In 2015, there were 39 work-related fatalities in the utility and power industry, a jump from 33 the previous year. In addition, 2016 saw more than two injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers. That’s more than 2% of utility workers becoming sick or injured while on the job.

These numbers show that despite revising regulations and advances in EHS programs, there is still plenty of room for improvement. A good start is to provide your workers a few best safety practices to help them make better decisions that can keep both your employees and your company safe.

Keep a Close Eye on OSHA Updates

OSHA is continually improving working standards for utility workers. Frequent visits to their website can help ensure you’re always on top of changing industry requirements before you have to be.

For example, recent OSHA revisions include amendments to fall protection, flame resistant clothing, and line-clearance tree procedures. They also include information regarding specific incidents and how these occurrences are helping to shape changes to OSHA policies.

Sharing this information with your team can help them apply it to their daily jobs. As a result, they may become more self-aware of things they’re doing while on the job and avoid potential safety hazards in the process.

Create a Work Safety Program

While not legally required, a work safety program can force safety to become top-of-mind for your workers. Given the sheer danger of the type of work encountered by utility workers, safety should always remain a top priority, regardless of job title or tenure. In fact, workers who have been performing the same job for years may be more susceptible to push safety limits as they could become complacent with how they do their job.

Dedicating time and resources to a safety program is an investment and needs careful nurturing and attention to make it successful. However, it also has the potential for a positive ROI in the form of fewer injuries, incidents, missed days, and other detrimental consequences.

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