Safety Management Archive

For decades, air has been used to effectively and inexpensively maintain phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground clearances of overhead distribution and transmission power lines and electrical equipment. Air’s extremely high resistance offers excellent protection against the passage of current. The greater the nominal system voltage, the greater the air gap required to prevent a flashover and short-circuiting. Due to its dielectric properties, air is also used to protect workers from electric shock. Incident Prevention readers who work in the electric utility industry are familiar with the term “minimum approach distance” (MAD). Workers in industries that incorporate NFPA 70E into their electrical safety programs may use the term “restricted ap…

Arc flash labels are a commonplace requirement for photovoltaic (PV) projects. However, arc flash studies and the resulting labels are sometimes treated as check-the-box exercises. In my experience as an engineer, I have found that questions are rarely asked regarding integration of PV arc flash labels into a safe, effective operations and maintenance plan. Engineers who charge by the man-hour can generate these labels all day long, yet they aren’t the ones tasked with donning PPE to perform hot work. A fundamental link is missing in terms of safety. Essentially, arc flash labels provide employees with critical PPE information when work must be performed near energized electrical equipment. But this could make hot work on energized electri…

The first four articles in this six-part series outlined the significance of an organizational safety management system (SMS) that involves all employees. They emphasized effective risk mitigation through a well-developed plan for continuous improvement, with a focus on human and organizational performance. This article highlights critical operational processes that must be thoroughly assessed and refined to support organizational safety. Every operational unit must take proactive ownership of its safety protocols and practices, actively integrating safety measures into all aspects of its operational processes. By integrating safety into daily routines, each unit fosters a culture of responsibility and prioritizes employee safety. This art…

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 whole selves to the job, which includes their stress, fatigue and other personal challenges. We leave serious gaps in our safety systems when we fail to acc…

The first three articles in this six-part series addressed the critical nature and value of an organizational safety management system (SMS) that engages all employees and effectively mitigates risks through a developed plan for continuous improvement. This article focuses on human and organizational performance (HOP), an operational philosophy that utility organizations must incorporate into their SMS to achieve organizational safety success. Over the years, traditional safety programs have primarily focused on managing employees, often overlooking the crucial systems designed to support them. Employees are expected to consistently make the right choices and adhere to safety rules 100% of the time, relying on the training they have receiv…

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 by exactly halving the distance between the two. The physicists witnessing this agree that it will be impossible for the distance between the two to eve…

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 philosophy is building an organizational system that enables employees to complete their work using processes that make sense to them, are easy to follow and…

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 with new safety trends without understanding what the organization I worked for would gain from them or how success would be measured. Much like a New Y…

The electric transmission and distribution (T&D) industry often requires work in challenging environments. Whether crew members access tall structures by helicopter, use rope-access methods to climb lattice towers, or ride wire carts to install and maintain spacers along energized lines, their approach goes beyond standard ground-based operations. These specialized techniques can speed up projects, minimize ground disturbance – especially on protected and sensitive land – and reduce the need for site preparation (e.g., building roads). Yet all of them present complex fall hazards. Many readers may be familiar with the so-called “ABCs” of fall protection (anchors, body supports and connectors), but the tasks described above call for mor…

Utility workers perform essential tasks that touch millions of lives every day. The critical nature of the services they provide coupled with the perilous nature of their tasks exposes these workers to life-threatening hazards. This is why the industry highly values and prioritizes safety. Many utility companies operating today have made significant strides in improving their safety culture. Critical risk management programs and a human performance mindset have become increasingly common as organizational leaders more fully understand the link between human behavior and risk. These companies have moved beyond the traditional safety model that primarily focuses on accident prevention, opting instead to embrace risk reduction strategies. Use…

Let’s kick off this new series by considering a simple question: Why do we need safety? Here’s my answer: Safety is a must because hazards and threats exist in our work environments that could cause harm to both our employees and our organizations. Any initiative designed to protect workers from danger falls under the umbrella of safety. If we were to use minimum approach distances as an analogy, safety is the air gap that insulates an organization. When severe injuries and fatalities occur in our industry, weak safety initiatives – that is, initiatives that do not provide the insulating value needed to appropriately address an organization’s hazards and threats – are often the culprit. Too many organizations invest their resources in “bus…

