By Rich Lane
Control the Pressure Safety Initiative
The Control the Pressure peer committee recently secured dates to go back on the road to PG&E yards with an update on committee activities and to recruit safety stewards. Director of Northern Region M&C Gas Lorene Harden was contacted to aid in setting up a schedule with PG&E Division and GC work groups and the response from area managers was good. To date two meetings have been scheduled starting with the San Francisco Service center on Oct. 31 and the Yosemite Division on Dec. 12. It is expected that the informational meetings will continue throughout 2014.
Hold the Pull Safety Initiative
Within the last three months Local 1245 has been contacted by IBEW Locals 659, 77 and 125 inquiring into the peer safety initiative. Two of the locals have experienced fatalities at affiliated employers and one serious arc flash incident. For these reasons there has been a renewed effort to join with employers to increase safety awareness. Local 1245 has been asked to provide information on the make-up and involvement of committees and stewards. We’ve also been asked for an invitation to attend the next steward’s summit.
Northwest lineman’s college has requested that the Hold the Pull committee come to the school in Oroville to address the students on safety, safety culture and working through a hiring hall. Contact was made at the IBEW booth with NWLC trainees who volunteered to work at the PG&E lineman’s rodeo. A meeting has not been scheduled yet but the peer committee has been invited to address the group prior to graduation.
Keep the Clearance Safety Initiative
Business Representative Rich Lane will be attending the Western Region Safety Summit hosted by the Utility Arborists Association. Rich and Davey Tree Service manager Alan Finochio will be conducting a presentation on the newly started “Close Call” near miss program. The presentation and exercise is intended to inform the participants of the workings of the close call program and what Davey Tree and IBEW Local 1245 have been doing to increase incident reporting among tree groups. Close call reports have begun to come in as a result of the safety awareness drive.