Integrated Safety Management: Creating an All-Inclusive Electrical Safety Program

Electrical safety is imperative for keeping workers safe, and a safety management system is a means to implement it. The safety management system known as Integrated Safety Management (ISM) is a formal and proven system for the safe execution of work activities. The ISM system can be incorporated into a work-control process and structure an electrical safety program through its guiding principles and core functions. An electrical safety work-control process has two components that need to be implemented for success: a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E-based electrical safety program and an ISM-based work-control process. An electrical safety program that implements the seven guiding principles and five core functions listed in Table 1 gives a well-defined and document-supported process to keep workers safe.