How we are working to keep our employees safe
Doing utility inspections comes with a broad range of possible safety hazards. When you are moving from pole to pole across varying terrain types, you just never know what you may run into. There are the obvious safety hazards such as working around energized power lines and equipment or working in areas with a lot of vehicle traffic, but there are also a number of more subtle hazards such as crossing barbed wire fences or preventing tick-borne illnesses. With such a broad range of possible hazards, it is especially important to have a stringent safety program to address some of these hazards and create awareness among employees.
How has Lee Inspection tackled this challenge? The root of our safety program starts with proper employee training. In addition to the technical inspection training that our new employees receive, they also undergo stringent safety training. Some of the initial safety training topics include:
- Review of company safety policies and required PPE
- Tracking the flow of electricity and identifying energized items
- First Aid/CPR
- ATV/UTV safety
- Proper fence crossing techniques
- How to safely install guy markers and repair ground wires
- Handling of wood preservatives
An employee’s first few months are spent under the direct supervision of one of our experienced project managers. During this time, they learn about best practices and the type of hazards to look out for. But our safety program does not stop after initial new-hire training.
Each month we have a company-wide conference call with a featured safety topic. This gives us the ability to highlight a new safety hazard each month and talk about how to lessen the risks associated with these hazards. This program is headed by our safety manager, David Smith. David carefully selects topics and gives detailed instructions on how to best mitigate safety issues. We believe that this continued education is a great tool to help our employees be more mindful of safety. Employees are also encouraged to submit observed hazards to help us decide which topics to choose.
Unfortunately, even with a stringent safety program in place, sometimes accidents still occur. Whenever an accident happens, it is carefully investigated to determine the root cause, other contributing factors, and what could have been done differently. We try our best to learn from each incident and decide what additional training or equipment may be needed to help mitigate those risks.
Our number one goal is to make sure that each employee makes it home safely each night. We make every effort to equip each employee with the training and equipment that is necessary to do this. Although we have seen great improvements in our safety program in recent years, we are constantly expanding upon what we do to keep our employees safe. By working together as a team, creating awareness of hazards, and supplying employees with what they need, we hope to create the safest work environment possible!
