May is for Safety

by Clara DeRosier
Executive Director

As the weather begins to warm up and everyone gets busier and busier, it is smart to keep safety at the forefront of our minds.

MEA has a long-standing training alliance with MN OSHA that we plan to continue and rejuvenate over the next year. This partnership is important to the industry. Dave Ferkul (MNOSHA’s Workplace Safety Consultation Supervisor) and Bob Durkee (MNOSHA’s Safety Consultant Principle) want to share their knowledge with all of you to ensure success. You will notice new articles from them each month in the MEA News on hot topics including the following:
• Silica
• Arc Flash Incidents
• Ergonomics (hammer drill, back, lifting, over the head…ergonomic-friendly tools)
• Submitting grants to get ergonomically friendly tools for your shop
• Hazardous waste-what to do with it?
• Operating business safely (Osha Cost Calculator – what is the real cost of these issues)
 
Check out their article in this May issue on page 14 where they dive into “Silica in Construction.”

Also, don’t forget about the safety resources that MEA already has available for you—

AWAIR Safety Program

MEA members receive a FREE AWAIR Manual (non-member price = $499). This program is customized for Electrical Contractors, filed with sample policies/ procedures and is easy to use. MEA has a webinar led by Andy Smoka that you can watch to guide you through putting this together for your business. You could face large fines if you are out of compliance with your company safety procedures.

Electrical Safety Talks

MEA members receive FREE Electrical Safety Talks (non-member price = $39.95). Over 50 talks available to use for company safety meetings, discussions or handouts. This is a series of short, concise, industry-specific topics that you can download and print individually or as a full set.

NFPA 70E Training

MEA offers private training classes for your team to give further education that focuses on the work that you specifically do. The course includes sample worksheets, final test and a certificate of completion.

MEA and MN OSHA hope that these articles and the safety resources available through MEA help you carry out a safe mission for your business. As always, let us know if you need more information or resources and we can try to help you out. Wishing you all a safe and profitable summer!