Feature Index Physical Plant Profiles - Indiana University

INDEX

Winter 1997 Issue

Published by: Indiana University, Department of Physical Plant

Feature Index

● Home-grown horticulture beautifies campuses

● More Emergency Phones Added

● Recycling Efforts Recognized

● New Faces in Clerical Office

● Physical Plant Gives Back to Bloomington

Physical Plant Profiles

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● Building Services: Beverly George ● Building Services: Barbara Paris ● Campus Division: Greg Humphrey ● Building Maintenance: Keith Bruce ● Building Maintenance: Joe Rogers ● Engineering: Charlie Matson ● Utilities: Karen Bowman

Communication, Training & Safety

● Communication Tips: Listen Up! ● Improving Job Performance: Meetings ● Safety: Scaffolds

Miscellaneous Stories

● New Apprentices ● Quarter Century Club Growing ● Apprentices Graduate

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INDEX

Cindy Stone, Training & Communications Manager Stephenie Hurd, Writer Vinson Bushnell, Web Assistant

912 North Walnut Grove / Bloomington, IN 47405 Phone: 812.855.6296 Fax: 812.855.9549





FEATURE

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Home-grown horticulture beautifies campuses

If the flowers adorning the IU Bloomington campus seemed a little bigger, looked a little brighter or smelled a little sweeter to you last spring, it wasn't your imagination. Last spring's flowers were the first to be grown on IU grounds by IU employees.

You can expect the same flower quality in the upcoming months as IU prepares for its second season of in-house growing.

It all started about a year-and-a-half ago, when IU's Landscape Inspector, Marshall Goss, Director for Facility Services Mike Crowe and Landscape Architect Dave Smith realized that IU could get bigger, more beautiful flowers by growing them ourselves. IU used to depend on commercial greenhouses to provide the campus with pre-grown plants. In order for IU to grow plants, however, we needed greenhouses. So in September 1995, under Goss' direction, Campus Division and other Physical Plant workers constructed two greenhouses in the northwest part of campus. It took them two weeks to build the structures, and six weeks to complete all the electrical, plumbing and heating systems.

Then came the plants. Before construction of the greenhouses, the nursery crew purchased plants from other nurseries in "pack form." This means plants came in green plastic containers separated into four two-by-two inch sections. One plant grew in each section, and so they tended to be "of a small stock," says Goss. Campus Division workers planted the partially developed plants in various campus locations and monitored their growth. There were some problems with this method, including improper blooming

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times and small buds on each plant. "The plants would blossom around July fourth, but we wanted an earlier blooming," says Goss.

Now Campus Division purchases plants at an earlier growth stage and controls the size, strength and blooming times of each flower. The plants come from the Easton Nurseries located in southern Michigan, just north of South Bend. There, the plants are planted in sterile and regulated conditions. Plants come to IUB in the form of one-half by one-half inch "plugs" of soil, each with a tiny plant that has just begun to grow. Plugs come in trays of 450, called "flats." "We pop the plugs out, and stick them in four inch pots with soil. Putting the plugs in four inch pots at such an early stage encourages the plants to grow larger and produce better buds," says Goss.

And the plants really are bigger and more beautiful. "Last year was the first time we used the greenhouses, and we grew about 9,000 plants. We're growing almost 40,000 plants this year, and if we can get the same results as we did last year, I will be more than elated," says Goss. The high quality plants are six inches across and heavily budded. They bloom at the precise time planned by Goss and other Campus Division workers, and the blooms last up to four weeks longer than before.

Other people have commented on the quality of IU's plants, too. A representative from a plant supplier visited the IU greenhouses to talk to Goss about buying some plugs, and upon inspection of the flowers said, "These are the best looking plants that I have seen in my 25 years of selling plants." Word of the IU greenhouses' success got out, and IU Kokomo decided to order some plants. When they came to pick the flowers up, they saw the size of them, and realized that they only needed about one-third of the original order. Their only comments were, "We didn't think they'd be this big!"


