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Ford's Focus
Last week I invited everyone to join me in mourning the loss of Harry Lego. Several employees shared warm remembrances of him, and we gathered them below in his memory. He will certainly be missed.
On a brighter note, EHS is sponsoring Family Safety Day at the BJC again this year (April 25) to coincide with Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
Finally, this year's Spring Celebration is going to be on the MAIN arena floor of the BJC, and we're inviting anyone with hidden or obvious talents to contact us and perform as part of the festivities.
Have a great week,
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Safety Record
 We've had only a few injuries so far in April, which is good news. But there is still plenty of reason for caution.
We had two slips and falls. One employee was pushing a mop bucket up a ramp when it got stuck on the end of the carpet runner, causing a trip.
Another employee caught their heel on a crack in the pavement, causing a fall over the curb.
We had a cut finger on an employee who wasn't wearing gloves when they reached for a flashlight while working on a generator.
We had a bruise when an employee mopping a restroom floor struck their hand on a heat register.
Finally, we had chemical exposure when an employee opened an oven in which mercury was being heated.
 As always, please report all safety hazards, near miss incidents and safety success stories.
Call us at 863-2340.
Visit us, or even drop a note outside our office in 103 Physical Plant.
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Announcements & Reminders
 OPP's Got Talent!
We want YOU to perform at this year's Spring Celebration. This year's celebration will take place on June 3 on the main arena floor of the Bryce Jordan Center.
If you can sing, dance, jump, jive, or wail, please contact Candy Wert so she can get you on the schedule!
University Staff Advisory Council - Apps Due May 1
The University Staff Advisory Council is now accepting applications for new members! USAC is a great way to get involved at Penn State and serve your fellow staff members. The membership term is three years, beginning on August 1. Applications are due May 1. For more information, contact Membership Committee chair Greg Mason.
Family Safety Day - Thursday, April 25
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is hosting Family Safety Day again this year at the BJC during Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day from 8 am to 1 pm in front of the Bryce Jordan Center on April 25.
Smoke (simulation)! Fire (extinguishers)! Cockroaches (live)!
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Cheers
Power to the People
Ed Thomas sent a shout out to the Electrical Integrity and Utility crews for helping restore power to Findlay Residence Hall before Spring Break.
"The first event was a cable failure in the HV switch, and the second was the failure of the breaker to reset after an investigation of cables in a second HV switch. The knowledge of the EI crew allowed them to use the maintenance tie, installing the buss tie links in the Findlay Dining gear and closing the tie breaker in the Residence Gear. This restored power to all buildings."
Utilities Crew
Kevin Hahn - Jeff McDonald - Jason Supenia
Chris Henninger Jr. - Shane Michaels - Dave Reese
EI Crew
Ed Thomas - Jim Flanagan - Doug Tubbs
Kent Laubscher - Kevin Conklin - Bob Regel - John Stephens
"The two crews, working together, removed the failed breaker and had the repair installed prior to the end of Spring Break. Their knowledge of secondary distribution systems provides great value-added benefits to the University."
Glowing Praise
 "Thank you for your help in obtaining and handling the uranium material for the experiments that we ran. We have closed out our lab for radioactive materials, and the studies were successful. I have attached the publication that resulted from this study in which we gratefully acknowledge your assistance at the end of the paper. Thank you again for being an integral part in this study!" --Matt Ross, Postdoctoral Researcher, Chemistry Building Top Shelf Work  Shop Painter John Daulby and Shop Carpenter Rob Knapik received kudos from Intercollegiate Athletics for exceptional work in the White Building.
"I wanted to make sure you know how thrilled we are with the recent addition of handmade shelves in room 6 of the White Building. The craftsmanship is top notch, and they far exceeded what I had imagined. Our patrons have remarked how nice the piece looks and how useful it is for them every day. I appreciate the extra time and attention by John Daubley and John Knapick. We are thrilled with our shelves and with the service from all involved in the project."
