Tag: Current

Mechanical Equipment Rules for Qualified Workers

Written by Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST, and Pam Tompkins, CSP, CUSP on August 11, 2022. Posted in OSHA Articles.

Workers performing tasks involving mechanical equipment near energized power lines and equipment have exposure to hazardous step and touch potentials. In the preamble to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V, the agency describes 19 fatalities that involved derrick trucks, aerial lifts and other machines. These fatalities occurred when contact was made between live parts and mechanical equipment. OSHA’s mechanical equipment standard was developed specifically to apply to operations performed by qualified workers when tasks are performed near energized power lines and equipment. Rules...

August – September 2022 Q&A

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on August 11, 2022. Posted in Q & A.

Q: Is it ever OK to put a man basket on a crane? My understanding is that OSHA 1926.1400, “Cranes and Derricks in Construction,” states doing so is prohibited. A: For our readers, the rule you are referring to is 29 CFR 1926.1431(a), which begins, “The use of equipment to hoist employees is prohibited …” The rule goes on to list the basis for exceptions. For line construction, an exception centers around two provisions: the need for access and safety. In a transmission corridor, there are often parallel circuits. An articulating boom in a conventional bucket truck would put the boom...

From My Bookshelf to Yours: ‘The 8 Habits of a Highly Effective Safety Culture’

Written by David McPeak, CUSP, CIT, CHST, CSP, CSSM on August 8, 2022. Posted in Frontline Fundamentals.

Not long ago, Utility Business Media Inc. published my book, “Frontline Leadership: The Hurdle.” Researching and writing the book helped me learn to appreciate and apply knowledge and wisdom from other writers. In this article, I want to share some highlights from “The 8 Habits of a Highly Effective Safety Culture,” a book recently written by Rod Courtney, CUSP, who also serves as a board member for the Utility Safety & Ops Leadership Network. I’ve heard him speak on this topic many times and highly recommend you read his book. The Habits Now, let’s take a look at the eight habits the...

June – July 2022 Q&A

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on June 20, 2022. Posted in Worksite Safety, Q & A.

Q: Why does grounding alone not prevent static discharges, and why don’t we have to ground all flammable dispensing drums and stations? A: “Flammable” is a relative term, and some of the written standards are detailed to the point that they can be confusing. The best thing any facility can do is to consult a chemist, chemical engineer or fire science specialist to survey and equip your flammable operations. The simple explanation has to do with volatility, which is how easily a chemical vaporizes and then how flammable that vapor becomes and at what temperature. Every chemical in the...

OSHA Electric Power Standards – Simplified

Written by Matt Edmonds, CUSP, CIT, CHST, and Pam Tompkins, CSP, CUSP on June 20, 2022. Posted in OSHA Articles.

Enclosed and Confined Spaces What’s the difference? The terms “enclosed” and “confined” seem like synonyms. When most of us think of something that is enclosed, we think of it as being confined, and when we think of a confined place, we think of it being somewhat enclosed. How we visualize these two words often accounts for why we have difficulty understanding their differences when it comes to OSHA standards. The enclosed spaces standard is one of the most misinterpreted standards in 29 CFR 1910.269. This standard is often used by utilities and contractors in lieu of the permit-required...

Traffic Cones and Flashing Lights

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on June 20, 2022. Posted in Train the Trainer 101.

Question: How many traffic cones does it take to stop a speeding car? Yes, the barriers we use are flimsy, and a traffic cone will not stop an errant vehicle from driving into a work zone. But there are some tweaks we can make to the equipment we use that will improve the level of protection workers on the street can get out of the resources available. Yet even with all our preparations, there is always a worst-case event dramatized by a recent news photo of an errant car, upside down on a bucket truck that was on a right-of-way well off the highway. It is the reason that OSHA and other...

From My Bookshelf to Yours: ‘The Success Principles’

Written by David McPeak, CUSP, CIT, CHST, CSP, CSSM on April 16, 2022. Posted in Leadership Development, Frontline Fundamentals.