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It takes more than a green thumb to grow plants like this. Nursery workers Bruce Cabanaw and Carl Scott take care of the plants on a daily basis, and according to Goss, it's a combination of their attentive care, gardening experience and proper greenhouse settings that are the ingredients of IU's flower success. "Temperature, light and moisture control within the greenhouses are very important. We keep the greenhouses around fifty degrees at night, and then they warm up to the sun during the day. When they get too warm, we turn on fans that blow cooler outside air into the houses. In the spring, the greenhouses can get as hot as one hundred degrees. On these occasions, we also use a lot more water," says Goss. The cooling system works because fans blow hot air out, pulling outside, cool air in through openings in the top portion of the greenhouse. Inflatable plastic air tunnels connected to these openings direct air into the greenhouse through evenly distributed holes.

Soil quality and proper fertilization are also important to good growth. "We use a growing medium of soil and fertilizer. We fertilize the plants every three weeks. We only raise the plants in the greenhouse for eight to nine weeks; that adds up to three fertilization sessions before the plants actually go into the ground," explains Goss. Goss was not afraid to mention that talking to the plants never hurts, either.

So, what exactly is growing in the new greenhouses? "We have such a variety of plants and flowers: petunias, impatiens, nierembergia, ornamental grasses, salvia and periwinkle are just a few. We try to plant different flowers each season, so they change quite frequently," says Goss. The Campus Division crew also plants tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, but these are perennials; they take several growing seasons to become planting size. For this reason, perennials are still bought directly from suppliers each season. A small group of staffers, including Landscape Architect Dave Smith and Goss, determine what will be planted and where. They make their decisions based on the plants' strength, color and past performance. Goss enjoys creating different landscapes, and has other intentions besides making IU pretty. "We want to give IU employees another reason to want to come to work each day. They can come out of the buildings each season and wonder what we've done with the landscape this year."

Due to the success of the first greenhouses, IU plans to build two more greenhouses next summer. They will be located in the same area as the first two, and will take even less time to construct because the heating, plumbing and gas lines have already been installed. In the meantime, Goss and the nursery crew prepare the existing greenhouses for another growing season. When asked what we can expect in the landscape this year, Goss would reveal nothing: "That's a secret. You'll just have to wait and see."

More emergency phones added

Have you noticed the new outdoor emergency phones on campus? In the past few years, nine phones were installed. Recently Physical Plant Utilities installed six more at the request of Parking Operations


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and the Commission on Personal Safety, bringing the total to 17 phones.

Parking decal monies were used for the phones in parking areas, and additional funding came from the Office of the Vice President for Administration.

These new phones have two functions. A single button can be used to call IUPD in an emergency, another button permits you to call a tow truck, family member or Safety Escort Service (5-SAFE) in an urgent situation.

The two existing phones near Forest Quad and Jordan Hall were retrofitted by Physical Plant to match the new phones.

New Emergency Phone Locations:

● Two in the Von Lee Lot (one across from Sample Gates and the other across from the Poplars Garage)

● Two at 10th Street & State Road 46 Bypass Lot (one across from Communication Services and the other across from the Intramural Gym)

● Ashton Parking Lot (near the Center Building) ● 10th Street / Teter Parking Lot (10th St. parking lot, across from the SRSC railroad walkway)

Other phones are located at:

● Student Legal Services ● Briscoe Northeast ● Service Bldg. Parking Lot ● Optometry/Atwater Garage ● HPER Northeast ● Jordan Avenue Garage (4) ● Jordan Hall/Ballantine ● Forest Quad/Univ. East.

Recycling efforts recognized


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Indiana University's commitment to the environment was recognized when we received the Governors' Award for success in recycling.

Indiana University's campus-wide recycling program included all office and academic buildings, dormitories, married housing and dining halls. Students, faculty members and staff had the opportunity to recycle paper, aluminum, steel food cans, scrap metal, construction wood, shipping pallets, glass, plastic, oil, oil filters, anti-freeze, household batteries and fluorescent lights.

