Safety for our employees – alongside safety for the customers and communities we’re proud to serve – is something everyone at TECO Peoples Gas knows well; in fact it’s our top priority.
Now the rest of the world is getting the word with the announcement that Florida’s largest natural gas utility has won the 2018 American Gas Association (AGA) Safety Achievement Award for Excellence in Employee Safety.
“This award is a testament to the countless hours of safety training and good decisions on the job by the men and women of TECO Peoples Gas who strive tirelessly, 24/7, to ensure safe, reliable natural gas for the community,” said T.J. Szelistowski, president of TECO Peoples Gas. “Nothing comes before safety across Emera companies, and while our people recommit to this daily, before every job shift, the proof that it’s working is when each employee goes home safely at the end of each day. I’m so proud to see our efforts recognized by the AGA.”
TECO Peoples Gas, which got its start as Tampa Gas Company in 1895, has long made safety the centerpiece of its business. In 2017 this effort grew significantly with the opening of GasWorX, an advanced training facility at the company’s Tampa Division headquarters. GasWorX features a fully functioning simulated community that runs on natural gas, along with all of the piping and other complex equipment that goes with it.
Taken by an unknown photographer on 4/25/18.
Complementing GasWorX is the company’s new gas apprentice program that combines classroom learning with real-world experience to ensure that TECO Peoples Gas field employees are fully knowledgeable about every aspect of gas service, from installation to crisis management.
“Your company’s excellent safety record enhances our industry’s record as a leader in safety,” said AGA Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lori Traweek. “Congratulations to you and your employees for your significant accomplishment.”
For customers and employees alike, TECO Peoples Gas offers extensive guidance as it relates to natural gas safety, safe digging practices, pipeline awareness and more. In 2018, our customers rated us “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Midsize Residential Natural Gas Service in the South” in the annual J.D. Power Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study for the sixth year in a row. Peoples Gas achieved the highest score in all six study factors, including Safety and Reliability.
“As more residents and businesses across Florida discover the safe, smart, affordable benefits of natural gas, you can expect to see more of our employees establishing new service, nurturing economic development and fueling the state,” Szelistowski said. “Every step of the way, safety will be at the very top of their minds in everything that they do.”
He added, “That’s the No. 1 commitment our company makes to its employees, who are among the best in the business. It’s the No. 1 commitment our employees make to each other as they focus on situational awareness, hazard mitigation and other things. And together, it’s the No. 1 commitment we make to you.”
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