Burns & McDonnell announces that one of the most ambitious transmission line upgrades ever attempted has reached an astounding safety milestone. The Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Line Project in southwest Connecticut has surpassed 1 million safe work hours and progress continues without an OSHA recordable accident.

This achievement is even more impressive considering the terrain of the project, the nature of some of the work (24 miles of underground transmission) and the inherent dangers of building new electrical transmission systems.

Burns & McDonnell is program manager on the project for Northeast Utilities. The project includes 45 miles of new overhead lines, 24 miles of underground, 56 miles of reconstructed overhead line and several new and rebuilt substations.

According to Brett Williams, Burns & McDonnell program manager, safety pervades the culture on site. Employees are frequently rewarded for “doing the right thing” when it comes to safety. Regular meetings are held to constantly keep up with and inform all sub-contractors of the ever-changing environment around the project site.

“We conduct safety orientation for every person working on-site,” Williams said. “Four full-time safety managers continually monitor the project and mitigate any safety concerns. “Burns & McDonnell has a financial incentive to maintain safety but more importantly we have a moral obligation to keep people safe. A lot of the credit for this record should go to Northeast Utilities. Their commitment to safety shines through in everything they do.”