Sometimes safety isn’t all that it seems There are striking similarities in how we respond to incidents, injuries and fatalities in our industry. Safety stand-downs are held. Utilities and contractors conduct incident investigations that are typically wrapped up...
It is a given that linework, whether transmission or distribution, is hazardous work. Safety is of the utmost priority in an industry where lethal voltages are regularly involved. In 2018, 8.5% of all construction-related fatalities were electrocution-related....
The Quail Effect: An Indicator of Safety Culture It is not uncommon for a flock of birds, such as quail, to scatter when people get too close to them. This sometimes happens on work sites, too, but instead of birds, it’s workers who scatter when they see safety...
Words of Wisdom from a Longtime Safety Man I first got into the electric utility industry in 1965 when I was hired to work as a lineman’s helper. Lineman’s helpers were also called by another name: grunt. At that time, you were not considered a grown adult until you...
If you wanted to create a recipe for disaster, the beginning of the 2021 wildfire season would be a good place to start. Nearly 90% of the western U.S. is suffering through extreme drought. The snowpack set new low levels there as well. A record-breaking heatwave...
What You Need When The Storm Hits The Fan A storm’s a-comin’, and it’s not a matter of if, but when. Hurricane season officially kicks off on June 1 and lasts through November 30. That’s six long months of potential disaster to the power grid....
