Electricians who work mainly new construction are often unaware of additional safety principles that apply when a site is operational; or even when just some of the equipment onsite is operational.
An example that was cited during a safety seminar at a NETA conference was workers were taking their lunch breaks in a transformer yard. They wanted to work on their sun tans using the extra sunlight reflected off the white rocks. While transformers are built to rigorous specifications and are highly reliable, they always present the danger of blowing up due to some random, unexpected electrical event.
Commenting on this, internationally recognized safety trainer Paul Hartman said these workers were violating the principle of “Don’t be there.”
Being in an area unrelated to your assigned work or general job function means you’re unnecessarily exposed to whatever industrial hazard it presents. But an industrial accident can’t include you if you’re not there. And don’t “save time” by cutting through an operational area instead of walking around it.
