Video Resource for Workplace Safety: “Other Reasons”

Video for Workplace Safety

A new electrical safety video, Other Reasons, looks at how people behave toward their specific jobs at work.

Workers are sometimes faced with challenging situations and may ask themselves, “Will I work safely today and follow the protocol? Or do I need to complete this quickly, so I’ll take a shortcut”? He or she is faced with two diametrically opposed choices. What information will the worker rely on to make a final decision?

This video takes an honest look at two arc flash accidents that happened years ago. Both men involved in those accidents survived and have lived drastically changed lives since then. They have told their stories before, but this video includes a “look at the future” – a view of how one of these men is still living with the consequences of his severe accident today, over thirty years later.

What NFPA 70E Says

The video references NFPA Document #70E Article 130.6(A)(2):

Employees shall be alert at all times when working around or with electricity. Employees shall not be permitted to work within the limited approach boundary of energized electrical conductors or circuit parts operating at 50 volts or more while their alertness is recognizably impaired due to illness, fatigue or other reasons. (emphasis added)

The Stories

The stories of Mark Standifer and Donnie Johnson are well-known in the electrical industry. Both men have been honest enough to say that on the days of their relative accidents, they allowed “other reasons” to keep them from working safely.

An interview with Mark Standifer, given by Dan Holmberg, eliminates some misconceptions that still float around about being a patient in a burn hospital. He explains the process of recovery and also describes some of the consequences of his accident that he suffers to this day.

Their circumstances are examples of how each of us, in our own jobs, must daily make choices of our own. We decide what we value more at the moment: getting a job done quickly or getting it done safely even if it takes more time to do so.

All of us need to be reminded of the seriousness of working safely and the broad scope the consequences of an accident can reach.