Ronnie Jewell Earns Loss Control Professional Certification
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (November 25, 2002) – Ronnie Jewell, safety, training and environmental manager for Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, has completed an intensive program in electric utility safety and loss control. He was awarded certification as a Loss Control Professional.
The Loss Control Internship in which Jewell took part is a series of workshops offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in conjunction with the National Utility Training and Safety Education Association. The program is designed to instruct participants in many areas related to electric utility industry safety.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 6.2 million injuries occur annually in the workplace. One of the goals of a Certified Loss Control Professional is to help ensure a safe work environment for utility workers and the public in general. Avoiding workplace accidents avoids down time and can ultimately lead to lowered utility rates.
Jewell is one of 106 Certified Loss Control Professionals throughout the United States that has completed this certification to join the electric utility professionals. The program requires participants to complete a rigorous series of seminars and tests, totaling six weeks of classroom training plus a detailed course project and a 30-hour OSHA course. Participants must also maintain their certificate by attending courses every year in order stay on top of industry changes.
Jewell has been with Blue Ridge Electric for 14 years. He lives in Lenoir with his wife, Nadine.
Blue Ridge Electric is a not-for-profit member-owned electric utility serving over 64,000 consumer-members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Alexander counties. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides propane, heating fuels, commercial gasoline and heart products from offices in Lenoir, Hickory, Boone, West Jefferson and Sparta.
