Flint Energies recently received accreditation for its safety practices from the Electric Cooperative Safety Accreditation Program of Georgia, making this the Co-op’s 17th consecutive Safety Accreditation. The award is based on the utility’s safety record and safety programs over the last three years, says Harry Reeves, Georgia EMC’s vice president of Training, Education & Safety. This designation marks a total of 51 consecutive years of safety accreditation at the Cooperative.
 
“Georgia’s EMCs operate in a culture of safety, making sure they do everything possible to keep workers and members of the public safe,” says Reeves. “Accreditation shows that a cooperative is doing all of the right things to stress safety on the job — regardless of where an employee works.”
 
The accreditation process is comprised of two primary components: record keeping and a multi-day on-site visit. The recordkeeping portion consists of a check of a cooperative’s safety records and its adherence to safety programs and regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
 
“A rigorous inspection process ensures that EMC employees are following the proper safety protocols in the office and in the field to keep themselves, co-workers and the general public safe,” Reeves says.
 
Bob Ray, President/CEO of Flint Energies says that safety is ingrained in the culture of the organization.
 
“Being recognized for safe working practices and procedures is certainly an honor that is deserved by the Flint Family of employees,” says Ray. “However, the greatest rewards are issued every single day when our members are efficiently served, our community is safely energized, and our employees return home safely to their families. Flint’s culture of safety is built and maintained every moment of every day by the professionalism, training and concern that each employee invests in the work they do inside and outside the co-op.”
 
A safe workplace also saves time and money, which benefits the electric cooperative and consumer-members alike.