Partnership #325 - Annual Report - December 31, 2012

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), and Trade Associations (OSHA and ET&D OSP).

The Partners agree to construct a Partnership based on mutual respect and trust that leverages the resources of the partners through the systematic anticipation, identification, evaluation, and control of health and safety hazards during electrical construction transmission and distribution work, thereby continuously reducing worker fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the Industry.

Note: 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 was renewed on January 25, 2011 and again on December 19, 2013.

OSHA and the OSP participants will continue to collaborate to provide safe and healthful work environments for workers and contractors involved in the ET&D industry by working toward prevention and elimination of serious accidents, injuries, and fatalities through: increased supervisor, foremen/general foremen training; development and implementation of best practices; enhancement of safety and health management programs; and assuring compliance with OSHA standards and regulations for this industry.

The OSHA and ET&D OSP's Task Teams (Data, Training, Best Practices, and Communication), as well as other OSHA and signatory representatives, will analyze partner company and industry accident and incident data to identify common causes for fatalities, injuries, and illnesses experienced by linemen, apprentices, and other appropriate job classifications. Based on this analysis, the OSP Task Teams will make recommendations on and develop products and activities to address the strategies outlined in the table above.

Through the OSHA and ET&D OSP, Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and Task Teams, the partners will continue to pursue efforts to promote a safety culture change by placing value on safety and health throughout the ET&D industry. The partners will continue to share information including Best Practices documents and other OSHA and ET&D OSP successes, through the participant website http://www.neca-neis.org/powerlinesafety/.

2012 was the first year that OSHA asked the IBEW, NECA and EEI to submit their input to the annual evaluation. They were asked to fill out the applicable sections of the template document. It is hoped this information will provide a different perspective to the annual outcomes of the partnership.

December 27, 2013

Jacqueline R. Annis

OSHA National Office – Washington DC

^**Joined the OSP as signatories during 2012.

^*Four of the partners reported to be engaged in VPP-Focused Activities- Asplundh, MYR, MDU, and Michels

The Training Task Team (TT-2) coordinates the training efforts for the OSHA and ET&D OSP. Some of the duties of this Task Team include developing training courses as needed to address identified accident causal factors, tracking the training courses provided, and promoting the OSHA and ET&D OSP's training efforts throughout the industry.

During 2012, the OSP partners continued to conduct and participate in the Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Training (SLSOT) course. This course is designed to help foremen/general foremen create a safe work culture on the job, and course attendees receive an OSHA training card upon successfully completing the course.

SLSOT: During this evaluation period, three of the partners reported a total of 48 workers as having taken this class.

OSHA-10 Hour: During this evaluation period, six of the partners reported a total of 1,507 workers as having successfully completed the ET&D industry-specific OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training Program course. Four of the partners provided no data: OSHA 20 Hour class: During this evaluation period, three of the partners reported a total of 168 workers having taken this class. This number includes apprentices, journeymen, and foremen/general foremen.

Train the Trainer Class: Three partners reported a total of 35 workers having taken this class.

Other training classes were reported being taken by the partners' workers. They include, but are not limited to, the following: Human Performance Improvement, 29 CFR 1910.269, 1926 Subpart V, Defensive Driving, Safe Work Methods, Best Practices, Rigging and Orientation training that includes Grounding, Hazard communication, Incident Reporting, Emergency Plans, Job Hazard Analysis, Spotter, First Aid/CPR, Bloodborne Pathogens, Personal Protective Equipment and CSP/ASP preparation classes and OSHA 500/501.

The OSP partners and OSHA continue working on implementing a pilot to conduct the ET&D industry-specific OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training Program (10-Hour course) and ET&D Train the Trainer courses through OSHA's Education Centers. When implemented, this approach will create a nationwide network of training venues for partner and non-partner industry workers.

NECA provided training data and although their training numbers do not directly reflect partner workers being trained, the data does reflect their ongoing commitment to the safety and health of electrical contractors. NECA reported the following training information: A survey of the nine area-wide Joint Apprenticeship and Training Centers (AJATC) by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training (NJATC) reports: 33 instructors were sent to the ET&D Supervisory and Leadership (SLSOT) class; Seven AJATCs reported that their instructors have taken the ET&D 10 Hour Train the Trainer course; and there were 123 ET&D 10 Hour classes conducted in 2012 training 1,771 apprentices, 605 Journey level Linemen, and issuing 2,618 completion cards. Lastly, eight AJATCs are teaching all eight of the ET&D Best Practices as developed and implemented by the ET&D Partnership.

