Electricity Today T&D Magazine

How to reduce dangers while providing preventive maintenance data

BY FINLEY LEDBETTER, Group CBS, Inc.

While most discussions about avoiding electrical hazards focus on personal protective equipment (PPE), utility workers have a number of ways to protect themselves and their gear, including specialized equipment and remote actuation and racking systems that eliminate—rather than reduce—electrical hazard dangers, while providing preventive maintenance data that can help avoid future catastrophes.

Struck-by, struck-against and back-over incidents are far too common:

• 421 Hudson St., Manhattan, NYC: Construction worker killed by scaffolding plank.
• Woods Hole Golf Club, Falmouth, MA: Construction worker injured in back-over accident.
• Interstate 440-East, Raleigh, NC: DOT workers seriously injured when motorist crashed into highway maintenance truck.

They can happen any place at any time, which is why they’re so difficult to prevent. Contributing factors to struck-by incidents include:

• Poor visibility when working at night or in inclement weather;
• Untrained workers using tools improperly, wearing the wrong (or no) PPE, or engaging in horseplay;
• Fatigue distracting workers or motorists in...