At Washington State’s Cowlitz PUD, safety is clearly communicated and reinforced as a core value, which has resulted in recognition from the American Public Power Association and the Northwest Public Power Association.
Safety is always top of mind at the PUD as illustrated by its focus on a “We above Me” culture, noted Gary Huhta, General Manager of Cowlitz PUD, in a recent interview with APPA.
The PUD earned a platinum level APPA Safety Award of Excellence and a Northwest Public Power Association Safety Award with the PUD earning first place for outstanding safe operating practices.
“Safety is clearly communicated and reinforced as a core value here all across the PUD. We definitely make it a priority,” Huhta said in a Public Power Now podcast episode.
“It's highlighted in employee publications, in our strategic plan…but we also try to live it out every day. We do receive strong top-down leadership support” as it works to ensure safety expectations are visible and consistently upheld.
The safety topic is also top of mind for the PUD’s Board of Commissioners and “it's frequently considered in our discussions and decision making,” he noted.
“We've tried to develop a proactive mindset. Moving away from the concept of, well, that's the way we've always done it,” Huhta said. The PUD is looking to continuously make improvements and innovation in its approach to safety.
An example of that over the last few years is that “we've made it a focal point to invest in modern tools and equipment,” he said.
“One of our line superintendents is specifically responsible for ensuring the tooling needs of our crews are fulfilled,” so it has observed that this not only improves safety and performance, but it's also improving work efficiencies.
The PUD is actively try to engage with employees and understand how best to support their day to day work.
“We emphasize the relationship building and valuing our employee input, especially when it comes to their interest in tooling or training or other safety needs that are expressed,” Huhta said.
He noted that the PUD in the last couple of years has transitioned away from a large, all-employee type of safety meeting format.
“Instead, we're meeting in small groups, departmental-focused type of safety meetings.So, we've observed that this is resulting in a much more comfortable environment for the employees, given they're smaller groups, and you're in the meeting with your direct peers.”
The discussion about near misses and department specific concerns “is more robust than what we had seen with the large groups,” he said, with more employee participation and feedback.
The ideas received in these small group meetings “feeds right into our concept and desire to continuously improve.”
He noted that with respect to leadership participation, “our directors participate in these meetings and then meet myself as the general manager. I also make it a point to attend these safety meetings.”
Huhta said he appreciates being able to have “that direct communication with the frontline employees, so I'm able to hear directly. It creates an environment of transparency and open communication, so with that, it's unlikely that some of the issues or concerns that are brought forward are ignored or swept under the rug or disregarded.”
The PUD is also trying to emphasize “a We above Me culture with our safety where the concept is we're looking out for each other on a day-to-day basis.”
It has created branded shirts “with this We Above Me concept and some other communications as well to try to keep that front of mind to be looking out for your brother sort of concept.”
In 2025, “our operations department, where we have probably the most substantial safety risk exposure…we did not have a single injury amongst that group, which is the first time we've seen that in 20 years.”
In the interview, he also discussed a PUD grid resilience project in Ryderwood, Washington, as well as an effort to modify or install new breakers at its Swift No. 2 hydroelectric project.
