A common way that people see safety is it’s something you do on top of your regular work. For example, in addition to repairing a piece of equipment you must lock out and tag out its supply breaker.
But this perception of safety leads to unsafe acts because safety feels like a burden. When you’re pressed for time, you’ll be tempted to take shortcuts and safety will be the primary target. In the example, you might fail to take the time to verify the circuit is actually de-energized because you “know” that’s the right breaker. But what if it’s not? The one next to it is, and you made a simple error. Or suppose a backfeed now exists, and it’s not documented.
A better perception of safety is it’s what you do so that other work can proceed. It’s not that safety is on top of everything else, but that everything else is on top of safety. Safety is your foundation. And as the other work proceeds, safety also becomes the frame to which you attach the component activities.
About the Author
Mark Lamendola
Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.
Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.
Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.