--Jill Garrigan, Intercollegiate Athletics
Museum Quality
Jen Dahlke from the Penn State All-Sports Museum wrote in with with praise for Leroy Inhoof, Wayne Gates, Vince Benner, Steve Kutches, and Don Hassinger.
"Leroy came by today to install the door-holding mechanism.
He did a fine job and had a good attitude. I have been very impressed with OPP workers. They are happy to be at work and enjoy what they are doing. I also had a team come over to take down an old banner and put up a new one. They came out soon after I put in a request and did a nice job. I am proud to have OPP workers in the museum to take care of issues and I know I can count on them. This makes me look good and be more successful in my job!"
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Welcomes & Farewells
Robert King is the new Custodian in District 43. He is new to the University and began work March 3.
Raymond Bloom is the new Custodian in District 13. He is new to the University and began work March 3.
Brian Carter is the new Custodian in District 42. He is new to the University and began work March 3.
Robert Phillips is the new Programmer/Analyst in Engineering Services who began work March 11.
James Evans is the new Utility Maintenance Worker in District 53 who began work on March 3.
Allen Saylor is the new Utility Maintenance Worker in District 33 who began work on March 3.
Deborah McKinley is the new Custodian in District 32 who began work on March 11.
Dwayne Davis is the new Electrical Integrity Analyst who began work on March 4.
Jeff Ripka is also a new Electrical Integrity Analyst who began work on March 11.
Mike Grubbs is the new Chilled Water Operator who began work on March 11.
Tyler Ruble is the new Chilled Water Operator who began work on March 18.
Geoffrey Warui is the new Custodian in District 43. He is new to the University and began work on March 17.
Scott Moyer is the new Custodian in District 12. He is new to the University and began work on March 18.
Kathy Henderson is the new Custodian in District 43. She is new to the University and began work on March 24.
Garry Beck Jr. is the new Utilities Piping Maintenance Worker in Water Services. He began work on March 3.
Sherrie Rossman is the new Custodian in District 12. She is new to the University and began work on April 8.
George Irwin III is the new Custodian in District 43. He is new to the University and began work on April 7.
Jacqueline Pighetti is the new Custodian in District 13. She is new to the University and began work on April 7.
Ken Troyer is the new Custodian in District 33. He is new to the University and began work on April 14.
Farewells
Jeff Hull retired as a Maintenance Mechanic on March 22. He was hired by Penn State in 1979.
Carl Guiher retired as a Custodian on March 22. He was hired by Penn State in 1995.
Chuck Krepps retired as a TV and Electronics Maintenance Technician on March 22. He was hired by Penn State in 1978.
Rhonda Swartz retired as a Custodian on March 25. She was hired by Penn State in 2002.
John Winn retired as an Area Facilities Maintenance Worker on April 5. He was hired by Penn State in 1991.
Custodian Brian Sheppard moved on to a new position within Housing and Food Services, and his last day was March 24.
Custodian Jeff Rockey also accepted a position in Housing and Food Services, and his last day was also March 24.
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During the course of recent Employee Meetings, employees have asked questions and provided suggestions about what OPP might do to improve its operations.
Electrical Integrity
The EI crew identified the need to consolidate their activities in order to gain significant efficiencies. Following the meeting, a tentative solution was identified that will be incorporated in the OPP space planning efforts.
Custodial
Concerns raised on the amount of time required to fill vacant custodial positions prompted increased efforts to improve TT and hiring processes.
Additional questions can be e-mailed in advance of Employee Meetings to ensure they are addressed.
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What's it like to be...an Environmental Systems Technician?
 Denny Smith worked for Penn State for nearly 35 years. During his career, the University doubled in size and Denny saw many changes, held many jobs, and even saved the Presidential cats.
Yes, the Presidential cats.
Five Presidents
Denny began working for Penn State when John Oswald was President and has served under five administrations.
"I've had the chance to shake hands with Dr. Oswalt, Dr. Jordan, Dr. Thomas, and Dr. Spanier. I often e-mailed or spoke to Dr. Erickson about projects, but have never had the chance to shake his hand. I'd like to do that before I leave." (Dr. Erickson showed up at Denny's retirement party and did shake his hand!)
