PUEBLO, Colo., Aug. 21, 2020 – Black Hills Energy announced today that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recognized Paul Hanna, plant manager of the Pueblo Airport Generating Station (PAGS), with the OSHA Region VIII Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Leadership award. Since becoming plant manager at PAGS in 2014, Hanna has made safety the guiding principle for his staff, achieving OSHA VPP Star status for the site, the nation’s highest designation for workplace safety.
OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs recognize work sites that show excellence in occupational safety and health, with Star status reserved for top achievements in the prevention and control of safety and health hazards. Black Hills Energy’s PAGS facility earned this top designation in 2019.
OSHA’s Region VIII is comprised of six western states, including Colorado. Each year, Region VIII recognizes two VPP leaders from the more than 70 participating companies regionwide, who exemplify the ideals, commitment and leadership qualities consistent with VPP, by actively engaging in exemplary safety and health activities in the workplace.
“Paul Hanna is a clear leader who is worthy and deserving to receive the OSHA Region VIII VPP Leadership award,”
“Paul Hanna is a clear leader who is worthy and deserving to receive the OSHA Region VIII VPP Leadership award,” said Brad Baptiste, regional VPP manager for OSHA, Region VIII. “Mr. Hanna was instrumental in his site’s journey to implement VPP-quality programs, successfully apply, and ultimately achieve VPP Star status. His commitment to the safety and health of all the employees at Black Hills Energy is evident in the way he engages with the entire team to focus continually on safety performance.”
“Paul has set an outstanding example not just for his team of 20 employees at PAGS, but for our company as a whole,” said Stuart Wevik, senior vice president of utility operations for Black Hills Energy. “By his example, leadership and commitment to safety, we are one step closer toward our goal of becoming the safest energy company in the nation. Congratulations and thank you to Paul and the entire PAGS team for their motivation to seek excellence and this achievement.”
PAGS is a world-class generation facility powered by seven aeroderivative combustion turbine generators, four in combined cycle configuration along with two steam turbine generators, for a plant capacity of 420 megawatts. Supplementing renewable power from three wind farms and several community solar gardens, PAGS delivers reliable electric service to Black Hills Energy’s 97,000 Southern Colorado customers. OSHA’s Brad Baptiste and Black Hills Energy presented Hanna with the award in front of a small gathering at the PAGS facility on August 21, 2020.
Safety
We've set a goal to be the safest energy company in the country. But we didn’t set that goal so we could show PowerPoint slides with charts featuring lots of down arrows.