DECC D&E Communications (MM)

D&E Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: DECC), a leading integrated communications provider, has been named one of America's safest companies for 2008 by Occupational Hazards magazine. The publication's annual award recognizes a select group of U.S.-based companies that combine world-class safety and health programs with exceptional safety performance results.

"At D&E our employees work very hard to achieve a safe work environment," says Jim Morozzi, President and CEO. "Safety is our way of doing business for one fundamental reason: we all go to work each day with the expectation that we will return home to enjoy our lives with our families. Our employee involvement, increased awareness, constant communication and continuing education are the reasons D&E is one of the safest companies in America."

Award recipients were chosen based upon recommendations by industry professionals, recognition by industry associations, participation in programs such as OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, state and local awards, and Occupational Hazards' research into occupational health and safety philosophy and programs of each of the nominated companies.

Occupational Hazards Managing Editor Sandy Smith said, "D&E Communications impressed our judges with its commitment to safety, starting at the top with CEO Jim Morozzi and continuing through each of the company's 540 employees. Morozzi's dedication to safe production and safe work practices has 'infected' his employees in a good way. Despite hazards ranging from working at heights to excavation and confined spaces, the company's lost-time injury rate has dropped to .3 with a 75 percent reduction in workers' compensation claims, indicating the employees walk their CEO's talk."

Since 2002, Occupational Hazards has recognized over 100 companies as America's Safest Companies. The winners have ranged from tiny operations utilizing innovative solutions to huge corporations that are benchmarked for safety by dozens of other companies.

In addition to D&E, this year's recipients include: Blythe Construction Inc., The Boldt Company, Green Mountain Communications, Inc., Herman Miller, Inc., Koch Pipeline Company, Marous Brothers Construction, Inc., Monroe Litho Inc., The Mundy Companies, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., OMG Electronic Chemicals, Raytheon Company, Roche Diagnostics Corp., Strick Corporation, Sunbelt Rentals, Textron Inc., The Washington Division of the URS Corporation and Worthington Industries.

About D&E Communications

D&E is a leading integrated communications provider offering high-speed data, Internet access, local and long distance telephone, business continuity services, co-location facilities, data and professional IT services, network monitoring, security solutions and video services. Based in Lancaster County, D&E has been serving communities in central and eastern Pennsylvania for more than 100 years. For more information, visit www.decommunications.com.

About Occupational Hazards

Occupational Hazards, in its 70th year of publication, is the proud recipient of ASBPE, APEX and TABPI national journalism awards in 2008. The companies selected to the publication's 2008 list of safest companies in America share common safety values, including lost-time injury rates below industry standard, environmental health and safety programs that have earned recognition from state and federal safety associations, and safety programs built on core safety values that include safety committees, training, continuous improvement, risk assessment and accident prevention. For more information, contact Editor Sandy Smith at 216/931-9464.

CONTACT: David Moore 717-738-8174 dmoore@decommunications.com