Greenville Utilities Commission recently received a major national award from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for exemplifying safe practices in its electric services.
The APPA Safety Award of Excellence – Diamond Level is the highest recognition an agency can receive. GUC earned it by calculating the total number of hours worked by electric department employees for the entire year and comparing that to how many days were lost or restricted due to injury.
Of the total 275,830 hours worked by 145 employees, the electric department only reported two recordable injuries and only one of those resulted in restricted work with five days lost.
“Our employees have worked hard for many years now to build a safety culture where everyone is keeping an eye on one another and speak up if they see something unsafe,” said GUC Director of Electric John Worrell. “It’s very rewarding when national organizations such as APPA recognize those efforts, and it reinforces the fact that our safety programs are making a difference.”
GUC has a strong culture of safety and leadership development for employees. It initiated the use of the Situational Leadership Model in 2022 to train all leaders and team members. After seeing proven success with this model, it was integrated into established safety contact and coaching conversations during site visits.
Using this strategy and technique allowed the department to create tailored approaches to enhance individual and team safety. Data that is collected by departmental leaders is reviewed monthly, which includes detailed documentation of safety contacts, job safety briefings, and safety coaching. Using this data, leaders identified trends, discovered opportunities for improvement, and recognized exceptional efforts by employees.
In the electric department’s entry information, they wrote, “True safety leadership extends beyond technical knowledge; it demands the ability to foster a culture where safety is a core value, not just a priority.”
“In our industry, safety has to be top of mind all day every day,” said Scott McKenzie, Chair of APPA’s Engineering and Operations Conference safety track and Senior Director of Member Training & Safety at AMP Inc. “These honored utilities have demonstrated a commitment to safety that runs through every aspect of their organizations.”
Last year, GUC won the APPA’s Safety Award at the Gold level.