The Princeton Electric Plant Board has been honored with the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2024.
The utility earned the DIAMOND award in the category for utilities with 15,000-29,999 worker-hours of annual worker exposure.
In a written statement, General Manager Chris Burton said safety is the backbone for everything they do at the Princeton Electric Plant Board. He said their unwavering dedication to maintaining a safe work environment is demonstrated by the fact that they have not experienced a lost-time accident since January 9th, 2009. Burton stated that he’s proud of the safety culture that is embedded within the company.
According to officials, over 200 utilities participated in the annual Safety Awards for 2024. Entrants were categorized based on their total worker hours and ranked according to their incident-free records and the overall quality of their safety programs and culture throughout 2024. The incidence rate was determined by the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker hours during 2024, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Matt Hoard, Operations Superintendent with the local utility, said the Princeton Electric Plant Board takes great pride in its safety culture. He stated that this recognition reflects the strong safety values they have established and the dedication that goes into making sure their team members go back home safely to their families each and every day.
John Beasley, chair of the American Public Power Association’s Safety Committee and Vice-President of Electric Cities of Georgia said harnessing electricity to keep communities powered is vital work that can be dangerous, even deadly, if the proper attention isn’t aid to tried-and-true-safety-practices. He added that this award honors utilities that hold fast to these practices and — in doing so — put the safety of their personnel and their customers above all else.
The American Public Power Association has conducted the Safety Awards annually for more than sixty-six years. The association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide.
