HUNTSVILLE – From a pool of more than 160 utilities, Huntsville Utilities was chosen for one of the top honors in receiving the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2023.

The local agency earned Diamond Level status, the highest level in the program.

Meanwhile, the Huntsville Utilities Lineworker team recently earned three trophies at the Public Power Rodeo in Louisiana.

Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records and overall state of their safety programs and culture during 2023. The incidence rate is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2023, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“In our industry, safety has to be top of mind all day every day,” Scott McKenzie, chair of APPA’s Engineering and Operations Conference safety track and Senior Director of Member Training & Safety at AMP Inc., said in a press release. “These honored utilities have demonstrated a commitment to safety that runs through every aspect of their organizations.”

The Safety Awards have been held annually for more than 65 years. The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities  nationwide.