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Special Recognition - Union County Water, Safety Award
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INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Farrar, Security Risk Management, Risk & Safety Program Manager, 704-283-3592
ACTION REQUESTED:
Recognize Union County Water for receiving the George W. Burke, Jr. Safety Award and Walter J. Courmon Safety Award.
PRIOR BOARD ACTIONS:
None.
BACKGROUND:
Each year, NC One Water, the North Carolina section of the American Water Works Association, honors municipal water and wastewater facilities with the Walter J. Courmon Safety Award and the George W. Burke, Jr. Safety Award for demonstrating active and effective safety programs. These awards recognize facilities and collection systems that have maintained an outstanding safety record in the previous calendar year, including consistent collection and reporting of injury data. Union County Water is the proud 2024 recipient of both awards.
Union County Water has been a leader among North Carolina utilities for over 12 years, with a dedicated on-staff safety professional, comprehensive in-house training programs, and a safety committee. These programs cover a broad range of safety topics, including lockout-tagout, work zone safety, confined space entry, chemical management, excavation safety, and 19 other industry-specific subjects. Every employee at Union County Water receives initial, position-specific training, safety equipment, and ongoing certifications for all risks associated with their work. With 172 employees, the safety program meets over 680 annual training needs and manages 185 safety certifications across the staff. Additionally, the organization has well-established emergency action plans, reporting systems, incident investigation protocols, job site inspections and risk assessment programs, and policies to ensure quick and effective responses to incidents, protecting the utility's ability to serve its 60,000 customers.
At Union County Water, safety is more than just training, inspections, and reporti...
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