Mesa Electric is lighting up the path to safety, snagging the American Public Power Association's Safety Award of Excellence for its impressive record in 2023. The Mesa crew has artfully dodged accidents, managing to clock in over 2,000 days without a workplace incident leading to lost time, which punctuates their commitment to keeping the lights on safely. The City of Mesa-owned utility now boasts Gold Status, a recognition for utilities with 60,000-109,999 worker-hours of exposure annually, according to a statement by the city.

It's clear the team at Mesa Electric has been working hard, with Scott Bouchie, Energy Resources Department Director, proudly stating, "Our employees have demonstrated their commitment to safety and reliability with over five years without a lost time accident." This feat is not just a statistic but a truth that the employees get to safely return to their families after every shift, a notion Bouchie shared in the city of Mesa's announcement.

The competition for the Safety Awards was stiff, considering more than 160 utilities entered. Each applicant was categorized according to their operational hours and judged based on their safety records and the strength of their safety culture throughout the past year. Metrics used to judge the applicants came from the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses, against their total number of worker-hours, a standard set by OSHA.

What this award ultimately highlights is a collective resolve to put, and keep, safety on the forefront of utility operations. Scott McKenzie, Chair of APPA's Engineering and Operations Conference safety track, remarked on the absolute priority of safety, stating, "In our industry, safety has to be top of mind all day every day," in the city's press release. "These honored utilities have demonstrated a commitment to safety that runs through every aspect of their organizations," he added, shining a light on the culture that encapsulates Mesa Electric's operations.