During the research and writing process for my new book – “Frontline Leadership: The Hurdle,” published by Utility Business Media Inc. – I read a lot of books, and I want to share some highlights from a few of my favorites. This article will focus on “The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” by Jack Canfield. I hope you find this article useful, and I also hope it inspires you to read both “The Success Principles” and my book as part of your continuing personal and professional development. To highlight how much I believe in this book and want to...

A Close Look at Step and Touch Potentials

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on April 15, 2022. Posted in Worksite Safety, Train the Trainer 101.

The topic of step and touch potentials is controversial, which is precisely why we need to discuss it. In my role as a work methods auditor and consultant, I see more variations in how employers address step potential than in any other aspect of equipotential bonding. I know the reasons for this and will address them here. But first, I need to clearly state the following: The theoretical argument for hazardous step potential in electric utility work environments clearly exists. Every employer must assess the hazards of step potential in their work environments and adopt a plan to protect...

February – March 2022 Q&A

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on February 24, 2022. Posted in Worksite Safety, Q & A.

Q: Is it a good idea to wear dielectric boots in a substation? Do they provide additional protection to a worker? We feel that the worker is at equipotential – given the grid and stone are maintained per design – so we don’t believe that dielectric boots would provide extra protection. What are your thoughts? A: The design of the substation’s grid has two purposes in its construction. One incorporates ground rods to create a low-resistance electrical path to get harmful voltage and current into the earth to protect the equipment in the station. The grid itself helps by interconnecting the...

From My Bookshelf to Yours: ‘Extreme Ownership’

Written by David McPeak, CUSP, CIT, CHST, CSP, CSSM on February 24, 2022. Posted in Leadership Development, Frontline Fundamentals.

What actions can you take to solve problems rather than blaming, complaining, defending and denying? During the research and writing process for my new book – “Frontline Leadership: The Hurdle,” published by Utility Business Media Inc. – I read a lot of books, and I want to share some highlights from a few of my favorites. This article will focus on “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win,” authored by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I hope that you find this article useful, and I also hope it inspires you to read both “Extreme Ownership” and my book as part of your continuing...

The End of a Career

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on February 23, 2022. Posted in Voice of Experience.

I have been working in the electric utility business as a lineman, supervisor and safety training consultant for a very long time. I am at the point where I am ready to fade away like a light fog on an early summer morning. I dearly love the work, and I have the greatest respect for the utility employees who are doing the work. But it is time for me to say goodbye to the industry, enjoy my retirement, and spend time with my grandchildren and other family. My career in this industry started in 1967 in Macon, Georgia, when I was hired as a helper on a line crew. I progressed from journeyman...

Safety Signs and Sign Policy

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on February 23, 2022. Posted in Worksite Safety, Train the Trainer 101.

You might be surprised how a little thing like a safety sign can turn out to be one of your company’s biggest financial losses of the year. Over the last decade, I’m aware of three clients who lost big because a sign they put up was the wrong color, the print was imprecise, or the employer didn’t have a sign policy or effective safety sign training. Let’s start with having a sign policy. When helping to develop any policy, I always tell clients that the policy you write is only as good as the training you provide when you roll it out. For instance, if I were to research signs in preparation...

Containing Contagions in Close Quarters

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on December 13, 2021. Posted in Worksite Safety, Train the Trainer 101.

Pandemic preparation is nothing new. In fact, I have been telling employers since the 1980s that a pandemic plan is one of the business/safety mechanisms they should have in place. It’s just good practice to address and interrupt a contagion that could potentially immobilize the employer’s workforce. The United States has been researching pandemic responses since a swine flu outbreak in 1976, but few if any publications back then addressed workforce contagions. The earliest literature on organized pandemic responses appeared around 1976 when the U.S. government established formal research...

Installing Fiber-Optic Cable in Electric Supply Spaces

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on December 13, 2021. Posted in Voice of Experience.

Based on recent social media comments I’ve seen, questions submitted to Incident Prevention magazine and inquiries I’ve personally received, this installment of “Voice of Experience” is going to focus on OSHA and National Electrical Safety Code issues regarding the installation of fiber-optic cable in electric supply spaces, including who is allowed to perform the work. So, which standards are in question and what qualifications must employees have? For starters, fiber optics is considered a communications conductor – not “supply” as referred to in the NESC. The installation and maintenance...

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