Deer Creek Station maintains flawless safety record

The team at Deer Creek Station in Brookings, South Dakota recently reached a milestone when they went 4,000 days without a safety incident, or DART (a safety metric mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration meaning days away, restricted, or transferred).

The combined-cycle power plant began commercial operation in 2012, meaning that the plant has never had a DART incident in its history.

Deer Creek has built a solid foundation for safety in its 11 years of operation.

“The safety culture at Deer Creek Station allows employees to feel comfortable and safe in all work tasks that they perform. Knowing that trusted coworkers are continuously looking out for each other is what gives Deer Creek Sation an impeccable safety record,” said Chris Karch, Deer Creek Station supervisor of operations.

One way the Deer Creek team has been able to avoid a DART incident is by beginning every morning, Monday through Friday, with a group meeting to stay focused on safety. At the meeting, safety topics are discussed, and any safety issues are brought forward.

“The morning kickoff meeting is where anyone can ask questions pertaining to any work tasks that affect plant operations, equipment maintenance, and most importantly, safety,” Karch said.