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COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY LABOR CABINET
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Big Rivers Electric Corporation in Henderson Presented Governor’s Safety and Health Award
Employees completed over 1,250,639 production hours without a lost-time incident
HENDERSON, Ky. (July 6, 2017) – Labor Cabinet Deputy Secretary Mike Nemes visited Big Rivers Electric Corporation Headquarters in Henderson today to present a Governor’s Safety and Health Award for working 1,250,639 production hours without a lost-time incident.
“I want to congratulate Big Rivers Electric Corporation on earning their fourth Governor’s Safety and Health Award,” said Labor Secretary Derrick Ramsey. “Working over a million hours without experiencing a serious injury is a great accomplishment and this award deserves to be celebrated. On behalf of Governor Bevin and the Labor Cabinet, it is my honor to bestow this award to Big Rivers and its employees for their dedication to keeping workplace safety as a top priority.”
Big Rivers is an electric generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Henderson and is owned by three distribution cooperative members – Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation, headquartered in Paducah; Kenergy Corporation, headquartered in Henderson; and Meade County RECC, headquartered in Brandenburg. These member cooperatives deliver retail electric power and energy to more than 115,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in portions of 22 western Kentucky counties.
“Working safely is our first and foremost goal and the challenge is to not become complacent,” said Bob Berry, President and CEO of Big Rivers. “Receiving this award truly speaks to the heart of what our safety culture is all about – staying focused, paying attention and watching out for our coworkers.”
“Big Rivers Electric Corporation has set an incredible precedent for safety in the workplace over the years,” said Rep. Robby Mills (R-Henderson). “In fact, this is the fourth time they’ve received the Governor’s Safety and Health Award, and this time they have gone more than one year without a lost time injury or illness, which is an astonishing feat. Congratulations to everybody involved at Big Rivers Electric Corporation for this huge achievement, and a job incredibly well done.”
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet presents the Governor’s Safety and Health Award to highlight outstanding safety and health performance in Kentucky’s workplaces. A business may qualify for the award if its employees achieve a required number of hours worked without experiencing a lost time injury or illness. The required number of hours is dependent upon the number of employees.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kentucky employers claimed the lowest incident rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the state’s history.
Based on a mathematical calculation that describes the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees, Kentucky’s rate improved from 3.8 in 2014 to 3.7 in 2015 – reflecting the most recent data available. This rate has steadily declined since it was first calculated in 1996, when a rate of 8.4 was reported.
For more information on the Governor’s Safety and Health Award, click here.
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Additional information is available at http://labor.kentucky.gov.
From left to right: Meredith Stone, Scientist I at Big Rivers, KY Labor Cabinet Deputy Secretary Mike Nemes, Big Rivers President & CEO Bob Berry, Jim Ed Burris, Corporate Safety Manager, with the 4th Governor’s Safety and Health Award for Headquarters. The company has earned a total of 43 awards between Headquarters, Sebree Station, Wilson Station, Coleman Station, and its Transmission location.
The award was earned after employees at Headquarters completed more than 1.25 million hours without a lost-time incident.
Big Rivers President & CEO Bob Berry speaks to employees at the Governor’s Safety and Health Award luncheon at Headquarters in Henderson.
KY Labor Cabinet Deputy Secretary Mike Nemes speaks to employees at the Big Rivers Electric Corporation Headquarters in Henderson.