Effective Fall Protection for Utility Workers
A review of the relevant standards and training that companies need to provide. OSHA and ANSI mandate the use of fall protection equipment and sufficient training for companies whose employees are exposed to fall hazards. Utility workers put themselves in high-risk situations when working at heights. There is no more diversified work environment than in […]
Managing Safety
There’s no magic to safety; it’s management. Just as you manage productivity, quality or any other part of your company, safety management takes planning, organizing, leading, controlling and evaluating. You or your managers will be inspecting, investigating, recording, analyzing and reporting. How you make all this happen is through a safety program that gives you […]
Tower Rescue Pre-planning Pays Off
Tower rescue presents a completely different level of difficulty in planning and methodology. Whether 250-ft communications or transmission towers, they are often necessarily placed in remote areas, and usually inaccessible to conventional paramedic rescue vehicles. While it is each individual employer’s responsibility to make their own determinations on how rescues will be accomplished, the following […]
How to Bulletproof Your Training
Utilities, like other industries, are facing a new training challenge. Businesses that require a hands-on approach to training their employees are soon to feel the effects of an anticipated “knowledge transfer” due to the pending retirement of large numbers of baby boomers. This demographic shift means that a step-by-step, building-block approach for providing instructors with […]
Passion for Safety
We have a responsibility to care for ourselves. In the utility business, for example, safety is about using proper personal protective equipment and approved safe work methods in a controlled environment. When we have a true passion for safety, we not only care for ourselves, but also take responsibility for influencing others in the use […]
Managing Safety Rule Violations
This is the question I am asked most frequently at conferences and when delivering training. The short, direct answer is “Yes.” So, if an individual violates a safety rule, should he or she be punished? It depends. I know that sounds like a consultant’s answer, so let’s discuss what I mean. We can start by […]
NESC 2007 FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING
The NESC 2007 standard sets forth quite a challenge to electric and communication utilities in the area of clothing. The new standard, which becomes law in several states, says, “The employer shall require employees to wear clothing or a clothing system that has an effective arc rating not less than the anticipated level of arc […]
Embracing Change: Think Human Performance
If knowledge of concepts that would prevent all accidents, events, injuries or fatalities caused by a person were available, would you accept that information? Clearly, the answer is you should want to do all you can to prevent bad things from happening to your fellow employees and the company you serve, especially if you hold […]
Perfect Storm – The Case for AED’s
Could deployment of an Automated External Defibrillator prevent sudden cardiac death and save your utility from a perfect legal storm? A few years ago, a popular movie retold the story of a lone fishing boat caught in the storm of the century. In this true story, three storm fronts came together to produce a deadly trap […]
Ensuring Safety at Grand Bahama Power
A fully integrated utility, Grand Bahama Power Company supplies electrical power to the 45,000 residents of the island of Grand Bahama. Founded in 1964 as the Freeport Power Company, the electric utility operation was originally a department of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, the founders of Freeport in 1956. A fully integrated utility, Grand […]
Substations: Eliminating the Dangers Within
An integral part of any electric utility infrastructure, substations that are properly designed and maintained by qualified and trained workers are safe and reliable. If a failure occurs, however, it can be catastrophic and even disastrous. The integrity of any substation starts with its design. Initial considerations include excavating the area, installing forms for concrete […]
Focusing on a Safety Culture at Consumers Energy
As Safety & Health Director for CMS/Consumers Energy, Tom Taylor discusses his role in developing, maintaining and auditing all safety and health programs. Headquartered in Jackson, Michigan, Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy Corporation, an integrated energy company that also includes CMS Enterprises, whose primary businesses are independent power production and natural […]
Training Development
A wide variety of on-site and online training programs from the industry’s suppliers are available to utility safety professionals. In addition, trainers and educators are prepared to offer a range of courses. ONLINE TRAINING Altec Industries www.altec.com The new national consensus standard, outlined in ANSI A10.31 2006 Safety Requirements, Definitions and Specifications for Digger Derricks, […]
Equipotential Grounding at AEP
Equipotential Grounding at AEP America’s line workers respond to outages every day. The recent snow and ice storms left customers in the dark for several days. Do you remember the hurricanes of 2005? They destroyed entire electrical systems along the Gulf coast. While working “at home,” line workers have a consistent environment of personnel, safety […]
Bridging Communication Gaps
As a safety professional, it’s your responsibility to protect your firm’s human capital. As a safety professional, it’s your responsibility to protect your firm’s human capital. The gaps continue to grow. Yes, GAPS, plural—as in two. The “generational gap” is one, in which, as a safety professional you have a personal responsibility. The “organizational gap” […]
