Why Do You Work Safe? Before you head out to work each
day, it’s important to make a conscious effort to prioritize safety. One way Kenny Kieffer, electrical superinten- dent and safety manager for Mt. Carmel Public Utility, helps his guys do so is through a bulletin board that they walk
by every day. Across the top of the board are the
words, “Reasons We Work Safe.” Kieffer explains, “I told the guys, ‘I want you to bring pictures of your family, your kids, things that you’ve done with your kids, things that we can put there as we walk out the door every day. We can look at
the bulletin board and say, “‘This is why
we’re working safe.’” “I’ve got four of the little grandkids
now and I worship the ground they walk on,” adds Kenny, “and I wouldn’t have been able to watch any of that if things have been a little different.” Kieffer almost lost his life in an elec-
trical accident in 2004 when he was working as a lineman. One night while on storm duty, his crew was repairing a downed line. A breaker malfunctioned
and sent 7,200 volts of electricity down
the wire. Kieffer suffered severe electri- cal burns and lost his arm in the acci- dent, but he also lost much more—his best friend and co-worker, Rick. “We talk a lot about the utility being a family, and those aren’t just words. It
felt like we lost a family member,” re- flects Margaret Felts, president of Mt. Carmel Public Utility.
Kieffer doesn’t want anyone else to
have to go through such an experience. He urges you to:
Always use all recommended protective
equiptment. Stay focused on the job at hand. Back each other up.
If a co-worker is distracted, don’t let him or her into anything hot.
Just because it’s the way it’s always been done, doesn’t make it the best way. If something doesn’t feel right, step back and make sure it’s being done the safest way.
Be the spokesperson for the families.
Don’t be afraid to say something to keep others safe.
“Think about being safe for your chil-
dren and your families. Think about what kind of situation you’re going to put them through,” Kieffer advises. “Do the right thing. Stay safe.”
Information and photo courtesy of the Energy Education Council – Safe Electricity
safety coordinator for OAEC. “We then use this information in our safety briefings and course development. We get reports ranging from a lineman getting bit by a dog to someone pulling a gun on a lineman while working on a powerline. We can track trends and provide training around these safety issues.” Using programs developed by Federated and other organizations like the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) helps reduce financial and emotional impact from injuries on an organization and community. NRECA recently developed a program called “Speak Up, Listen Up” to
teach co-op workers to speak up when they see something unsafe. Whether it’s an ungrounded line, a wet floor or an incomplete safety check, they should bring up the item and discuss it with others at the cooperative. In years past, the senior lineman on a crew was considered the ultimate authority and the final answer when working on a project. A junior lineman might be reluctant to speak up and ask safety questions. The aviation indus- try experienced the same phenomenon—while a left seat captain might have many thousands of hours in command of a passenger jet, the co-pilot might be fairly new and only have a couple of thousand hours and would often
be reluctant to speak up or mention a problem to a senior captain. Aviation safety studies show safety is improved when everyone on a crew is taught to speak up and participate in the safety process, with the senior captain still having the final decision. Linemen experience a similar situation. As part of “Speak Up, Listen Up,” junior linemen are taught to “speak up” while senior linemen are taught to “listen up.” This is designed to get everyone involved in safety issues and teaches linemen, as well as office staff, to communicate about safety issues before accidents happen. “The goal of ‘Speak Up, Listen Up’ is to encourage everyone at the co-
op—from the oldest most experienced lineman to the youngest employee—to speak up if they see something that doesn’t look right,” Guffey says. “The ‘listen up’ portion of the program teaches older, more experienced people to listen and respond to the younger folks.”
Safety Strategies
Creating a culture of safety requires a continued focus on training and education. Most co-ops dedicate an employee to the job of safety director.
MAY 2016 13
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