Most construction crews and many maintenance shops have a quick daily safety meeting or a longer weekly one. These tend to be one-way communication, with a supervisor talking about a safety topic or advising of some development that could have safety implications.
While this is good, it does provide some problems. For example, the supervisor runs out of safety topics that can be made interesting for the crew. People begin to expect the same old lackluster lecture and they kind of tune out.
Jim remembered to do his tool count on a breaker replacement project, yesterday. Is this worth mentioning, since everyone knows to do the tool count? Yes, if Jim says something like, “And it’s a good thing, too. I was short one tool, and it turned out to be this 9/16 wrench. I had set it across two phases in the deenergized panel. If I’d energized the panel, I also would have known where I’d left that wrench” Everybody laughs. But for a long time, everybody keeps in mind the importance of a tool count.
Justin holds up one end of a test lead that’s been cut in half. He points to the damaged insulation near the probe. It turns out that a dozen other people at that meeting had not done a test lead integrity check in a long time. Now they will take care of that before using their test equipment again.
If people share how good safety practices work for them, those practices are more likely to be followed by everyone else.
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.