Choosing the right electrical training for employees and following the e-Hazard Safety Cycle™ can help employers prevent most of OSHA’s Top Ten Violations for 2017.

According to Deputy Director Patrick Kapust of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, “…many of the deficiencies we find involve training”.

E-Hazard’s electrical safety training classes cover these issues and more. Our material covers safe electrical work practices on low voltage equipment (600V or less), high voltage equipment (601 – 230KV) and utility work (arc flash safety). Most of the class content comes from OSHA and NFPA 70E – 2018®. Our classes include best practices involving work around overhead power lines, while using mobile equipment, on batteries, and other areas containing electrical equipment.

An additional resource for employers is our Safety Cycle™ , a six-part management model that covers an Electrical Safety Program, Risk Assessment, Training, Auditing, Electrical Maintenance, and Incident Investigation. Within each part is a four-step process: Envision (development), Execute, Evaluate, and Evolve (revision or update). Each process details what should be done in order to develop and maintain an electrical safety program at your company.

The Top Ten

OSHA’s Top Ten list is based on the most frequently cited standards from OSHA-inspected work site inspections. The Top Ten violations are usually the same year after year, with only the order on the list changing. This year, however, there is a new kid on the block: Fall Protection – Training Requirements. The violation that was bumped off the Top Ten list is Electrical – General Requirements.

Here is the final 2017 Top Ten list (fiscal year Oct. 1, 2016 – Sept. 30, 2017):

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 6,687 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 4,652
3. Scaffolding (1926.451): 3,697
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 3,381
5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 3131 (down from 3,406 in 2016)
6. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,567
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,349
8. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 2109
9. Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,724
10. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305): 1,530 (down from 1,937 in 2016)

There are two on the list that specifically refer to electrical hazards: lockout/tagout and electrical – wiring methods. However, that does not mean that electricity doesn’t play a part in some of the other issues, such as scaffolding, ladders, machine guarding and even fall protection.

More Training Resources to Help Prevent OSHA’s Top Ten

Four e-Hazard videos focus on topics that will help train workers to perform their tasks safely:

• 7 Electrical Safety Habits shares information gleaned from over 100 electrical incident investigations.
• Arc Flash Awareness for Utilities highlights main points from our Arc Flash Safety for Utilities course. This course is based on OSHA 1910.269.
• Task Qualified Switch Operations points out the hazards of working around electrical equipment to non-electrical workers and teaches them how to safely operate circuit breakers and switches.
• Mobile Equipment Operator Safety near Power Lines teaches on exactly what the title states using key points from e-Hazard electrical safety training.

You can stream, rent, or purchase our videos. Visit our store page for more details and a complete list of our resources for sale.