Every job at Greenville Utilities begins and ends with ensuring employees are working safely. Since March 2020, the focus for GUC has been on protecting ourselves, our coworkers, and our customers from exposure to COVID-19.  

Prior to the pandemic, GUC was making solid progress in changing our safety culture. During the fourth quarter of 2020, and continuing into the first quarter of 2021, there has been an increase in the frequency and severity of injuries at GUC. It takes an on-going commitment from leaders and employees to ensure everyone goes home in the same or better condition than when they arrived. It’s time to shift our focus back to safety. 

The CSI (Corporate Safety Initiative) Steering Team – with the support of our senior leaders - has been planning ways to help get our safety efforts back on track. Here are some things you can expect to see in the coming weeks and months. 

SafeAlign Booster – DEKRA consultants will be onsite to coach and help leaders perform quality safety contacts, build stronger relationships, and increase leadership engagement in the SafeAlign process. 

Restart of SafeAlign and Lighthouse Training – These training sessions will engage employees who haven’t yet had an opportunity to participate in these programs. 

Re-evaluation of SafeAlign and Lighthouse Goals – A recent analysis was performed on our SafeAlign and Lighthouse processes using a risk index to evaluate each employee’s job duties and associated risk factors. The evaluation resulted in changes to our contact rates to ensure we have the most impact from these processes. More details will be shared within departments. 

Safety Meeting Reengagement – Departmental safety meetings give employees and leaders the opportunity to engage in conversations about critical safety items.  

Return of Safety Training – Throughout the course of the pandemic, training classes had to be paused to protect our employees from COVID-19. Now that classes can return, courses offered will include Confined Space Training, Fall Protection Training, First Aid/AED/CPR, OSHA 10-hour for hazard recognition, Trenching/Shoring/Excavation training, and Work Zone Traffic Control Training.  

This has been a year full of changes but we know that, with everyone’s participation, we can reduce the number, and severity, of workplace injuries. Remember, it takes all of us working together to create a safe workplace.