MAY IS NATIONAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

The theme for this year’s National Electrical Safety Month is Smart Home. This month, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) showcases resources focusing on the lifesaving devices that keep a home “smart and secure.”

“Having a smart home doesn’t mean you need a new home, you just need the right equipment to keep your family safe,” ESFI president Brett Brenner said in the announcement. “Smart homes let you save money and save time.”

The organization has provided videos such as “Smart Home: Safe, Secure, and Energy Efficient” and other informational material to educate consumers on the devices that can meet their home’s electrical needs: ground-fault circuit interrupters, surge-protective devices, arc-fault circuit interrupters and tamper-resistant receptacles. These devices are all required in new or renovated homes according to the National Electrical Code.

NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH STILL SET FOR JUNE

For June’s National Safety Month, the National Safety Council (NSC) will focus on four weekly topics:

• June 1–7: Emergency preparedness

• June 8–14: Driving

• June 15–21: Ergonomics

• June 22–30: Employee engagement

Participating contractors will receive informational materials to pass onto their workers and customers, including NSC’s “5-Minute Safety Talks,” topic posters, videos, tip sheets, articles and social media graphics.

2020 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY WEEK POSTPONED

Construction Safety Week has been postponed until late summer or early fall.

“Companies in our industry need to focus on the safety and security protocols that are best for their people and business continuity during this crisis. Safety Week is important, but there is time enough to bring our industry together once we have this serious issue controlled,” said Scott Cassels, Safety Week national chairman and executive vice president at Kiewit Corp., Omaha, Neb.

In the meantime, the Construction Safety Week website will be periodically updated with pertinent safety information, training materials and best practices to keep operations safe.

“As an industry, we’ve improved our recordable frequency threefold over the last decade because of this safety-first focus—and this is no time to lose that momentum,” he said.

“Let’s ensure we continue to improve by better planning safety into our operations, holding effective safety reviews and training with the men and women building our work, and supervising our operations with a keen eye on eliminating all risks and exposures that could cause an incident.

“Nobody gets hurt is an outcome we owe to everyone who works on and near our projects and for our companies,” Cassels said.