Managing Stress in the Workplace
I’ve worked in the electrical industry for more than 40 years, and the work has pretty much stayed the same. We set poles and towers, string conductor, build stations, dig trenches and install conductor in the ground the same way we did years ago, aside from some new tools and technology that have been introduced. […]
3 Safety Considerations for Cold Weather Work
Cold weather safety is a topic that should be discussed at length among utility workers who perform any outdoor job functions. That’s because, as with heat stress, cold stress can be a fatal threat. When you’re exposed to freezing temperatures for long periods of time, you run the risk of losing a dangerous amount of […]
Avoiding the Silent Danger: Three Skills for Improving Your Safety Culture
The other day my oldest son cooked himself a batch of steaming hot Rice-A-Roni. He didn’t even wait until he’d found a place to sit before the first spoonful hit his mouth. And I’m guessing the deliciousness overpowered his cognitive abilities because he then staggered into the TV room and plopped down on one of […]
Train the Trainer 101: No Windows
Two U.S. Navy ships recently were involved in collisions at sea. It seemed impossible that one event, involving the USS Fitzgerald, would even occur. Then, a second collision occurred in the same region. In fact, in the last year, the Pacific fleet has experienced four serious navigational awareness errors, which has raised a question: Could […]
Voice of Experience: Electric Utility Accidents and Injuries: Why Are We Regressing?
I travel frequently for work, and everywhere I go, I hear conversations about injuries and accidents that have occurred in the electric utility industry. Many of those conversations have included comments about how dangerous or hazardous our industry is. And in several articles published on Forbes.com based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor […]
December 2017 Q&A
Q: I understand OSHA has made a final announcement on minimum approach distances. Can you explain the latest information? A: On December 22, 2016, OSHA issued a memorandum to regional administrators regarding the enforcement of minimum approach distance requirements in 29 CFR 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V (see www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=31079). The memorandum had an effective date […]
Frontline Fundamentals: Human Performance: What Is It and Why Should We Study It?
Please take a few moments to think about the following questions: Should a vice president tell his employees, “I only want new mistakes”? Is telling a 10-year-old baseball pitcher to throw strikes a good way to teach him how to pitch? When is the last time you provided positive reinforcement for safety behavior, or do […]