Due to the size of their companies the partners in this OSP would not traditionally be eligible for OSHA's On-Site Consultation Services. However, during this evaluation period, Henkels & McCoy participated in a voluntary OSHA audit that was conducted at one of their Illinois project sites in August of 2012.

This information is not required to be tracked as part of the OSP agreement but the partners are asked to provide information if relevant to their operations.

Six partners reported that their Safety and Health Management Systems (SHMS) were improved during this evaluation period.

Henkels & McCoy reports the following improvements to their SHMS:

1. Completed a multi-year engagement with DuPont Sustainable Solutions.
2. Conducted a company-wide Employee Perception Survey. Results of which indicate significant improvements in all elements of their SHMS. Through these efforts, they report seeing overall safety performance improve by more than 25% over the last three years, equating to 884 injuries prevented.

MasTec reports the following improvements to their SHMS:

1. Completed a re-write of their safety program.
2. Developed a SHMS with 7 elements and based on the guidelines of the ANSI Z10 program,
3. Developed or modified new Safe Work Procedures (SWPs) and Safe Work Instructions (SWIs),
4. Created a JHA library (electronic) to complement their existing Pre-Job Briefing program.

MDU reports the following improvements to their SHMS:

1. Improved knowledge and participation of the workers in the safety processes.
2. Improved management involvement in training, inspecting, and investigating.
3. Enhanced jobsite inspection processes as is the hazard analysis process.
4. Will begin tracking leading indicators including the primary components of SHMS.
5. Will begin tracking reductions in events with unwanted outcomes, increased self-inspection numbers, improved investigations and reductions in vehicle crashes.

Michels Power reports implementing the following improvements to their SHMS:

1. Thorough review and updating of the Michels Power Rule Book - Incorporated all ET&D Best Practices, Added LIFTING EQUIPMENT, CRANES, AND BOOM TRUCKS, RIGGING EQUIPMENT, HAZARD COMMUNICATION, LADDER SAFETY, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, TRENCHING AND EXCAVATION SAFETY, MANUAL LIFTING, VEHICLE SAFETY (DOT), Work Zone Safety, and WORKING ALONE/LONE WORKER SAFETY.

   Provided this information in a pocket sized guide to all employees for reference while they work. The document will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary.

2. A behavior based program was implemented to put push a cultural change within the Power Division. This program stress on the importance of keeping your mind on task and identifying and correcting unsafe conditions and behaviors. As behavior based programs are sometimes hard to evaluate. Over a period of 7 months the power group's middle and top management have embraced the program by incorporating the philosophy of the program into their daily meetings showing that this is an effective program. To ensure that the program continues to be effective weekly safety topics continually stress the philosophies of the program.
3. A pre-job hazard assessment was initiated be senior management. The assessment is conducted prior to the start of a job and before new phases of the project begin.. This improves the planning for each job by identifying potential hazards and prior to the start of the tasks. This process will be reviewed yearly to included updated the form associated with this preplanning process.
4. The daily JSA/Daily Briefing form was updated to include more specific hazards and mitigation methods for the crews. The new form gives the crews and crew leaders within the group the ability to conduct and more thorough pre-task hazard assessment. This form will be reviewed on a yearly basis and any deficiencies found will be updated.
5. Michels Power started writing Standard Operating Procedures to give field management a standard method to conduct tasks in the field. These Standard Operating Procedures will give general guidance and safety procedures that will be reviewed prior to starting these tasks in the field. This also gives field management the ability effectively plan their work not only for production, but also and importantly to ensure the crews can conduct the task safely. These procedures will be reviewed annually for effectiveness.

PLH Group, Inc. reports the following improvements to their SHMS:

1. Management Commitment and Employee involvement: During 2012 management commitment was re-enforced by increased safety stand-downs, performance of job safety audit process, behavior based observation program, safety teleconference with their specific divisions. These proactive accountability tools increased visibility and access to employees. Employee involvement has improved by assigning the behavior based safety observer during work operations. Keeping employees engaged in the will be increased by implementing the use of safety committees and participation in incident reviews, Best practice method development, etc.
2. Work site analysis: JHA training occurs with all employees during new hire orientation, frontline supervision also receive additional training during SLSOT and Foreman orientation training. Job site safety audit/ Behavior observation data is gathered and analyzed in order to identify areas for improvement. JHAs will be evaluated for effectiveness by Safety personnel with results being communicated to management and supervisory personnel.
3. Hazard Prevention and Control: Hazard prevention and Control has been included in the new hire orientation. Employees have received additional training, participation in JHA in the field have also increased hazard identification and prevention. Emergency plan review at the orientation and continuing on the project/job site has also facilitated additional knowledge and skills training.
4. Safety and Health Training: Training has expanded to include defensive driving, and grounding and bonding training. New supervisory personnel and crew lead positions receive an orientation of company administrative requirements, human resource policies and processes as well as investigation training, and partnership SLSOT training.

