Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST, Author at Incident Prevention

OSHA Electric Power Standards – Simplified

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on April 12, 2022. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

Protection from Flames and Electric Arcs It is important to remember that all arc hazards are not equal. By Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST According to OSHA, electric power generation, transmission and distribution workers face a significant risk of injury from burns due to electric arcs. Studies have concluded that a large percentage of arc-related incidents resulted in either a fatality or in extremely painful third-degree burns, which require skin grafts and leave permanent scarring. Based on these conclusions, OSHA adopted standards to address forms of personal...

OSHA Electric Power Standards – Simplified | Part 6

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on October 4, 2021. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

De-energizing Lines and Equipment for the Protection of Employees It’s critical for workers to understand the process of de-energizing lines and equipment to hold them clear. As with all articles in this series, it is important to start with the hazard. Electrical hazards are present when electrical systems are assumed to be de-energized but are not. It is important to remember that transmission and distribution (T&D) systems are different from other energy systems found in general industry and construction industry applications. Electric T&D systems are mostly located outdoors, meaning...

Information Transfer: What’s Needed to Protect Affected Workers?

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on August 11, 2021. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

As with all the other articles in this series, when it comes to information transfer, it is important to start with the hazard. Individuals who work on or near electric power lines and equipment face a multitude of potential high-risk electrical hazards. Employers have the responsibility to identify and control known hazards to ensure worker safety. When unknown hazards exist, the level of risk is elevated because workers may not have all the information they need to safely perform their work.

Minimum Approach Distances: What’s Required?

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on April 15, 2021. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

Let’s kick off this article with a definition of what “MAD” means in the utility sector – and it does not mean that we’re upset with you. The word is actually an acronym that stands for minimum approach distance, which is the calculated safe working distance that provides worker protection when working on or in the vicinity of energized lines and equipment.

Why are Job Briefings and Risk Assessments Important?

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on February 12, 2021. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

When you hear the term “job briefing,” what comes to mind? Perhaps a meeting, a form to fill out or maybe even a complete waste of time? How we perceive job briefings has a huge impact on how we complete them. Per OSHA, job briefings are required to be completed before each job; however, for us to perform them effectively, it is critical that we understand the intent behind that requirement. What Needs to be Covered? A job briefing is intended to be used as part of the planning process to accomplish a job both safely and successfully. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269(c)(2) requires that the following topics...

What are OSHA’s Training Requirements?

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on December 11, 2020. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

In our first article in this series (see https://incident-prevention.com/blog/when-osha-electric-power-safety-standards-apply), we discussed how to apply OSHA’s electric power standards. This article will review OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V training requirements relating to qualified and unqualified employees. To determine training requirements, you must first ask the question, are my employees exposed to electric power system hazards? If so, the training portion of the OSHA electric power standards should apply. OSHA requires all employees to be trained in the safety-related work...

When OSHA Electric Power Safety Standards Apply

Written by Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST on October 7, 2020. Posted in Worksite Safety, OSHA Articles.

Welcome to the first part of what will be a six-part series focused on OSHA’s electric power standards. We will start this series with a discussion about when the standards apply. Future articles will cover what is in the standards plus provide you with some practical ways to apply them. If you have tried to read OSHA’s electric power standards, you may find them difficult to interpret and apply. Always keep in mind that each part of the standard was written to address a specific hazard that must be controlled. The standards outline the minimum controls you are required to put in place, so that...

Author: Pam Tompkins, CUSP, CSP, and Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST