Working in energy and utilities is no small task. As a part of this industry, you are required to respond to demands from both public and private external organizations. Additionally, it is your responsibility to avoid service interruption to the public and to perform repairs/maintenance to create as little downtime as possible. In such a high-pressure job, it’s no wonder that energy and utility workers are at high risk for on-the-job injuries. Learn how to minimize those risks by completing utility and safety programs and obtaining specialized industry certifications. 

 

Energy and Utilities Work Risks

Energy and power utilities work often occurs in facilities that are operated by either a private or public organization. The maintenance of these facilities can be neglectful;energy and utility workers may have to navigate through aging infrastructure, mold, or lead to perform their work.

Due to the nature of energy and utilities work, paired with the environment in which this work takes place, workers frequently face the following risks:

• Falls
• Struck-by accidents
• Confined spaces
• Caught-in and caught-between accidents
• Exposure to contaminants
• Electrocution
• Hazardous weather
• Fires and explosions
• Sprains, strains and fractures
• Musculoskeletal disorders due to awkward postures, repetition, vibration, and poorly designed tools

Luckily, there are many things that your company can do to decrease these risks and protect your employees from work related injuries.

Safety Programs for Energy and Utilities Workers

There are many safety programs that you can adapt to your company to protect your employees. At Industrial Compliance & Safety, we look at the specifications of your hiring client, the nature of your work, and the regulations of OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) to write a series of custom energy and utility safety programs for your company. 

Safety Programs Core Elements Include:

• Environmental awareness
• Asbestos safety
• Fall protection
• Fire prevention and awareness
• Storm/hazardous weather responsiveness
• Mold safety
• First Aid & CPR
• General industry safety

Do I Need New Energy and Utilities Safety Programs?

If you’ve never been certified (with Avetta® or a similar pre-qualification service), then you might not have a formal compilation of safety programs for your company. You may have an informal checklist for training new employees, or you might teach on the job, as workers encounter new materials and tools. If this is the case, then you should consider having safety programs written for your company.

Written safety programs ensure that every employee knows how to handle materials and tools safely. Disorganized safety training leads to inattentive employee behavior, which eventually leads to workplace accidents.

If you are already certified with a pre-qualification service and have energy and utility safety programs, then you will be notified if one of your clients requests a new or updated safety program. 

Do not wait for a client to request an updated safety program. Be proactive and update your safety training frequently to make improvements and meet any new standards. It is always a good idea to re-evaluate your safety programs after a workplace accident or near-miss. Additionally, it is a good idea to refresh your employees’ memories and offer retraining for various safety practices every 6 months to a year.

 

Avetta® Certification

If your company primarily performs energy and utilities work, then you may be asked by your hiring client to become certified with a pre- qualification service such as  Avetta®. Certification for energy and utility workers is common in the US, although other countries are adopting these requirements as well. The certification process will require certain energy and utility safety programs based on the most common and life-threatening risks in the industry.

Additional Benefits of Avetta® Certification

• Improved safety statistics
• Avetta® Certified Credibility
• Business exposure to over 500+ hiring clients
• Simplified support

 

Industrial Compliance & Safety has the expertise you need to create and implement a thorough, effective safety program. Employee training is vital to reducing hazardous risks in the field, and good training starts with a well organized robust safety program. Contact us to create a new program or update your existing one. We can also help get you Avetta® certified!