Electrical safety work practices program

In fact, OSHA requires in Protective clothing needs to prevent arcing and combustion. These types of clothes should remain clean and in good repair to retain their properties. Protective clothing can also include extra layers for warmth in winter conditions to protect against cold stress. Protective clothing serves as a base to wear with all jobs. However, some tasks will require PPE and personal gear to protect against specific environmental hazards.

For instance, hard hats protect against falling objects and overhead electrical hazards. The specific types of PPE required will depend on the hazards of the job site. As falls are a serious hazard for those working on utility poles or telecom towers, employers must ensure workers have safety training in fall prevention. First, workers need to have training in how to use fall arrest systems. These systems for use around potential electrical hazards have stricter requirements than other types of fall protection systems.

Fall protection systems and arrest systems should always pair with worker training. Employers should only allow skilled, proven workers to climb utility poles for repairs to reduce falls. Plus, these workers should have regular reminders of safety procedures.

The same education in fall prevention should also apply to those who conduct their work from buckets on service trucks or any other elevated surface. The world relies on power and telecommunications. Consequently, some of the first responders after a natural disaster are telecom and utility workers who need to repair fallen lines to restore operations.

The nature of the natural disaster will affect the types of procedures used during the emergency response. For instance, flooding in snake-prone areas may require workers to wear snake boots or gaiters when walking through floodwater to prevent swimming snakes from biting them. Utility and telecom safety requires more than the eyes of supervisors on site. Workers should be encouraged to report safety incidents or unsafe practices without fear of reprisal from co-workers or management. Only through reporting unsafe behaviors can a company recognize where it needs to make changes.

Anonymous reporting, as used by OSHA , could also be an important tool for companies to use to protect reporters. When employers encourage reporting of problems to their safety teams, they can make changes needed to procedures to prevent fines or incidents.

Falls and structure collapses cause injuries, fatalities and property damage. Preventing these incidents should be part of a safety culture. While promoting safe practices in the field is critical, the materials and supplies used there are of equal importance. First, for guy wires and other supports, choose products that meet the requirements of the support system. For instance, the number of strands and minimum support strength for guy wires are essential for ensuring they will provide the required support for an electrical pole or telecom tower.

Second, select protective coatings to prevent the steel wire from corroding, which weakens it. Plus, by preventing corrosion, such coatings enhance longevity for the wires. Most steel guy wires use galvanized zinc in Classes A, B or C as a prevention. This coating outperforms galvanized zinc in tests exposing the coatings to salt spray and polluted environments. Choosing the correct coating and material is important.

You should also conduct regular inspections of the supports to ensure their integrity. When promoting a safe work environment in your own company, you want to look for other businesses to emulate. At Bekaert, we practice the advice that we give through our workplace health and safety protocols. Our BeCare Program places safety first. BeCare requires employees to go through rigorous safety training. This training teaches workers about safety guidelines, how to spot unsafe practices and handle them and to care for others in the workplace.

Between and the end of , 22, of our global employees took this training as our company strives for an interdependent culture of safety. Because we put safety first, our teams also invest in producing quality products for the safety of our customers.

We manufacture quality steel supporting wires in the United States to meet customer specifications and industry standards. After professional installation of our steel wires, site supervisors for telecom and utility companies can rest assured the wires will offer both the support and flexibility needed to ensure the safety of workers on utility poles. To get this type of quality assurance, contact us at Bekaert to request a quote for custom steel support wires.

The following are some of the specific problems utility workers and their employers may face due to safety issues: Injuries and Fatalities Workers installing or servicing telecom and electric lines face potential injuries or fatalities during their work — and electrical workers experienced a peak of deaths from the period of through Incident Rates The incident rate of the number of fatalities per , workers shows the heightened risk of utility workers.

Hazards Electric shock and burns accounted for many nonfatal injuries. Costs Failure to comply with safety standards can incur financial costs, too. The Benefits of a Safety Culture in Telecom and Electrical Work Incorporating a culture of safety into telecom and electrical utility companies nets multiple benefits for workers and the business.

Changing Behaviors Safety culture changes behaviors to encourage people to have safer practices and to report unsafe situations.

Fewer Incidents When workers become more cognizant of safety issues and how to prevent them, incidents go down. Reduced Turnover By creating a safer working environment, workers feel safer and are more likely to stay. Elements of Safety Programs for Utility Workers Improving worker conditions for telecom and utility workers starts with creating a plan to create a safety culture. Use the following utility worker safety tips to get started on creating your own plan: Employee Qualifications Before assigning workers to hazardous tasks, such as climbing, make sure they have experience and training to ensure they will stay safe.

Hazard Assessment Determine the specific issues that pose safety hazards on each job site. Hazard Control Another reason to conduct a hazard assessment is to identify which types of risks you can mitigate or eliminate. Electrical Safety Anytime workers may handle live wires, remind them of all safety precautions they need to take prior to arriving on the job site. Fall Protection and Prevention As falls are a serious hazard for those working on utility poles or telecom towers, employers must ensure workers have safety training in fall prevention.

Emergency Response The world relies on power and telecommunications. Incident Reporting Utility and telecom safety requires more than the eyes of supervisors on site.

Rely on Bekaert for Quality Steel Wire Products for the Utility Industry When promoting a safe work environment in your own company, you want to look for other businesses to emulate. It does not apply to qualified persons working on generation, transmission, and distribution installations; communications installations; installations in vehicles; and railway installations.

Definitions of terms in bold type are provided at the end of the checklist. Please review the Control of Hazardous Energy Sources checklist with this checklist.

The regulations cited apply only to private employers and their employees, unless adopted by a State agency and applied to other groups such as public employees. A yes answer to a question indicates that this portion of the inspection complies with the OSHA and EPA standard, or with a non-regulatory recommendation. This checklist does not address work on or near energized overhead lines or work in confined or enclosed work spaces with energized lines.

For these conditions, please consult 29 CFR Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.