FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: June 21, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT
Dawn Sly-Terpstra, Vice President, Corporate Communication
PHONE/EMAIL: 515-362-7694/Dawn.Sly-Terpstra@cipco.net
DES MOINES – Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) today welcomed a representative from the National Safety Council (NSC) as it celebrated a major milestone: more than 2,000,000 hours worked over 10 years’ time without a lost-time injury. (Pictured from left to right is Dan Burns, VP Utility Operations, Rex Butler, CIPCO Manager of Safety and Environmental, and Vago Galounis with NSC)
Vago Galounis, NSC Senior Director, Chapter & Distributors, attended celebration events June 20-21 at each of CIPCO’s locations in Cedar Rapids, Wilton, Des Moines and Creston. NSC is a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate preventable death at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
“Work within the utility and energy industries consistently rank among the most dangerous jobs in the United States, which is why vigilance in safety practices is imperative,” Galounis said. “CIPCO’s commitment to keeping its workers safe sets the bar high for others in the industry.”
“Our culture of safety among employees emphasizes the discipline and understanding of safety to ensure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day,” said Bill Cherrier, CIPCO Executive Vice President and CEO. “This achievement would not have been possible without each employee’s commitment to making safety a number one priority.”
According to the NSC, every three minutes someone dies from a preventable incident like a poisoning, car crash or fall. In 2017, there were 136 electrical fatalities among utility workers on the job according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the highest rate of fatal electrical injuries in any industry, followed by construction.
“We hold regular safety meetings for all CIPCO employees to engage them in discussion on safety practices in real life situations,” said Rex Butler, CIPCO Manager of Safety and Environmental. “Our employees do an excellent job of focusing on their personal safety and making sure co-workers and the public are safe by following proper procedures and helping people out when needed. I’m proud of each and every one of our employees who made this achievement possible.”