The University auctions reusable office furniture and vehicles each year. Indiana University also purchases recycled products such as paper, toner cartridges, plastic wood and re-engineered lumber made from recycled materials.

New faces in clerical office


FEATURE

There are two new workers in the Building Maintenance Division's clerical office. They are Susie Clendening and Laurie Boas. Both began working the first week of December 1996, and along with six-year Physical Plant employee Frances Garcia,

they make up the Building Maintenance clerical pool.

The Building Maintenance Division's clerical office has been located adjacent to the Electric Shop in the Service Building for about four years. Together, Garcia, Clendening and Boas serve over 200 craftworkers and craft supervisors. This is no easy task, but the members of the three-person work group are efficient in their work. Each has considerable experience. Clendening worked in Central Stores for over twenty years as the Inventory Control Coordinator before coming to Physical Plant, and Boas was a legal secretary. Garcia is the veteran of the team; she also worked for two years as an hourly for the Physical Plant Director's Office before joining the pool in 1993.

Clendening, Boas and Garcia enjoy working together. Because they get along so well personally, the atmosphere is always friendly and they operate well as a team. Their contributions to the success of Building Maintenance include recording the division's labor time, ordering materials and supplies and dispatching Physical Plant vans.

Physical Plant gives back to Bloomington


FEATURE

On Thursday, January 23, Physical Plant began collecting nonperishable food items for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Designated drop-off areas, listed below, have been set up for Physical Plant workers who are invited to bring as many nonperishable food items as they wish. Examples include canned soups and vegetables, dry products and even cleaning supplies.

The Hoosier Hills Food Bank has been serving the Indiana community since 1982. With 110 locations throughout South Central Indiana, the Food Bank is able to help more than 10,000 hungry people a month. Physical Plant will now be contributing to the 784,000 pounds of food the Food Bank collects a year. Food Bank Director Amy Robinson says Physical Plant's help is greatly appreciated. "Hunger is a problem even in a small community like Bloomington. Sometimes we just can't see it. We are so grateful for help from large organizations like Physical Plant, especially in the non-holiday seasons when donations are lower."

First-month results of the Physical Plant collection have not been tallied yet, but according to Peggy Gentry, Office Services Assistant, and the contact person for the Service Building, the Dock area drop-off box is slowly filling up. The program is on a trial basis this year; if participation is good, it will continue next year also.

Following are the drop-off points for your area:

● Service Building: Dock area ● Building Services: Creative Arts Entrance ● Electronics: Creative Arts Entrance ● Campus Division: Block House (912 1/2 N. Walnut Grv.) ● Utilities Office: Block House (912 1/2 N. Walnut Grv.) ● Training and Development: Block House (912 1/2 N. Walnut Grv.) ● Moving and Setups: Harlos Building ● Paint Shop: Harlos Building ● Central Heating Plant: Main Entrance ● Zones 1,2,3,5 and 6: Zone Offices

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PROFILES

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Physical Plant Profiles

Building Services: Beverly George

Beverly George began work at Physical Plant as a custodian in the Business Building nine years ago. Since then, she has worked in the Music Building, then the Main Library, then on the Day Mobile crew and finally in the Chemistry Building, where she has been for the last three years.

George is the only custodian assigned to the Chemistry Building during the day shift. She comes in at 6:45 am and works until 3:15 pm. George cleans ten laboratories, two computer rooms and the chemical store, stocks all the bathrooms with toilet paper and towels and keeps outside entrances and hallways clear of trash. Some of the laboratories she cleans, like the Magnetic and Laser laboratories,

hold expensive and delicate equipment. "I have to be very careful in some labs, but it makes me feel good to be trusted to clean these areas," she says. George sometimes works in Kirkwood and Myers Hall. She will do emergency tasks like replace a light bulb or clean up a mess that is disruptive to normal activity.

George likes working in the summer months the most. "There aren't as many students, and there isn't any snow," she says. Fighting the snow is one of the most difficult parts of George's job. She shovels snow and puts down sand at the entrances to the Chemistry Building, Myers Hall and Kirkwood Hall. Finals week also poses extra work for George. "So many students want to use the labs. Trying to clean around them can be challenging. I just ask them to move while I do my work. Most students are very nice and move before I ask them."

