This month, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the importance of safety. May is Electrical Safety Month. We all depend on electricity to power our lives, but accidents can happen when electricity is improperly used.  

Our responsibility  to you, our members

Because we live and work in the community we serve, we care about our neighbors. To promote safety education in our local communities, BCREMC conducts electrical safety demonstrations in schools and for community events. We also offer safety materials in our office and provide a monthly safety article in your Indiana Connection magazine. 

Many electrical accidents are preventable. There is much you can do to keep yourself and your community safe around electricity. Don’t attempt electrical DIY projects or overload your outlets. Report downed power lines, unlocked substations or padmount transformers that look amiss. Contact BCREMC for additional safety tips. Be mindful when it comes to electrical safety and take the extra time to stay safe.

If you would like us to provide a safety demonstration at your school or community event, please contact us. 

Our responsibility to employees

Working with electricity is an inherently dangerous job, especially for lineworkers. BCREMC has a safety team whose focus is keeping employees and the community safe around electricity. We established and follow safety protocols based on leading national safety practices for the utility industry. We require our lineworkers to wear specialized equipment and there are specific protocols our lineworkers follow when dealing with electricity. Our safety team has regular meetings where they discuss upcoming projects from a safety perspective. The team monitors and tracks near-misses of accidents in order to understand them, share “lessons learned” and improve in the future. 

We also encourage all of our crews to speak up and hold each other accountable for safety. By cultivating a culture of openness and transparency, we promote problem-solving with regard to safety. We examine the information and data gleaned from near-misses and accident reports to discern patterns and use safety metrics to improve in those areas where we have fallen short.

As the general manager/CEO, I believe it is my duty and responsibility to raise awareness about the importance of electrical safety. Visit our website’s safety section or visit esfi.org for tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.