January 18, 2019

“When we discuss options for working safety, failure is not one of them,” said Dan Endy, field tester, Met-Ed. “Our group leads by example – always conducting pre-job briefs, wearing the proper personal protective equipment, and double-checking our work.”

Because of their strong commitment to safety, the employees in Reading and Boyertown Meter Services recently achieved 20 years without incurring an Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)-recordable injury. Although the faces in the group have changed over the years, the team’s commitment to protecting themselves and others from injury hasn’t.

“Our group has always maintained a strong commitment to safety,” said Bob Doyne, supervisor, Regional Operations. “Team members have various years of experience, so the senior employees take the younger employees under their wings and make sure they learn how to do things the right way.”

The group’s success also can be attributed to daily and monthly safety meetings, which include taking driver training two times per year, hosting guest speakers from outside the company, and posting safety messages in the meter shops. Although the field testers work individually, they keep in contact during the day to help ensure each other’s safety.

According to Bob, a big part of working safely is having a questioning attitude. “If you don’t know something about a job, stop and get the information you need. It’s OK to stop walk away from a potentially dangerous situation – we will go back and finish the work when it is safe to do so.”

The Reading and Boyertown groups also have gone six years without incurring a chargeable motor vehicle accident (CMVA).

“I’m fortunate to work with a really good group,” continued Dan. “We watch out for each other, and genuinely care about each other’s safety. Our main goal is to get everyone home safely to their families, every day.”

Bargaining-unit employees in Reading and Boyertown Meter Services are represented by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 777.