Rules to Live By

[saftgeek]

I am again asking for some guidance... I have been asked to work with our men and compile a list of rules (safety) that are considered to be so vital that breaking one could result in catastrophic injury or death. These rules need to be very concise and easily understood.

I have a couple obvious ones, like rubber gloves, lock-out/tag-out, test for voltage, etc...

I am curious as to your opinion of what rule do you feel is most important. What would you tell you son to do/not do... I know OSHA guidelines are intended to keep you safe, but all of those rules are open to interpretation and that is where people disagree...

Thanks for your time,

Saftgeek

[mscheuerer]

Try here SaftGeek and read... I don't know what type of company your representing but if it's a utility, co-op or other heavy commerical/industrial hands on electrical outfit I would assume that these rules would already be in place regardless. The way your describing this issue as being possibly "catasptophic" and "deadly" to the worker puzzles me. Ill wait and hear more from the peanuts here in the gallery...guys????

http://www.incident-prevention.com/..._Gloves_On.html

[T-Man]

Work Between Grounds

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

While working on energized primary conductors, two men in the primary at all times.

[igloo64]

Test and ground. It could be the most important rule.

[saftgeek]

I should have established that I am at a Cooperative. We are now going through a Management shift and our working rules may have slid a little over time. We recently had an outside audit and our crews were questioned away from the group. The whole crew was questioned, not just the crew leader. As a result of this, we found that our men are really unsure as to what the rules are and what is expected of them. Our safety manual goes well beyond the OSHA minimums and this is where the confusion sets in.

Now don't get me wrong, our men are not reckless or careless, they are very hardworking men. What has the new Manager spooked is that every Coop around us has either had a fatality or a catastrophic event. After our Manager received his letter about the visit he questioned the crew leaders and came to the conclusion that the rules are way too vague and in some instances almost impossible to follow.

From there, we are here. I am tasked with putting together a concise list of the most important rules. The foremen, safety comm, and other linemen were to offer up suggestions. Guess what??? I've only had one, LO/TO...

That is why I am asking you guys, if you were sending your son to work, what would be the most important rule, the one you'd put a boot in his rump for not following???

I hope that clears the fog...thanks.

Saftgeek

[topgroove]

Of all the safety rules we must follow the most important I feel is a pre-job brief or tailboard. Its vital for the chief to explain the whole job to the crew so each man on the crew know's exactly what everyone else is going to do. Its a time to discuss working clearence, the use of personel protective equipment,the work method involved, take a good look at ajacent poles and the condition of them. Its always a good idea to talk about the job in detail. Sometimes even the newest apprentice has a good idea. The main idea is to have everyone on the same page. Even things like What is the address where I'm working? Just in case you have to call for help. What feeder is This? What direction is the feed from? Where is the nearest set of switches? I could go on and on but you get the Idea. We work in a hazardous profession but it certainly can be preformed safely. If at any time someone becomes uncomfortable with anything its time to stop and talk about it.

[playtime]

Insulate, Isolate, Test, Ground. Above all THINK about what you are about to do. Pressure to get jobs done causes corners to get cut. Take the time to do the job right even if it means getting home to the family a little late. Beter late than never.

[Trampbag]

I’ll tell you what, saftgeek, you just summed it up yourself.

“The whole crew was questioned, not just the crew leader. As a result of this, we found that our men are really unsure as to what the rules are and what is expected of them. Our safety manual goes well beyond the OSHA minimums and this is where the confusion sets in.”

What I have noticed in this trade is that many companies, in their never ending quest to achieve “zero accidents”, tend to write rules in knee jerk reactions to incidents or “catastrophic events”. Those rules, seldom written with consultation with working linemen are often written in legalese or safety engineer speak and are usually confusing, misleading or impossible to follow and still get the job done.

If safety rules were simplified and the language cleaned up to where a tradesman, or for that matter anyone, understood them there would certainly be a lot more compliance.

What’s wrong with OSHA minimum? Is there a reason every company wants to exceed them?

What’s wrong with common sense?

Money spent on training, and I’m not talking about education here (hopefully you understand the difference), will go further than writing more rules. Hands on real honest to goodness training of management, supervision and workers will go a long way to ensure incident frequency goes in the right direction – reduction.

[matt 1245]

4 men crews if working primary at all times