Jackson EMC Earns National Safety Distinction

For Immediate Release (Jefferson, Ga., November 22, 2005) — Receiving the highest scores in the electric cooperative's history, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has achieved safety accreditation through the Rural Electric Safety Accreditation Program, sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

"Achieving safety accreditation is the right thing to do, and we have clearly demonstrated our commitment to making safety a top priority," said Tim Sweat, Job Training/Safety Director for the cooperative. "These accreditation certificates are difficult to obtain and reflect years of hard work in electric cooperative operations."

Founded in 1967 as a peer review program, the RESAP brings together job safety training professionals and affiliates of the electric utility industry to establish safety accreditation guidelines for electric cooperatives.

The accreditation process is an analysis of a cooperative's safety and loss control program, measuring overall effectiveness with the goal to preserve life and prevent injury. RESAP standards exceed compliance standards of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Transportation.

Accreditation is awarded when EMCs meet all safety standards for protecting employees and the public. A cooperative applying for accreditation must undergo several evaluations based on a three-year review, during which on-site visits and field observations of buildings and facilities, operating equipment, and personal protective equipment are made by a trained team of safety experts with Georgia EMC, the statewide trade association representing the 42 EMCs in Georgia. In addition, the prospective EMC must submit a detailed report outlining the co-op's safety policies and procedures.

Jackson EMC is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to 190,000 meters in Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe counties.

Georgia EMC represents the state's 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp. and Georgia Transmission Corp. Through this statewide network, the 42 customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to four million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

NRECA is the national service organization that represents the nation's more than 900 consumer-owned electric cooperatives.

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