While these types of injuries may not be life-threatening, they can cause a lot of hardship.

“Let's talk about the impact on quality of life,” Kentucky Electric Cooperatives’ Randy Meredith told attendees at an NRECA Safety Leadership Summit breakout session on reducing common injuries in the workplace.

Meredith, director of safety and training for KEC, shared a story about a 29-year-old lineman who suffered a serious leg fracture after falling from a truck. Out of work 15 months, he was on crutches for nine of those months and endured multiple surgeries. “His boys are active in sports and not used to dad not being able to get out and play. He wasn’t used to not providing and had some mental things to overcome.”

A solution to help line crews work safer on the job might very well lie in statistics. At the April 24 breakout session, Meredith discussed a promising KEC safety education program that leverages Occupational Safety and Health Administration metrics to identify leading indicators and pinpoint root causes of accidents.

Debuting last year, the program relies on OSHA data submitted quarterly by co-ops: one set of data tracks days off work due to work-related injuries and illnesses, and the other assesses a company’s safety performance by measuring the frequency of workplace injuries and illnesses requiring medical attention beyond first aid.

By keeping the data anonymous, “people are opening up because they’re seeing this is happening at other co-ops,” Meredith said. “It’s brought about a comfortable environment where people feeling like they're talking about accidents, but not their accident.”

Open discussions help lead to a positive safety culture, NRECA Safety Director Ken Macken said after the breakout session. “It’s a huge win anytime we can get the outside crews, talking openly about hazards, close calls, near misses or good catches.”

After combing through 2023 data for trends and patterns, Meredith’s team compiled a report and released it in January 2024 in time for co-ops’ first safety meetings of the year.

Results from that first round of information-sharing showed fewer people were getting hurt. For example, shoulder injuries, which were rising among younger workers, fell from nine in 2023 to three the following year.

Line crews traced the problem’s origins to how they positioned themselves while handling sagging wire and came up with a simple solution that involved better placement, Meredith said.

The program also led to a specialized training at Owensboro-based Big Rivers Electric Corp. targeting chain saw accidents after three of them were reported last year. The co-op held a line clearance workshop in which participants used chain saws to cut down trees while practicing proper notching and felling techniques. They also practiced removing trees from de-energized lines, with industry experts monitoring and coaching the exercise.

The training received favorable reviews. “Participating co-op employees said this type of training is very helpful in providing our next generation with the knowledge and experience needed to both excel and protect themselves on the job,” Meredith said.

“Obviously, no injuries, accidents or workplace illnesses is the goal for every day, and many days we’re able to be successful,” he said. “This program is providing us with information and training tools to have more accident- and injury-free days each year in Kentucky.”