“Fourteen years is commendable,” said Moore, whose organization is based in Waverly, Ohio and insures electric cooperatives in 46 states, 23 of which are under Moore’s jurisdiction. “Some can’t get through a week,” he said. Examples of work-related accidents vary from wrenched backs, smashed thumbs and can even be as serious as electrical contact, he said.

In order to promote awareness among employees, Alger Delta organizes an internal safety committee consisting of seven linemen who meet monthly to evaluate and discuss how to improve safety measures on the job.

“It takes constant awareness that an accident can happen anytime,” added Moore, who, previous to his 19 year as an insurance consultant, spent 22 years as a lineman for an electric company. During that job, a line superintendent presented Moore and his peers with a unique way to remember this concept. Affixed to the inside of Moore’s wallet is a small, red dot which serves as a reminder, he said, not to be complacent about safety. When the red has worn off, he replaces it with another sticker.

Alger Delta is also working toward accreditation with the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, the umbrella organization for all of the cooperatives in Michigan which provides services such as safety and job training, operates an Emergency Assistance Plan for member coops, and advocates for them to state and national government agencies.

In order to be an accredited system, the company is evaluated in 161 different areas and needs a score of 70 percent or better in each area, said Harrell. It is a peer review process and the evaluation team consists of trained personnel from other cooperatives, certain safety organizations and the insurance company. “It’s a level of excellence in a safety system,” added Moore. Alger Delta has already completed some of the initial steps to realizing this distinguished status.

The number of employees at Alger Delta multiplied by 14 years equates to 548,392 accident-free work hours, but more importantly, said Moore, the award signifies no pain and suffering over that period of time. He adds that the average claim for a work related injury costs $30,000.

Not all hazards are immediately obvious. For example, said Harrell, there are over half a million connections on the system. If work is not handled carefully according to certain specifications, degradation of the system over time can result. Connections can fault by heating up and degrading, causing too high or low voltages in the system. Many problems and hazards can be avoided by simply following the correct procedures, said Harrell. Stressing safety and proper procedure is a daily challenge.

According to Moore, the electric cooperative with the longest record of no lost work time behind Alger Delta is Cherryland Electric located in Traverse City with 12 years.