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View Full Version : accident, safety violations, need help



daconway
04-22-2006, 09:30 PM
I'm a 3rd yr. ap. and we had an accident last thursday with my journeyman foreman. I was beside him in another bucket when a urd concentric tail got away from him. Amazing, but he's recovering as we speak. I work for a municipal and thier safety program doesn't exist. I am going back to work monday but don't know what to do. There is now my supervisor and me. Our 3 week old ap. quit after the accident and the other journeyman left two week ago. That leaves the sup. and me. Does anyone know where to find what a 3rd yr. ap. duties are? What I can and cannot do? They have me holding call by myself and doing other duties that I know cannot be safe for me to do. Iosha has been notified and they just started the investigation. Do to time off I gotta keep working but want to do it safe. Any help is appreciated.

Dave

Bulldogge
04-22-2006, 09:56 PM
Third year around here is allowed to work secondaries alone and primary with a journeyman on the pole or in a bucket next to him. Thats about it. I will find my union book and copy the third year verbatum from it.

3rd Year definately shouldnt be working trouble alone. It sounds like you may want to run from that place soon. Or talk to them and tell them if the trouble is putting services back up thats fine but anything else you will need a contractor for.

Stay safe

daconway
04-22-2006, 10:10 PM
Thanks for the help. Sounds about right. A little more info. for ya. Except in school, the municipal I work for has never had bucket-truck rescue, pole-top rescue or any cpr training. We are not required to wear sleeves or use line hoses or blankets. We have them all but not made to utilize them. Pretty stupid work practices. My foreman who got hurt has been there 13 yrs. and that was how he was trained. My supervisor is very smart and knowledgeable but as you can see we have some huge issues that even he dosen't comprehend. I'm just trying to do the job safe, especially for me. The big issue with the town I work for is beautifiying the town and not the employess. Too bad, but hopefully I can get some changes made regardless if I'm still there so that noone else gets hurt or dies. Thanks again for your help.

lightningrod
04-23-2006, 11:48 AM
I agree completely with what Bulldogge has stated, also you should realize that you have them over a barrel at the same time. I'm not saying to create waves but they NEED you badly now and if you say you can't do something by yourself then don't, because who else is there to do it.

Trampbag
04-23-2006, 01:35 PM
Sounds like you have a serious safety problem. Document everything with witnesses, times and dates and carry a camera.

Talk to your apprenticeship board, you must be indentured by some authority. Talk with your apprenticeship training school and/or trades training instructor and ask for advice.

Above all, you have enough experience as a 3rd year to know what can seriously injure you. Don’t do anything that will put you in that kind of situation. If you do, you will be the one blamed.

If you do not have a union or association representing you, consider talking with a lawyer. If you loose your livelihood out of this stupidity you can get compensation.

Good luck.

old lineman
04-23-2006, 02:28 PM
I was thinking that if you would like to obtain an inexpensive comprehensive rule book to formulate your own rules by that this organization might be of some help. www.eusa.on.ca ,this rule book is Canadian but has covered all the bases and can be used as a template for your own rules.
If I were in your position and was not contemplating moving on I would be cetainly looking after # 1, that's you.
Since even your leader didn't get a good foundation of training he was likely doing things that were hazardous and getting away with it, that doesn't make them right or wise. If you do something again and again and nothing goes wrong it soon becomes a habit (perhaps a bad one).
In this business ignorance is NOT bliss, it's an accident waiting to happen.
You must live in a small community because of the small workforce. Unfortunently smaller companies are often out of the loop on many issues including safety because everyone is too busy and no one can dedicate time to particular subjects.
I believe you owe it to yourself, your family and the employer to re-evaluate what is to be done until you can get things in order. You must have another community close by that your employer could agree to have them maintain your system on a contract basis until your firm has everything back in order. This comes under the mutual aid agreements lots of municipalities have.
They certainly don't want or need another accident.
It's going to cost the municipality lots of money to get up to speed. You need live line coverup, tools, training and time.
Somebody higher up is going to have to seriously look at the cost of coming in line with other utilities or as was said already, hire a contractor to run the utility.
Good luck, don't risk yourself by doing things your not prepared or skilled enough to do.
Good luck.
The Old Lineman

SouthernYankee
04-23-2006, 11:07 PM
daconway,

I am from the Municipal Utility just to the North of you and I wanted to let you know, all of us where I work are to here to help you with this if we can. I will say I and other's was appalled when we had our preliminary safety meeting about what happened to you and your co worker.

