Partnership Overview

OSHA has joined with representatives from the power transmission and distribution industry, as well as trade and labor representatives, to develop a common vision and commitment to provide employees in the electrical transmission and distribution industry (the "Industry") with a safe and healthful workplace, and to demonstrate leadership, responsibility and accountability in furthering worker health and safety.

Partnership Goals

The primary goal of the Partnership is to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the Industry. Additionally, the Partnership will aim to:

• Perform data analysis as a means to establish causes of fatalities, injuries, and illnesses for electrical work in the Industry
   
• Develop recommended Best Practices to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and illnesses that directly correspond to the identified causes, as well as any other significant hazards identified by the Partnership
   
• Ensure that the Industry Partners' employees are effectively trained to utilize the established Best Practices
   
• Effectively communicate safety and health Best Practices, and other useful safety and health information, within the Industry
   
• Establish an effective evaluation strategy to ensure that the goals of the OSP are met

Partnership Objectives

Partnership goals will be achieved through strategies and objectives that include:

• Analyze accident and incident data to identify common causes for fatalities, injuries, and illnesses suffered by linemen, apprentices, and other appropriate job classifications
   
• Develop recommended Best Practices for each identified cause
   
• Develop implementation strategies for each Best Practice and share these strategies among the partners
   
• Identify training criteria for foremen, general foremen, supervisors, linemen, and apprentices, including training to promote industry culture change to place value on safety and health

Partnership Results

The partnership made significant progress in 2010:

Training

During 2010, the OSP partners continued to conduct the Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Training (SLSOT) course. This course is designed to help foremen/general foremen create a safe work culture on the job, and course attendees receive an OSHA training card upon successfully completing the course. A total of 706 supervisors and managers completed this training during this evaluation period.

In addition, 3,070 workers successfully completed the ET&D industry-specific OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training Program course during this evaluation period. This number includes apprentices, journeymen, and foremen/general foremen.

Further, on April 22, 2010 in Batavia, Illinois, representatives from IBEW, Local 196 conducted a training class on high-voltage line safety in the electrical transmission industry for twenty-six OSHA Region V Compliance Assistance Specialists (CAS). The training addressed topics including methods to identify proper underground and overhead electrical grounding and other ET&D construction-related hazards.

The OSP partners and OSHA worked on the development of a proposal to conduct the ET&D industry-specific OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training Program and ET&D Train the Trainer courses through OSHA’s Education Centers. If implemented, this approach would create a nationwide network of training venues for partner and non-partner industry workers. In May 2010, the partners assumed responsibility for continuing to work with the OTI to finalize the training proposal.

OSP Injury and Illness Rate Changes 2009-2010

OSP participating employer participants, as a group, achieved a TCIR of 3.17 in 2010. This figure represents a 7 percent increase from the 2009 TCIR of 2.96. OSP participating employer participants, as a group, achieved a DART rate of 1.45 in 2010. This figure represents a 2.8 percent increase from the 2009 DART rate of 1.41. While these are both increases over 2009, the rates are lower than in previous years of the OSP.

Partnership Benefits

OSHA staff and the participants continued to build on the excellent working relationship since the initial OSP was signed in 2004. Communication between the industry partners and OSHA demonstrates commitment to the OSP and raised safety and health awareness for the ET&D industry. The partners’ willingness to renew the OSP demonstrates their commitment to safety and health for their industry. The OSP encourages OSHA, industry safety professionals, workers and labor representatives to participate in the occupational safety and health process.

The ongoing success of the OSP is due, in part, to its unique management structure. The OSP’s Executive Team, made up of CEO-level management, meets approximately three to four times per year to approve OSP activities and products and to manage overall OSP implementation. During this evaluation period the Executive Team met three times: January 19, 2010; June 8, 2010 and September 21, 2010. The OSP’s Steering Team, made up of employer participants’ safety and health managers, meets approximately every four to six weeks, manages day-to-day operations of the OSP and serves as the liaison between the Executive Team and the Task Teams. During this evaluation period the Steering Team met eleven times: January 28, 2010; February 16, 2010; March 16, 2010; April 5, 2010; May 4, 2010; June 4, 2010; July 23, 2010; August 18, 2010; September 21, 2010; November 2, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The four Task Teams, comprised of workers and supervisors, meet as needed to focus on specific OSP activities.

The OSP demonstrates benefits for the participants through a continual decrease in injuries and illnesses. The slight increase in the rates during 2010 may be due in part to the improved data collecting, analysis and reporting efforts of the OSP participants. By working on common goals, analyzing accident and injury data for causal factors and implementing best practices, the OSP participating employers’ injury and illness rates have been reduced over the six year history of the OSP.

Partnership Approved Best Practices

• Safety at Heights - Fall Protection
• Safety at Heights: Wood Poles
• Safety at Heights: Lattice Structures
• Job Briefings
• Pre-use Inspection of Rubber Protective Equipment
• Administrative Controls
• Qualified Observer
• Insulate and Isolate Safety Performance Check
• Lock-to-Lock Use of Insulating Rubber Gloves and Sleeves
• Cradle-to-Cradle Use of Insulating Rubber Gloves and Sleeves
• Rubber Insulating PPE for the Live Line Tool Method on Distribution Lines

Additional Resources

The ET&D Partnership maintains a Web site in support of this Partnership. For more information visit Power Line Safety
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution eTool. An OSHA online eTool for the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Industry.
Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Industry. An OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page for the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Industry.
OSHA Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. An OSHA Web page and online resources to prevent heat illness in outdoor workers.