In the utility industry, eight years, seven months, and eight days is a long time to go without a lost worktime injury - and that's exactly what our Gas Department accomplished recently - almost one million hours! 

“When we think of all of the activity over that time period and all of the opportunities that existed for them to get hurt, that really is quite the accomplishment,” said Director of Gas Systems Anthony Miller. “It’s a sign that the employees are doing what they can to look after each other, work safely, and minimize exposure to hazards.” 

The Gas Department celebrated this safety accomplishment with lunch on November 4th. Three lunch times were offered to employees so that the number of people gathered in the same room would not exceed limits put in place due to COVID-19. 

During the celebration, Anthony shared that the shift in attitude toward safety started to change back in the 90s when there were two severe injuries to crew members, but things really changed with the introduction of the Lighthouse and SafeAlign processes.

“I see a big difference now because it’s become more of a cultural change than it was years ago. I’m glad to see GUC has really invested the resources and the dollars to bring about the change that’s needed. It takes a long time to reach a million hours, but if you are focused on the right things and people take safety seriously every day, it’s something that can be accomplished not just one time, but over and over again. And we expect that we will see another million hours and more for this department. I’m certainly proud of all of our people and it’s only because of them that we are able to celebrate.”