Partnership #325 - Annual Report - December 31, 2011

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Strategic Partnership (OSP) with the Electrical Transmission and Distribution (ET&D) Construction Contractors, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the Edison Electrical Institute (EEI) (OSHA and ET&D OSP)

Overview: The OSHA and ET&D OSP was originally signed on August 20, 2004. The OSP was renewed on August 24, 2006 and again on September 16, 2008. The current agreement is in effect until September 16, 2010.

OSP Structure: The OSP's Executive Team, made up of CEO-level management, meets approximately three to four times per year to review progress and determine next steps. The OSP's Steering Team, made up of corporate safety and health managers, meets approximately every four to six weeks and manages day-to-day operations of the OSP and serves as the liaison between the Executive Team and the Task Teams. Task Teams are groups of employees and supervisors who meet as needed to focus on specific OSP topics. There are currently four Task Teams: Data, Training, Best Practices, and Communication. There is also OSHA representation on all of the OSP's Executive, Steering and four Task Teams.

1) Perform data analysis as a means to establish causes of fatalities, injuries, and illnesses for electrical work in the Industry (Data for work performed under both normal and emergency situations will be included).

Through the Task Teams:

• Consensus Best Practices
• Training
• Outreach and Communication

• Minimum qualifications for Transmission and Distribution (T&D) construction linemen;
• Standards for quality and consistency of training for
  Apprentices and In service training for lineworkers;
• Minimum skill set qualifications for T&D construction foremen, general foremen, and supervisors;

Through a specific Task Team (in addition to training required pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act):

a) Identify training criteria for foremen, general foremen, and supervisors, including training to promote industry culture change to place value on safety and health.

b) Identify training criteria for linemen, including training to promote industry culture change to place value on safety and health.

c) Identify training culture for apprentices, including training to promote culture change to place value on safety and health.

• On April 21, 2009, OSHA gave a presentation to approximately sixty attendees at the Edison Electrical Institute (EEI) Spring Occupational Safety and Health Committee Conference, held April 21-24, 2009 in Alexandria, Virginia.
• On August 12, 2009, OSHA attended the Safety Council of the Louisiana Capital Area Conference, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Future activities between the OSP and the Safety Council were explored during this conference.
• On September 14, 2009, OSHA gave a presentation to the OSP Executive Team in Seattle, Washington.

• Henkels & McCoy:
  • On November 6, 2009, Henkels & McCoy representative provided an overview of the OSHA and ET&D Partnership and its achievements at the EEI Contractor Safety Summit.
• MDU:
  • On September 14, 2009, MDU representatives attended the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Convention.
  • On November 6, 2009, MDU representatives attended the EEI Contractor Safety Summit.
• MYR:
  • MYR representatives attended the VPP Participants' Association (VPPPA) Region IV Chapter Conference April 6-10, 2009.
  • LE Myers representatives attended the Annual National VPPPA Conference August 23-27, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.
    MYR Group, Inc. representatives attended and made a presentation on the OSHA and ET&D Partnership during the National Safety Council Utilities and Construction Division meeting,
• Pike Electric:
  • Pike Electric representatives attended National Safety Congress and Expo, October 23-30, 2009.
  • In December 2009, Pike Electric representatives attended an ORC Recordkeeping Consultation meeting.
  • In January 2009, Pike Electric representatives attended the Incident Prevention Safety Conference.
  • Pike Electric representatives attended the EEI Contractor Safety Summit April 22-23, 2009
  • On November 4, 2009, Pike Electric representatives attended a National Work Zone Safety Stand Down.
  • In September 2009, Pike Electric Management attended an OSHA Region IV Meeting.
• Quanta Services:
  • Quanta Services representatives attended National Construction Safety Executives Meetings April 22-23, 2009 and October 6-7, 2009.

• The ET&D Best Practice Performance Evaluation Observation Form was used within all MYR Group, Inc. subsidiaries to evaluate the effectiveness of MYR Best Practice implementation. The initial phase of implementation involved training/coaching/mentoring management, supervision and field personnel on all criteria of the ET&D Best Practices.
• All personnel demonstrate positive performance of the ET&D Best Practices based on current employer field observations.

The Data Task Team (TT-1) reviewed all industry fatality information and updated the baseline data accordingly; TT-1 also compiled TCIR, DART rate, and fatality information for the participating companies.

OSP Injury and Illness Rate Changes 2010-2011:

OSP participating employer participants, as a group, achieved a TCIR of 2.58 in 2011. This figure represents an 18.7 percent decrease from the 2010 TCIR of 3.17. OSP participating employer participants, as a group, achieved a DART rate of 1.40 in 2011, a slight decrease when compared to the DART rate of 1.45 in 2010.

