GreyStone earns top safety score, completes 2008 with no lost time accidents

GreyStone Power earned safety accreditation from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) with flying colors in November. In addition, the Cooperative completed the 2008 year with no lost time accidents, for perhaps the first time in its 72 year history.

            “As far as we know, GreyStone until now has never completed a year with zero lost time accidents,” says Gary Miller, GreyStone President/CEO. “It is a major accomplishment, something we have always striven for, yet never quite been able to do. Every employee has to be committed to this or it doesn’t happen, so every employee shares in this accomplishment. A lot of credit goes to our men working outside and on the lines, who have to overcome many obstacles in the work they do to realize a year with no accidents. Obviously they have made safety a priority in 2008,” he says.

            “I couldn’t be more pleased that we have shown we can work safely, and we will continue to keep safety top priority. Our employees are our most important asset and our keys to success; their safety is paramount to us, as is the safety of the public.”

            GreyStone Director of Safety and Loss Control Blake Pendley oversaw the accreditation process, bringing in safety professionals from cooperative and insurance firms from around the country to evaluate GreyStone’s commitment to safety. “The accreditation process gives us a chance to check our progress, see how we’re doing in comparison to other cooperatives. It gives us a way to have outside inspectors come in and look at us and tell us how we can improve our safety processes. Our safety success has a lot to say about our employees. It means something to them to earn high scores, because it means that we are all working safely. I’m very pleased that we earned a 96 percent score in the accreditation process, and a 2008 year free of lost time accidents is quite a milestone.”

            NRECA meets with safety professionals to compile criteria that cover safety, regulatory compliance and public liability issues facing the industry. The process is a two-part test, comprised of on-site observation and a written application, to determine a score and grant accreditation. Not only is accreditation gained through a safe work environment, inspectors also examine the structure and productivity of GreyStone’s facilities and property. Examiners observe the construction and maintenance of power lines, transformers, substations, right-of-way, and any property owned by the Cooperative. The accreditation is NRECA’s recognition of GreyStone’s dedication to employee and public safety and commitment to regulatory compliance and loss control practices.