Dreams Can Become Reality: SDG&E Flex Center
Just as classroom training helps people acquire necessary knowledge, SDG&E’s FLEX Center prepares them for the physical aspects of their jobs. ‘The thing that clicked for me was the similarity of training professional football players while in training camp. The professional, whether on the gridiron or on a pole, needs the same focus on development. […]
Tips for Improving Incident Investigation Interviews- Part 2: Contact Time
Tips for Improving Incident Investigation Interviews, Part 2: Contact Time Assuming you have adequately prepared for conducting incident investigation interviews (see “The Art of Interviewing, Part 1: Preparation” in the January/ February 2007 issue of Incident Prevention), a primary objective for live interviews is to help interviewees reveal the deeper reasons why the incident occurred. […]
LockOut TagOut
Clearly a key component of the safety program at any facility, and particularly at a complex installation such as a nuclear power station, is its energy control policy. Commonly referred to as “lockout/tagout,” it is the plan developed by an employer to protect workers from serious injury or death resulting from the unexpected start-up of […]
Digging Out – The Interagency Snow Rescue Task Force
How the Interagency Snow Rescue Task Force was well positioned to meet the challenges of Colorado’s recent snowstorms and save many lives. Inspired by life altering events, Art Seely of Safety One, Inc., has formed a unique team. The Interagency Snow Rescue Task Force (ISRTF) was initially conceived when EMS rescue attempts failed to reach […]
The Key to Safety at KCP&L
David Jones, Field Safety Coordinator, Kansas City Power & Light, explains how, in 2006, the utility attained the lowest OSHA incident rate in its history. Founded in 1882, Kansas City, Missouri-based Kansas City Power & Light has evolved over the past 125 years into a full-service energy provider. Today, KCP&L services nearly 500,000 customers in […]
Tips for Improving Incident Investigation Interviews – Part 1: Preparation
Part 1 of a 2-part article. Tips for Improving Incident Investigation Interviews – Part 1: Preparation What is the natural temptation for you, a safety professional assigned to be the lead incident investigator, as soon as the assignment is made? “Who was involved? I want to talk with them.” Many inexperienced safety professionals jump right […]
Making Safe Choices
In the high-risk world of utility operations, safety depends greatly on the choices that are made at all levels of an organization. The decisions that are made as to how we will handle a particular situation determine how safe everyone involved will be. In utility operations especially, when a situation occurs that is governed by […]
NESC-2007 Update
The 2007 edition of the National Electrical Safety Code may pose significant work rule changes for electric utilities. The updated code, which is detailed in the NESC-2007 handbook, covers the following areas. CLOTHING AND CLOTHING SYSTEMS Effective January 1, 2009, the updated code requires each employer to perform an arc hazard assessment for employees who […]
Total Success at Dominion
Joe Murphy, Manager, Safety & Training-South, explains how striving for excellence is a daily affair for the safety team at Dominion Delivery One of the nation’s largest producers of energy, Dominion’s asset portfolio consists of about 28,000 megawatts of power generation, 6,000 miles of electric transmission, about 6.3 trillion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas […]
Learning Curve
The OSHA Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR 1910.269 Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution) requires employers to ensure that qualified personnel who perform work on equipment 50 volts or greater verify their knowledge of the regulations on an ongoing basis. To meet this important requirement, NSTAR Electric and Gas Corporation has implemented a highly […]
Ultimate Protection
More than 2,000 workers are injured yearly in arc-flash incidents. High incident electrical energy traveling through the air results in an arc flash. Electricity jumps across a gap in milliseconds, heating a small quantity of air to temperatures reaching as high as 35,000 degrees F-three-and-a-half times the temperature of the surface of the sun-forming an […]
Top Five PPE Mistakes
Identifying PPE Mistakes in Electric Arc Flash Programs After a decade of electric arc testing, incident investigations and incident replications using electric arcs, a few lessons have emerged as critical in assessing a Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) program: 1. PPE ISN’T WORN Whether it’s because of a lack of training about its importance, a policy […]
Dissecting an OSHA Inspection
While catastrophes and fatal accidents are obvious inspection triggers, almost half of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Admini- stration) visitations are complaint-driven. Therefore, the best way to avoid an inspection-and potential fines and penalties-is to eliminate complaints by employing preventive measures, including: . Participate in an OSHA voluntary compliance program. . Ensure that potentially serious […]
Everyone Benefits at Charter Communications
An interview with Gordon Baldwin, Director, Safety & Security for West Division of Charter Communications Founded in 1993, Charter Communications has grown considerably. Today, the Fortune 500 company is the third-largest publicly traded cable operator in the U.S. The company provides a full range of digital video entertainment programming, high-speed Internet and telephone services for […]
Stay Alert! Work Safe!
