Starting as a crew member in March of 2015, Tyler Orazio now covers Flagger Force’s entire footprint as quality manager. In collaboration with our safety department, he works to provide the best work zones possible for our clients. Tyler took some time to talk with Flagger Force to share his career journey and what helped him grow into the quality manager role.
Flagger Force: Tyler, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. How long have you been in your current role as quality manager?
Tyler: I took the position in July of 2018. Starting as a crew member, I am so appreciative of the opportunities that Flagger Force has given me to advance in my career. I have had such incredible support over the years. My mentors, leaders, and colleagues have really believed in me and provided the guidance to be successful and grow into this role.
Flagger Force: What experiences have led you to this leadership position?
Tyler: When I was an advanced crew leader, I took a lot of time to work with my colleagues to offer advice and insights from my experience. I really liked the idea of becoming a resource to help more people at Flagger Force as a quality manager.
Flagger Force: What responsibilities do you have as a quality manager?
Tyler: I would say the majority of my responsibility is to make sure we are providing safe, quality work zones for our clients. The second would be to
provide guidance to our field employees on setups and situations that may arise in the field.
Flagger Force: Do you enjoy your time spent in the field?
Tyler: Yes, I do! It is a great opportunity to meet employees and to share my experiences with them. I spend some of my site visits answering questions that the field employees have, for example, questions about taper length or parking of vehicles. I really like the fact that people ask questions and encourage that curiosity. Because of our extensive training and development, our field employees are always learning and our clients are very impressed with that.
Flagger Force: What are some things that you see now going on site visits?
Tyler: Well, I see a lot. We have great professionals working in the field who take safety very seriously. Safety is about the details. If I walk onto a jobsite and see everything set up perfectly, but someone is not wearing safety glasses, I really get upset. I try to make that kind of situation a teachable moment. Using examples like, “If a rock kicks up and hits you in the eye, what is going to protect you?”, helps employees visualize why safety needs to be their number one priority.
Flagger Force: What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about advancing their career at Flagger Force?
Tyler: I always recommend asking questions and learning from the people around you. Your partners can teach you a lot through their experiences, because you can’t learn it all in a book.
More about Tyler Orazio:
Who do you admire most? My wife, Lauren. She is truly a rock for our family. My roles in safety and quality have required a lot of late nights and out of town travel, and she does and amazing job of juggling her own work as well as they day-to-day needs of a child and two dogs when I am not there.
If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be? Thomas Edison. He was so dedicated to finding solutions that would help everyone. And when he didn’t succeed, he didn’t consider it a failure, but a learning experience and a step closer to his goal.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? I heard a quote recently from a safety director that I really loved. “If you see the O-rings are leaking on the space shuttle just say something!” It speaks to how a simple escalation of concern can potentially avert a huge disaster.
Can you describe yourself in one word? Analytical.
