Washington, DC – Classes have been scheduled around the U.S. to teach utility and line construction company trainers how to deliver a new 10-hour OSHA safety course for line workers. The new course was developed by the OSHA Transmission & Distribution Strategic Safety Partnership. Train-the-trainer classes will be held in six locations around the country, between April 18 and May 25, 2006.

The new 10-hour course teaches line workers about OSHA 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V rules for working on high-voltage utility power systems, and about safety techniques including equipotential grounding and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The purpose of the course is to reduce injuries and fatalities in the line construction industry by teaching safer work practices to craft workers and foremen.

“Having a common mission to improve the well-being and safety of workers allows us to share resource and work towards achieving results that will benefit the entire industry for years to come,” said Kathy Mills of Henkels & McCoy, chair of the Partnership’s training task team. The Partnership is currently also working on a more comprehensive 30-hour OSHA course for line workers and foremen.

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The OSHA Transmission & Distribution Strategic Safety Partnership is a formal collaboration of industry stakeholders, working together to improve safety for workers in the electric line construction industry. Its members are:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Henkels & McCoy, Inc.
• InfraSource, Inc.
• MDU Construction Services Group, Inc.
• Pike Electric, Inc.
• MYR Group, Inc.
• Quanta Services Inc.
• Edison Electric Institute (EEI)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
• National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)