Illinois American Water is celebrating National Safety Month by highlighting safety excellence achieved by three teams in the company’s Southern Division. The team members celebrated several years of operation without a lost-time accident. The Godfrey wastewater service team celebrated 21 years in May; the Grafton wastewater service team celebrated six years in May; and the Jerseyville water and wastewater teams celebrated eight years on June 1.
Illinois American Water employees are provided with critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) work zone protective equipment, chemical handling requirements and training, work zone safety training, and more to support safe work practices. Employees also participate in facility and job site audits to safeguard compliance with established workplace safety practices.
Karen Cooper, Illinois American Water Director of Operations, said, “These teams make safety their top priority and look out for each other every day. The pandemic emphasized their commitment to safety. They have embraced new PPE, social distancing and more to keep themselves and each other safe.”
Illinois American Water employees provide critical water and/or wastewater service to homes and businesses around the clock. Employees may need to work in confined spaces, among motorists and in extreme weather. They may also handle chemicals, conduct excavation and operate equipment.
Cooper said, “The work we do is complex and employee safety is a top priority. There is nothing more important than our employees going home in the same condition as they arrived at work, or better. There is no room for shortcuts when it comes to safety.”
Safety training at Illinois American Water includes both online classes and hands-on training. A near miss program also helps employees identify possible hazards to prevent injury. In addition, Company contractors are held to the same safety expectation as employees.
To learn more about Illinois American Water please visit www.illinoisamwater.com.
About Illinois American Water - Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Illinois American Water Ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction
with Large Water Utilities in the Midwest for Two Years in a Row.
For J.D. Power 2021 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.
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Contacts
Media Contact: Karen Cotton, External Affairs Manager, 309.566-4126 or karen.cotton@amwater.com