Have you ever heard “This is how we’ve always done it” or “We’ve never had a problem before” to describe events that have led up to personnel injuries or even death? While this is a common reaction when people are being questioned during an accident investigation, complacency in the workplace is one of the most […]
Making Sure Everyone Goes Home Safe at Southern California Edison
An interview with Jack D. Sahl, Director – Corporate Environment, Health & Safety, Southern California Edison One of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Edison International, Southern California Edison (SCE) has provided electric service for more than a century to some of the most dynamic and growing areas of […]
When is a Lineman a Lineman?
This feature’s title is not a rhetorical question. There really should be an answer-a definitive, widely accepted answer we could all give quickly and consistently. There isn’t and we can’t, though we try with great confidence. When one of us comes up with something that sounds pretty good, another one of us disagrees. The lack […]
Focusing on Safety at Comcast
An interview with ken Flechler, Vice President of Safety and Compliance, Comcast Corporation “Safety has always been my focus,” says Ken Flechler, whose career began in Louisville, Kentucky as a Water Safety Instructor and Lifeguard Instructor for the American Red Cross. Other roles related to safety that he has held over the years include serving […]
Dramatic Results
By employing an advanced project monitoring and analysis solution, Oregon Electric Group is achieving significant safety improvement success. There is widespread dedication to safety at Oregon Electric Group (OEG), notes Gary Young, Safety Director for the Portland, Oregon electrical contractor. “With more than 400 employees,” he says, “OEG has an ongoing commitment to having an […]
Safety Comes First at SM Electric
“At SM Electric Co., Inc.,” says Bill Hering, Corporate Safety Director, “our whole philosophy is that safety is the right thing to do for everyone. Safety issues are a top priority on every job. By the direction of our president, if there is an issue between safety and productivity, safety will win, period. No contest.” […]
Keeping the ‘Fighter Pilots’ of Your Company Safe
A consistent, clear safety message backed by unwavering actions is what is takes to keep your employees flying straight. Most fighter pilots are 25-years-old and full of vinegar. Sure, they’re smart, but most have a lot of velocity, and often very little vector. There’s no way they can keep themselves from harm. Therefore, peacetime training […]
CAVE-IN! Increasing Job Site Safety & Reducing Costs
Excavation and trenching is statistically the most hazardous work in the U.S. construction industry. Frequent news stories from around the country attest to the danger. More than 100 workers are killed each year in trench cave-ins alone. Countless others are injured or maimed, physically and psychologically. Recognizing the need for more effective regulations on excavation […]
Lowering the Threshold
Advanced products offer utility safety professionals a more effective method for treating burn injuries with less suffering and help reduce injury-related costs. Utility safety professionals charged with lowering the risk of serious injury are undoubtedly focused on prevention. Not only does preventing workplace accidents eliminate pain and suffering, it also pays dividends in lower exposure […]
Cleaning Rubber Goods for Safety
How the right cleaner can extend the life of tools and workers by uncovering hidden damage and restoring high visibility. A power utility got a big surprise recently when they tested a new, specially formulated rubber goods cleaner on a hot-line jumper. The cleaner revealed potentially hazardous burn and cut damage lurking beneath the grimy, […]
A Friend in Need at Indiana Rural Electric Coops
Indiana’s electric cooperatives serve more than 80% of the state in all or parts of 89 counties. Collectively, they provide energy to more than 450,000 homes, farms and businesses through a system comprising 53,000 miles of distribution line. Pooling resources and sharing expertise, the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives includes 37 electric distribution […]
Frostbite
A look at an often unheeded danger. Learn more about frostbite and the predisposing factors that significantly increase its likelihood. David awkwardly gripped the mug with his right hand, forgetting the deformities, and the ceramic cup fell to the floor and shattered. To this day, simple tasks such as fetching a cup of coffee prove […]
4 Rules to Live By
Looking for an alternative to ground-to-ground and cradle-to-cradle? The method suggested here could be your answer. Georgia Power Company (GPC) has developed the 4 Cover-up Rules philosophy to train employees rather than requiring a ground-to-ground or cradle-to-cradle glove and/or sleeve rule. Every fatality in the last 89 years at GPC has been phase-to-ground contact or […]
