Valuing Safety to the Core

FirstEnergy employees, contractors and building trades labor work together on a variety of projects – including substation construction – so maintaining a strong partnership is key to protecting workers from injury.

February 11, 2019

More than 500 leaders from FirstEnergy, our contractors and building trades labor will gather for the 2019 Tripartite Safety Forum scheduled March 5-6 in Cranberry, Pa.

“Safety is a core value at FirstEnergy. The forum is designed to help emphasize this message with our workforce and strengthen the partnerships we have formed with contractors and building trades organizations,” said Sam Belcher, FirstEnergy Utilities (FEU) president. “Our message is clear – we value the safety of every individual who works on – or is in proximity to – our electrical equipment, whether it is a line worker, an ironworker, or a member of the public.”

Shelley Baber, manager, Contractor & Public Safety, is one of the coordinators for this year’s event. “We expect the Tripartite Safety Forum will be the largest gathering of safety leadership that FirstEnergy has ever hosted,” Shelley said.

Safety for One,
Safety for All

FirstEnergy has created a new group within the FEU Safety & Human Performance Department – Contractor & Public Safety – to work toward reducing exposure for anyone who comes near our electrical equipment. The department is divided as follows:

Contractor Safety – Partnering with FEU, FET and Generation contractors in an effort to reduce exposure, eliminate events and pursue excellence in safety.

Public Safety – Develop and actively manage a proactive program to help ensure the safety of members of the public who may come near FirstEnergy’s lines or equipment.

Previous safety forums have been held for FirstEnergy Generation and FirstEnergy Transmission (FET) personnel, but this year’s event also will include FEU and the company’s Vegetation Management Department.

“In the past, certain business units handled contractor safety separately,” continued Shelley. “As we transition to a fully regulated utility, we are coordinating this event as one company, united in our passion for protecting workers from injury by reducing exposure for ourselves and others.”

Forum guests will be able to attend safety presentations, participate in panel discussions and breakout sessions, visit vendor booths, and network with industry peers.

Shelley said the forum will be an excellent opportunity to gain insight from industry experts. “We’re excited to have leaders from various organizations – including FirstEnergy President and CEO Chuck Jones – on the agenda to speak about important safety initiatives.”

Pennsylvania Operations President Linda Moss and Utility Services Vice President George Farah are executive sponsors of the forum. In addition to Shelley, Dave Brahosky, manager, Construction Management Support, is an event co-coordinator.

A contract employee performs electrical work at the Center for advanced Energy Technology (CAET), scheduled to open later this year in Akron.