I was in California recently and experienced the soaring temperatures. Back in D.C., the weather is oppressively humid and even less pleasant. Wes and I work inside now, but we really feel for those of you working outside in your protective gear. It is critical that workers know what precautions to take and that they get acclimated to the environment. Remember OSHA’s message from the 2011 Heat Illness Prevention campaign: Water, Rest, Shade.
Workers’ heat-related illnesses are a real problem. William Atkinson explains the ramifications of a possible OSHA standard, which our sources don’t think will happen until at least 2022 or 2023. Read "Beat the Heat."
We have two articles about working at height in this issue of SAFETY LEADER. Jeff Griffin interviews several experts about the use of ladders and work platforms. Learn more in "Safety in High Places." Tom O’Connor then brings us the tale of a worker who was electrocuted while on an aerial lift. In "What Went Wrong," Tom explains the correct procedures and the results of the investigation.
In the Training column, Susan DeGrane informs us that OSHA 10 and 30 voluntary training do not satisfy OSHA’s standard requirements. In this case, more is better. Best Practices, discusses what managers can do to make the transition back to the office smoother. In his Management column, Chuck Kelly guides readers through establishing trust with employees.
NECA has brought aboard Mike Starner as the Outside Line Director of Safety. Mike is a certified utility safety professional, has been a utility lineman, supervisor and safety professional for utilities and electrical, transmission and distribution contractors. He will certainly be a font of information for you and our magazines.
If you have a safety topic that you would like to see us address in SAFETY LEADER, email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. If you are interested in receiving copies for training purposes, email Julie. We hope this magazine aids you in staying up-to-date, keeping your workers safe and exploring innovation.
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.
Wesley L. Wheeler
Executive Director of Safety, NECAWHEELER, 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].
