Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Safety

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

In utility operations, safety related injuries and accidents result in millions of dollars annually due to medical fees, lawsuits, damaged equipment, and other risk-based loss. Work days lost due to injury, on average, is 9-10 days per event. Creating and maintaining a culture of safety is the best means to mitigate preventable injuries to personnel and preventable vehicle accidents. Palm Beach County Water Utilities (PBCWUD) identified a need to address safety in 2018 after record highs for preventable injuries and vehicle accidents were recorded. By implementing monthly specialized training programs, a robust Behavior Based Safety (BBS) program, and developing a dashboard to track progress, PBCWUD has realized a tremendous improvement in safety-based metrics, especially in the Plants Maintenance section.