The following news headlines appeared on the EC&M website in the last three weeks.
• Electrical Contractor Electrocuted Working on Prison Power Plant
• Lack of PPE for Republic Steel Electrician Results in Arc Flash Burns
• Los Alamos National Lab Worker Burned at Substation
• Electrician Shocked in Florida Condominium Building
• Electrician Shocked While Working on Freezer Unit
• Electrician Shocked at School Construction Site in Texas
• Electrical Worker Electrocuted at King of Prussia Mall
Unfortunately, the local newspaper or TV reports that nearly all of these news stories are built around show up in my inbox on an almost daily basis. And even though I routinely see these types of stories, each one of them still sends a chill down my spine.
We post these reports on the site to bring awareness to the ever-present dangers of working on or near energized electrical equipment. Although they can be disturbing, we can’t ignore them. We must learn from these horrific examples to build better safety programs and establish safer work environments for our employees and ourselves.
Throughout the year, we also strive to publish as many safety-focused articles we can find in the pages of the print magazine. Most of these are quite comprehensive and take many hours to produce. Some of the most difficult to find and prepare for publication are those we present in our Forensics Casebook section. As you know, these case studies are meant to show the consequences of carelessness, shortcuts, or failure to follow proper safety procedures and best-in-class work practices. And the legal issues presented in these articles almost always elicit disapproval from at least a few passionate readers.
Even though we regularly dedicate a portion of each day to the topic of electrical safety, we put in some extra hours during the month of May — as do many of you — in support of National Electrical Safety month. This issue features several valuable articles on electrical safety. Our Forensic Casebook article discusses the dangers of a “minor” electric shock and the long-term debilitating injuries it inflicted on one unsuspecting cement worker. Our regular freelance writer Tom Zind interviewed several prominent members of the electrical safety community and prepared a detailed summary of the revisions in the 2015 Edition of NFPA 70E. But our ironman author this month is well-known training director James White of Shermco Industries. He cranked out three articles for us on a variety of topics. The first focuses on electrical hazard and risk analysis — how to identify, assess, and plan for safe work on critical energized circuits. The second discusses five key factors that determine the severity of an arc flash injury. And the third zeros in on arc flash clothing labeling requirements. Thanks, Jim, for your continued support and expertise.
So now all that’s left for me to do is sit back and hope you take advantage of the wealth of information we packed into this issue. Read it. Seriously, study it. Take note of the lessons being presented. Then implement these ideas, work practices, and rules into your daily work life. Your family will thank you for doing so.