For the second time, our Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has received the George W. Burke, Jr. Safety Award from the NC American Water Works Association/Water Environment Association for the plant’s “active and effective safety program and safety record.” The first time GUC received this award was in 2008.

This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr. for his many years of service both to the water pollution control field and the Federation as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing the Association’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets.

The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities, and to encourage the collecting and reporting of injury data. The minimum criteria for receiving the award is reported lost workdays and OSHA reportable incidents, and GUC’s WWTP had none. In addition, the plant was recognized for shifting from a “transactional safety culture” (rules, policies, and procedures) to a “transformational safety culture” where everyone is personally invested in their own, and their co-worker’s, safe work.

“I shared with the award committee how our SafeAlign safety contacts have improved communication around safe work concerns and allowed our plant to remove exposures at the top of the hierarchy of controls,” said WWTP Superintendent Jason Manning. “At GUC, safety is not something that is being done to employees or just rules to follow, it is a commitment from every level, to every employee’s safety and well-being. It’s great for GUC to be recognized for creating a safe work culture that is based on relationships.”

Congratulations to our Wastewater Treatment Plant on this well-deserved safety award!