The safety of our employees and the safety of the communities we serve is a top priority for everyone who works at SDG&E. To reinforce our collective commitment to a zero-accident culture, our company holds an annual Safety Congress.

At our 2019 Safety Congress, about 450 of our employees spent the day participating in a variety of workshops where they learned about fire safety preparedness and cybersecurity, and how good listening skills can lead to fewer mistakes and help maintain workplace safety.

“One injury is one too many,” said SDG&E’s Chief Operating Officer Caroline Winn. “In order to take our safety culture to the next level we need to look out for each other and have the courage to speak up. You will never be reprimanded for speaking up. Your input is valued more than you know.”

Now in its 18th year, the Safety Congress brought together representatives from every division of the company. It was emphasized that it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy workplace – everyone on down from the CEO and president to directors and managers to supervisors and frontline workers.

Safety accomplishments

Individuals and teams who stood out for their safety track record and leadership were honored at the Safety Congress with awards.

Among those receiving special recognition was our Northeast Street Repair Crew which has not had any safety incidents for more than eight years. Over that time period, they completed over 4,000 jobs and drove more than 600,000 miles.

No shortcuts

The overarching theme of the event was never compromise safety, accidents are preventable, and shortcuts are not tolerated. Keynote Speaker Richard Cerenzio hammered home that message. Cerenzio is senior director of health, safety, environmental and quality at ISN. He’s also a member of the Campbell Institute at the National Safety Council.

“Focus and making the right choices are the keys to helping us get to zero injuries,” said Cerenzio. “You have to engage, learn, and share, you’ve got to drive culture and engage by reinforcing the safety-first model. It’s important that employees give their feedback.”