Safety a top priority at OPD5
This article was originally published in our January 2026 Watts Up E-newsletter. To read the full newsletter click here.
Developing a culture of safety is priority number one for OPD5 Line Operations Manager Kyle Leavitt. And that important value has borne itself out during 2025 with a calculated focus on safety training at the district.
“I don’t think that there is anything more important than getting everyone home to their families safe at the end of every day,” Leavitt said. “And that extends beyond my line crews to all of the OPD5 staff; and even to the community at large. Safety is number one for us.”
The Line Operations department has gone out of its way to bring more training, efficiency and accountability within its ranks.
“Early in the year, we identified safe underground practices as an area where we needed to spend time, focus and training,” Leavitt said.
In February of last year, the line crews received some special field training from NV Energy crews, gleaning best practices for working with underground high voltage.
More recently, experts from National Trench Safety (NTS), a leading provider for trench safety solutions, were called in to the OPD5 training facility to provide specialized instruction to local line crews.
“Through that training, our guys really got to dive into proper trench excavating and trench shoring practices,” Leavitt said. “It was really beneficial for our team.”
But the focus on safety extended beyond just the OPD5 line crews. The district’s Safety Committee, a focus group made up of employees, was tasked with drafting the first-ever safety manual devoted for internal district use. The result of the effort was a comprehensive 158-page document that applied to every level of OPD5 employee – whether in the field, substation, warehouse, office, or out on the road.
“A lot of times, manuals like this are limited in effectiveness because they get put in a drawer somewhere and are never read,” Leavitt said. “But we are placing an emphasis on every employee carefully reading this document by early next year and being fully invested in following it to enhance our safety culture.”
Finally, the focus on safety is being carried, beyond just the district staff, out into the community.
Earlier this year, the OPD5 line team hosted special luncheons for local landscaping crews in both valleys. At these friendly, informal events, landscapers received instruction on the hazards of working near overhead electric lines. They were informed that tree-trimming activities should always remain a minimum of 10-feet away from power lines. If work is needed within that threshold, they were urged to call in OPD5 personnel to help with that portion.
In another public safety outreach, the district has been circulating materials to the general public giving instructions on basic safety procedures around downed power lines.
“We will continue to focus efforts on keeping members of the general public safe around our power lines,” Leavitt said. “We have a lot planned for that outreach in the coming year. It is just another way that safety is a top priority for us.”