One of the most overlooked requirements under the 1926 construction standard is the section on job briefings.The importance of a “proper” briefing is oftentimes not emphasized enough. The employer must ensure that the person in charge conducts a job briefing with the other employees before they start any job.  

The standard requires at least one briefing to be held prior to the work shift beginning each day. If specific conditions change during the shift or the scope of work is altered, the work is to stop and a new briefing must be conducted and documented covering the new areas and potential hazards associated. 

Key Elements of Briefings:

• Employer obligations [1926.952(a)(1)]: Before assigning a job to a crew, the employer must provide the employee in charge with all available information regarding the job site’s specific characteristics and conditions. This includes the nominal voltages of lines, status of environmental hazards, presence of protective grounds and operational condition of any circuits or mechanical equipment. 
• Supervisor obligations [1926.952(a)(2)]: The employer must ensure that the employee in charge actively conducts the job briefing with all affected crew members. This briefing must be completed before any employee starts the work. Note: The supervisor can assign a lead crew member to conduct the briefing, provided they have the necessary expertise.
• Short discussion: A brief discussion is acceptable if the work is routine and the employees possess the specific training and field experience to reasonably recognize and avoid the standard hazards involved. 
• Detailed discussion: An extensive discussion is legally required if the work is complex, highly hazardous or involves tasks that employees do not normally perform. In these instances, the supervisor must meticulously walk through every control measure and verify everyone understands. 

If an individual is working alone, a formal briefing is not required, but the employee must still plan the job to address the hazards to meet the standards requirements. 

According to OSHA, “The final component of the standard, 1926.952(e), addresses employees working alone. A solo worker is exempt from holding a formal, interactive job briefing. However, the employer is still legally required to ensure that the solo worker planned the job thoroughly, accounting for all five core safety elements exactly as if a full crew briefing were being held.” 

All briefings must include:

• Hazards associated with the job (e.g., high-voltage lines, pinch points, crushing hazards, etc.)
• Work procedures involved (e.g., boom positioning, outrigger stabilization, etc.)
• Special precautions (e.g., drop zone and truck barricades, minimum approach distance, designated spotter, etc.)
• Energy source control (e.g., identifying lines de-energized versus live lines and the placement of protective grounds in the air and on the ground)
• PPE (e.g., rubber gloves and sleeves, FR clothing, etc.)
• OSHA also goes into additional detail as to when a briefing needs to go beyond what is covered in the standard one to become an “advanced briefing,” or what it refers to as a “highly detailed briefing.”

A “highly detailed briefing” is required if: 

• The work is particularly complicated or hazardous.
• The employees are performing a task they do not normally complete.
• Mechanical equipment is operating at its maximum load limits or within tight clearance tolerances of live lines.

While OSHA regulations technically allow verbal briefings for routine work, standard industry practice under 1926 requires written, signed documentation. 

Every crew member, including subcontractors, must sign the job briefing log. The supervisor initialing for each crew member present is not acceptable.

OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926.952, housed within Subpart V (Electric Power Transmission and Distribution), outlines the federal safety requirements for mandatory job briefings in the construction industry. 

Because utility and high-voltage electrical work introduces highly dynamic and lethal hazards (such as arc flashes, high-voltage electrocution and heavy mechanical failures) this standard ensures critical safety information is systematically communicated to field crews before work commences. 

The standard establishes a clear chain of communication, defining who must lead the briefing, what information must be shared by the employer, the core subjects that must be covered and how changes in job site conditions dictate subsequent briefings.   

During our briefings, do the crew members’ experiences dictate the thoroughness? Questions such as this one are what we should often ask ourselves as a reminder of the importance of proper job briefings.

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