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14 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | July/August 2018 MY DAVEY A CULTURE OF SAFETY YIELDS 3,200-PLUS INCIDENT FREE DAYS Going 3,000 days without an OSHA recordable incident seemed difficult. But, the crews on the Newberry Electric Co-Op account in Newberry, South Carolina, proved it's possible when you mix dedication and comradery together. In 2007, Davey's Newberry account work group started keeping track of the days they worked incident free with a sign on the gate to their yard. This sign has served as a daily reminder to work safe. As the count continues to grow, their sense of pride and a desire to reach the next milestone becomes that much stronger. Newberry now stands at over 3,256 days without an OSHA recordable incident. "The kind of work we do is very hazardous, so a lot of people said it couldn't be done and that it would never be done," said Chris Scott, general foreman on the Newberry account. "We've shown that clearly it's possible, but it's a long road." Kenny Rowe, senior regional safety specialist and former supervisor of the Newberry account, said reaching this milestone proves you can get production done while focusing on safety. Johnny Wilson, manager, field safety support, said making safety a value doesn't just happen overnight. One program that has helped has been Davey Personal Excellence (DPE), which is an organizational philosophy and strategy that addresses safety, productivity and quality. Wilson started working with the DPE program in 2001 and started sharing the concepts with operations in his region, which included Newberry. Newberry was one of the first operations to take part in DPE and wanted to have a program onsite once a year, Wilson said. DPE training and employee engagement went companywide in 2010. Wilson said Davey's Road to Zero program, the goal of zero incidents, and DPE are part of creating a safety culture. But, it goes beyond that in Newberry. It's about caring and watching out for one another. "Every employee on that operation sees safety as a value," Wilson said. "I wish I could take their results and spread it throughout the whole company." Steve Clawson, area manager, said the crew members will not accept unsafe behavior by anyone. "They are not afraid to call an all-stop if they see anything that is not going correctly," Clawson said. "If somebody is not fit for duty, they don't mind one bit sending them home." This sign is this first thing crew members see when they come to work in the morning. Chris Scott said it's a good reminder to get into the mindset of safety before getting to work. Members of the Newberry Electric Co-Op South Carolina work group: Dean Cannady, Lewis Sims, Philip Russ, Harley Westmoreland, Keith Constance, Nathan Wright, James Scott, Bobby Wright, Jason Young, William Scott, Josh Wright, Stevie Wright and Chris Scott. While posing for this photograph, a few of the crew members put their helmets over their hooded sweatshirts, which isn't appropriate for working conditions but is occasionally OK for staying warm while getting your photo taken.

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