In a recent survey we conducted, 97% of safety professionals who responded confirmed that gaining senior leader buy-in for their safety programs was either very important or extremely important to them. This research project was a joint effort between the National Electrical Contractors Association, HR Resources of the Carolinas LLC and Habit Mastery Consulting, with the purpose of discovering the secrets to gaining greater senior leadership support for safety initiatives. Our research included surveying 128 safety professionals and conducting in-depth interviews with 15 deeply experienced safety professionals. We revealed our research results at the October 2024 iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo in Allen, Texas, sharing with attende…

Despite widespread recognition of the importance of worker safety, gaining consistent buy-in for safety initiatives remains a significant challenge for many safety and operational leaders. Even with the best intentions and efforts, safety programs too often become temporary “flavors of the month” or are reduced to routine check-the-box activities. As a result, these initiatives frequently fall short of their intended impact. Over the last decade, my team and I have been fortunate enough to partner with dozens of utilities to successfully implement and sustain soft-tissue injury prevention programs. As we began to identify the common factors shared by our most successful customers, several key themes emerged. This article is intended to sha…

Editor’s Note: Incident Prevention readers’ initial reaction to the following article might be, “HIPAA?” You are encouraged to check for yourself, but HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – does not apply to the methodologies the author presents (see www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/faq/index.html). Incident Prevention recognizes that the author’s work is a deeper dive into the values of human performance recognition. The information presented can improve training and analysis by properly accommodating individual human characteristics that affect both learning and performance. You are encouraged to read on. Our work systems are based on neurotypical norms and expectations. Neurotypical workers make up most of th…

In the utility industry, workplace safety is of vital importance. Utility workers face numerous hazards daily, from working at heights and handling electrical equipment to operating in confined spaces and dealing with extreme weather conditions. To ensure the well-being of these essential workers, organizations must adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses both job characteristics and resource availability. By integrating the Job Demands-Control (JDC) model and the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, utility companies can create a safer and more supportive work environment that empowers their employees and reduces the risk of accidents and injuries. The JDC Model: Empowering Workers Through Autonomy The JDC model, developed by Rob…

Active shooter response training for utility professionals is a subject that shouldn’t be ignored. However, few subjects are as challenging or controversial. For decades, active shooter response training has been touted as a one-size-fits-all remedy that instills long-lasting, actionable survival skills in one easy application. In reality, off-the-shelf training programs seldom deliver on promises. Training is often poorly delivered cookie-cutter sessions that focus on the wrong messaging and outcomes. Active shooter response programs are fraught with complications and issues that, if left unresolved, can make the training more of a hazard than a help. You may think, “OK, so let’s just skip the training.” Sorry, but that’s not the answer e…

While leading a recent workshop at a client location, the introductions began by individually discussing how incidents at work have affected us. One story shared left an impact on all in attendance. Fifteen years ago, an employee suffered what at the time seemed like a simple and small fracture to their leg after a fall. What resulted was a total of 12 surgeries, and the employee’s wife became addicted to the opioids he was prescribed. Tragically, she passed away due to her addiction. Workplace injuries and incidents can have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the immediate physical harm suffered by an employee. The collateral damage resulting from such incidents can significantly impact various aspects of an organization and the…

The roar of diesel engines fills the midnight air as a crew of linemen prepares to depart for a critical repair job. Their trucks are loaded with tools and equipment, ready to tackle a downed power line that lies miles away. But before they hit the open road, there’s one crucial hurdle to clear: ensuring that their vehicles and the way they operate them comply with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. Electric utility providers operate a complex network of vehicles, from bucket trucks scaling towering heights to service vans navigating city streets. Each vehicle plays a vital role in ensuring a reliable flow of electricity. However, these workhorses on wheels also pose potential safety risks if they are not operated and mai…

Gray wave. Silver tsunami. Population aging. We’ve all heard the names and metaphors, and experts have talked about the phenomenon for years. In 2024, it’s truly upon us: The population, both in the United States and abroad, is getting older, with major implications for the workforce and how employers manage it. But these descriptors don’t capture the full reality of the situation. Today’s workforce, which is older on average than in previous decades, is also more diverse than ever, including members of as many as five generations born across nearly a century. So, while researchers have anticipated the aging phenomenon for many years, employers – and their safety leaders in particular – now must deal with the broader issue of a truly multi…