When assembling our annual May issue, which always focuses on health and safety, there was no shortage of great content to choose from, considering that we cover electrical safety on a monthly, weekly, and oftentimes daily basis. Ranking right up there with the National Electrical Code, electrical safety continues to be one of our readers’ most sought-after topics. That’s why I recently dedicated an episode of my “EC&M On Air” podcast to the most important safety trends to watch this year. In it, I talk with Michelle Tinsley, chief operating officer and co-founder of YellowBird, and Nathan Pentico, EHS manager at Dana, Inc. Among other things, we discussed how YellowBird offers custom safety services, working with construction companies to ensure safe workplaces amid so many government regulation changes. Just for some perspective, according to Tinsley, in 2021 alone, there were 57,000 regulatory changes in the United States and Canada around environmental health or safety. So whether that’s the EPA, OSHA, or state-, county-, or municipality-level regulations, it’s no wonder folks feel overwhelmed trying to stay in compliance. This particular podcast is definitely worth your time. Here are a few sound bites I felt were especially compelling:
“Accidents are usually not the result of ignorance; they’re usually when someone tries to take a shortcut, or they get so comfortable doing something they forget to follow a procedure they know by heart,” Pentico says. “You know 99 times out of 100, you’re going to do it and be just fine, but it’s that one time that gets you.” He also brought up the fact that organizations are trying to be so lean these days that it can create hazards. “In many of these situations, you have a jack of many trades and master of none,” says Pentico, who maintains it’s not realistic to send employees to two weeks of training off site on every particular topic every year.
When it comes to lockout/tagout, Tinsley stressed the importance of not only putting the right procedures in place, but also training around them. “It’s not just hitting somebody with a stick when they’re doing something wrong,” says Tinsley, “it’s really ingraining it as a value because you genuinely care about the workers and want them to go home safely every day.” She also emphasized: “It’s important to remember that commitment and compliance are two completely different things. What you want is the worker truly committed to a safe workplace, not just complying.”
In addition to our podcasts, we’ve put together a comprehensive package of safety articles in this issue you won’t want to miss. Starting with “Eye on Safety,” Randy Keneer explains how the challenges of the pandemic caused many companies to let their OSHA certifications lapse, a reality that means they now must face the risk of falling out of compliance. Read his article, “The Top 5 Safety Items to Plan for in 2022.” In “Safety Corner,” Electrical Consultant Mark Lamendola tackles an important topic that’s often misinterpreted. Learn how ground-fault protection serves one purpose while grounding serves another. In the cover story, Electrical Safety Trainer and Master Electrician Randy Barnett demonstrates how applying certain best practices reduces shock and burn injuries in the field in “Five Steps for Creating an Electrically Safe Work Condition.” Next comes our annual Top 10 OSHA violations from the previous year. Not surprisingly, the usual suspects for most cited violations continue to make the list, including fall protection in the top spot for the 11th year in a row. Rounding out the features with “How to Develop a Living and Breathing Safety Plan,” Chuck Fox of The Electrician, Inc., follows up on his article on best practices for the successful implementation of an NFPA 70E program with a follow-up discussion. His article reveals how and why a structured outline is necessary to achieve the most effective electrical safety plan. And don’t miss the New Product Showcase, featuring safety equipment and workwear.
In the electrical industry, safety will always be a top priority. However, it’s easy to get complacent, even if only for a moment — and that moment could lead to a serious accident or fatality. So, let’s continue to keep safety top of mind through ongoing education, training, and mentoring to help ensure every electrical professional returns home safely each night.
