Page 4 - Norris Electric News July-August 2022

4 DISTRICT NEWS
Commitment To Zero
Bruce Vitosh
General Manager & CEO
Safety is an essential element of working for a public power district. Delivering reliable and low-cost electricity requires each employee to perform daily responsibilities with an unrelenting focus on safety. Everyone throughout the organization is responsible for a safety culture that enables every employee to go home safely to their families and friends.
Norris is fortunate to be chosen as one of two public power districts in Nebraska to participate in Beta Testing of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
(NRECA) and Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange (Federated) Commitment to Zero Contacts Phase 2 Program.
The purpose of the Commitment to Zero Contacts Program
is to prevent employees from coming into contact with energized lines.
Phase 1 of the
Commitment to
Zero Contacts Program, implemented in 2018, was initially focused on a pledge to build awareness about employee contacts with energized lines. NRECA provided tools to focus on life saving rules and was centered on a “Top Down” approach.
Unfortunately, the outcome of the Phase 1 Program did not move the needle as employee electrical
contacts did not improve.
Phase 2 takes a deeper dive into operation- al practices. Norris linemen participat- ed in a confidential survey with re- sults of the survey being shared with foremen for further discussion and analy- sis. Bud Branham, NRECA Director of Safety Programs and Corey Parr, Federated Vice Pres- ident Safety and Loss Prevention facilitated the foremen’s meeting onsite. The survey results and foremen’s candid discussion were summarized into areas for further
16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000
8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
2,000 1,950 1,900 1,850 1,800 1,750 1,700 1,650
Claim Count vs. Policy Count
Claim Count
Policy Count
13,073 12,957 12,807 12,282 11,866
10,648 9,837 9,864 9,405 10,018 9,596 9,779 9,623 9,420 8,985
Source: Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange
NORRIS ELECTRIC NEWS
Claim Count
Policy Count