George enjoys her work, and says working alone isn't really so bad because of all the people she meets. "It can be lonely sometimes, but I have met so many nice faculty and students. The people keep my work interesting."

Building Services: Barbara Paris

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Barbara Paris joined Physical Plant in 1993 as a custodian, assigned to Jordan Hall. After two years, she was accepted into the Management Training Program (MTP) that the Building Services Division offers to its staff. This eighteen-month program prepares custodians to be group leaders. Workers learn management skills through weekly written assignments, workshops and on-the-job training. Paris trained for nine months in the Business Building and the Library under the direction of a supervisor. She is still in the MTP, but has been the group leader for the Library and Student Recreational Sports Center for four months.

As a group leader, Paris has many responsibilities. At the beginning of each shift, she meets with her supervisor and discusses the projects to be accomplished that night. She then helps workers get started, ensuring they have all the equipment and supplies they need. Throughout the shift, she monitors the work, and helps as needed. "Mostly, I make myself visible. I'm there to help everybody out," she says. For example, in the winter she shovels snow. When buildings are short on staff, she fills in. She also orders and distributes supplies and inspects all equipment to make sure it's safe and running properly.

Paris likes being a group leader, and feels that her positive attitude helps her be a good manager. "Human nature can be so unpredictable. Some personalities need more motivation than others." Paris also likes the variety of her work. "I like the challenge of different things. I come in each night, and don't know what I might be doing. I like that."

Campus Division: Greg Humphrey

Greg Humphrey has been a heavy equipment operator for Campus Division since 1989. Before that, Humphrey spent four years operating heavy equipment in the coal mines in Switz City, Indiana. He has always liked big equipment, and says it's because he was raised on a farm and was often around the heavy machines.

"Heavy equipment" refers to backhoes, skid steer loaders and bulldozers. A backhoe has two shovel like attachments on the front and back, and is usually used for digging. A skid steer loader is a smaller version of the backhoe. Campus Division has two backhoes and one skid steer loader.

Much of Humphrey's work aids other divisions in their projects. He digs up sidewalks so utilities workers can fix a broken pipe underneath, digs areas that carpenters will build in and digs the canals for plumbers to install new lines. He also cleans up coal spills at the power plant and loads and disposes of


PROFILES

trimmed tree branches. In the winter, Humphrey plows snow, and prepares and distributes the three-to-one sand and salt mixture used by Physical Plant on campus roads and walkways.

Humphrey says digging near a utility line - gas lines, phone lines, water lines - can be difficult. "We have to be very sensitive with the equipment because hitting one of these lines could inconvenience customers, or actually injure one of us. Sometimes we first dig with hand shovels so we know exactly what depth we can dig to with the equipment." Although operating large machines can be dangerous, Humphrey says he and his co-workers are a great team, and keep everything safe. "We work really well together. We know what each other can do, and we watch out for each other."

Building Maintenance: Keith Bruce

Keith Bruce has been a Physical Plant plumber for seventeen years. He came to Physical Plant in 1973 as a plumber's helper, and after seven years entered the IU Apprenticeship Program to become a certified plumber. In his first years out of the apprentice program, Bruce worked on IU's underground systems, including water mains and sewer and gas lines. These days, he sticks to jobs that are smaller, but just as important.

One of Bruce's most time-consuming duties is changing filters. Tuesday through Thursday, he changes the water-fountain filters located in campus academic buildings. He changes the filters in the copying machines at the Printing Plant and on the ice machines at

Assembly Hall. He changes about 65 filters a week, and each job takes 30-45 minutes. He must turn the system off, ensure all of the air is out of the system and then change the filter. On Mondays, Bruce inspects the sewage lift stations that pump IU waste to the main sewage plant. He makes sure they are not backing up, and that everything is working correctly. If a line is stopped up, or a pump is down, he notifies the Electric Shop, which handles the repair.

