Focusing on and awarding safety
Every year electric utilities and related organizations from across the nation gather to spend time solely focused on safety at the National Utility Training and Safety Education Association conference. This year the 83rd annual event was hosted by Tennessee Job Training and Safety at the HeartSong Resort at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge on Sep. 14-17.
“It’s one of the best safety conferences I’ve ever been to,” said Danny Sutton, the director of operations at Caney Fork Electric Cooperative.
The NUTSEA Conference provides a platform for members to exchange information, share experiences and attend training sessions to improve safety practices back home. Speakers, discussions and workshops each year are tailored to different areas of the industry.
This year the conference had three keynote speakers. Coach Ken Carter spoke during Monday’s general session. The film, “Coach Carter”, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, is based on his efforts to get his state play-off bound basketball team to focus on academics. Coach Carter shared hard-hitting advice about accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership to succeed both on and off the basketball court. Jake Suttles, who also operates under the name Tennessee Drug Testing, spoke to attendees during Tuesday’s general session about federal drug and alcohol testing laws and that type of communication. Lee Shelby shared an empowering message about encountering over 13,200 volts of electricity during the final general session. Shelby emphasized the dangers of complacency at work and encouraged everyone to remain vigilant and proactive in their safety practices.
During the annual event, one of Tennessee electric co-ops’ own was recognized for his efforts towards safety. Danny Sutton was awarded the OG Anderson Safety Award for distinguished achievement in line maintenance and safety.
“This is the first award I have ever received in the industry, and it just tickled me to death,” Sutton said. “When they called me up, they wanted me to say a few words, and I didn’t have much to say. I am very grateful.”
Sutton has been working at CFEC for almost 50 years. For 25 of those years, he was the co-op’s safety director. During his time in that position, he helped start the Middle Tennessee Safety Roundtable. Every other month for over 20 years, co-op leaders, municipalities and utilities come together for updates, connections and advice on safety matters.
The 84th annual NUTSEA Conference will be held Oct. 11-14, 2026. More information will be released soon at nutsea.org.
