Employees of The Empire District Electric Company have recently they set a new safety record. For the first time in the company’s history, employees achieved 2,000,000 hours worked without a lost-time injury.

In recognition of the milestone, Empire’s team safety leaders were presented with the Regional
Safety Award by the Safety Council of the Ozarks on Aug. 19, 2014. The injury-free period dates back to April 1, 2013. Previously, the highest milestone had been 1,500,000 hours, which has been reached only twice in the company’s 105-year history. Those achievements came in 2004 and earlier this year.

According to Pete Babb, assistant director of Human Resources, “In our business, fostering a culture of
safety is important not only to protect our employees, but also our customers and our communities. To
ensure safe, reliable energy for our customers, we have employees working in a wide variety of
environments; every job, from lineman to plant operator to accountant, requires a focus on safety to
achieve this historic milestone.”

Debora Biggs, executive director of the Safety Council of the Ozarks noted, “Reaching 2,000,000 hours
without a lost-time injury is a tremendous accomplishment. The Safety Council of the Ozarks has
followed Empire on their journey to this goal and it's obvious they are a company where everyone is
dedicated to keeping themselves and each other safe. Reaching 2,000,000 hours takes dedication and
commitment which everyone at Empire exemplifies.”

Based in Joplin, Missouri, The Empire District Electric Company is an investor-owned, regulated utility providing electricity, natural gas (through its wholly owned subsidiary The Empire District
Gas Company), and water service, with approximately 217,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Arkansas.