Newberry Recognized with FMEA Safety Award

NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry was among 14 Florida public power utilities to receive a Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, recognizing utilities’ commitment to safety. The award was presented at the Florida Lineman Competition awards banquet in Jacksonville.

Linework is listed as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. To provide reliable power, Florida lineworkers and power crews are frequently engaged in hazardous work that can place them at risk of serious or fatal injuries, which is why public power utilities place a significant emphasis on safety and training.

FMEA recognizes and rewards safe operations through its annual Safety Awards. Utilities are categorized based on their total worker hours and rewarded for the most incident-free records. The incidence rate used to judge utilities was based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses compared to the total number of worker hours during 2023, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Newberry received a perfect rating in the category of other similar-sized utilities.

“We are honored by our receipt of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, which highlights our team's commitment to safety in one of the most hazardous professions,” said City Manager Mike New. “This accolade is a testament to our dedication to maintaining rigorous safety standards and training, ensuring reliable power delivery to our community. We thank FMEA for acknowledging our efforts and fostering a culture of safety, which is essential in our mission to serve and protect our employees and residents.”

“We applaud each of these winners, including Newberry, for creating safe working environments and cultivating a culture of safety so employees can safely and effectively get their jobs done,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director.

Florida’s public power utilities are locally owned, locally controlled and locally operated, enabling them to respond to the needs of their communities quickly. “They are also among some of the most reliable power providers in the state, said Zubaly.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com