Contact: Patty Schenker
608-834-4598
SUN PRAIRIE, WIS. – WPPI Energy has earned the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Electric Utility Safety Award for safe operating practices in 2010. WPPI Energy earned a second place award in the category for utilities with 110,000 to 249,999 worker-hours of annual exposure.
APPA’s Safety Awards are presented on an annual basis to emphasize the importance of safe working habits and to recognize utilities whose employees achieve particularly safe operations. The awards also help APPA collect statistical information about safety issues.
“When it comes to running an electric utility, safety should always be a top priority,” said David Dwinell, chair of the APPA Safety Committee and safety specialist at Denton, Texas, Municipal Electric. “These utilities stand out as strong examples of how to run an operation that keeps utility staff out of harm’s way.”
More than 255 utilities entered the annual contest. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker hours and judged for the most incident-free records during 2010. The incidence rate, used to judge contest entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2010, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“One of our greatest assets is our employees and it is a high priority for WPPI Energy to keep our team safe,” said WPPI Energy President and CEO Mike Peters. “This recognition is a reminder of the high standards we employ, and we are committed to continuing to improve our safety practices.”
The safety contest has been held annually for the last 51 years by APPA, the national organization representing more than 2,000 nonprofit, community- and state- owned electric utilities.
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WPPI Energy is a regional power company serving 51 customer-owned electric utilities. Through WPPI Energy, these public power utilities share resources and own generation facilities to provide reliable, affordable electricity to more than 195,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Iowa. Visit http://www.wppienergy.org.
