From the Board of Trustees
“Safety” is a universal word that is mentioned often and used loosely. Communities large and small as well as companies across all industries are committed to safety. Sports leagues, at every level, take safety seriously. Unfortunately, when it really counts, steps to keep the public, workers, athletes and loved ones safe are often ignored in the interest of expediency or convenience.
However, safety is a serious issue, especially when it comes to electrical safety. For Baldwin EMC, it’s our number one priority. This is not empty talk. Over time, Baldwin EMC has created a culture of safety by putting our employees’ safety and that of the community above all else. At its essence, Baldwin EMC’s mission is to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity to its member-owners. At the end of the day, we strive to deliver affordable and reliable electricity to our member-owners, but equally important, we want to return our workers home safely to their loved ones. To do this requires ongoing focus, dedication and vigilance.
Following leading national safety standards
Working with electricity is an inherently dangerous job, especially for line crews. Baldwin EMC has a safety team that includes a committee of employees whose focus is keeping their coworkers and the community safe around electricity. We establish and follow safety protocols based on leading national safety practices for the utility industry. There are specific protocols that our line crews follow when dealing with electricity. Our safety committee has regular meetings where they discuss upcoming projects from a safety perspective. They monitor and track near-misses of accidents in order to understand them, share “lessons learned” and improve in the future.
We also encourage all of our employees to speak up and hold each other accountable for safety. By cultivating a culture of openness and transparency, we promote problem-solving with regard to safety, rather than defaulting to a blame game. We examine the information and data from near-misses and accident reports to identify patterns and use safety metrics to improve in those areas where we have fallen short.
Keeping the community safe
Because we live and work in the community we serve, we care about our neighbors. Baldwin EMC conducts electrical safety demonstrations such as our Safety City program for young kids, and our Live Wire on Wheels program for all ages. We take these shows “on the road” to schools, civic groups and community events.
May is National Electrical Safety Month. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation, each year thousands of people in the United States are critically injured due to electrical fires and accidents. Many of these are preventable. There is much you can do to keep yourself and your family safe around electricity.
Don’t attempt electrical DIY projects or overload your outlets. Report downed power lines, unlocked substations or padmounted transformers that look amiss. And always contact Baldwin EMC if you notice any unsafe conditions with the equipment that delivers electricity to you home.
If you would like us to provide a safety demonstration at your school or community event, please contact Baldwin EMC at
(251) 989-6247.