Bruce has extra work in the spring and fall. He turns on the outdoor watering systems for many campus areas including the arboretum, football and baseball fields, driving range, track and flower gardens. Each system takes approximately four hours to get running. In the fall, he drains excess water from these areas so they don't freeze through the winter; this is called "winterizing."

Bruce enjoys his work, and likes the independence it brings him. "I really get into a routine, so it goes quickly," he says. "I love being out on my own. I'm able to work at my own pace."

Building Maintenance: Joe Rogers


PROFILES

Joe Rogers started working at Physical Plant in 1993 as a custodian in the Chemistry Building. After seven months there, he was accepted into the CTC Program, which trains custodial workers in one of the crafts. Through this program, Rogers began working in the Mower Shop in Campus Division. In the spring of 1996, Rogers was assigned to the Preventive Maintenance crew, working the night shift. He cleaned the central air handlers for campus academic buildings. Since January 1997, Rogers has been the Zone Four preventive maintenance worker.

Rogers maintains the air temperature control equipment in Zone Four. This includes air handlers, uni-vents, air compressors and

exhaust fans. He tests the water in campus cooling towers for rust inhibitor, a chemical added to the water so it will not erode pipes. He also greases fan units, tests hot and cold water loops for proper water quality and services air compressors by changing oil, checking belts and draining condensate water. "We're like an insurance policy," says Rogers. "We keep things going. If you don't take care of the equipment, it will fail prematurely."

The most difficult part of Rogers' job is keeping ahead of schedule. "The Zone Four area is huge. There's so much to do." Rogers likes hard work though, and is ready to finish any task set out before him. "I'm not one to sit around," he says.

Rogers enjoys the fast pace of his job. "There's always something to do. When I get to work, I start my job, and I get so determined to finish the building I'm working on, that it becomes an annoyance to have to stop for lunch. The time really flies. One week seems like two days. There is no time when a preventive maintenance worker is not busy."

Engineering: Charlie Matson

Charlie Matson started working at Physical Plant in 1990 as Manager of Utilities Production. He supervised 30 workers who operated and maintained the Central Heating and Chilled Water Plants. In February of 1996, Matson applied for and was hired as Special Projects Engineer for Physical Plant.

Currently Matson's primary focus is documenting the level of energy efficiency achieved on Demand-Side Management (DSM) projects at the IUB, Kokomo and New Albany campuses. DSM is an energy conservation incentive plan offered by Public Service Indiana (PSI). Under the DSM program, IU designs and installs more efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems. As long as these systems meet the DSM


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performance standards, PSI shares in the cost. Since the start of the DSM program in 1992, PSI has refunded over $2,300,000 to Indiana University. Matson assists Physical Plant engineers in selecting the proper equipment for these systems, and documents their installation to obtain the rebates.

Another of Matson's duties is to supervise the Energy Management Group and the Control Center operators. The Control Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Six operators rotate to fill this demanding schedule. Through multiple computerized systems, they monitor heating and cooling systems of major campus buildings. If there is a problem with one of these systems, the Control Center notifies the Energy Management Group or other Physical Plant staffers for repair. Matson may assist workers in resolving problems, in addition to his daily responsibilities of reviewing time sheets and vacation requests and selecting upgraded computer equipment for the Control Center. Matson says, "I'm very excited about this position. It's an area that does a lot of good for the campus. There are some technologies that are new to me and will be interesting to learn about."

Utilities: Karen Bowman

Karen Bowman has worked at Physical Plant for sixteen years. She worked as a Carpentry Shop Clerk for her first twelve years, and then entered the secretarial pool because of structural changes within the department. In 1993, she began her current job as Office Coordinator for the Utilities Division.

Bowman has many duties. She records utilities workers' attendance, orders office supplies, orders Central Heating Plant supplies, like boiler parts and control panel controls, schedules Central Heating Plant workers, maintains work request databases, and approves check requests for materials ordered by utilities workers. "I process more than 100 checks a month," she says. Bowman also completes travel

arrangements for Utilities. She handles their transportation needs and makes hotel reservations. She prepares an itinerary for the traveler that includes the scheduled days of travel, the Physical Plant travel number, the hotel address and any needed confirmation numbers.

