1. Spotlight on Safety
NOVEMBER, 2013
The L.E. Myers Co. helicopter crew can quickly deploy atop structures using a harness and a long line, (left), or by ‘bonding on’
to the structure using a wand to mitigate electrical charges (right), then stepping off the skid.
“It's the best way to get to the
work,” says Ryan Perkins, one
of two foremen for L.E. Myers'
ten-member helicopter crew.
“The helicopter is more efficient
and allows us to get more done.
Climbing is boring compared to
the helicopter.”
“I really enjoy doing what I do,”
said Nate Crosier, a crew mem-
ber for 19 months. “People look
at you like you've got two heads
when you tell them you’re riding
on a helicopter. They don’t really
understand what you mean.”
“It’s not something everybody
can do or wants to do,” said
Northeast Regional Safety Man-
ager Jim Foley. “It requires a lot
of trust in your pilot. You have no
control; you’re 100 percent reliant
on the pilot to get you where you
need to go safely.”
THE FLYING LINEMEN OF L.E. MYERS
A helicopter rumbles overhead.
Two men in harnesses dangle
below, tethered to the chopper
by a hundred-foot line. On the
ground, a motorist at a road
crossing is frozen in suspense,
amazed at the two flying fel-
lows wearing yellow helmets.
These airborne human specta-
cles are not reality-TV dare-
devils, circus performers, or
stuntmen in some Hollywood
blockbuster. They are L.E.
Myers linemen and appren-
tices, precisely performing
their parts in the construction
of transmission lines for the
MPRP project.
As the chopper hovers, the
linemen transfer on to a 65-foot
wooden structure and deftly step
onto its cross arm. Within a few
minutes, the bird will return, de-
livering the first of three stringing
blocks that the men will hang
from the structure.
“The use of helicopters in wire-
stringing operations is the wave of
the future,” says Steve Cava-
naugh, MYR Group Vice Presi-
dent of Safety. “Helicopters have
been used in building transmission
lines for a long time, but they’re
getting more popular and used
with more frequency.”
That's because helicopters offer
certain advantages, such as de-
creasing project construction time,
making remote areas accessible,
and reducing environmental im-
pact.

2. Page 2
The Helicopter Crew
The flying linemen pose for a quick group photo in October at a temporary land-
ing zone setup between Rt 3 and Higgins Rd in Searsmont.
This is the view helicopter linemen see before they deploy onto structures from the skid.
Perkins, whose father was a helicop-
ter mechanic, says he knows what to
look for in a pilot.
“I watch how they present them-
selves,” he said. “Are they looking at
the machine? The closer they look at
the machine, the better the pilot.
When I don't feel comfortable, I call
the helicopter company's chief pilot
and say I need somebody I can trust,
with a little more awareness of their
surroundings.”
Crosier says it's important to have a
pilot who is “not being cocky; not
being a cowboy.”
“You don't have to
rush,” he said. “He's
got plenty of fuel; he
can wait. Do it safe
and do it right. Just
because it's loud and
noisy doesn't mean
you have to hurry.”
“But being overly cautious and over-analyzing can also be a problem,” he added. “That makes
things much harder because you're spending more time on the radio, not keeping communication
short and sweet.”
According to Foley, the MPRP Project has “been very fortunate to have some excellent pilots. It’s
probably one of the most challenging activities we have, and we’ve had very few issues.”
“This job is not any more dangerous than other aspects of line work,” said Crosier. “It's like any-
thing else -- you follow procedures, and you inspect and respect your equipment.”
What's most important to Perkins is remembering that “the helicopter is there to hover.”

3. Page 3
PROJECT TO DATE
SAFETY STATISTICS
L.E. MYERS WORK HOURS: 759,764
RECORDABLE INCIDENTS: 12
RECORDABLE INCIDENT RATE: 3.15
SAFETY minutes
Winter Driving
As temperatures drop, watch for
ice and frost on the roads, mats,
and ground surfaces and take extra
caution. Drive slowly and watch
your step, particularly before the
sun comes up and melts the frost.
Take the safest – not always the
quickest – path available.
Ice Cleats
We will be purchasing NEOS ice
cleats for those that were not here last
winter and expect that everyone have
a pair and wear them when it gets
slippery. If you don’t have cleats,
mention it to your supervisor or
safety so that the right size can be
provided.
Working alone
On rare occasions when you are
required to work alone, certain safety
precautions must be taken: Make sure
your supervisor knows where you
are, and check in frequently. Also,
be sure to carry your fully charged
cell phone and Spot Locator.

