Hazard MRO group celebrates 10 years without OSHA-recordable

Hazard MRO employees celebrate 10 years without an OSHA-recordable injury. From left: Greg Sparkman, Brent Keathley, Don Hall, Marion Blair, Dale Sizemore, Marty Adams, Judy Couch, James Amburgey, Karen Farris, Jim Holliday, Sheena Hensley, and Jimmy Stidham. Not pictured: Bill Combs and Danny Bryant.

(Story by Ronn Robinson)

HAZARD, Ky. — Safety is in the mountain air here. Recently, Fleet employees in Hazard were recognized for completing 15 years without incurring a recordable personal injury, and now it’s time for their counterparts down the hall at Meter Revenue Operations (MRO) to take a bow. 

Members of the Hazard MRO Group gathered earlier this month to celebrate 10 years without a recordable personal injury. The group posed for photos March 12 to proudly display a banner that recognizes their achievement. The group actually reached their safety milestone Dec. 13, 2012, but marked the occasion during a visit by Kentucky Power President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Pauley.

“This group has done an outstanding job with regard to safe work performance,” Pauley said. “They’ve proved for more than 10 years now that you can drive and walk thousands of miles in the performance of a demanding job and stay safe while doing it. This group’s safety record is only surpassed by their commitment to each other. You can’t spend any time in Hazard and not appreciate the family atmosphere that prevails in the hallways. These employees look after each other and the result is that nobody has gone home injured for more than a decade. Well done,” he said.

“This group is focused on safety; they are dedicated to it,” said Mike Lasslo, manager-distribution and customer services for the Hazard District. “While they start each day with a safety huddle, it’s what they carry into the field that makes them safe performers. They don’t leave safety at the service center door, or the doors to their vehicles, or the doors to their homes for that matter. They take their safety commitment with them throughout the day and re-enter those same doors safe and sound each evening,” he said.

“I don’t know that there is one specific reason for their safety record,” said Greg Sparkman, the group’s supervisor. “I think you can attribute it to many things including their commitment to one another; staying focused every day on safety — including the little things; identifying error traps; applying the HPI tools; and a concerted effort to avoid complacency,” he said. Sparkman also pointed out that his group has been awarded the AEP Utilities President Safety Gold Award the last 5 years. “This group truly practices a ‘commitment’ to safety rather than simply a ‘compliance’ effort towards it,” he said.