Bowman enjoys working with various computer databases. She recently created a database to aid her when she distributes outage notifications. These are memos sent to every Physical Plant division to notify them that there is going to be a planned water, steam or electric outage. Bowman used to have to type up more than fifty forms and type a different address on each. Now, all addresses and information are in her database and the entire process is done through e-mail.

Bowman likes learning about computers. She uses them to make her work more efficient. "I really like making improvements. I've switched many things that used to be in books and on paper to databases and spreadsheets," she says. She will soon be creating and utilizing two new databases. "We're going to convert all of the Central Heating Plant's paper records into computerized information," she says.


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"They're ready for me to be a database wizard."

Next Up Back


CTS

Back Up Next

Communication Tips

Listen up!

Most of us think we're good listeners. But since we're biased, it might be good to answer the following questions to check your real listening behavior. Do you:

● enjoy listening to other people because it's a passive activity that requires little effort? ● give up trying to understand someone who is vague? ● interrupt speakers before they are finished in order to ask questions that will help you understand

better? ● pride yourself on being able to continue a task while listening to someone speak about something

else? ● tune out what others are saying if you disagree with them, while getting your reply ready?

If you said "yes" to any of these questions, you may want to work on doing the opposite of what the question says. You'll be a better listener.

— adapted from Communication Briefings, December 1996

Improving Job Performance

Meetings

Meeting can be a very useful tool for helping to get work done. Unfortunately, many people dislike going to meetings; often, their feelings come from bad experiences with meetings. Can anything be done to make a meeting better? You bet! Here are some ideas for when you have to set up, lead or participate in a meeting.

Before the meeting...

Prepare an agenda. Ask participants to contribute, if appropriate. Distribute the agenda in advance. Include key items: topics in sequence, time per topic, adjournment time, break time.

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Decide who is needed. If it's an informational meeting, who needs to know the information? If it's a decision-making meeting, who has knowledge of the topic, who has time to participate, who is open-minded enough, who needs to commit to the solution?

Obtain a location. Find a convenient, adequate setting. Be sure participants are all available when the meeting room is available.

Notify participants. Tell them the time, date and location of the meeting; send them an agenda and any necessary background material.

At the meeting...

Arrange and check the room. Move furniture for the most appropriate arrangement: "U" or circle for decision-making, classroom-style for information meetings. Check lighting, temperature, air flow, AV equipment, flipcharts or other writing surfaces.

Introduce the meeting. State its purpose, desired outcome(s) and what each person can contribute. Explain the process of the meeting (for example, brainstorming to reach a solution to a problem) and the payoff for participants and their work units.

Generate participation. Ask general and specific questions. Ask for feelings and opinions. Present information/data/situation. Take notes. Contribute ideas. Listen actively.

Determine actions. If it's a decision-making meeting, be sure that everyone knows what they should be doing as a result of the decision. Set time targets.

Here's a checklist to rate yourself as a meeting participant:

● Did I know the purpose of the meeting? ● Did I have a clear understanding of my role? ● Did I confirm my attendance in advance of the meeting? ● Did I complete required "homework" such as looking up information or studying proposals? ● Did I arrive at the meeting before it was scheduled to begin? ● Did I avoid engaging in side conversations while the meeting was in progress? ● Did I refrain from leaving the meeting for any reason such as a non-emergency phone call? ● Did I ask questions when I was not sure about something? ● Was I open to the ideas of others? ● Was I a good listener? ● Did I actively participate in discussions when there was something worthwhile to contribute? ● Did I help others stay on the subject? ● Following the meeting did I take agreed upon action? ● Did I contribute to improving the meeting by giving feedback to the people who conducted it


CTS

either by note, phone call, or visit? ● Following the meeting did I inform appropriate people who did not attend about what was

discussed and the outcome?

