive safety measures to help mitigate the spread of
COVID-19 in our communities, even if it cuts into already
tight budgets. Everyone is waiting to hear that COVID-19 is
no longer a threat, but until that time comes, construction
teams must work together to keep workers safe, and job
sites open.
At Rosendin, we believe that innovation and flexibility are
crucial to addressing the issues that are coming in our
industry. During this time, we are taking all ideas seriously.
We are focused on permanent changes that will not only
8 The Feeder | Issue 2, 2020
make our industry safer but also make us more efficient while providing
the services that our customers need. The ideas that we are implementing
as requirements emphasize three things: process, planning, and discipline,
to make our company, our partners, and the entire industry stronger.
Complete Collaboration
There is still a great deal of uncertainty associated with this current global
crisis. Construction companies are struggling with the unknown end-date
and cost of technology to deal with this pandemic. Prior to the pandemic,
when our teams bid on jobs, COVID related costs were not factored into
the estimates. As the situation became increasingly severe, Rosendin's
Executive Leadership team took early steps to address safety and project
concerns and understand how our supply chain vendors were going to
react.
Rosendin's success is built on relationships. In a time of crisis, those
relationships have proven to be more important than ever. Our reliable
network of suppliers and vendors worked with us at the outset to help us
understand equipment availability and cost. As a result, our teams across
the nation have been able to make critical purchasing decisions, including
bulk buys, to avoid shortages and logistic hang-ups. From this crisis, we
have seen the vital importance of maintaining good relationships with our
suppliers and vendors and treating them fairly. As a result, current projects
have experienced very few cost or schedule setbacks, and we have shown
our clients that we can not only finish projects on time but ensure a
healthy and safe workforce.
The most sophisticated effort, we must accomplish through all of this, is
orchestrating the delivery, staging, inspection, installation, and startup
of a project. Coordinating the safe interaction of craft workers, multiple
subcontractors, consultants, and project stakeholders is a challenge. In
the best of times, this effort is daunting, yet the vast majority of the time, it
is accomplished. In this current climate, the same work must be done, but
under more complicated circumstances. To achieve this, we are enforcing
social distancing, wearing face masks as part of required PPE, sanitizing
equipment throughout the day, and implementing staggered break
schedules. These measures have been put in place to keep our people
and communities safe from exposure, all while maintaining a secure site.
This crisis has taught us that putting trust in and relying on the people
who build our projects is vital. The innovation, insight, and ingenuity of
Rosendin's foremen and superintendents have led to the development of
tools, jigs, and techniques to keep our craftspeople safe while maintaining
installation efficiency and delivering a fault-free project.
Previous page: Rosendin employee with remote work set-up.
From top to bottom: Rosendin worker receiving temperature check prior to starting
work; Team meeting on project site with full PPE and social distancing; Morning safety
meeting on project site while maintaining social distance and face masks; Video
conference call in a conference room at Rosendin HQ; Rosendin workers on-site
maintaining social distance while working together.
Issue 2, 2020 | The Feeder 9