4. Page 4
Most “over the road” vehicles in the MPRP fleet — 3500 trucks and up — are now equipped
with the new Zonar inspection system, which captures and records location, inspection compli-
ance and maintenance data and immediately sends the information to Shop Supervisor
Dave Saucier.
The Zonar 2010, a hand-held unit mounted on the dashboard, works by reading radio-frequency
tags that have been installed in critical inspection areas on the vehicle.
During a driver's daily walk-around inspection, the driver scans each tag on the unit and gives
push-button responses to a checklist of items specific to that area.
“For example, in the rear of the vehicle some of the items are left rear light, license plate light,
and tail light,” Saucier explained. “If something is broken or defective, you scroll over and
choose from a list of options. If the defect is not on the list, there's a text area where you can ex-
plain whatever you want.”
If the driver finds a problem, the unit asks if the vehicle is safe to operate. If not, it flashes a
“stop” sign and immediately e-mails Saucier's smartphone with the specific problem and the ve-
hicle's location.
“So if I'm driving to work and get an e-mail, I can call a mechanic immediately and have him
take care of it,” Saucier said.
When the inspection is complete, the driver places the Zonar 2010 back into the dashboard
mount, and the information is transmitted to a secure database that Saucier can access.
While the Zonar system is designed to eliminate paper-based vehicle inspections, drivers must
continue to fill out and submit the Burns & McDonnell Safety Inspection Sheet, at least for the
time being.
Zonar inspection system Installation
“Everyone needs to continue
to do both – the Zonar sys-
tem and B&M safety
sheets,” said Northeast Re-
gional Safety Manager Jim
Foley.
“We'll contact B&M and
show them the Zonar sheets
and see if we can eliminate
the B&M sheets for units
with Zonar.”

5. News and Notes from Burns & McDonnell
First of all, Burns & McDonnell would like to
congratulate the Northern Loop team on your
achievement of ONE MILLION WORK
HOURS. Awesome job!
As we move forward with the holiday season
approaching, we must continue to focus 100
percent on safety.
Although we make every effort to meet our
client's expectations, our efforts are in vain if
we allow anyone to get injured.
We have had a few bumps along the way but
have diligently responded with a positive atti-
tude.
We have proven that we will not accept any-
thing less than total commitment to making
safety our absolute priority.
At this point, I would ask everyone to put ex-
tra effort into sailing this ship in the right
Armand Berube
Burns & McDonnell Northern Loop Safety Specialist
Page 5
direction.
Every activity has hidden hazards that must
be identified. Keep digging in and expect that
the unexpected will happen, especially if
complacency slips in.
The sticker on your hard hats clearly reflects
your commitment as a company: “SPEAK
UP, I'LL LISTEN: EVERYONE EVERY DAY
EVERYWHERE
Project to date we have worked over 4.8 mil-
lion work hours, our TRIR is: 0.92 DART:
0.33 RECORDABLES: 22 and DARTS: 8
Doug Hurling, Vice President for Central Maine Power helps MYR Group Sr. Vice President Bill Green pull
names out of a bin for cash prizes in appreciation of L.E. Myers Co. crews reaching one million safe work
hours on the Northern Loop portion of the MPRP project at a breakfast last Friday in Palmyra.
(Dave Gauvin photo)

6. Page 6
Along the Lines: Glen Ridley
Glen Ridley
Quality Assurance Supervisor Glen Ridley
works seven days a week at a job with enor-
mous responsibilities. But when he takes off his
hard hat, he's wearing a mischievous grin and a
baseball cap.
“I've never seen him without one,” said North-
east Regional Safety Manager Jim Foley. “He's
always up to something and has a good sense of
humor.
Ridley lives in Litchfield, Maine, where he was
born and raised. He holds an engineering de-
gree from the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst and spent 13 years at Atlantic Engi-
neering before joining L.E. Myers two years
ago.
“L.E. Myers tried to hire me just for concrete,
and I said I'd do it for month or two,” he re-
called. “But then they wanted me for the steel
towers – they had a lot of linemen but needed
engineering staff to work on the technical end.”
On a typical day, Ridley is making sure that
bolt cages, rebar and all other parts going into
structure foundations are installed exactly
where they should be.
“He makes sure everything is in place within
the specs,” said Foley. “You have to be very
compliance oriented and thorough to do that
job, and Glen takes his job very seriously.”
“There are a lot of steps we have to comply
with,” said Ridley.“We follow the specs and
make sure our subcontractors follow the engi-
neers' specs as closely as possible. We try to
give the client the best bang for the buck.”
Ridley also keeps an eye on matters involving
the environment, materials and safety.
“He looks out for safety issues, and he'll call to
give us a heads up on something that needs to be ad-
dressed,” said Foley.
When it comes to safety, L.E. Myers “has done a
great job,” said Ridley. “This company is vigilant
about making the job safe, which can be tough to do
with 150 to 200 guys. A little thing can really slow
things down and mess things up.”
Ridley enjoys motorcycle riding in his spare time –
that is, if he had any.
“The concrete business is seven days a week and has
been for many years,” he said. “In Maine, the mud
season keeps hammering you.”