Electricity Today T&D Magazine

In a perfect world, we could all work in weather-controlled environments where heat wouldn’t be a factor and comfort could be maximized. Many workplaces however, deal with very high temperatures and heat stress is a year-round risk that requires serious consideration. For many years the standards addressing the prevention of heat stress-related issues went untouched. Recently the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released an evaluation of the available data on this subject (criteria for a recommended standard), with the goal of setting a new standard. The report; Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments, contains detailed...

How to protect workers with an occupational health and safety management  system

BY IVANA STRGACIC, Strategies for the Environment Inc.

Reliability (that is, keeping the lights on) is at the forefront of electric utility business plans. Another important item that takes priority in these plans is electrical safety. Linemen are part of the overall equation when power outages occur, so implementing the most efficient business safety practices possible is paramount. One way that utilities can achieve zero injuries in the workplace is by implementing an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS).

OHSMS systems are part of a company’s...