In celebration of National Safety Month, we're highlighting Safety Specialist Lance Miner. After applying lockout/tagout* safety procedures for 15 years while working for the Thermal utility, safety became extremely important to Lance. He was thrilled when he was given the opportunity to join the Safety department in September 2018 as a Safety Specialist. Learn more about him below.
- What did you do prior to working for the utility?
I helped manage a third-generation family business.
- What is a typical day like for you?
As one of five safety representatives at Citizens, I support employees at the General Office, as well as those working in Shared Field Services, Meter Reading, and Dispatch. I also assist Water and Wastewater employees with commercial driver’s license (CDL) needs.
A typical day usually involves checking on the areas that I support, completing drug- testing activities, working with the Human Resources Generalists as we complete the onboarding process for new hires, and providing safety training to employees.
- What do you enjoy most about your job?
The best part of my job is the regular interaction with so many people throughout the company. I love getting to know people and enjoy the camaraderie. It is a great feeling when a relationship has developed to the point that the trust and confidence in each other is unquestioned. - What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
The most challenging part is temporarily compartmentalizing my feelings when responding to an emergency that involves someone with whom I’ve developed a relationship, shared laughs, and made memories over the years. During those situations, I try not to think about the person and instead focus on taking actions to get the individual help as soon as possible. - How have you seen employees demonstrating One Company, One Culture?
After having worked with so many different people and personalities over the past 20 years, I’ve learned that it’s important to share our experiences and knowledge in order to reach new heights. We need to embrace our differences and help each other so we learn and develop together. I’ll share a couple of examples I’ve seen of employees demonstrating One Company, One Culture.
Longer-tenured employees embrace new team members. For example, Maintenance Fitter Crew Leaders Walt Wynn, Aaron Houston, and Jeremy Barnes willingly share their experience and insight with the next generation of service people.
I often see departments offering assistance to other areas. I’ve witnessed numerous conversations between Water Distribution Maintenance Manager Jim Allen and Gas Distribution Manager Jim Bennett offering support from their areas to assist the other. - What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy playing golf, taking walks on the golf course in the evening with my wife, Sarah, who I have been married to for 25 years, and watching our 13-year-old son, Dylan, play baseball.
*WHAT IS LOCKOUT/TAGOUT?
Energy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers.
The lockout process involves placing lockout devices and energy-isolating devices on the equipment that prevent hazardous energy release. Tagout means placing a tag on the equipment that indicates it has been locked out and cannot be operated until the tags are removed.
