Electical Contractor

Safety professionals often discuss the concept of a safety culture but, surprisingly, have been hard-pressed to offer a solid definition or prescription for achieving positive promotion of such a thing.

On average, 80 electricians are killed each year in workplace accidents, which are not limited to electrocutions. More than 10,000 electricians are injured each year with an average work time loss of 10 days per incident. These statistics are unacceptable.

These rules are not new but often are forgotten when interacting with customers. They should help establish and main-tain a positive attitude that will be invaluable in maintaining good customer relations. Some are obvious and easy to accept.

Communication on a construction site is critical, time-consuming and pervasive. It is critical because research has indicated two-thirds of all errors at the job site either directly or indirectly are due to communication-caused problems and difficulties.

In last month's column, we explored the sentiment common to supervisors and managers of the construction process that it seems there is not enough time to get everything done. In that article, the first tool is planning. The second tool a supervisor can use to achieve goals is delegation.

Last month, we began a discussion of project delivery systems (PDS) with the objective of learning how the nature of the PDS affects the responsibilities of the electrical supervisor.

The industry is changing, which means changes for supervisors. More specifically, the labor resource for the electrical industry is undergoing significant change. Shortages in labor have been persistent for many years, but the shortage is now becoming acute, especially in some areas.

In previous columns, we have emphasized the importance of the planning function for the electrical construction supervisor. In like fashion, we recently underscored various important aspects of the supervisor’s role in safety.

Eliminating unsafe conditions and behaviors will go a long way toward eliminating incidents and accidents on the job site. The construction site is a dangerous place.