DAVE HERSON SACRAMENTO SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT Dave has been with Alston for just over 5 years. Being named the Carl D. Panattoni Safety Award Recipient, was the highlight of his career. Off of the jobsite, you can find Dave and his wife enjoying a meal and good glass of wine together or working with rescued dogs.
RANDY MOON LAS VEGAS SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Randy has been with Alston for a little over a year and a half. His favorite project he has been a part of is the South 15 FGH project because of the great team! Outside of work you can find Randy on the golf course, in the gym or building furniture.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INITIAL CHALLENGES OF STARTING A PROJECT? Aligning the design, project management and pre-con team to all be on the same page and looking down range in the same direction. WHAT KIND OF PREPARATIONS DO YOU UTILIZE TO ASSURE AS STRONG OF A PROJECT START AS POSSIBLE? At the start of the project, it is crucial that the Project Manager and the Superintendent start pre- planning on “how to build the project.” This helps very much with writing Exhibit C’s and making sure that we minimize scope gap the best we can. WHAT CHALLENGES TO PROJECT CLOSE OUT REQUIRE YOUR BEST STRATEGY IN ORDER TO FINISH STRONG? Since every project is unique, there are always new strategies that need to be used per project. It’s putting a plan in place and making sure items are followed up on to help finish strong. At Alston, we want provide the Owner with a building they are proud of and it allows them to move to the next steps either with tenants or a sale. Other challenges may include: Certificate of Occupancy, Punch lists, O&M’s/As-Builts and late changes either from the Owner or AHJ. HOW DO YOU PROMOTE GOOD, COHESIVE FUNCTIONING OF THE ALSTON PROJECT TEAM? One item I generally state is that a project team succeeds and fails “together.” One person on the team should not be singled out. When there is a success or fail, there is always a good learning opportunity to help make the team stronger and learn from both mistakes and good decisions. HOW DO YOU ADDRESS INITIAL DESIGN CHALLENGES AND PLAN APPROVALS? We address initial design challenges and plan approvals by always keeping an open mind. The solution is out there but it’s a matter of finding it and communicating this properly to the Owner. Plan approvals are always a frustrating part of any project. It is essential to keep the design team accountable for due dates and quickly assess any plan review comments that impact cost or the schedule.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INITIAL CHALLENGES OF STARTING A PROJECT? 1. Client funding 2. Receiving the Notice to Proceed 3. Permits 4. Executed Master Agreement 5. The lag time between the executed Master Agreement and executed subcontracts. The client is typically anxious to get started and they have a difficult time understanding why we don’t have heavy equipment moving the day after the Master Agreement is executed. WHAT KIND OF PREPARATIONS DO YOU UTILIZE TO ASSURE AS STRONG OF A PROJECT START AS POSSIBLE? I work closely with my Project Manager by contributing to and reviewing the scope of work for the initial core group of subcontractors and to make sure they have signed contracts. I stay in constant communication with the subs, keeping them appraised of the Notice to Proceed. I make sure all of the required safety documents are submitted for the same group of subs. A Job Hazard Analysis is scheduled with Precon to ensure there are no surprises from local authorities when the project commences. And a logistics plan is created for the site and reviewed with the initial group of subcontractors. HOW DO YOU ADDRESS AND MITIGATE SAFETY DEFICIENCIES? Safe work habits need to be a lifestyle. For all workers, it should be second nature as it is their wellbeing that’s at stake. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it is. It’s my job to make sure everyone understands the importance of working safely. My responsibility is not just to monitor site safety, but it is also the responsibility of everyone that sets foot on our projects. One thing that I stress is to never see an unsafe condition and walk by it. Stop and correct it or call me or your supervisor for help. Never leave an unsafe condition before it is fixed. I also try to keep the All Hands Weekly Safety Meeting topics relevant to the work being performed. If I have to remind a subcontractor of safety deficiency a couple of times, I suggest that item becomes the topic of their weekly Tailgate meeting.
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