From the Desk of Steve Espinosa,
Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
I hope that all of you had a joyous holiday even though we were not able to spend it with all our families and friends. I am hopeful that by the end of 2021 we will all be able to enjoy the gatherings and celebrations that bring family and friends together again.
“Stay Safe and Healthy” is a phrase that I am sure all of us have either seen or heard by friends, family members, coworkers, checkout clerks or even at the closing of an email. I like to think that when someone tells me, “Stay Safe and Healthy Steve” that it serves as a reminder. We are all responsible for our families, friends, and those we work with. We understand how much they mean to us as well as how much we mean to them.
Safety is always a priority when on the job site when you are in the construction trades. It gets drilled into us daily from job site safety orientations, daily and weekly tailgate safety meetings. In addition to visual aids such as Caution or Danger tape and other signage that helps to remind us of the potential hazards that construction workers are exposed to almost every day. As Sisters and Brothers on the job site, we look out for one another and are genuinely concerned about each other’s safety. We all want to arrive to work, put in a safe and productive workday and most importantly, get home to our families safely.
Being healthy goes hand and hand with being safe. If you are not feeling well, tired, or maybe have muscle aches or just lack the energy to perform your tasks while at work. This could cause a negative effect on how you think and react to adverse conditions when you are working and possibly put yourself and others at risk of becoming injured on the job. Eating right is a key component to staying healthy. I am the first to admit my love for eating cheeseburgers, pizza and other fatty foods, but these foods will make you sluggish and tired not to mention wreak havoc on your immune system. Maintaining a healthy diet will help you to work safer and possibly prevent you from missing work due to being ill. Being healthy also keeps the costs down for our Health and Welfare plans.
As we all look back at the year that was “2020” we will remember the many challenges that we all faced; brought us closer together (figuratively speaking) and how they forced some of us apart. By staying safe we can all look forward to gathering with our family and friends next Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, while working towards maintaining our personal health; we can look forward to a prosperous and productive 2021.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
Steve Espinosa