Hopkinsville Electric System/energynet has earned the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2020. The utility earned 1st place in the category for utilities with 99,833 worker-hours of annual worker exposure.
“Utilities that receive an APPA Safety Award have demonstrated that they have made the health and safety of their employees a core value,” said Brandon Wylie, Chair of APPA’s Safety Committee and Director of Training & Safety at Electric Cities of Georgia. “Designing and maintaining a top-notch utility safety program takes a lot of hard work and commitment. These utilities and their communities should be very proud.”
329 utilities from across the country entered the annual Safety Awards. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records during 2020. The incidence rate, used to judge entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2020, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“Hopkinsville Electric System/energynet values safety above all else,” said Jeff Hurd, General Manager. “We recognize the importance of our employees going home to their families each day; this is what drives our dedication to safety.”
The Safety Awards have been held annually for the last 65 years. APPA is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide.