In early April, construction broke ground on Area 6 of the Portsmouth Seawall Replacement Project. This phase of the seawall replacement is scheduled to last until July 2022. It includes 614 linear feet of seawall and 127 H-piles. So far, demolition, structural excavation, and erosion and sediment control have taken place. Sheet pile and H-pile installation is expected to begin mid-May. The section for Area 6 has a similar design as previous phases. It will of course include a new sheet pile bulkhead wall, concrete pile cap, electrical, concrete boardwalk and handrails which will mirror the already completed sections. Crofton will have several pieces of equipment on site to assist with production including the Mani 8 (a Manitowoc 4100 crane barge), material barges, the Little Sam (push boat), and a long reach excavator for rip-rap removal. Dan Klunk will serve as site superintendent and has been involved in multiple phases of production for several years. We are grateful to take part in the revitalization of a Portsmouth landmark and thank the crews and vendors for their commitment to its success!

In April, Brad Atkin and Steve Cunningham travelled to Panama City to participate in Kirby Morgan Helmet & Repair Technician Training. The three-day course covered maintenance, repair techniques, operational procedures, and new developments for the Kirby Morgan products. Brad Atkin shared that the training was “a good balance between classroom and hands-on training.” His biggest take away? “The diving industry is ever evolving, and this class was a great resource to ensure we are up to date on the latest safety and operating procedures so the equipment we rely on is working at top performance.”

Aaron Lecrone spent 13 years as a pile driver in residential marine construction before becoming a crane operator. He didn’t always have such an affinity for safety, sharing that he was “the guy wearing swim trunks, no shirt, and sandals while he was pile driving.” Nowadays, Aaron attributes his interest in safety in large part to real world experience and unfortunately witnessing a lot of accidents first-hand. Aaron shared that most safety policies are “written in blood”, established because something awful happened, but challenges the notion that it should take an accident to instigate changes. Aaron feels that “safety is an easy and conscientious thing that we can do every day”. We sat down with Aaron to learn more about his perspective on safety!

What is your biggest safety pet-peeve? General cleanliness and organization. Organization goes so far in creating a safe work environment!

What is a common hurdle to a safe work site? We get comfortable with the environment and become less observant and less aware, less effected by what we see every day.

What role does mentorship play in safety culture? Mentorship is critical and I definitely see that in the industry veterans at Crofton. They are really good about taking new people under their wing. The crane operating team at Crofton has been extremely welcoming to me since making the transition. It’s been heartwarming how they’ve accepted me as a newcomer to this part of the industry.

What is an easy way someone can create a safer work environment? Take time on the front end to take care of safety. It may feel in the moment like we are sacrificing timeline, but in the long run it will save us if we are preventing accidents.

What would you say to up and comers in this industry? Be open to the advice and guidance of your colleagues. Don’t be complacent. Slow down and pay attention.

March 7-13 is Women in Construction Week, which is the perfect opportunity to honor Bernice “Bunny” Crofton. She and founder Juan Crofton were married in a double wedding on April 8^th, 1944 with Bunny’s sister Hazel. Bunny was there in the very beginning. The voice on the other end of the radio, KNHL599, at the home office on Huntsman Road in Norfolk. We wouldn’t be where we are today if not for her support.