KUA Recognized with State, National Safety Awards

KUA was among 17 Florida public power utilities to receive a Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, which recognizes utilities’ commitment to safety, earning second place in the category with other similar-sized utilities. The award was presented at the Florida Lineman Competition awards banquet in Ocala.

The utility also earned the American Public Power Association’s Diamond Level Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2024.

“Ensuring the safety of our staff is a top priority at KUA,” said KUA President & General Manager Brian Horton. “Receiving both state and national recognition for our safety efforts is truly an honor.”

Utilities are placed into categories based on their total worker hours and rewarded for the most incident-free records. KUA recorded a 3.2 Incidence Rate (IR) for 2024. The incidence rate used to judge utilities was based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses compared to the total number of worker hours during 2024, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Linework is listed as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. In order to provide reliable power, Florida lineworkers, and power crews are frequently engaged in challenging work that can place them at risk of serious or fatal injuries, which is why public power utilities place a significant emphasis on safety and training.