The program an employer develops must direct activity appropriate to the risks involved in the work the employees are doing [110.1]. Employees are required to comply with this program [105.2(B)]. When President Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) into law 50 years ago (late in 1970), few company executives understood the real costs of an unsafe workplace. So for a long time, many companies practiced “dog and pony show” compliance. Their goal wasn’t to protect their employees but to avoid OSHA fines.
In the electrical industry, where a mistake can create an arc blast that turns a human being into mere embers, attention to safety has generally been greater than for industry at large. Yet we are still not “there yet” when it comes to seeing safety as an economic imperative. It’s an imperative in other ways, too. It’s a moral imperative to be sure, but finding and retaining skilled electrical workers is a huge challenge today. So from an operational standpoint, safety is an existential question for many employers today.
This means you’re not gearing your safety program toward merely avoiding OSHA fines. It means you are thinking about the hazards involved and how to protect your employees from them. But how do you know what the hazards are? Or what the protective measures are? Some sources you should tap:
- Ask the employees. Encourage people to provide their input. What’s out there that you should know about?
- Participate in industry organizations. Several different people in your company should hold memberships in industry organizations. The NFPA is an obvious choice. What others might be appropriate?
- Attend industry webinars. Many of these have to do with safety directly. Others affect safety information indirectly by informing attendees of developments in industry standards, work methods, materials, and tools.
- Share what you learn. Have some kind of process for people to share what they are learning. This can be anything from a short presentation at a daily safety talk to time set aside specifically for sharing safety tips, insights, and concerns. Make sure you have way to keep the information from becoming siloed or forgotten.
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.