Accepting the award on behalf of Liberty is (back row) Liberty NH President Neil Proudman, Bob Mostone, Tim Deppmeyer, Rich MacDonald, Nick Saccone, Shane Carroll, along with (front row) Todd Scott, Pat Lech, James Sherrod, Tracy Musto, Ester Di Giovanni, and Kevin Spottiswood. (Courtesy photo)

LONDONDERRY – Liberty was awarded the American Gas Association’s (AGA) Safety Achievement Award for the first time ever on May 4, 2022. The award is granted to the safest combination energy company in multiple categories based on company size and utility portfolio, making it a challenging-to-win honor that positions Liberty as an industry leader in safety for its employees and customers alike.

“This award recognizes the hard work by every employee to create a safe and injury-free working environment,” said Neil Proudman, Liberty New Hampshire President. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do; whether in the office or out in the communities we serve, our employees focus on working safely and returning home to their loved ones each day.”

Since March 2020 Liberty has logged over 12 million hours worked, without a single lost-time injury across its entire North American business.

Chief Operating Officer Johnny Johnston called the award the result of the company’s laser focus on safety and said their safety performance is “particularly impressive given how much work we do each day, in thousands of communities for our more than 3 million customers.”

Liberty was scored in the medium-sized combination utilities category, which means the safety performance of its gas, electric and water teams were included in the AGA’s consideration. As such, every Liberty line of business is encompassed by the award. The selection was based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (OSHA-DART) statistical data for calendar year 2021 submitted by participating companies.

Liberty technician Eric Johnstone, fitted with all the necessary personal protective equipment, operating a backhoe as part of a gas line maintenance crew in Nashua. (Courtesy photo)

The awards were presented at a gathering of natural gas industry leaders at the 2022 American Gas Association Operations Conference in New Orleans. The event is the AGA’s largest forum, with more than 1,500 operations management leaders in attendance.