Over the past 50 years, the electric utility industry has developed and implemented robust engineering controls, detailed work procedures and focused training to reduce injury and fatality rates among workers. However, the total well-being of the worker is another critical safety factor that utility organizations often don’t address. Well-being encompasses physical health as well as mental, emotional and social dimensions that can significantly influence an individual’s capacity to make sound decisions, maintain situational awareness and successfully mitigate risks. Workers bring their who…

I have written about grounding for the protection of employees numerous times in Incident Prevention magazine, addressing both the law and other issues. Let’s begin this installment with the understanding that “grounding for the protection of employees” – which is the phrase OSHA uses – means establishing an equipotential zone or EPZ. The purpose of grounding is to trip circuits. Grounding for the protection of employees can only be assured if it is arranged in an equipotential manner, preventing the worker from being exposed to a hazardous difference in potential. That’s the bottom line, and…

Personal protective grounding, or PPG, is arguably the most critical safety procedure affecting contemporary lineworkers. Over time, it has evolved to include numerous significant elements that contribute to the success of today’s comprehensive methods and procedures. To adequately address these elements, this article will be presented in two parts. Part one, which you are now reading, covers PPG’s early years. Part two – scheduled to be published in the October-November issue of Incident Prevention – will cover the critical testing and development that led to the methods and procedures cu…

Accuracies are synonymous with safety and science. While many perceive that electrical safety needs to be highly exact, this article aims at creating awareness of why sticking to the basics is effective. But before we delve into variability in electrical engineering, safe electrical work practices and electrical PPE, here is a brief story my second-year engineering physics professor shared when I was in school: A person stands in the center of a boxing ring; their soulmate stands in the corner. The person in the center is only allowed to walk toward their soulmate in discrete steps defined b…

The tools and equipment employed by electrical workers must possess the necessary insulating properties to ensure user safety. One such tool, dielectric rope, can be overlooked as a component of electrical safety, but modern standards and rigorous testing protocols are transforming the way this type of rope is designed, used and maintained. The transition from use of traditional synthetic ropes (e.g., double-braided polyester or polypropylene with wax or overlay finishes) – which can absorb contaminants and moisture, thereby significantly reducing their insulating properties – to dielectric…

Employers in the electric utility industry are currently working on initiatives in various areas of their businesses, including safety, quality, production, leadership, and human and organizational performance (HOP). These are important programs, but it’s unlikely they’ll fully achieve their intended objectives if employees don’t have a firm grasp on how these various aspects of work impact one another – and the ideal order in which they should be addressed. As someone who has spent a great deal of time studying HOP and teaching its principles to others, I understand that part of the philoso…

In the first two parts of this six-part series, I discussed the importance of creating and implementing a safety management system (SMS) that actively involves all employees. This part will focus on (1) identifying and prioritizing an organization’s safety needs based on specific hazards and risks and (2) developing a plan with clear objectives and targets to meet those needs. Without a solid plan, it’s difficult to assess whether the SMS is effective and adds value to your organization. Early in my career, I didn’t fully grasp the significance of having a safety plan. I often experimented…