I also sent you an email and hope to talk more to you face to face on this and finding out what me and our "brothers" can do to help you deal with this, both work conditions and emotionally.

Koga
04-24-2006, 05:25 AM
First, forget about what they do. If you ask for cover and put your sleeves and gloves on will they run you off ? Can you CYA and ignore what they say about it ? Take responsibility for your own safety and refuse to work unsafe .A good labor lawyer can get thier attention real quick!!!! it can't hurt to look one up and talk to him and get some advise. Doesn't OSHA cover munis too ? Call em and ask them to come in and look for documentation of safety training and complience.I guess what Im saying is you have taken the first steps to improving the conditions for yourself and those behind you,now go the whole way and change it. Don't wait for them, you do something!

Koga

loodvig
04-24-2006, 07:58 AM
Years ago I started out in a small muni. It was the same deal. The foreman never wore rubber gloves. Most small mini's belong to a larger group or org. that has a safety program available. If they don't have safety rules make your own and use them!

thrasher
04-24-2006, 09:00 AM
As others have said YOU need a safety program that works and that protects you and your fellow workers. In your first message you said there was an accident where the tail of the URD concentric got away. Ask yourself this question, because we were not there, if good coverup had been used would there have been an accident? If coverup would have prevented the accident then that is your arguement for always using it. I will warn you that many states consider you a government employee and OSHA (in Virginia) does not regulate government employees. That is not an excuse for your muni to ignore industry standard practices. If there is not an Indiana muni association with a sample rule book I'm sure there is an Association of Electric Cooperatives. Our statewide cooperative association in VA does safety inspections and lineman training for four different muni's in VA. We ourselves do all primary work (trouble and routine) for still a fifth muni, they only have people qualified for secondary work. There are ways that your place can be safe. As said earlier, protect yourself and stick to your guns. By the way I would find a good lawyer in the area but don't use him till you have too. Rusty may be able to help you in that regard. If he knows lawyers that can come in after an accident maybe they can come in before one.

daconway
04-24-2006, 12:25 PM
Wow, Thanks for all the help and responses. Every one of them are very helpful. I did return to work today and had a long serious talk with the supervisor. He seems to be in agreement with me now, why wouldn't he be right. The next step is up the ladder to the town mgr., can't wait. Hopefully what I've learned from you guys, from the accident and stuff I already new but didn't use, the meeting will go good. I have already reworked a can, cut-out and arrester today, at first it was tough to get back but it went well and we did it the safe and only way. You guessed it too, the sup. was my ground hand.(that was nice to see him work) The journeyman who was hurt (Todd) is doing alot better and on his road to recovery, I talked to him today and he was going in for therapy, some of the skin graphs were not as good as expected but no further knowledge on what they will do. All in all his spirt is good and is doing well. Thanks for all the support. I don't know how to thank you enough.

Iosha has stepped in and will be here again today, I don't know if anything will happen but I've got the ball rolling so far. Since we are considered a gov. entity I don't know what standards we actually follow, but will find out more today.

Thanks again for all your support, you have helped me put my boots back on.

Dave

wudwlkr
04-25-2006, 06:58 AM
You appear to be in what is refered to as a "State-Plan" OSHA state. These are states that run their own occupational safety and health programs and do not rely on Federal OSHA. However in order to be certified to run their own programs states must adopt regulations that are at least as stringent and protective as OSHA's. Also in state-plan states ALL workers, private companies as well as government, are covered by those safety rules. So in effect your are covered by and should be using your state's safety rules for utilities which have to be at least equivalant to OSHA's rules for utilities in 29CFR1910.269. These can be viewed on OSHA's web site.

rusty
05-04-2006, 09:13 AM
daconway,

Brother first and most important, if you don't feel safe DON'T DO IT!!! If they try and force you, CALL ME!!! PERIOD!!! If you don't have any luck getting this straightened out, CALL ME!!! Make damn sure you are documenting EVERY THING, conversations , dates who was there, EVERYTHING! You can always get another job, YOU CAN NOT GROW ANOTHER LIMB OR GET ANOTHER LIFE!!!! Please make sure your love ones have my contact information, I pray they will never need it! But if they do my people will come in AT NO COST and investigate what happens and then explain what we feel are the options !!!! PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES AT " ALL " COST!!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!