“Use your intuition—at home and on the job site. When your gut tells you something is unsafe, it’s usually right. Everyone has the right to stop work.” -Catrina Neudorff, Site Safety Manager
Construction is in Catrina Neudorff’s blood. “My dad was an electrician and project manager. When I was a kid, I’d work with him on the weekends installing light fixtures,” she recalls fondly.
Catrina followed in his footsteps and established a career in commercial electrical construction. She hadn’t considered pursuing safety, but when a coordinator position became available at her company, she was asked if she’d be interested in making a move. She took a chance and went for it.
“Because of my electrical background, I had a lot of hands-on knowledge of OSHA standards already. I prioritized safety and reminded those around me to work safely. My coworkers even called me Mama Bear,” she says with a chuckle. “It seemed like a good fit.”
It’s been eighteen years, and Catrina is right at home being a Site Safety Manager. A typical day for her starts by making sure all permits are in place for digs, crane operations, electrical work, energization, and other activities. She also conducts heavy equipment inspections, oversees crane work, leads safety orientations for new employees and site visitors, and addresses any Good Catches—Blue Ridge Power’s reporting mechanism for identifying potential safety hazards.
A big part of her job—and one of her favorites—is being an available resource for the field teams. She’s been on the other side as a construction worker and understands the challenges they face.
“I often get calls with questions from the field, like ‘Is this safe?’ Or ‘Am I doing this task right?’ If people don’t have a good relationship with the Safety team, they might not ask those questions. I try to be approachable and make our safety practices easy to understand and follow.”
Catrina has been on several of Blue Ridge Power’s South Carolina projects and gets home to North Carolina as often as she can to spend time with her eight grandkids. Family is her priority—a value that’s reflected in her work to ensure our teams get home safely.
