A month into 2023, we find ourselves facing many of the same issues that we have confronted over the last two years: COVID-19, construction-related deaths by suicide, pending OSHA regulations and the return of some recordkeeping requirements that we thought had gone away. Tom O’Connor describes these and other items on OSHA’s agenda this year in the 2023 OSHA Outlook on page 2. Look out for new emphasis on programs related to trenching and excavations as well as the continued expansion of Heat Hazard Awareness.
Derek Vigstol explains what a Qualified Electrical Worker is and how to correctly train employees. Read “The Right State of Safety” on page 10. Jim Dollard also addresses this topic in his 70E column, page 13. In his First Person column on page 15, Derek looks at the safety benefits of turning NFPA 70B from a set of recommended practices into a standard.
Susan DeGrane writes about the unexplained effects of electrical shock in “The Mysteries of Electrical Trauma,” page 16. There is still a lot to be discovered.
Things to look forward to include the 2023 NECA Safety Professionals Conference in Nashville in May. Each year, NECA Safety brings together industry experts, motivational keynotes, breakout sessions, safety vendors and exhibitors to provide a great learning experience. Stay tuned for additional training programs developed through NECA Education that will enhance the knowledge of NECA safety professionals.
Now is the time to begin preparing for Construction Safety Week and the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, scheduled for the first week of May. Thanks for supporting Safety Leader as we kick off our fourth year. We look forward to seeing you in Nashville!
About The Author
Julie Mazur
Managing Editor, Electrical Contractor magazineJulie Mazur is the managing editor of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, Safety Leader and Line Contractor magazines. Before coming to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, she was an editor at Knight-Ridder/Tribune newspapers and the Los Angeles Times and taught English as a foreign language in Egypt and Japan. As managing editor, Julie oversees the whole publishing arc. She plans and assigns the stories for every issue, works with writers and designers and interacts with the printing plant. She has a mass communications B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Go Bears!
Permanently retired from ziplining, Julie is an enthusiastic sports spectator and radio listener. She likes to read, exercise and cook.
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Wesley L. Wheeler
Executive Director of SafetyWHEELER, SMS, CESCP, is NECA’s executive director of safety and is a Safety Management Specialist through the BCSP and Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional through NFPA. He is technical committee member on NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code, Code-Making Panels, and a former technical committee member on NFPA 70E. He also served as an employer representative on the OSHA ACCSH Committee from 2019-2023. Reach him at [email protected].
