By: Ricky Rodriguez, Contributor Implementing a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is often mistaken as just developing procedures and training. This article will help explain what encompasses an effective Lockout/Tagout management system and best practices. Lockout/Tagout compliance prevents 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries a year, with injuries that can vary from amputations to electrocution. LOTO applies to both…
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Adhering to NFPA standards and safety best practices are the best deterrents. By John Foged, Contributor Today’s dependence on electrical energy has led to a lower tolerance for any outage. To meet these expectations, electrical workers are being pressed to perform maintenance work on energized electrical equipment. In addition to the electrical shock hazard that…
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By Lee Marchessault, Contributor Since the beginning of the American Industrial Revolution, workers have died on the job. In the latter part of the 1800s several states adopted different variations of state job safety and health legislation to protect workers, but there was limited enforcement. The introduction of electricity to the workplace provided a more…
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By Corey Hannahs, Contributor The sirens were deafening, even to my 13-year-old ears. My good friend, Heath, and I were playing an intense game of summer basketball in my driveway. The fact that I was losing and, as always, determined to win, should have been reason enough for my focus to be on the game…
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By Brandon Smoak, Contributor OSHA requires employers to ensure that each employee exposed to hazards from electric arcs wears personal protective equipment (PPE) with an arc rating greater than or equal to the estimated heat energy that could be released. [3] Taken at face value, this OSHA requirement seems straightforward; however, accomplishing this outcome requires…
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By Roger Guerrero, Contributor Electric utility companies face threats every day, whether natural disasters or emergencies caused by people. Historic cold streaks have battered power systems in the South and glitches have shut down three times more power than expected during rolling blackouts in Louisiana. Devastating wildfires have downed, and been caused by, electric utilities…
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By Brian Earl, Contributor When creating a project plan for plant shutdowns, there is one aspect you can’t compromise on: employee safety. Although each facility is different, there are several common denominators when it comes to safety concerns. Below are 5 ways you can protect your workers on the job site: Wet Location Protection Anywhere…
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A Q&A with Bret Bevis, Managing Director of SEAM Group Asia. What is infrared technology and how does it work? Infrared thermal technology detects abnormal thermal patterns that can indicate a defect exists. We use infrared devices and cameras with sensors that give us a radiographic image that plots temperature. Most operating equipment has a…
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