FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 6, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT
Kerry Koonce
Manager of Communications & Public Affairs
PHONE/EMAIL: 515-962-7699/Kerry.koonce@cipco.net
Des Moines, Iowa – Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) set a new high bar for safety standards, exceeding its all-time safety record. As of February 13, 2019, CIPCO employees broke the long-time record of 1,946,292 hours worked without a lost-time injury, on their way to the unique milestone of 2,000,000 hours compiled over ten years’ time. Like the rest of the electric cooperative industry, CIPCO’s first priority is safety and the dedication of employees to this commitment has led to its success.
“Our employees have a right to a safe work environment,” stated Rex Butler, CIPCO safety and environmental manager. “Everyone does an excellent job of ensuring safety is our top priority and understanding its impact throughout our company and the delivery system.”
Achieving this milestone, a unique accomplishment for an organization of 100 employees, demonstrates the commitment CIPCO employees have to safety. This is driven from a focus on continuous training from day one, creating a culture of safety that is integral throughout the cooperative.
“Safety not only matters to our employees, but it matters to our cooperative members. Our employees are dedicated to safety throughout our electric system, for each other and the members. That makes a difference every day,” said CIPCO CEO Bill Cherrier. “Generation and transmission work is inherently dangerous, and our employees, like everyone else, want to go home at night to their families. When we commit to safety, everyone wins.”
“Our employees understand there is nothing so urgent that safety should be forgotten, and there is no piece of equipment that CIPCO owns that is so expensive an employee should put themselves in harm’s way to protect,” added Dan Burns, vice president, utility operations.
CIPCO’s focus is on delivering safe, reliable, cost-effective electricity to members across the system. Focusing on a culture of safety is critical to meeting those goals.