Date:

May 4, 2007

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Bill Kostner, Risk Manager, 441-7671

The Nebraska Safety Council (NSC) has awarded a Peak Performance Award – the organization’s highest level of distinction for safety – to the City of Lincoln in recognition of the City’s outstanding workplace safety program. The award’s selection committee compares the City’s training, safety program, injuries and lost-time statistics to comparable employers nationally.

In order to be considered for the honor, an organization must meet the following criteria:

• Injury rates well below national industry averages.
• No workplace deaths in the past year.
• Efforts to promote safety in the community.
• A full range of safety training programs for all employees specific to their jobs.

"This is a great honor for the City of Lincoln," said Mayor Coleen J. Seng. "I want to thank the City’s workplace safety professionals as well as all other City employees who focus on and place a priority on their own safety as well as that of their fellow employees."

In determining the awards, the NSC uses the Occupational Safety and Health Administration incident rate, which show the ratio of recordable injuries to total hours worked. The City’s rate was 2.36, as much as two-thirds less than comparable reporting municipalities across the country. City Risk Manager Bill Kostner said factors leading to the low rate include extensive and specific safety training programs for employees in their respective departments.

The City also earned the Peak Performance Award in 2001, 2002 and 2003.