March 7, 2014 – According to Nova Scotia Power (NS Power), its employees achieved their best-ever safety results in 2013. Congratulations!

“This milestone exemplifies the commitment by employees at all levels of Nova Scotia Power to safe work practices and the firm belief that all injuries are preventable,” said Bob Hanf, president and CEO. “There’s been a lot of change in our business in the past year, and I’m incredibly proud of the continuing dedication employees have shown to being a safety leader in Nova Scotia and beyond.”

Company employees worked a total of 3.3 million hours in 2013 and recorded only eight lost days due to injury, according to Canadian Electricity Association standards. Their All Injury Frequency (AIF)—a rating summarizing incidents requiring medical attention or resulting in lost-time compared to total hours worked—was 0.61, the best result on record for NS Power.

“Nova Scotia Power employees have once again shown that safety is a shared responsibility,” said Jeff Richardson, business manager for IBEW Local 1928. “We are very proud of our members and their co-workers at Nova Scotia Power for continuing to work together toward world-class safety.”

Last year’s result positions employees well toward their goal of achieving an AIF below 0.5, explains NS Power, which is considered an indication of world-class safety performance. Just last week, employees at Dartmouth’s Tufts Cove Generating Station celebrated 10 years without a loss time injury.

“Nova Scotia Power is demonstrating the visible safety leadership our province needs,” said Stuart MacLean, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. “Throughout the organization, employees are putting safety first, and that commitment is reflected in their commendable safety performance.”

Nova Scotia Power employees achieved other safety milestones throughout the year. Having each reached one-million hours worked without a lost-time injury in recent years, the company’s Eastern Territory Field Operations and Tufts Cove teams surpassed 1.4 million hours and 1.3 million hours, respectively, in 2013.

Across the province and at all levels of the company, says the utility, its 1700 employees have developed a culture of safety through consistent and ongoing training and workshops, risk assessment and preparedness, and the use of best safety practices in every aspect of their work.