The Importance of Situational Awareness in the Utility Industry
Years ago I read an account of an injury that took place on a U.S. Army base in California. I’m not sure if this account is truth or fiction, but it serves to illustrate a point about the importance of thinking a plan all the way through prior to implementing it. A private was assigned […]
The JSA: A Process, Not a Form
What is safety? How is it achieved? The bottom line is that competent, prepared employees rarely get hurt. That sounds pretty simple, but how often do we assume workers are competent and prepared only to learn – typically post-incident – that’s not the case? The job safety analysis (JSA) is the most basic tool to […]
Train the Trainer 101: Understanding Canine Behavior for the Protection of Utility Workers
Utility personnel are going to find themselves in confrontations with dogs. It is the nature of our work. How a worker responds during that type of engagement will have consequences that can be good or bad. The best consequence is when the parties go their separate ways and no one is left bleeding. Frankly, bleeding […]
Voice of Experience: OSHA’s MAD Changes and a Missed Opportunity
In the 2014 OSHA update to 29 CFR 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V, major changes were made regarding apparel and minimum approach distance (MAD) calculations. And yet I believe the agency missed an opportunity related to distribution voltages and gloving of energized conductors and equipment. For all intents and purposes, other than the MAD updates, […]
October 2016 Q&A
Q: What is meant by the phrase “circulating current” as it pertains to transmission towers? Does it have something to do with the fact that there is no neutral? A: We’re glad you asked the question because it gives us an opportunity to discuss one of the basic principles of the hazard of induction. More […]
