NOVI – On MITech TV June 5, we spoke with Ashley Simpson, ITC Director of Safety, Corporate Security and Emergency Preparedness. As an electrical engineer, Ashley worked at a nuclear plant and saw first-hand the risks associated with jobs in the energy sector. She leans on her previous experience to help shape ITC’s approach to safety.

ITC is responsible for ensuring every person the company encounters each day goes home safely; all team members are accountable when it comes to prioritizing a safe workplace both in-office and in the field. Ashley emphasizes that nothing is so urgent that ITC employees can’t take the necessary steps to ensure safety. When it comes to health and safety, we can’t take days off – We think about safety in everything we do, she says.

Not only are ITC employees trained to start work only when it is safe to do so and to stop if they have any concerns, but they take feedback to continuously improve safety. By assuming failures will happen and understanding vulnerabilities within ITC’s system, Ashley and her team can take a proactive approach to preventing incidents and injuries.

To avoid mistakes, Ashley explained ITC uses a systems-based approach to make sure processes are adequately prepared for the day’s operations and set people up for success. ITC’s safety team emphasizes that when conditions change, it’s wise to re-evaluate from a safety perspective.

Finally, Ashley offered some tactical advice for the general public: anyone who encounters a downed wire should call 911 or a local utility. Always assume a downed wire is live and be sure to keep yourself and others away until emergency workers arrive.

More advice on safe practices for living and working near electric transmission lines is available at itc-holdings.com/operational-excellence/safety.