Denny's favorite president was Bryce Jordan. In those days the President's residence was in Harris Acres, and Denny spent a lot of time out there on remodeling projects.
"At the end of that job, President Jordan invited our entire crew and their wives out for dinner with him one Saturday night. He gave us all free run of the house and said that we were in charge, not him. After dinner we sat and chatted with Bryce for hours while our wives toured the house. It was a very nice time and the crew felt greatly appreciated!"
The Stadium and Mrs. Paterno
"We take care of the suites, the pressbox, and all the heating and the pumps at Beaver Stadium. We were called into the Paterno suite a few years back on a cold call, and I asked Mrs. Paterno if she was cold. She said no. I told her that someone had called about the temperature. She said, oh, that was those [high rollers]. Just go down and watch the game and have a nice day. Don't worry about us. We both had a good laugh, and we left. When Penn State won the last bid to the Rose Bowl, our crew got to walk out on the field. We stood right there at the goalpost and watched Joe's victory celebration."
Good Customer Service Is Just Getting out of the Way
Denny was working in the bathroom of a women's dorm one night when a female student came running in.
"I yelled, 'hey, I'm working in here!' She yelled back, 'I don't care, I have to go!' In my haste to leave, I was up on a ladder cleaning out ducts and I dropped a sweeper into the toilet and shorted the sweeper out. Sometimes good customer service is just getting out of their way."
The Presidential Cats
It all started when the carbon monoxide alarms went off at the Schreyer House.
"I go flying out there, and the Spaniers weren't home, so I went in the building to find their furnace malfunctioning. Since high CO levels can be dangerous, we evacuated Mrs. Spanier's cats into my van. The cats were scared to death and wouldn't leave the safety and comfort of an OPP van until Mrs. Spanier arrived to coax them out. I was worried Mrs. Spanier would be upset and explained that I put the cats in the van to protect them. She had a good laugh, talked to the cats a bit, reached in, the fur flew, and the cats were home safe. The Alpha Fire Company then arrived to unplug the chimney that had clogged with ice, causing the furnace to malfunction.
Leaving a Legacy
"When I was a little boy, East Halls was a cow pasture. When I rode to work with my Dad (a driver for Centre Concrete), I watched him pour the concrete for East Halls. I also watched Dad pour the concrete for Hammond Building. They poured the stairwells and the piers and set those big boxes in, just like a mobile home. Hammond was a temporary building that became permanent.
I saw the Engineering Units condemned twice!
I can remember when East View Terrace was just old army Quonset huts with furnaces in them. Lester Garbrick and I had to go into them and fix the boilers all the time."
Denny Smith started at McElwain Dining Hall as a pot-sink worker in 1979, went to the dorms as a grade 10 Utility, then a grade 8 Repairman, and then went to OPP as a grade 6 on second shift. He did a lateral to daylight as a grade 5 jack-of-all trades at MRL and came back to OPP for 12 years as a grade 4 with Andy Ellenberger, then a grade 3 with Larry Mayes. Eventually he tested for and became a grade 2 with Larry and then took a night shift so he could work the same shift schedule as his wife.
"My advice to the young guys today is 'go to school!' That's why this place is here. There are courses for whatever trade you might be interested in. I took courses while I worked and also put two of my three kids through Penn State and one through another college. My proudest moment was when my youngest daughter graduated from Penn State!"
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Carpooling
Clearfield-Centre Connector
The Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania (ATA), which serves Clearfield County, has launched a regional commuter bus service, the Clearfield-Centre Connector, linking Clearfield, Philipsburg and State College earlier this year.
The service, which runs Monday through Friday, provides two trips into State College each morning. Return trips depart from the Bryce Jordan Center (Stadium West bus stop). Registered riders will be eligible to participate in CATA's Guaranteed Ride Home program, which provides up to four rides home annually in the case of emergency. More information is available at www.rideata.com.
