August 16, 2019

Erie, Pa., is known as the Flagship City because it is the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship Niagara, which served in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It is fitting that employees at Penelec’s Erie Service Center recently were recognized for making safety their flagship value by receiving the President’s Safety Excellence Award.

Members of the Erie group have worked two years without incurring an Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)-recordable injury. According to Adam Baker, manager, Operations Services, the accomplishment is due in part to the group’s daily focus on recognizing and controlling exposures.

“The employees who work at Erie Service Center, from senior leadership to apprentices, are working hard to eliminate life-changing events,” said Adam. “They are a highly skilled team that reviews each job before starting work, anticipates unforeseen events that could happen, communicates the job plan to make sure all crew members are on the same page, and stops work if the job is not progressing as anticipated. We are very proud of Erie employees for reaching this safety milestone.”

The service center held a safety lunch for its 195 employees to celebrate the achievement and commemorate the milestone with a group photo.

“When you take into account that Erie is one of our largest service centers, it makes their accomplishment that much more special,” said Nick Austin, regional president, Penelec. “Everyone at the center contributed to achieving this record, and I’d like to thank our Erie employees for their strong commitment to safety.”

Bargaining-unit employees at Erie are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 459.