Perspectives

We all want the same thing

Kari Biernacki, Vice President of AUI Inc, speaks with more than 19 years of experience. She said, “Utility owner/operators don’t want their underground facilities damaged. Contractors in general and AUI specifically couldn’t agree with them more. We all want the same thing; no injuries and no damages. Even if no one gets hurt, there is the downtime and other associated expenses with the damage. In addition, there is personal pride at stake in completing a job satisfactorily.”

When you walk into the offices of AUI, it is easy to see how important their mission statement of “Quality, Safety, and Integrity” is to them. The walls are covered with letters from satisfied customers. These letters are shared with the crew members that made it all possible. Kari continued, “Recognizing an individual committed to promoting our professional image is important both to the individual and the company.”

One of Kari’s responsibilities as the contract administrator is to support field activities. That includes coordinating the many locate requests from the one call system to keep jobs on schedule. “New Mexico One Call does a fantastic job of notifying member utilities. They are a great conduit of information and the information helps everyone fulfill their role in preventing damages. However, all utilities are not members of one call and it causes additional burden on the contractor. So while the system is not perfect, it is much better than it used to be.”

Across the country, the message is loud and clear. Damage prevention is a shared responsibility. That means stakeholders must learn to work together to solve issues that confront them at the local level. That requires getting involved. And Kari has got involved in New Mexico. She is the current president of the New Mexico One Call board, on the board of the New Mexico chapter of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), and on the board of the New Mexico Regional Common Ground Alliance (NMRCGA). She said, “Because I’ve been so involved, I can see the progress that has been made in changing the image of ‘it’s the contractor’s fault’ to ‘it’s a shared responsibility’. Others less involved from my industry may not see the change yet, but there are great resources and opportunities to get involved and to help change the mindset of all stakeholders.”

She continued, “The NMRCGA encourages all stakeholders; from the regulators to the contractors to come to a safe environment as an equal shareholder to talk about issues or concerns. We are encouraged to discuss these important issues before they become regulation. We are in a position to help identify how best to implement new rules like effective enforcement. It’s about creating a fair process.”

She is exactly right. Everybody makes mistakes, and everybody should be held to the same standards. That’s true whether it is bidding on jobs or complying with regulations. We agree in all facets of life, that we must be held accountable. Most folks hold themselves accountable, but for those who do not or will not, there must be a fair system of accountability in place. It begins with education and ends with what is necessary to create a fair process.

Kari is passionate about the need to get the message out. She says, “We’d like to believe everybody wants to do the right thing, but that may not always be the case. Resources are available for all stakeholders and especially for the contractor. There is approved training that New Mexico One Call provides and NUCA is also a great resource for them. The main thing is that it starts with education, but if there are those who consistently refuse to do it right, well perhaps that’s one of the reasons we need the PRC. If I choose to ignore the rules, surely I would expect to suffer the consequences. While penalties are not the first response, there is a place for them.”

“AUI’s internal policy of setting high expectations for our employees helps us in that we aren’t afraid for the PRC to drive up on our job site. We try to do it right. It’s just good business, and this all ties back to understanding what New Mexico One Call is about – a great conduit of valuable information. For the stakeholder trying to get it right, it starts with a call to one call or a proper response to the receipt of a one call ticket,” she said.

Companies are going to have to aggressively change their own mindset about just depending on laws, rules, or regulations to provide accountability. Higher expectations within organizations must be achieved by an internal commitment from the top down. Rewards for jobs well done and consequences for failure to do the right thing are becoming more commonplace across the country. Higher performance starts and ends with effective communication.

Kari concluded, “I am very encouraged when I think of the progress that has been made over the past few years. Things will continue to improve as long as people get involved. We can’t continue to rely on the same handful of people to make it happen. I’ve been very fortunate to work for a company like AUI. They’ve given me the flexibility to get involved statewide. I’ve learned so much and believe that there has been value added to the company. I believe there is better understanding overall today. But there is still much work to be done.”

Consider joining Kari and the hundreds of other stakeholders at the NMRCGA to continue the discussion of working together to keep New Mexico a safer place to live and work. Visualize yourself as part of the solution and you’ll become part of the solution. Remember, if you think you look funny on a horse, you’ll never lead a cavalry charge.

We’ll see you in June.