The injury and illness rates reported by the OSP participating employer participants, as a group, continue on their downward trend when viewed over the course of the OSP.

All of the working groups in the OSP experienced ongoing changes in team composition during the reporting period. The changes in participant representation impacted the teams through a lack of continuity and effectiveness while the new team members adjusted to their newly assigned roles and responsibilities on their respective teams.

In past years, TT-1 relied on OSHA Form 170 data to track fatality and catastrophic event information as an indicator of where to direct partnership activities. As the number of these events decreases, the need for an alternative trend indicator is apparent.

In 2011 TT-1 began collecting OSHA Form 300 data from the partnering contractors. The team developed a spreadsheet to collate the data and an analysis plan. Each year the partner contractors will provide information from their OSHA Form 300s to TT-1 for the purposes of analysis. The team will perform a detailed analysis of all partner injuries and illnesses for each calendar year (starting with 2011). The resulting data will be used to identify causal and contributing factors of all injuries and illnesses, not just fatal accidents. This will allow the OSP to identify causal factors of non-fatal injuries and illnesses and develop new or apply the use of existing Best Practices documents to address these incidents.

The OSHA 300 log data provides an indication where to focus future safety and health efforts. For example, preliminary results from the OSHA 300 data analysis in 2011 revealed that approximately one third of partner fatalities occurred on the ground. This analysis led the partners to focus on developing Best Practices to address the on the ground hazards.

The OSP needs to improve the data collection and tracking processes for training activities. Improved tracking of students who have completed the ET&D industry-specific OSHA 10 Hour Outreach Training Program Line Construction course and the SLSOT course will help to eliminate the duplication of training provided. During the reporting period, the OSP participants explored ways to accurately track and disseminate OSP training information. The OSP participants initially looked to private sector data management companies to develop a central database to accurately track the names of students successfully completing training: the issuance of 10-Hour course cards, and the validating stamp on the reverse of the cards. After thorough discussions, the OSP participants decided that each company will track and record their respective training information.

With respect to employee involvement, the OSP participants have acknowledged that injuries and accidents continue to occur despite their aggressive efforts to reduce or eliminate them.

Efforts will be made by OSHA in 2012 to ensure that each partner provides as much detailed data and information as possible for the evaluation.

Power Line Services, Inc.:

Power Line Services, Inc. representatives have indicated that the company is planning to conduct the ET&D OSP developed SLSOT training course in 2012.

Communication between the industry partners and OSHA demonstrates commitment to the OSP and raised safety and health awareness for the ET&D industry. The partners' willingness to renew the OSP demonstrates their commitment to safety and health for their industry. The OSP encourages OSHA, industry safety professionals, workers, and labor representatives to participate in the occupational safety and health process. OSHA and the OSP partners continued their work together in 2011 to promote occupational safety and health through a number of various safety and health outreach and promotion activities specifically focusing on the ET&D industry.

The ongoing success of the OSP is due, in part, to its unique management structure. The OSP's Executive Team, made up of CEO-level management, meets approximately three to four times per year to approve OSP activities and products and to manage overall OSP implementation.

The OSP's Steering Team, made up of employer participants' safety and health managers and an OSHA National Office representative, meets approximately every four to six weeks, manages day-to-day operations of the OSP, and serves as the liaison between the Executive Team and the Task Teams. During this evaluation period the Steering Team met nine times: January 24, 2011; February 4, 2011; February 18, 2011; March 28, 2011; April 19, 2011; May 20, 2011; July 27, 2011; September 27, 2011; and November 8, 2011. The four Task Teams comprised of workers, supervisors, and OSHA representatives, meet as needed to focus on specific OSP activities.

The OSP demonstrates benefits for the participants through a continual decrease in injuries and illnesses.
Results from the OSHA 300 data analysis in 2011 revealed that approximately one third of partner fatalities occurred on the ground. This analysis led the partners to focus on developing Best Practices to address and mitigate the on the ground hazards experienced by ET&D workers.

By working on common goals, analyzing accident and injury data for causal factors, and implementing Best Practices, the OSP participating employers' injury and illness rates have been reduced over the seven year history of the OSP and continued to trend downward in 2011.

In addition, the number of OSP participants increased during 2011 with the addition of signatory companies Power Line Services, Inc and MasTec, Inc. Power Line Services, Inc. joined the OSP on August 4, 2011 and MasTec, Inc. on September 27, 2011.