Jacksonville Beach, Fla. – The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) recognized 19 of its public power members for their dedication to the safety of Florida’s communities during its annual Florida Lineman Competition awards banquet March 2. Among the award recipients was Beaches Energy Services.
As practitioners of a dangerous profession, Florida lineworkers and power crews place themselves at risk of receiving serious or fatal injuries while providing affordable and reliable power. For this reason, public power communities across the state emphasize the importance of safety training.
FMEA recognizes and rewards safe operations through its annual Safety Awards. Utilities are placed into categories based on their total man-hours worked and rewarded for the most incident-free records. The incidence rate used to judge utilities was based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses compared to the total number of worker-hours during 2018, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Beaches Energy received 1st place in category B for the utility’s size.
“When you work in a field where serious injuries and fatalities are possible, safety has got to be everyone’s first priority. The recipients of this year’s Safety Awards have demonstrated they are committed to creating and maintaining a culture of safety. We appreciate their diligence and vigilance,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director.
Florida’s public power utilities are locally owned, locally controlled and locally operated enabling them to quickly respond to the needs of their communities. They are also among some of the most affordable and reliable power providers in the state.
About FMEA: The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 33 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.