Little Rock, Arkansas — February 2, 2023 — Dustin Denton, manager of right-of-way services for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), and Mark Jackson, construction crews safety coordinator for AECI, recently completed an intensive program in electricity utility safety and loss control. The 2 utility professionals participated in a certified loss control program offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in conjunction with the National Utility Training and Safety Association.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, nearly 4 million workplace injuries occur each year. One of the goals of NRECA’s certified loss control program is to ensure a safe work environment for electric utility workers and the general public.
Denton and Jackson are among a select group of electric utility professional workers that have earned the certification. The program requires the completion of rigorous seminars and tests, a 30-hour OSHA course and a detailed final course project. The certification participants complete 4, week-long sessions to challenge and educate them in current, innovative safety practices.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides various services to the distribution cooperatives; and AECC, a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to more than 600,000 members, or customers, in Arkansas and surrounding states.
For additional information, contact:
Rob Roedel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, (501) 570-2296 or email Rob.