UI Organizes Safety Day for More than 300 Front-Line Workers

20 vendors provide equipment demonstrations and classroom training for line crews, substation team, logistics staff, and more


ORANGE, Conn. — October 17, 2023 — United Illuminating, a subsidiary of Avangrid (NYSE: AGR), today held its annual Safety Day for over 300 field professionals, including overhead and underground line crews, test standard employees, substation staff, and logistics teams. Throughout the day, the line crews and field professionals took part in interactive demonstrations of new safety equipment and heard from approximately 20 vendors during seminar-style trainings.

“At UI, safety for our employees and our customers is our absolute priority,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of United Illuminating. “As the electric industry evolves and expands to accommodate recent technologies, such as clean energy resources and batteries, it is more essential than ever that our front-line workers stay ahead of the curve in providing best-in-class safety and reliability to our customers. The demonstrations and discussions during today’s Safety Day highlighted our team’s commitment to that effort, and I look forward to seeing how our teams implement these new technologies and practices in the field.”

Coordinated and led by the Electric Operations team and in partnership with the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 470-1, the Safety Day gave UI’s front-line workers the opportunity to safely evaluate new equipment, including rigging and hoisting from Irby Construction Company, chainsaw equipment from Lewis Tree, and fault-finding equipment from Shamrock-Power Sales. Vendors also exhibited their products, including Gore-Tex safety gear and safety supplies. All the activities for Safety Day were paid for by the company, not by ratepayers.

“It’s one thing to talk about the importance of safety, but here at UI, we do the work to put it into practice,” said Christine Pariseau, Senior Manager of Regional Operations for Overhead and Underground Line at UI, who led the coordination efforts for Safety Day. “Ensuring our workers have the most up-to-date training and knowledge of best practices helps our team serve our customers even more efficiently, while keeping themselves and those around them out of harm’s way. I’m proud of our company’s commitment to safety, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with my colleagues in UWUA Local 470-1 to make today’s Safety Day a reality.”

“Working on the front-lines of the electric utility industry is dangerous work, and getting home safely every evening is not a guarantee,” said Moses Rams, Chief Line Crew Leader at UI and President of UWUA Local 470-1. “But because UI goes the extra mile to provide front-line workers with the training they need, I feel confident we are doing everything we can to avoid accidents and keep our customers and team members safe.”

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