Labor & Industry Recognizes Lycoming County Utility Company For Exceptional Workplace Safety

Montoursville, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Deputy Secretary for Compensation and Insurance Scott Weiant today presented Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority (LCWSA) with a 2022 Governor's Award for Safety Excellence (GASE).

During the award presentation, Weiant recognized the utility company's implementation of innovative, sustainable safety policies that protect its workers and highlighted the importance of safety committees in the workplace.

"This highly competitive award recognizes a business's commitment to instilling the importance of safety culture and mutual trust between an employer and its employees," Weiant said. "By investing in its workers and their safety, LCWSA has become instrumental in setting the standard for other workplaces in the commonwealth. It is an honor to present them with this exceptional recognition."

Since 1997, this highly competitive award has supported the sharing of valuable best practices and strategic development of safety policy and approaches across the commonwealth. LCWSA's safety committee, created in 2014, aligns its standards with L&I's Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety initiative, known as PATHS, and is an independent operating authority focused on compliance, stormwater planning, management, and implementation in Lycoming County and the surrounding region.

LCWSA's safety committee remains committed to prioritizing workplace safety by conducting monthly inspections to address potential workplace hazards, developing sustainable programs and safety policies, and leading safety training sessions to ensure competency and communication at all levels of the organization.

"LCWSA strives to set a high standard within our industry and beyond with our commitment to employee and public safety. We want our employees to return home at the end of each day because they were safe, not lucky. Continuous improvement of safety culture and communication is our goal," said Marie Haas, LCWSA safety committee chair. "The willingness of our Board members and entire staff to actively put safety at the forefront has made this achievement possible. As Safety Committee Chair, I am proud to have been a part of winning this prestigious award. I speak for our entire organization in extending our sincere gratitude to Governor Wolf, The Department of Labor & Industry and Deputy Secretary Weiant for awarding Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority the 2022 Governor's Award for Safety Excellence."

Workplace safety is a major priority of the Wolf Administration. Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order in October 2021Opens In A New Window that directed commonwealth agencies to take actions that advance worker protections in Pennsylvania – including studying the possibility of extending OSHA standards to commonwealth workplaces.

Certified workplace safety committees, supported by L&I's Bureau of Workers' Compensation Health & Safety Division, are effective tools for Pennsylvania businesses to protect their workers and save money. Pennsylvania employers who establish certified workplace safety committees receive a 5% discount on their workers' compensation insurance premiums.

More than 12,900 state-certified workplace safety committees have been established since March 1994, protecting more than 1.6 million workers. Additionally, employers with certified workplace safety committees have saved more than $850 million in workers' compensation premiums. These savings in insurance costs are due solely to the 5% premium discount provided to businesses that have these committees.

For more information on making Pennsylvania workplaces safer, visit www.dli.pa.govOpens In A New Window, and click on "Workers' Compensation Services."

MEDIA CONTACT:  Alex Peterson, dlipress@pa.gov

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