February 15, 2019

Fred Rogers – creator and host of the children’s television series Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood – famously started each episode by singing “It’s a Beautiful Day in this Neighborhood.” Recently, in Latrobe, Pa. – the birthplace of Fred Rogers – it was a beautiful day for safety as West Penn Power held its annual Safety Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, honoring the Class of 2018.

This year’s inductees – Doug Allan of the Arnold Service Center and Dave Maleski of the Washington Service Center – were recognized at a luncheon event held on Feb. 7. David McDonald, regional president, West Penn Power, commended the men for their achievement and spoke about how their efforts help to define what the company stands for regarding safety.

“The 41 employees who have become members of the Safety Hall of Fame since 2016 – when the first class was inducted – are living examples of returning home safely every employee, every day,” said David. “When you add up their service, it represents more than 1,000 years of combined utility craft-line experience. They carry with them the responsibility to be role models for how we can perform our jobs safely.”

Safety Hall of Fame inductee Dave Maleski (right) speaks with Mark Myers, director, Regional Operations Support (center) and A.J. Cowden, lineman A, Washington Service Center.

West Penn Power’s Safety Hall of Fame honors employees from the line, substation, meter, fleet and facilities craft areas who have 25 or more consecutive years of exceptional service without incurring an Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) recordable injury. Induction into the hall includes being part of the permanent Safety Hall of Fame installation at West Penn Power’s regional headquarters in Greensburg, Pa.

Doug Allan began his career at West Penn Power in 1983 as a lineman apprentice. In 1997, he was promoted to lead lineman, and in 2015, he accepted a position as a troubleshooter. In 2019, Doug was promoted to his current position of supervisor, Regional Operations.

“When I first started working, I used to go home with a stiff neck every day from looking up and watching the senior linemen do their job,” recalled Doug. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about the profession, so I could perform the work to the best of my ability.”

Dave Maleski spent several years as a meter reader at West Penn Power before joining a line crew in 1997. He was promoted to lineman A in 2002, then to his current position as a lead lineman in 2016.

“I think the key to working safely is sharing ideas with your co-workers,” said Dave. “Whether you are performing a job with a 25-year veteran or a young line worker from the Power Systems Institute program, you have to listen to and communicate with each other about the best way to complete the job safely.”

Bargaining-unit employees at West Penn Power are represented by Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 102.

Members of the West Penn Power Safety Hall of Fame gather for a group photo during the event.