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Safety Accomplishments Recognized

HALIFAX, NS (November 5, 2004) - A Sydney powerline technician (PLT) who became a crusader for safety and a power restoration team who guided crews during Hurricane Juan were awarded top honors at Emera Inc.
Joe Burke from Nova Scotia Power and employees at Cablecom were recognized by the Emera Board of Directors for their outstanding safety achievements.

Joe has a story to tell. In the spring of 2002, Joe was working on a pad mount transformer at the Coast Guard College. A short circuit occurred and he was caught in the line of fire of an enormous flash due to a high fault current. Joe's hands and face were badly burned. He recovered, but he would never forget what he learned that day.

"Safety is a 24 hour job, not just for the workplace," he says. "Everyone should take the time to assess the risks, then take the steps to make sure nobody, including you, gets hurt."

He has taken his story on the road to help others. Not only has he shared his very personal and compelling experience with fellow Nova Scotia Power PLTs, but also with New Brunswick Power and Halifax airport technicians. Joe will soon speak to workers at Irving Oil in Saint John. Joe was also the recipient of the 2004 NSPI Safety Excellence Award for Outstanding Individual.

During two of the most severe storms in our history - Hurricane Juan and the winter blizzard - Cablecom employees from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick managed all regular technicians and outside crews and contractors to restore power for Nova Scotians.

Over the last 12 months, employees at Cablecom have worked hard to establish their safety culture. As a result, they have had no injuries that required time away from work.

 
Cablecom employees from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia win the 2004 Emera Board of Director's Safety Award. Accepting the award on behalf of their colleagues were (L to R) Kevin Clarke ; Mark Summerville; Dave Lawson, Charlie Price; Emera BoD member and chair of the Environment, Safety and Security Committee, Irene d'Entremont; Joey Foley; Mike McLaughlin; Burt Lancaster; and Dan Baur.  Mark Summerville is a technician with Cablecom's New Brunswick operations. He is proud of his company's record but says there is much more to it than the statistics."It's not about the numbers," says Mark. "It's about going home to your family without any injuries."

The Emera Board of Directors' Safety Award recognizes the department, operating location or individual with the most outstanding safety performance and overall approach to safety management within the Emera family of companies. The recipient of this award demonstrates sustained excellence in safety performance and strives for continuous improvement.