Remember: You get out of a meeting what you put into it.

Safety

Scaffolds

Common sense tips for working in high places

Many workers use scaffolds as a regular part of their jobs. It is easy to get careless about using scaffolds if you've used them a lot. But scaffolds should not be used without thought and precautions. Here are some of both.

Inspect first. Look for

● scaffold construction: is it made of stress-grade lumber or strong metal? ● support: can it hold four times the maximum load you plan to put on it (people, equipment)? If

rope or wire is used to suspend a scaffold, can it support six times the intended load? ● stability: are metal scaffolds cross-braced? Are poles, legs or other uprights plumb and secure?


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Are footings sound and rigid? ● guardrails, midrails and toeboards: are there guardrails every ten feet on all open sides? Are toe

boards around exterior edges four inches high? ● protection high and low: is there protection from overhead hazards? Are there wire mesh screens

between guardrails and toeboards to protect people passing below?

Assemble and maintain properly. Be sure that you

● secure planks to the scaffold so they don't slip; planks should extend 6-18" over end supports ● use planks at least 2" × 9", free from dead knots, splits or other defects ● never use a scaffold near power lines ● watch out for slippery conditions (snow, ice, spills, grease); sand the surface if it's wet or slick ● use safety nets for very high jobs or when using a variety of tools and materials

Observe safety rules.

● Climb safely — don't take shortcuts; never work on a scaffold if you're dizzy. ● Wear protective equipment on or around scaffolds: hard hats and sturdy shoes with non-skid

soles. ● On a swinging scaffold, attach safety belts to the structure, not the scaffold. ● Keep only what you need on the scaffold; remove everything at the end of a day, even if the job

isn't completed. ● Move around carefully; avoid banging into the scaffold with equipment. ● Practice good housekeeping; keep the area around and under the scaffold clear of debris. ● Stay off outdoor scaffolding in high winds or other dangerous weather.

And in general: Inspect all materials before use. You should be alert for hazards. Use recommended safety equipment. And always keep your mind on your work.

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MISC

Back Up

New Apprentices

On November 4th, the Department of Physical Plant hired four new apprentices into the Building Maintenance division.

This photo was taken on their first day as apprentices (without uniforms, but with plenty of enthusiasm). They are (from left): Jon Weisman, Heating Mechanic; Brian Smith, Electrician; Rick Killion, Electrician; and Steve Butcher, Elevator Mechanic.

Their addition to the IU Apprenticeship Program brings the total number of apprentices to 28.

Each new apprentice will complete 1800 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of job-related instruction for each of their four years of apprenticeship.

"Quarter Century Club" growing

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Mike Donovan and Don Burks recently reached membership in the "Quarter Century Club" this fall. Both began their Indiana University employment careers in the early seventies.

Donovan began his service with IU on January 3, 1972, and now is a Refrigeration Mechanic in Zone Two, working out of the Chemistry Building. Burks began his career with IU on December 20, 1971, and now is a Utilities Coordinator.

Bloomington's Physical Plant Department has over 90 employees who are members of the "Quarter Century Club." They are recognized on the employee "Wall of Fame" near the front door of the Service Building.

We congratulate these dedicated employees for their 25 years at Indiana University.

Apprentices graduate

Recently, ten Physical Plant apprentices completed their four-year apprenticeships and achieved journeyman status.


MISC

They are: Kevin Beatty, Carpenter; Brad Bond, Carpenter; Richard Eberle, Plumber; Mike Hackler, Elevator Electrician; Steve Hart, Plumber; Danny Hawkins, Electrician; Mark Myers, Sheet Metal Mechanic; Paul Olesh, Heating Mechanic; David Schneider, Heating Mechanic; and Russell Young, Mason. (Due to varied work schedules, only three were available for the above photo.)

Each year in the IU Apprenticeship Program they participated in on-the-job training and classroom instruction, which prepared them to become professionals in their respective trades.

Congratulations!

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Feature Index Physical Plant Profiles - Indiana University