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ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and
Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL)
June 30, 2004
  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    July 8, 2003

    Overview

    This alliance addresses overhead power line hazards in the telecommunication/cable tv installation industry, by using the collective expertise of best practices and technical knowledge of both parties. The agreement also focuses on a number of goals including:

    Training and education:
     
    • KCPL will provide an informational session to the compliance staff of the OSHA Kansas City Area Office, and Wichita Area Office, at a mutually convenient time and place, regarding the hazards related to the installation of telecommunication services in proximity to energized overhead power lines and how the hazards created by telecommunication contractors affect KCPL employees.
    Outreach and communication:

    • The OSHA Kansas City Area Office and KCPL will work together to develop an outreach packet, consisting of applicable safety and health information.
       
      • KCPL will provide the OSHA Kansas City Area Office with a mailing list, which includes contractors that have pole attachment permits with KCPL, in order to enable the Kansas City Area Office to distribute the outreach packets

      • KCPL will also provide the outreach packet to new contractors making pole attachments after the date of this Alliance. This information and guidance will help contractors protect employees, particularly in preventing or reducing the incidence of contact with energized overhead power lines.
    Promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:
     
    • Raise others’ awareness of and demonstrate their own commitment to workplace safety and health whenever KCPL’s leaders address groups.
       
    • Share information on best practices, as jointly determined by OSHA and KCPL, with others in the industry, through training programs and materials jointly developed by OSHA and KCPL. Promote training implementation through print or electronic media, at conferences, or by other means of outreach.

    Implementation Team Members

    KCPL:
     
    • Dale Myers
    • Keith Kensinger
    • Alex Berkovich
    • George Warman
    • Vicky Schroeder
    		 Superintendent, Contracted Services
    Distribution Safety Coordinator
    Supervisor, Construction and Maintenance
    Director, Field Operations
    Senior Attorney, Great Plains Energy Services
    OSHA:
     
    • Brian Drake
    		 Compliance Safety and Health Officer (KCAO)
    Evaluation Period:

    July 8, 2003 – July 8, 2004
     
  2. Implementation Team Meetings
    • July 8, 2003
    • July 24, 2003
    • March 15, 2004
    • July 24, 2003
    Alliance Signing and Kick-off
    Implementation meeting
    Implementation meeting
    Implementation meeting
  3. Events and Products

    Training and Education

    Events:
     
    • An informational session was put on by KCPL for the KCAO, and WAO compliance staff, to share technical information on the hazards created by cable tv installer non-compliance and how it exposes not only the cable installer but also employee of KCPL.
    Outreach and Communication

    Events:
     
    • Missouri Public Service Commission Electrical Safety Meeting, Jefferson City, MO, May 25, 2004

      On May 25, 2004, Keith Kensinger, KCPL distribution safety manager, and Dale Myers, Superintendent, Contracted Services, gave a presentation to the Missouri Public Service Commission. The presentation explained the alliance and positive outcomes. This meeting is an annual gathering of electrical utilities throughout the state of Missouri, to discuss electrical safety issues within the industry. Approximately 40-50 electrical utilities were represented.
    Products:

    An employer outreach kit was developed for distribution to cable tv installation companies which have filed for attachment to KCPL utility poles. This packet included sample safety and health programs, in Spanish and English, OSHA informational page, Information on the hazards of cable tv installation work, the NESC electrical safety requirements for the attachment to utility poles, State consultation information, and a cover letter signed by both OSHA and KCPL. Approximately 30 packets were mailed to employers in the Midwest region.

    An employee field packet was also developed and assembled, for distribution to crew in the field. This packet contained the same handouts and the employer packet, except for the sample safety and health programs. Packets have been handed out to many crews by representative of KCPL, when encountered in the field.
     
    • July 3, 2003 -- OSHA distributed a news release announcing the Alliance.

    • July 8, 2003 – The Kansas City Star newspaper published an article announcing and explaining the alliance.

    • July 25, 2003 – The alliance was announced and explained in the Great Plains Energy corporate newsletter.

    Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

    Events: See above.
     
  4. Results

    During the past year, the OSHA and KCPL Implementation Team has met regularly and held productive discussions that have resulted in the development of a number of products for distribution, that will enhance the safety and health of the cable TV installation industry, as well as employees of KCPL. In addition, the Alliance will helped OSHA personnel better understand the different types of hazards created by workers on utility poles, other the electrical workers.

    During the past year, KCPL has found the number of reportable accidents among contract labor on their utility poles to have decreased to zero since the program was initiated. KCPL has found the cable tv installation crews to be more cooperative with coming into compliance when reprimanded by KCPL, or being already in compliance willingly. Also, it has been found that multi-state employers have used the outreach materials in other areas they have worked outside of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

    Workshops and speeches that were presented during the year have also helped to increase the Utility industry’s awareness of OSHA's cooperative programs, including the Alliance Program, and OSHA's efforts to provide compliance assistance resources to the public, employers and employees.