Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power & Light (WPL), headquartered in Madison, is an energy service provider that provides utility customers with electric and natural gas services. Alliant Energy-WPL serves 450,000 electric customers, 180,000 natural gas customers, and employs over 2,300 people across central and southern Wisconsin.

At Alliant Energy-WPL, safety continues to be a core value. Its safety policy is summed up in a simple statement: “If it’s not safe — don’t do it. Make it safe and then do it.”

In 2006, the company introduced SafeStart, an advanced safety awareness program that focuses on techniques to avoid unintentional at-risk behaviors that lead to injuries — both at home and on the job. The SafeStart program helps employees prevent accidents before they happen by helping them recognize patterns that significantly increase the risk of their actions. The program was piloted at the Columbia power plant in 2006, which resulted in a 66 percent decrease in first aid injuries, and a 92 percent decrease in recordable incidents.

Leaders from the company’s operating groups, along with safety staff, are assigned the responsibility for completing projects identified in its safety management plans. The safety culture permeates throughout, and the company encourages full participation in the safety program in all levels of the organization to eliminate or reduce the hazards related to electric and gas operations.

Performance goals in 2006 incorporated not only the traditional safety performance metrics of recordable and severity rates, but also incorporated the completion of safety management plans. Each safety management plan was prioritized and delegated responsibility. Each item was given a completion date and progress was monitored quarterly. The company successfully completed 100 percent of its safety management plans in 2006.

Last year, the company resolved 100 percent of its environmental, health and safety assessment items within 60 days or less. In addition, in Energy Delivery, lost work days were successfully reduced 43 percent.

Last year the company developed a program for conducting injury prevention plans for each facility. A report of each location’s injury statistics was developed and used to identify injury trends. This information was shared with managers, and the individual locations then developed their own safety action plan to reduce injuries. Positive trends are also identified in the reports and shared with other locations to help them improve in specific areas. The company also implemented a job hazard analysis procedure to identify, evaluate, and correct hazards associated with various job tasks, especially high-risk activities.

Alliant Energy-WPL continues to expand its ergonomics program in the office and the field. The company has incorporated lessons learned from a Lean Six Sigma team pilot program for line employees that included a more intensive stretching and strengthen training program, as well as wellness information, job task analysis and individual consultations. The company’s Industrial Athlete Program educates employees on stretches and exercises that can help improve body strength and flexibility. The company developed stretching and strengthening videos specifically for employees who experience rotator cuff and low back pain.