Accidents occur not only to our work force but also when the general public and our commercial contractors come in contact with our electrical facilities. In 2007, a total of 51 non-employees came in contact with our electrical facilities, resulting in five fatalities (compared with 66 contacts and six deaths in 2006). Some of these were related to trespassers attempting to steal copper, despite tougher state laws in our service areas to prosecute offenders.

Contractor safety remains a key issue as well. We have developed a five-year public safety plan that includes education, advertising, outreach and partnerships with our contractors and others. In 2007, a new, national one-call number was created that requires anyone doing work around utility facilities to call ahead to have the utilities marked. We contacted all AEP contractors to relay this information, and developed a safety video about the new 811 one-call system and about the requirement to have the utilities marked. Putting more focus on contractor safety paid off during last December's ice storm in Tulsa, Okla. Dozens of contractors came to help with service restoration but they started no work at any time without first holding a safety briefing. As a result, no one was injured. With the exception of our nuclear organization, we do not have safety and health goals specific to contractors, but we intend to begin setting them in 2009.

Learn more about what we are doing to keep the public safe .

In 2008, AEP contacted 30,000 contractors across our service territory — including landscapers, antenna installers, etc., — and offered them free electrical safety training materials.