Posted on Jun 05, 2007
by
John M Grau
NECA contractors and IBEW workers have long been aware of the hazards of our industry. Recently, the NFPA 70E standard and its requirements regarding personal protective equipment and safety precautions for working on energized circuits has generated even more attention to electrical safety. One of the most interesting consequences of NFPA 70E has been the involvement of building owners and customers in these safety issues.
Take a look at the latest edition of ElectricTV.net. The “Spotlight on Skill” report about preventing arc flash includes interviews of attendees at a recent NFPA 70E seminar in Canton, Ohio. NECA’s North Central Ohio Chapter, along with the NJATC, put on this seminar for contractors and customers, and several hundred people showed up. This report drives home the fact that our customers need to be as concerned about the safety of the jobs on their property as we are. Owners and builders are a critical component in a team effort toward a safe construction job.
This report also points to an opportunity for NECA and NECA chapters. The fact that a similar electrical safety seminar in Philadelphia also drew a large crowd of customers shows that we provide a vital industry service when we educate building owners and contractors alike on protecting workers from electrical accidents. In Philadelphia and in Canton, customers left with a favorable impression of NECA and NECA contractors. They see that we are actively working to prevent and mitigate such accidents, and it helps them understand the difference in quality and safety that our contractors provide.
We need to expand on the Philadelphia and Canton experiences and provide this information to thousands of customers at seminars across the nation. Not only will we have a dramatic impact on reducing injuries and saving lives, but we can show our customers how our investment in training and safe management practices is worth the price.
Please use the link below to let me know how you think NECA can bring this information to your community.