Electrical Association

SAFETY FIRST is a Motto to Live by...No Kidding!

Written by Eric Seanger, Chairman of the Board

Death or injury is the last thing we want to happen to our employees and their families. Nothing is as devastating to a family as the loss or serious injury to a father, mother, sister, brother, spouse or child. Accidents happen no matter how careful we are but we believe that we need to do our best to provide what people need in order to work safely.

One of the most important and difficult to implement regulatory changes in safety has come with the 2009 update of NFPA 70E. This safety standard is designed to protect employees from electrical shock and arc flash. MEA members are working hard to find the best ways to protect our employees and our businesses from tragic accidents and OSHA fines. The goal is to make it easy for employees to understand what kind of personal protective equipment and measures are required for the task they are performing. Careful analysis and selection of equipment is required by contractors to make it efficient and comfortable for the employee and more cost effective for the employer.

It would be great to use May (Safety Month) to start a dialog about what works for electrical contractors to keep employees safe. Here are a few of the things that we are doing:

AWARENESS: We consistently remind our employees that a high level of awareness of their surroundings and the use of good common sense are the keys for keeping them (and their co-workers) safe. If they have that high level of awareness, they will be sure to use the training, documentation and safety equipment provided. In order to keep our employees thinking about safety, we do the following:

• Toolbox Talks are conducted weekly.
• AWAIR (A Workplace Accident Reduction) Safety Program training, evaluating, and updating is done regularly.
• Job site evaluations and hazard reviews are done by the foreman, who is usually the competent person on the job site.
• The right equipment is provided to the employee.
• Safety Meetings are held to show people how to use, evaluate, and exchange equipment that needs repairs.
• Employees are reminded to prepare in advance for extreme weather, fatigue, awareness of surroundings.
• Job site visits are conducted to make sure people are working safely, to congratulate those who are, and correct those who need direction.

ROLE MODELS: We ask all managers and foremen to be excellent role models. While we work hard at thanking our employees for working safely, our safety committee is looking at developing a formal program for recognizing people with an outstanding safety record. Consistent recognition has been the second best way to motivate people to work safely.

FAMILY FIRST: The best way to motivate people to work safely is to talk about how hard it would be on their family if anything were to happen to them. It may be asking about what their child would do without a father or how their parents would feel without their son. It makes the importance of using safety equipment and safe work practices real.

Resources to use in protecting employees:

• OSHA Consulting will visit job sites and do evaluations at no cost. They give a reasonable time frame for making corrections. They have grants that can be used to provide training, scissor lifts, personal protective gear, and more. OSHA will match an employer’s expenditure dollar per dollar up to $10,000. In today’s world, that’s a 50% discount and MEA members have gotten those grants.

• Insurance companies know that they can cut the costs of losses by providing safety training. Their help can also cut the costs of premiums—which is critical in today’s economy.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as the Chair of MEA’s Board and have a successful and safe summer.