June is National Safety Month, and for electric cooperatives, it’s more than an event on the calendar. Safety is the foundation of our work, the culture that shapes every job briefing, and every decision made in the field or the office. The National Safety Council created National Safety Month to reduce preventable injuries and deaths at work, on the road, and in our communities. For electric cooperatives, where many employees routinely work in high-risk environments, that mission resonates deeply.
Across the country, electric cooperatives have built a safety culture grounded in training, accountability, and continuous improvement. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) emphasizes that safety is one of the most important responsibilities in our industry, and cooperatives invest heavily in programs that reinforce that commitment. NRECA’s safety resources, including the Certified Loss Control Professional program and the annual Safety Leadership Summit, help cooperative leaders strengthen their skills and reinforce safe work practices. The Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP), used by more than 675 cooperatives, provides a structured framework for evaluating and improving safety performance. One of RESAP’s core values is clear: when leadership prioritizes safety, the entire organization follows.
Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, the primary insurer for many cooperatives, plays a critical role in strengthening that culture. Federated’s near-miss reporting tools help cooperatives identify hazards before they become accidents, and its sponsorship of the Safe Electricity program brings lifesaving public awareness campaigns to communities nationwide. Federated is also a key partner in the Commitment to Zero Contacts initiative, which provides resources, including the S.A.F.E. job planning app, to help eliminate serious injuries and fatalities caused by electrical contacts. These tools reinforce a simple truth: preventing accidents requires vigilance, planning, and a willingness to learn from every close call.
Here in Wisconsin, safety has always been a year-round priority. Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News regularly highlights the work of lineworkers, safety coordinators, and cooperative leaders who make safety a daily discipline. Our lineworkers face unpredictable conditions like storms, ice, high winds, and challenging terrain, and their commitment to safe work practices protects not only themselves but also the communities they serve.
This year, Wisconsin’s commitment to safety is taking another important step forward. The Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) is launching a new statewide compliance program designed to strengthen consistency, accountability, and regulatory alignment across all member cooperatives. The program will help provide standardized training modules, updated safety protocols, and a more unified reporting structure that helps cooperatives track performance and identify trends. It also enhances coordination with OSHA requirements and industry best practices, ensuring that every cooperative has access to the same high-quality safety resources. By creating a shared framework, WECA is helping cooperatives elevate their safety and compliance culture together, reinforcing the cooperative principle of working collaboratively for the benefit of all.
National Safety Month is also a reminder that safety challenges continue to evolve. As electricity demand grows and the grid becomes more complex, cooperatives must adapt. New technologies, from distributed energy resources to electric vehicles to advanced metering, bring new risks and require updated training and procedures. The cooperative approach to continuous improvement means safety isn’t static—it’s always evolving with the work we do and the tools we use.
But at its core, safety still comes down to people. It’s the apprentice who double-checks a harness, the crew leader who pauses a job to reassess conditions, the manager who invests in training, and the coworker who speaks up when something doesn’t look right. NRECA’s “Speak Up, Listen Up!” initiative captures this perfectly: safety thrives when communication is open, honest, and encouraged at every level.
As we observe National Safety Month, let’s honor the cooperative employees who make safety their mission. Their work ensures that our communities have reliable, affordable electricity and that the people who provide it stay safe. Safety isn’t just a priority in June; it’s a promise we strive for all year long.