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For Immediate Release |
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News Release
Orlando Utilities Commission
April 4, 2007 |
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Grant J. Heston, Communications Manager
Sheridan Becht | Erika Hodges |
OUC
EARNS INDUSTRY SAFETY AWARD
Dangerous Utility Work Requires Constant Emphasis on Safety
ORLANDO –
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA)
recently awarded OUC—The Reliable One with a Safety Award for its
continued commitment to safety and low incident rate during the past year.
OUC was awarded special recognition for low
incidence of accidents reported on the job with more than 2 million
man-hours worked. This recognition reflects OUC’s commitment to protecting
workers’ safety, while also ensuring reliable electric service to the
customers.
In an industry where there is a high possibility
of serious injuries and fatalities, safety training is the best line of
defense against preventing accidents and saving lives.
“This is a compliment to the field crews and
supervisors who safely perform physically demanding work in all kinds of
inclement weather," said Ken Ksionek, OUC General Manager and CEO.
For the past 21 years, FMEA has recognized the
efforts of Florida’s municipally owned utilities to stress worker safety as
the No. 1 priority. Utilities are put in categories according to total
man-hours worked and then rewarded for the most incident-free records. The
incidence rate used to judge utilities is based on the number of
work-related reportable injuries or illnesses compared to the total number
of worker hours during 2006, as defined by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA).
Established in 1923 by a special act of the
Florida Legislature, OUC—The Reliable One is the second largest municipal
utility in Florida. OUC provides electric and water services to more than
200,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange
and Osceola counties.
FMEA represents the unified interests of 33
public power communities across the state that provide electricity to more
than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.
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