San Patricio Electric Cooperative has reached another safety milestone. On November 7, the co-op celebrated 11 years without a lost-time accident.

The record is no small feat in an industry as dangerous as ours. Many of our employees work with live electricity on a daily basis as they respond to power outages and maintain SPEC’s electricity infrastructure. They operate heavy machinery, encounter pole fires and handle down power lines. These are the people called out of the warmth of their homes during hazardous weather.

Although their jobs may be dangerous, SPEC employees never flinch. They take pride in their jobs, knowing the importance of a reliable electricity infrastructure and the role they play in their communities.

Despite challenging work conditions, SPEC makes every effort possible to ensure its employees make it home to their families safely each night. Part of that effort is providing training and holding weekly safety meetings that outline safety standards and give a chance for employees to discuss near misses, or potential dangers.

We believe SPEC’s commitment to providing employees with the proper tools, personal protective gear, and time to do the job safely have also contributed to this safety record.

Lost-time accidents are defined as work related accidents or injuries that require employees to take time off from work. For more than 4,000 days, SPEC employees worked with safety in mind and are continuing to watch the number of accident-free days grow as they practice safety on the job every day.

Our next major safety goal is to reach 1 million man-hours worked without a lost-time accident. If all goes according to plan, we should reach that milestone within the next couple of years.

We thank our employees for their dedication to safety. Without these hardworking individuals, we would not have reached this exceptional accomplishment. And with their continued dedication, we hope to continue watching our accident-free days grow.