Taking Safety to the Next Level
A look at the common denominator in companies that have successful safety programs. Nobody wants to get hurt. No supervisor wants to take an employee to the emergency room. No manager wants to tell a family that their loved one was hurt on the job. Then why do accidents happen even when a solid safety […]
Ergonomics: Preventing Injury
Among utility workforces there are many excuses for not practicing sound ergonomics along with safety. The most common excuse is that an aging workforce is naturally more injury prone and there is nothing that can be done about it. Another excuse is: “we’ve always done it that way.” To make matters worse, many firms have […]
Leadership Influencing the Culture
Learn how to best use all your resources as a safety leader and get the most out of your workers. Safety excellence requires the true engagement of leadership. Leaders effective at creating and sustaining change actively embrace their role in safety, take ownership of the results, and understand the safety mechanisms essential to achieving outcomes. […]
Notes From the Underground
In the May/June 2005 issue of Incident Prevention the cover article, “Why Single-Point Grounding Works,” generated a lot of inquires about single-point worksite grounding in underground installations. The most frequently asked question was, “How do we create an equipotential zone for underground worksites?” I received inquiries from California to Maine, North Dakota to Florida. There […]
The Burning Question
Is 100 percent cotton protective in an electric arc flash? While lab tests say so, real life experiences say no! It is widely understood that clothing made from non-flame resistant synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, nylon and polyester/cotton blends, are not appropriate when working on or near electrically energized parts and equipment. If these garments […]
Why Single-Point Grounding Works
The pros and cons of single-point equipotential grounding, as opposed to working between your grounds or bracket grounding, has generated a lot of discussion. As found in IEEE-1048 Guide for Protective Grounding of Power Lines, single-point equipotential grounding is becoming more simply and accurately referred to as worksite grounding. In most cases, those who don’t […]
What It Takes to be a Safety and Compliance Leader
A successful safety and compliance team member cannot always be the most liked or the most popular, but must always be well respected. They need to be able to talk to senior management, front line supervisors and employees and be open and honest about what needs to be done to ensure employee safety and regulatory […]
Injury Free Change
Paradoxically, change is a permanent part of life. Yet it’s no excuse for neglecting safety. Tune into your emotional responses to change and become a ‘change agent’ for safety in any environment. Change is here to stay! Companies are merging, divesting, selling, and changing names. Unions and companies are in negotiations. There is pressure to […]
Fall Protection by the Numbers
A simple and effective system for ensuring proper fall protection. The development of an effective fall protection program has long been a tough issue to deal with. Many of the hazards that utility workers face often seem impossible to provide adequate protection for without introducing some other unsafe condition. And once systems are developed, getting […]
Training for the New Century
Experiencing high turnover? Too many incidents? The answer to these problems could lie in a new, innovative training program. Electric utilities of all business models, whether investor owned, municipal or cooperative, are undergoing a transition. This transition is partly driven by evolving business strategies toward better cost controls that result in efficiency. With the possibility […]
Eliminating Excuses
“Management is pushing us, customers are pushing us and we don’t have enough help.” This excuse for taking short cuts is becoming more prominent in the workforce. When I hear it, I cringe! We must take personal responsibility and not let other factors distract us from having safety on our minds. No one can make […]
The Pain Game: Preventing MSDs
What do a pain in the neck, back or shoulder have in common? Unsafe work behaviors. What’s an ounce of prevention really worth? Not much standing alone. In essence it comes down to equal parts awareness and action in the realms of both safety and health. Awareness without action is simply unused information; action without […]
Lessons Learned, Successful Implementation of Behavioral Safety Coaching
Previously, we discussed the power of behavioral safety coaching (BSC) to prevent injuries and fatalities in the utilities industry. To this end, we introduced 10 key practical guidelines for creating and maintaining successful BSC as gleaned from three decades of empirical research and 20 years of practical experience with our clients. Once again, here are […]