The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has earned the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2019. The utility achieved third place in the category for utilities with 1 to 3.9 million worker-hours of annual worker exposure. The award was announced by the APPA this week.
“The New York Power Authority takes pride in its high workplace standards and overall safety record,” said NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones. “We have worked hard to inspire a safety mindset across all levels of NYPA’s operations that has resulted in fewer workplace accidents and injuries. Having a pronounced safety culture is its own reward, but we are proud and thankful for this APPA recognition.”
More than 335 utilities entered the annual Safety Awards, which is the highest number of entrants in the history of the program. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records during 2019. The incidence rate, used to judge entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2019, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Since 1994, NYPA has placed first 12 times, second six times, and third three times in its category.
“Strong safety programs are essential to ensuring that electric utility employees are informed and trained on safe work procedures,” said Brandon Wylie, chair of the Association’s Safety Committee and director of Training & Safety at Electric Cities of Georgia. “The utilities receiving this award have proven that protecting the safety of their employees is a top priority.”
