Paul Chaney believes that being heavily involved in numerous safety organizations within the electrical industry and beyond enhances the safety and well-being of all workers.

Since 2007, Chaney has been the safety director of IBEW Local 82 in Dayton, Ohio, certified as a safety trained supervisor by the Bureau of Certified Safety Professionals.

Among his accomplishments, he has created accident, safety monitoring and hazard-management plans for electrical construction environments; coordinated disaster preparedness, emergency response and incident investigation procedures; implemented protections to eliminate potentially hazardous processes, work methods and materials; identified the cause of accidents and outlined prevention recommendations based on in-depth investigations; and coordinated safety training courses and worker education programs to demonstrate proper safety behaviors and the use of safety equipment.

Chaney is a member of numerous organizations, including the Kittyhawk Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals, serving as the project chairman for the chapter’s Utility Division Practice Specialty community; the National Safety Council, serving as past chairman of its Labor Division and various committees; and the Greene County Safety Council in Xenia, Ohio, serving as past chairman of its steering committee.

He is the recipient of a number of awards, including the National Safety Council Labor Division’s peer-nominated Citation for Outstanding Service to Safety in 2011 and the Edward Eagan Soldier Safety award, the highest award given by the organization, in 2017. He also received Coyne First Aid’s Life Saving Award in 2013 for using the Heimlich maneuver on an elderly women at a union dinner.

In 2013, Chaney graduated from the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md., with a bachelor’s degree in labor safety and health, as well as a bachelor’s degree in emergency readiness and response management.

Tell us about your duties in your current position as safety director for IBEW Local 82.

My duties at IBEW Local 82 consist of being ready and available for membership as they need concerning accident and safety issues. Representing the members of the local is quite a responsibility and one that I take very seriously. To be able to be efficient, it is important to be current in the electrical industry’s codes and be able to convey this information to the members as needed. 

Being a member of and chairing numerous committees for various organizations, I have been able to promote safety for the industry, helping to create a place for workers to obtain information from industry leaders and safety experts alike. 

The committees are the ideal place for workers to come to network and have a neutral zone to educate themselves and take back valuable knowledge to their organizations.

What are some safety practices you believe are particularly effective on job sites?

Some of the practices that I believe are effective on job sites are working in accordance with the National Electric Code. It is critical to orient the new employees to the ideals of health and safety practices with targeted training strategies and follow the class training guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Is there a specific injury or almost-injury that changed how you thought about safety on the job?

In my 30-plus years in the electrical field, I have witnessed numerous injuries, some career-ending injuries and several coworker fatalities, and these have certainly influenced my career.

They have influenced me to have and create better guidelines, the best instruction I can give, and to make sure that the workers are offered wonderful opportunities for instruction firsthand as well as interaction in the field. In the event anything goes wrong, the workers have wonderful representation.

How do you collaborate with safety directors at electrical contracting firms to improve safety on job sites?

I collaborate with safety directors by any means necessary, and as emergencies may dictate. IBEW safety directors also meet annually at the IBEW Safety Caucus and biannually at the National Safety Council Labor Division to learn about and resolve various issues from around the country. Both bodies also have education and training to help improve the work environment.

Do you have any advice for young professionals just entering the safety field?

My advice would be to never stop educating yourself. You cannot have too much education, and never let your credentials lapse. 

Always be vigilant about safety, holding the workers in the highest light. I believe that safety done correctly will represent everyone involved and be good for the industry.

I also believe that setting the bar as high as possible for all to attain—and not settling, coasting or just following along—makes safety a better place. Defending the defenseless and those in need makes this a worthy noble cause, whether paid or volunteer[ed].

Paul Chaney