The Electrical Safety Program and the Value in Parterning with Health & Safety Professionals

Managing a compliant and effective Electrical Safety Program (ESP) can be a challenge in the industrial workplace. A large contributing factor is that historically, ownership of the ESP has been assigned to electrical, technical and / or maintenance capabilities and although electrical engineers, electrical technicians, electrical craftsmen, etc. are experienced and knowledgeable about many elements of the ESP, these individuals are generally not always the most experienced with all of the compliance aspects and program ownership responsibilities required for implementing and managing a sustainable ESP. The intent of Article 110.1 (A) of the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, is that the ESP should be managed as part of an employer's existing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system (note: pending one exists) [1], along with other fundamental OHS programs such as Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout / Tagout), Confined Space Entry, Hazard Communication, etc. and should not be segregated away separately. The intent of this paper highlights the value in establishing a partnership with the Health & Safety (H&S) Professionals to help create, manage and sustain an effective ESP and discusses the comparative advantages that H&S Professionals have to offer that make this collaboration both necessary and worthwhile for the organization.