Safety is our #1 Priority.
Employees are the cornerstone of our
success and safety remains a top priority. Consolidated Communications is
committed to providing a healthy, safe and productive work environment for all
employees and customers. As we strive to fulfill our mission to turn technology
into solutions, connecting people and enriching how our customers work and
live, our employees’ commitments and positive attitudes toward safety and safe
practices at work and at home is integral to our success.
An effective safety culture prospers
through personal accountability, collaboration and embracing innovative ideas.
These practices complement our core values of “Integrity First” and “Evolving
and Constantly Improving.”
The work of the Safety and Risk
Management group ensures all employees are trained in emergency procedures so
at the time of an emergency all employees can respond without hesitation or
undue stress.
In collaboration with eight
established regional safety committees, the Safety and Risk Management group
assesses job-related hazards, corrects deficiencies and develops updated
policies and training for all employees.
By enforcing safe and responsible
work habits in the field, on the road and at the office, we benefit the
communities and neighborhoods we serve and help to make them better places to
live and work. Moreover, a sincere commitment to safety at all levels of the
company supports our vision to be the preferred choice for communication
solutions.
We prohibit unlawful discrimination
and protect against behavior that creates an offensive, hostile, or intimidating
work environment. We work to create a safe, healthy and secure workplace where
employees are able to do their jobs without fear of harassment or
discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender
expression, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any factor
prohibited by law, or which violates our workplace policies or procedures.
Physical harm or threats, direct or implied, and illegal acts of harassment,
including sexual harassment, are a violation of the Consolidated Communications
Code of Conduct and are not tolerated.
In 2022, recurring yearly
certifications for mandatory workplace harassment trainings for employees and
leaders were maintained within the company’s online employee training
system.
We have a strong, ongoing commitment
to providing a safe and healthy workplace and to ensuring employees are
properly trained and have appropriate safety and emergency equipment. We
provide employees with quarterly virtual training, including general
environmental health and safety training, harassment training and relevant
job-related, instructor-led training on hazards they may experience. In 2022,
employees completed nearly 36,600 safety and human resource compliant training
modules.
An ongoing effort to eliminate accidents
and injuries by refining targeted safety trainings to more accurately align
with job risks resulted in an 18.5% decrease in workers compensation claims in
2022 compared to the previous year.
As part of the company’s overall
Corporate Safety Policy, protocols are in place for important areas, including
injuries and accidents, head and eye protection, personal protective equipment,
safety vests, insulated electrical gloves and blankets, potentially hazardous
spills and safe use of company vehicles.
During Consolidated’s ongoing fiber
expansion and to flex up staffing, we routinely work with contractors to help
meet our customers’ needs. To ensure the safety of our employees, customers and
our communities, we’ve expanded our Code of Safety Practices to include
contractors and subcontractors. Part of this plan includes unannounced on-site
safety checks performed by our Risk Teams to ensure contractors operate in
compliance with our rigorous protocols.
More information on our efforts and initiatives to ensure a
safe, healthy and secure workplace are available in
Consolidated’s 2022 ESG Report.