Wind Industry Recognizes Apex’s Culture of Safety for Second Consecutive Year

“Zero” isn’t typically a number that many companies want to highlight. It’s a number usually associated with negative connotations in business—the type you don’t shout from the rooftops.

But when a company of more than 200 employees achieves zero recordable incidents while working in environments from high-voltage substations to fully operational and under-construction wind farms, in addition to corporate offices and sites under development across two dozen states, that’s an exceptional achievement to be celebrated.

In 2018, Apex Clean Energy set that standard.

For these accomplishments, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) honored Apex with the Safety and Health Gold Achievement Award at its annual Wind Project O&M and Safety conference in San Diego. The award—the highest level of recognition in the industry—was presented to Apex for a second consecutive year, acknowledging it as a workplace that demonstrates the greatest dedication and leadership in integrating safety and health management performance with business operations.

“Safety is one of Apex’s core values and a significant driver of our corporate culture,” says Mark Goodwin, Apex president and CEO. “Over the past decade, our team has established an industry-leading track record and maintains a commitment to continual improvement. This extends beyond our employees to the contractors we work with and the communities that help bring our projects to life.”

On February 27, a team of Apexers, including Manager of Health and Safety John Boyle, accepted the award at AWEA’s Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference in San Diego.

“Constant communication and a clear set of guiding principles is at the heart of our safety program,” says Boyle. “This progress wouldn’t be possible without the complete trust and buy-in of Apex employees and contractors alike.”

By taking a cooperative and innovative approach to safety, Apex utilizes collaborative drills, trainings, and presentations involving local emergency responders. This focus helps everyone on the job site move past a compliance mentality. “Every year begins anew, and we never take our safety record for granted,” continues Boyle. “Our hope is to continue to improve, especially as we enter a period of intense project construction during the next few years.”