Quanta Services reports the following improvements to their SHMS:

Introduced and implemented QPM (Quanta Performance Management) program initiative in January, 2012. Operational presidents, senior executives, construction managers, operation's managers and over 18,000 employees have received training on this program. The program is focused and driven by management to reduce injuries. The program implemented safety training, addressing injuries in six areas, hand injuries, sprain/strains, vehicle safety, caught between, struck by, and energized work zones. Since implementation they have experienced a 20% reduction in injuries related to the six areas. Quanta continues to work with DuPont to enhance and benchmark safety system and the culture of our workforce within the Electric Transmission and Distribution industry.

OSHA and the partners continued their collaboration and outreach activities during the evaluation period. OSP partners reported their representatives provided, attended and/or participated in the following training, seminars and conferences:

EEI:

Partnership updates were provided at the spring and fall EEI Occupational Safety and Health Committee meetings. Each meeting was attended by approximately 165 safety and health utility industry professionals. Partnership accident data was highlighted as a target for industry to achieve.

Henkels & McCoy, Inc. (H&M):

Workers attended and/or participated in the 2012 National Safety Congress and Exposition, ASSE local chapter meetings, and the EEI spring and fall S&H Committee meetings.

In May of 2012 Henkels & McCoy participated in a nationwide Electrical Safety Stand Down. Henkels & McCoy had crews from across the country participate in ET&D Best Practice Education exercises, and training materials were distributed to all power crew leaders. This same information was also shared with interested customers, and they in turn took the information and shared it with their employees.

Nearly 800 H&M employees participated in the Electrical Safety Stand Down, at 46 separate locations across the United States. Task Team 4 indicated that approximately 9,500 as being the total partnership participation.

IBEW:

1. IBEW Safety Caucus – April 18 & 19, 2012 – Madison, WI -presentations to IBEW group on Partnership and VPP programs – 125 attendees
2. IBEW Construction Conference – April 26, 2012 – Washington DC – presentation on current OSHA activities (enforcement and rulemaking effecting electrical industries) – 210 attendees
3. EEI Safety & Health Conference – April 30 –May 2, 2012 – Albuquerque, NM – presentation on Partnership activity – 175 attendees
4. IBEW Broadcasting, Manufacturing, & Telecommunications Conference – May 9 & 10, 2012 – San Diego, CA - presentation on VPP and Partnerships – 300 attendees
5. NECA Safety Professionals Conference – May 21 – 23, 2012 – St. Louis, MO – presentation on current Partnership activity – 225 attendees
6. NJATC National Training Institute – July 30 – Aug 3, 2012 – Ann Arbor, MI - detailed workshop on Partnership activity (purpose, structure, data collection, best practices, future work activities, Q&A/feedback from group – 60 attendees (training directors/trainers from IBEW AJACT's around the USA)
7. NECA Convention/Safety forum – September 29 & 30, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV - participated on panel presenting current Partnership activities – 75 attendees
8. IBEW Safety caucus – October 18, 2012 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – presentation on Partnership data collection and Best Practices – 135 attendees

MasTec:

S&H professionals attended the 2012 National ASSE Conference, the 2012 National Safety Congress and Exposition, and the IP Utility Safety Conference & CUSP preparation classes. In December 2012 MasTec presented an overview of the OSP at the FP&L Distribution Contractor safety meeting.

MDU-CSG:

• Week of April 30 EEI Spring Safety Conference
• Week of May 21, NECA Safety & Health Conference in St Louis, MO
• Week of July 30, NTI in Ann Arbor, MI
• Week of October 1 NECA Convention in Las Vegas, NV
• Week of October 8 EEI Fall Safety Conference Birmingham, AL

Michels Power:

Workers attended the NECA Safety Professionals Conference ; St Louis, MO, May 21-23, 2012

MYR:

1. Provided an OSP Best Practices presentation at the International Lineman's Rodeo