Of course, no Arizona employers want their workers to have accidents. Employers, just like employees, both want and expect the workplace to be a safe and productive environment. This need for safety is especially important in the field of electrical system work, though, as electrical-related and electrician accidents are the sixth leading cause of injury-related deaths in the workplace.
This serious risk of injury or even loss of life is due to a variety of factors. Because of performance pressure, time restraints and budgets, safety procedures are often overlooked. Various factors may result in workers cutting corners or growing complacent, despite the heavy risk this involves. Thankfully, there are a variety of specific practices to help electrical workers feel empowered through safety.
Clearly, it’s important that employers establish protocols and ensure adequate safety training for compliance. Equally essential, though, is that workers feel comfortable enough in their work environment to make safe decisions in stressful situations. When workers feel empowered to raise concerns about unsafe conditions in their work environment, this in turn often leads to an increased commitment to consistently following best safety practices. Workers should feel comfortable in resisting efforts to force corner-cutting, noncompliance or unsafe workarounds in the interests of saving money or time.
One possible approach is the STAR method, where employees are encouraged to Stop, Talk, Act and Resume. They should stop work as soon as they feel the environment is unsafe and raise their concerns to a supervisor, who may be able to assist or decide how best to move forward. Workers can then follow the supervisor’s instructions and practice safety guidelines, and, once the environment has been deemed safe, resume work. Obviously, despite the best efforts, electrician accidents will still happen on occasion. When a serious on-the-job injury does occur, there are Arizona professionals who can offer guidance in fighting for the maximum amount of workers’ compensation benefits injured workers need.
Source: utilityproducts.com, “Empowering Employees to Act Safely“, Sheri Wood, Sept. 15, 2017