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Up for Grabs
FOR SALE: 2 Tickets to Charlotte Nascar Races Memorial Day Weekend - Tickets and Hotel
PRICE: $302.50/ticket (includes room)
CONTACT: Bob Hutchison
E-MAIL: rdh6@psu.edu
DESCRIPTION: Includes the National Race (Saturday, May 25) and the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup (Sunday, May 26)
More...
 FOR SALE: Foosball Table
PRICE: $100 OBO
CONTACT: Abigail Kun
E-MAIL: alk308@psu.edu
DESCRIPTION:Used but still in good condition. Even has its own cupholders. Pick up only in State College Area.
More...
 FOR SALE: Redcat 110cc ATV PRICE: $700 OBO CONTACT: Tiffany Bainey E-MAIL: tlb45@psu.edu DESCRIPTION: One owner and kept in a garage. Great bike that has been outgrown. More... Any OPP employee can post an item FOR FREE with their name, department, and e-mail address. |
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EHS Tip of the Week
 Battery Recycling
This week's tips come from Mike Houser in EHS.
Batteries are an indispensable part of modern life, and recycling them helps the environment and reduces consumer costs.
Keep Heavy Metals out of the Environment
- All batteries contain heavy metals. Depending on the type, this may include lead, zinc, mercury, nickel, manganese, lithium and/or cadmium.
- A single automobile battery contains 18 pounds of lead.
- Approximately 88 percent of the mercury present in the American solid waste stream comes from dry cell batteries.
- Heavy metals from batteries that end up in landfills leach through the ground into the water supply.
- Incineration of batteries releases some heavy metals into the air and others remain in the resulting ash, which ultimately ends up in landfills.
Recycling batteries prevents this air, ground and water pollution.
Safely Dispose of Corrosive Acids
- Batteries contain strong, corrosive acids.
- The average car battery contains 1 lb. of sulfuric acid.
Recycling batteries rather than sending them to the landfill prevents these toxic chemicals from leaching through the soil and into the water supply.
Reduce Demand for Raw Materials
- A new car battery normally contains between 60 and 80 percent recycled lead and plastic.
- Button batteries contain valuable metals, such as silver and zinc.
Save Landfill Space
- Americans use almost 3 billion dry-cell batteries every year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers, and portable power tools and 99 million vehicle batteries per year.
Recycling saves the significant amount of space these batteries would take up in landfills.
Purchase Rechargeable Batteries
- Nearly one in five dry-cell batteries purchased in the United States is rechargeable.
- Over its useful life, each rechargeable battery may substitute for hundreds of single-use batteries.
Battery Recycling Program at Penn State
ALL batteries used in appliance and electronic gadgets can be recycled at Penn State.
- Cover terminals with plastic tape or place battery in a plastic bag to prevent shorting.
- Request a battery bucket for your unit from Al Matyasovsky.
- When the bucket is full, OPP will collect the batteries.
- Car batteries from Penn State fleet and department cars are recycled through OPP's garage.
- Take your battery to the garage or e-mail Al Matyasovsky for pick up.
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In Memory
1954-2013
Last week we received some tragic news about a member of the OPP family. Harry Lego lost his life on the morning of April 8 in a motorcycle accident. His co-workers shared their condolences and memories.
"His kindness and big smile will be missed most of all."
"Harry was my gardening advisor. My garlic and rhubarb grow in his spirit."
"You will be sadly missed, my friend."
"Harry leaves a huge void in the Waste Management crew. He embraced his work every day and encouraged everyone to hold a high standard."
"Harry shared our wedding day, and a beautiful Afghan hangs on our rocking chair as a reminder."
"Harry was not only my co-worker, he was my friend."
Harry was a valuable member of our Waste Management crew, a Union Steward, an excellent leader, and a friend to all. He started work at Penn State in 1998 and began work at OPP in 2005. He was 59 years old. Please join us in in keeping Harry's family and coworkers in our thoughts and prayers.
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Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Alex Novak by e-mail or at 863-0432.
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