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Gulf Power’s Plant Smith sets safety milestone
PRNewswire
NYSE: SO
PENSACOLA, Fla. - July 3, 2007 - Safety is a way of life for one group of employees in Northwest Florida. Gulf Power's Plant Smith near Panama City has set a new safety record at the company. It has been more than six years since anyone working at Plant Smith missed a day of work due to injury, and more than four years have passed since the plant suffered any kind of recordable accident as defined by OSHA – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Our most cherished core belief is that the employees of Gulf Power Company should be able to come to work every day and leave just the way they came – whole and healthy," Brian Heinfeld, plant manager, said. "Employees at Plant Smith have demonstrated that even in a work environment as active as an electricity generating plant accidents are not inevitable if the employees make safety their top priority." For Gulf Power, the issue of safety became very real four years ago. A Gulf Power lineman was electrocuted in the line of duty. Gulf Power president and CEO Susan Story said that tragedy made everyone rethink the importance of safety on the job. "Since that time, we have rededicated ourselves and committed that we would do anything and everything within our power to make sure that we never ever had to go through a tragedy like this again," Story said. "The employees at Plant Smith have set a great example for all of us." "Without question, this is a major accomplishment," Heinfeld said. "However, knowing these employees, I don't expect them to rest on their laurels. They have taken ownership of safety and they understand that every new day requires a new commitment to safe work practices if we're going to avoid accidents. I'm very grateful to be associated with a company and a group of employees who put the safety and wellbeing of their co-workers above everything else." ### Gulf Power Media Contacts: |