Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the Governor’s Safety Awards ceremony at the 85th annual Minnesota Health and Safety Conference May 8 at Mystic Lake Center.

“Every day in Minnesota about 100 workers get injured or ill to the point that they can’t go back to their job the next day,” said Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council. “Congratulations to SMMPA for their hard work to make sure their employees are not part of this statistic.”

“Working together, we have created a safety culture here at SMMPA, and this award shows our collective commitment to that culture,” Executive Director and Chief Executive Director of SMMPA Dave Geschwind said. “I’m proud of our team for placing such a high value not only on their safety, but that of their co-workers.”

According to a press release, winners were recognized at three levels:

Meritorious Achievement, which was awarded to 170 winners: Incidence rates are better than the industry average for at least three years, and a score between 50 to 74 on a 100-point safety program evaluation scale.

Outstanding Achievement, which was awarded to 83 winners: Continuing improvement and/or a continuing outstanding record with incident rates that are 50 to 90%better than the industry average, and a score between 75 to 90 on the safety program evaluation scale.

Award of Honor, which was awarded to 41 winners: Incidence rates at least 91 %better than the industry average, and a score between 91 to 100 on the safety program evaluation scale.

SMMPA received a Meritorious Achievement Award for exemplary workplace safety efforts in 2018.

The Governor’s Safety Awards recognition is part of the 85th annual Minnesota Safety & Health Conference, coordinated by the Minnwesota Safety Council. The conference is the oldest and one of the largest gatherings of workplace safety and health professionals in the region.

The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries.