A Good Catch Strengthens Wheatland’s Safety Culture

Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. was recognized by Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (KEC) at its SAFETY SUMMIT, Aug. 26-27, for an OUTSTANDING GOOD CATCH submission, highlighting the importance of communication and proactive safety practices.

One of only three cooperatives recognized from more than 60 submissions, WEC’s award-winning GOOD CATCH stemmed from a crew responding to an outage, according to BRAD THYNE, WEC’S DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE. 

While isolating, testing and grounding, employees discovered unexpected backfeed from a feedyard generator interlock before work began. 

“This recognition is a great example of the power of communication and the importance of recognizing the positive actions our employees take every day,” Thyne said. “By sharing these Good Catches and the lessons we learn from them, we can continue strengthening our safety culture and help prevent incidents before they occur.”

Good Catches, paired with after-action reports, give WEC employees an opportunity to share observations, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement — helping make safety an ongoing conversation across the cooperative.