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Safety Technologies


Tragedy & Expense: The High Cost of Low Electrical Safety

The electrical industry is one of the most dangerous work environments for employees. The risk of injuries and fatalities is high due to the nature of the work and the amount of interaction workers have with dangerous equipment and conditions. Electrical incidents happen daily, putting lives and...

Worker Safety Using Infrared

Infrared safety: using thermal technologies to protect workers BY DOUG BARRY, FLIR Systems Disconnect switches, elbow connectors, cutouts, lightning arrestors, oil-filled circuit breakers, and other electrical components tend to heat up before they fail. The ability to detect overheating on such...

Utility Safety Standards


Fall Protection Becomes Mandatory

New regulation removes “optional” to increase worker safety BY CRAIG FIRL, Capital Safety The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published updated rules and regulations in April 2014 that impact fall protection for the electrical utility industry. These new regulations,...

Testing Conditions and Guidelines for Personal Fall Protection Systems

1. PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEMS (A) GENERAL TEST CONDITIONS Lifelines, lanyards, and deceleration devices should be attached to an anchorage and connected to the body-belt or body harness in the same manner as they would be when used to protect employees, except that lanyards should be tested...

Grounding & Protection


Safety Reports for Utility Workers

Protecting utility workers with documented reporting BY MIKE DOHERTY, PowerTel Utilities Contractors Limited Within the lineman trade, accountabilities for the documentation of various inspections, job safety analyses (JSAs), audits, safe work practices (SPGs), qualifications, safety meetings,...

Safety Awareness Rules for Utilities

Utilities ready for Ontario health and safety awareness training BY PHILL FELTHAM, Editor-in-Chief Electricity Today Magazine The Government of Ontario has implemented new regulations that require mandatory basic occupational health and safety training. The new regulations, “Occupational Health...

Lineman Safety

Electrical Safety in the Field

Protecting utility workers using mobile technologies

BY TOM OCONNOR, Panasonic Solutions for Business

Nearly every lineman has heard of a colleague who has been injured—or worse—while on the job. Because of the dangers inherent to their job (that is, electrical safety in the field), these brave men and women must take every precaution to get their work completed efficiently and safely. The realities of the economic slowdown add an additional level of complexity—the expectation that...

Lineman Safety Articles