Public power utilities have a long-standing commitment to both workplace and public safety, with the goal of zero injuries in their communities.
Safety Awards of Excellence
Applications for the 2024 Safety Awards of Excellence closed on January 31, 2025. Please come back to this page at in November/December 2025 for next year's application.
Each year, APPA conducts the Safety Awards of Excellence Program to recognize how the public power utilities prioritize safety in their day-to-day operations. Utilities are presented with Diamond-, Platinum-, and Gold-level designations based on their incident rates and responses to an awards application that reflect the effectiveness of their safety programs. In 2024, 202 public power utilities received awards through this program.
Thanks to the valuable feedback from the new APPA Safety Committee, the Safety Awards of Excellence program has been updated in 2024. Details of the new program are available in the Application Guidebook for the 2024 Award Year (PDF).
To learn more, watch the recording of our APPA Safety Awards of Excellence informational webinar conducted on January 8, 2025.
eSafety Tracker
In June 2024, APPA released a new version of the eSafety Tracker, developed with input from public power safety professionals. This new tool helps public power utilities manage safety programs, training, inspections, and incident reporting in a single platform. It also includes online and offline access to the APPA Safety Manual and other key content through a mobile app.
A handful of APPA members piloted the new tracker in early 2024. Based on their feedback, the system was further enhanced and refined to focus on the needs of public power utilities. The article "Consistent Tracking Improves Safety" (Public Power Magazine, March 2024) details how the pilot utilities planned to use the eSafety Tracker to organize their safety and training programs.
For additional information on the new system, please visit our eSafety Tracker information page.
Safety Manual
The American Public Power Association’s Safety Manual is the premier source for safety compliance information for electric utility safe work practices. Updated in 2023 by APPA’s Safety Manual Revision Task Force, the 17th edition features more than 200 changes, including the latest Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) updates and new sections on topics such as communications and switching.
Safety Manual Interpretation Requests and Change Proposals
The SMRT Force welcomes questions to ensure the correct implementation of safety standards. If you have any questions about the Safety Manual, you may submit an interpretation request. Address only one topic per request. Should you have questions on multiple topics, submit a separate request for each topic. Please allow up to four weeks for your request to be processed. If a change proposal references documents that are not readily available to the SMRT Force, the submitter shall upload materials referenced to supply the SMRT Force.
Submit a change for the 18th Edition Safety Manual (to be published in 2028). All proposed changes will be considered by the SMRT Force.
NESC 2028 Revision Cycle
The National Electrical Safety Code sets rules and guidelines for the installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply, communication lines, and associated equipment to safeguard workers and the public. The NESC gets revised on a five-year cycle based on a formal process of gathering feedback from across the industry. The Public Power Standards Representatives Taskforce (formerly the Industrial Standards Committee) is the opportunity for public power systems to ensure these requirements adhere to public power safety standards and are economically feasible. The PPSRT reviews existing standards, proposes changes, and establishes positions on code change proposals consistent with the interests of APPA member systems.
Learn more about the PPSRT and how to participate in the NESC revision process.
More Safety Resources
Have a safety question to ask of other utilities? Join the safety community group to ask questions, get answers, and share best practices and resources. Email Membership@PublicPower.org to request to join.