Recently, a NASCAR driver was involved in a very bad accident near the end of a race. Thanks to the safety features in his car, the driver’s injuries were not life threatening. For me, it was a great reminder about the importance of wearing my seat belt. Every time I get in a vehicle, part of my routine includes strapping on my seat belt. It’s an old habit. But, you may recall a time when wearing a seat belt in a car wasn’t required. Nowadays, it’s common practice to use seat belts because we know they help save lives.

Strapping on a seat belt takes just a few seconds. To develop this habit, you must be consistent. Consistency matters because an accident can happen at any time. That one time you choose not to use a seat belt may be the time an accident occurs. It’s practicing safe habits and making them routine, like the example of consistently wearing a seat belt, that allow us to drive safe every day. It's those same practices that allow our employees to do their jobs with safety and service in mind.

It’s important that your electric cooperative set high expectations for employees when it comes to safety. Each month, all Jackson EMC employees – whether they work on power lines or at a desk – are required to attend safety meetings. That emphasis on proper training helps ensure the safety of our employees and the public. Our safety trainers cover different topics, like how to perform CPR, provide first aid or identify hazards in the workplace. Some of our employees have even used the skills they learned in their regular safety trainings to save lives outside of work.

For linemen working on our power lines and equipment, their jobs require the highest standard of safety. After all, working with electricity can be dangerous. Our focus on safety is to eliminate preventable accidents. At the end of the day, our goal is to send every employee home just as happy and healthy as they arrived at work that day. To do that, we can’t take shortcuts. No step can be overlooked – not with our procedures, our processes, or even our equipment. When a hole the size of a pinhead in a lineman’s protective rubber gloves could be life threatening, you can rest assured their routine safety habits include a thorough inspection every time they use their gloves.

In our business, safety can’t be overemphasized. Just as we remind our employees to be safe every day around electricity, we want you to give the same care and attention. This issue of JEMCO News has information on how you can check for electrical safety hazards in your home. Like our employees, we encourage you to be safe every day. Make it a habit!

Have a story to share on the importance of being safe around electricity? Email me at [email protected].