News Releases

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Safety is a core value at Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company. With temperatures hovering in the 80s and customers' energy usage historically increasing during the summer months, the utilities reiterate their commitment to the safety of customers, employees, business partners and the general public.

In conjunction with National Safety Month, LG&E and KU will be highlighting such topics in June as the company's safety practices, safety tips, employees' first-hand experiences and the utilities' nationally and internationally recognized superior safety standards.

"Our employees won nearly 200 safety awards in the last decade, and LG&E and KU are proud of the utilities' legacy and dedication toward safe practices," said Ken Sheridan, Director of Operations and Security at LG&E and KU. "We have a top-led, employee-driven safety culture that starts with each individual employee at every level of the company, and our stringent safety standards serve as a cornerstone in our ability to deliver safe, reliable energy and superior customer service."

Most recently, KU's E.W. Brown and Ghent Generating Stations received the 2013 Governor's Safety Award for employees achieving more than 5.4 million consecutive work hours without lost time due to injury or illness.

In the labor-intensive energy industries, the utilities' deep-seated safety culture dates back to their inception in the 1900s when "Safety First" was already a key message for employees.

These same safety standards resonate with the utilities' more than 3,000 employees responsible for overseeing nine electric generating stations, 44 operations centers and more than 33,000 miles of electric and natural gas lines.

"Safety means everything. I come from a big family, and I have four young children myself, so safety means everything to me. I want to go home to my kids, be able to see and hear every day and continue my life as normal," said Chris Wiles, Storage Operator at LG&E's Muldraugh Gas Compressor Station.

Wiles' commitment is especially timely, as LG&E and KU are entering the 90-Day Stretch. During June, July and August — months where the seasonal risk for injury increases — employees are encouraged to work with a laser focus on safety, both on-and-off the job.

In addition to this year's Governor's Safety Awards, last year, the utilities also received:

Southern Gas Association Safety Achievement Award
Gas Distribution, Louisville

Kentucky Gas Association 2011 Accident Prevention Award
Gas Operations (13th consecutive year)

Edison Electric Institute Safety Achievement Award
Richmond Operations

Southern Gas Association Accident Prevention Award
Gas Regulatory Services

2012 Kentucky Emergency Services Conference Award
For dedication to the emergency services community

Kentucky Governor's Health and Safety Award
Lexington Substation Construction and Maintenance

Kentucky Governor's Health and Safety Award
Danville Substation Construction and Maintenance

Kentucky Governor's Health and Safety Award
Mill Creek

Kentucky Governor's Health and Safety Award
Ghent

Kentucky Governor's Health and Safety Award
E.W. Brown


Visit http://www.lge-ku.com/tips for ways you can be safe and energy smart during hot weather.



Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. Kentucky Utilities serves 546,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.