When Jose Soriano, who does construction jobs in the Facilities Division, spotted a bottle of liquid near Building 88 without a label, his instincts kicked in. Uncertain whether the dark substance in the bottle was safe or whether it had been illegally dumped, he stopped shoveling and alerted his supervisor. Jose was concerned that the bottle’s contents could be toxic to the environment or to fellow workers.
“It’s what they teach us,” says Jose, “to make safety the first concern.”
Jose thought first of his coworkers’ safety. But he’s also careful about the environmental dangers possible in such a situation. “Nature is my first call,” he says. “What we do affects everyone.”
Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
Jose performs construction jobs for Berkeley Lab, including trenching, operating a backhoe, and working with concrete. In his 13 years at the Lab, his safety awareness has only increased, he says.
The substance in the bottle was analyzed, found to be a hazardous oil, and disposed of properly. For his attention to safety, Jose was handed a Hero Card. Hero Cards are an easy way to say “good job” for performing positive everyday safe behavior.
Jose registered the card on the Hero Card website which automatically entered him in a quarterly raffle drawing. His was the lucky number pulled, and Jose is $50 richer. The other quarterly raffle winner, Frank Rosado, received a Hero Card for helping a coworker in Building 50 rid a cubicle of a mouse.
Such seemingly simple acts reveal a concern for the safety of others that goes above and beyond a job description. If you know someone who has shown such concern for others, thank them with a Hero Card! If you need a supply of cards, e-mail [email protected]. If you want to learn more about the Hero Card Program, go to the Hero Card website.
