2025 Classes

This session will show leaders at all levels of the organization how to change behavior through showing how to present issues, incidents and successes to influence reporting, discussions and learning to continuously improve as a workforce.

This session will consist of a question and answer open forum with a panel of subject matter experts in the field of public utility distribution and transmission systems in the State of Michigan.

This presentation will cover the negative impact “luck” has on safety and sharing the various elements to a good safety plan that supports a strong safety culture.

Come learn about the speaker’s thoughts on leadership, ethics and attitude.

Utility workers often face risks while performing their jobs (line repair/clearance, shuts offs, disconnects, customer service, warranty work)/  They may encounter people who pose “threats”.  These may include angry, frustrated, “entitled” customers, angry callers, street criminals, homeless, drug abusers, mentally ill and disgruntled others.  Developing situational awareness skills and using good verbal diffusion de-escalation skills is a means to maintain good customer service and avoid victimization.  

This program will describe how 1.) to recognize threats in community settings and verbal and non-verbal pre-attack behaviors and 2.) how to use verbal diffusion skills, develop street survival skills, de-escalate angry individuals, deliver good customer service and increase personal safety.

AI is helping us in many areas of life, including solving basic problems, but can it complete an RCA when there is an incident?  Considering most incidents follow patterns that repeat themselves, there is an opportunity for the analyst to decrease the heavy lifting by tapping into the historic knowledge base.  This presentation will show how AI can be a key team member for your RCA’s.

Keith Jenks will relate his actual work experience of a near death electrical explosion.  In his presentation he will take you through the hours leading up to the accident and the role complacency played in the catastrophic events that unfolded afterwards.

This program will provide options and information to utility workers on how to respond to situations involving active violence, argumentative persons, or other unsafe situations.  The focus will be on field workers, but many aspects will be applicable for office workers and everyday life.

The speakers will cover: 
-The Three Pillars of Leadership:  Purpose, Direction and Motivation
-The effective development of leadership traits through   
An emphasis will be on utiliizing effective communication to provide purpose, direction and motivation to establish safety initiatives and to establish a safety culture with front line supervisor training.

This presentation is to inform contractors and excavators of the MISSDIG811 process and how it keeps them safe.  The process of Positive Response and everyone’s role when using it will be shared.  Soft Excavation Methods and how they are defined within the law will be explained.  The speakers will share what steps to take if there is a utility strike, and finally the will cover what Public Act 174 is, and how it affect’s everyone’s day-to-day operations.