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Regional and Area Office Alliances > Region
VII > Alliance Annual Report |
 Printing Instructions |
ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and
Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L)
August 17, 2007 |
Date Signed
Originally signed July 8, 2003, renewed 7/15/04, and renewed again on 7/20/06.
Time Period Covered by This Report
July 9, 2004 – August 17, 2007
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.
Training and education:
- On October 21, 2005, a training session was presented at KCP&L’s Sub-One training facility. The
session was for the benefit of approximately 40 tree trimmers who were being sub-contracted to KCP&L.
The Regional Alliance Coordinator spoke for a brief time about how our region feels this is one of
their most successful programs.
- On October 27, 2006, an additional safety training awareness session was held with 50
telecommunication installers. The Regional Alliance Coordinator again spoke about the success of
the program and how OSHA had awarded a plaque to KCP&L to congratulate them for going two years
without a fatality in their service area (see more under Outreach and Communication below).
- On March 7 and 8, 2007, the CAS from the Kansas City AO, along with KCP&L’s Distribution Safety
Coordinator and a local safety consultant performed two 3-hour training sessions at the request of
the Show-Me Chapter of the Society of Cable Engineers and MediaCom (also telecommunication line
installers). The sessions on March 7 were held in Springfield, MO, and the two sessions on March 8
were held in Columbia, MO. About 40 people attended each session. The CAS taught the groups about
the Telecommunications Standard, the KCP&L Distribution Safety Coordinator taught about overhead
power line contact avoidance and aerial lifts, and the safety consultant taught fall protection.
One of the most notable outcomes of the sessions was that everyone attending realized that the use
of body harnesses was far superior for fall protection compared to the use of body belts alone
(which is allowed under OSHA standards).
- KCP&L’s Distribution Safety Coordinator also provides periodic training to local arborists they
sub-contract with throughout the year. There have been no recent injuries or accidents related to
this type of work.
Outreach and communication:
- On September 12, 2005, KCP&L was presented a plaque for their Alliance work and for the fact
that they had no fatalities in the two years following the Alliance signing. Chuck Adkins, CIH,
Regional Administrator, stated “This achievement is testimony to the cooperative efforts of
employers, workers and OSHA to build a culture of safety.”
- On October 31, 2006, officials from Ameren UE, which covers electrical distribution and line
installations on the east side of Missouri, met with the St. Louis AD to discuss an Alliance,
saying they had heard of the success of Kansas City’s program.
- On November 1, 2006, the Kansas City CAS and KCP&L’s Distribution Safety Coordinator met at a
Missouri Public Service Commission Utility Meeting and discussed the benefits of the Alliance.
- The Kansas City CAS has received requests from across the nation for the PowerPoint
presentation he used at the above March 7 and 8, 2007, sessions.
Implementation Team Members
KCPL:
- Dale Myers, Superintendent, Contracted Services
- Keith Kensinger, Distribution Safety Coordinator
- Alex Berkovich, Supervisor, Construction and Maintenance
- George Warman, Director, Field Operations
- Vicky Schroeder, Senior Attorney, Great Plains Energy Services
OSHA:
- Mark Banden, Compliance Assistance Specialist (KCAO)
During the past year, the OSHA and KCP&L Implementation Team has met regularly and held productive
discussions regarding additional products that may enhance the safety and health of the cable TV
installation industry, as well as employees of KCP&L. In addition, the Alliance will help OSHA
personnel better understand the different types of hazards created by workers on utility poles, as
well as other types of electrical work.
Alliance Program Reach
| Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and
Electronic Distribution, etc.) |
Number of Individuals Reached or Trained |
| October 21, 2005 Training for Tree Trimmers at KCPL’s
Sub-One facility. |
40 |
| October 27, 2006 Training for Telecommunication Line
Installers |
50 |
| March 7-8, 2007 Training provided for
Telecommunication Line Installers Two 3-hour sessions in Springfield, MO and two 3-hour sessions
in Columbia, MO. |
160 |
| The CAS from the Kansas City AO received several
requests for his PowerPoint presentation from the above sessions. |
25 |
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
During the past several years, KCP&L has found the number of reportable accidents among contract
labor on their utility poles to have decreased to zero since the program was initiated. KCP&L has
found the cable tv installation crews to be more cooperative with coming into compliance when
reprimanded by KCP&L, 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.
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