By Dave Williams, Senior Property Loss Control Consultant
For many years, BPC has visited the Bridgestone Americas facility in Gastonia, North Carolina. There was one valve house that was across a two-foot deep drainage ditch, and BPC Engineer Bert Krekel had advised the plant that access to that valve house was needed at all times, even in inclement weather when the ditch would be full of fast-running rain water run-off.
Although not assigned this location in 2017, XL Catlin Engineer Jamie Contino discovered that a bridge has now been provided. Of more interesting note is that when Frank Lawless, plant engineer, showed Jamie the newly constructed bridge he told Jamie that it has officially been named “Bert’s Bridge”. Jamie noted in his report, “Congratulations Bert Krekel, you have a bridge named after you!”.