• Journey To Zero Focus
• Safety Leadership Training
• Safety Intervention Stop Work Responsibility
• Rules To Live By
• 24/7 Campaign
• Crew Observations
• Ergonomic Strategy – Ergonomists
• Benchmarking

These are just the major safety initiatives Xcel Energy have introduced since 2009.

Xcel Energy recognizes that it may take additional time and effort to put these programs and rules into practice every day and that it may slow some work down.

Xcel Energy has made significant investments in safety, including state-of-the-art Personal Protection Equipment. Also, the Company believes the time that employees spend for training, SAG meetings, and safety committees is a wise investment.

• Investments in PPE
• Paid time to attend Mandatory Annual Safety Compliance Training
• Paid time to attend SAG meetings
• Paid time to attend Regional Safety Committees, quarterly safety conferences

Xcel Energy does all of these things because they are the right things to do.  We care about the safety of employees, and we act on that belief daily.

Xcel Energy’s commitment to safety and our Journey to Zero – along with your contributions and hard work – have had real results.

Since 2002 the rate of OSHA incidents at Xcel Energy has been cut by over 76%. That means that your likelihood of being injured on the job is substantially less then what it was 15 years ago, and that more employees are going home injury-free every day.

Below are results of employee injuries by union local for both counts and rates as of the end of 2^nd quarter.

While some areas demonstrated improvement from 2015 results other areas have been seeing an increase. Remember, the OSHA rate indicates the number of injuries per 100 employees, and allows for like-to-like comparisons across the different sized groups. Please be thoughtful of this trend and continue to commit to working safely.

Many employees are getting hurt while in the “line of fire” – that is, with the body in the path of an object such as straps under tension or directly under work being performed overhead – or as a result of slips, trips and falls.

Please follow these reminders to reduce your chance of being injured.

Avoiding Line Of Fire (LOF) Injuries:

• Awareness is the first defense.  Be alert for conditions that may change where the line of fire zone exists.
• Perform a job site walk-down and identify LOF hazards.
• Remind co-workers to stay clear of hazards.  Job briefings are the key to avoiding accidents and injuries.  Ensure everyone knows and understands his or her role.
• Safety Intervention Stop Work Responsibility: any time the situation changes, stop and talk it over and get on the same page.  Be very clear about your expectations for the job.
• Pay close attention to personnel and objects above, below, and in the immediate work area during any job evaluation.  Be aware of your surroundings.

Avoiding Slips, Trips, and Falls:

• Practice good housekeeping

• • Keep clutter picked up.  Common causes of falls include debris, tools, and materials on the floor or the ground.
  • Arrange work areas so that there are clear passages for walking and working.
  • Store boxes of materials away from traffic areas.
  • Keep walking surfaces free of water, oil, mud, and ice – especially on your truck.
• Wear footwear that will prevent slipping and tripping.  Avoid slippery soles, and wear well-fitting, correctly fastened footwear
• Stick to established traffic routes.  Taking short cuts through areas that contain unexpected obstacles can cause falls.
• Maintain three points of contact when you are climbing ladders, in or out of vehicles, or onto vehicles or equipment.

Complacency is another common cause of injuries.  Please stay focused on the task at hand, give every task 100% of your attention, and watch out for each other.

Be aware of your surroundings by practicing situational awareness:

• scanning your work environment;
• looking up, down, and all around to identify potential hazards; and then
• correcting them before proceeding.

Don’t be distracted.  Your job is too important to be thinking of anything but the task at hand.  Approach each job, each task, and each situation as a safety professional.

Our shared vision is for each employee to go home each night injury-free to his or her family.  Together let’s continue to work toward reducing and eliminating injuries and achieving this vision and our Journey to Zero.

Fall Arrest Update

Partnerships are vitally important to our Journey to Zero. In what we believe is an example of a successful partnership,  IBEW, Local 111 and Xcel Energy Workforce Relations recently reached a mutual agreement on changes for Chapter 307.07 of the Manual of Safe Practices regarding fall arrest.

For details, refer to the Letter of Agreement that was signed on Jan. 21, 2014.

Why does the Company emphasize safety so much?

Safety is a core value at Xcel Energy. We are committed to providing a safe work environment and do not ever want to see one of our employees suffer due to an injury that took place at work. We want all employees to return home from work in the same healthy condition you were in when you arrived. But a job that involves working with high voltage electricity, flammable gas, and overhead wires – not to mention driving on roads and highways – will never be free from hazards. While we have made great progress, there are still employees being injured on the job, and areas of concern that must be addressed.