We wanted to make a difference when we set out to create EPSCO OneMoment Electrical Safety Training. We wanted to make every workplace safer. We knew that electrical safety training needed to be about more than risks and government regulations. We knew that it needed to be about solutions.
At EPSCO we understand that every single person at a facility plays a part in controlling electrical hazards. It might seem like a lot to tackle when you first dive in, but the NFPA 70E is full of strategies you can use. This week, we want to help you break down the steps in a way that makes it easy to understand and implement electrical hazard controls.
The Hierarchy of Risk Controls is a system of six solutions for controlling electrical hazards. They can be used in any combination with each other to increase the level of safety at your facility. This week and next, our OneMoment online electrical safety series will cover these controls — Starting with Elimination, then on to Substitution, Engineering Controls, Awareness, Administrative Controls, and Personal Protective Equipment.
The safety solutions are listed in order of effectiveness. Elimination, at the top level, is considered the safest. Wearing proper PPE, at the bottom, is considered less reliable because of the human element. Elimination, Substitution, and Engineering Controls are focused on the equipment and workplace. While the effectiveness of Awareness, Administrative Controls, and PPE are based on each person on your team making these hazard control strategies part of their routine.
The Hierarchy of Risk Controls separates the top three solutions into a category called Inherent Controls, while the bottom three are known as Dependent Controls. Our OneMoment online electrical safety series will help you understand the difference between the two categories and provide ideas on how each of the six approaches can be put into action to make your workplace safer. If you want to make sure everyone goes home safe after work, you can’t miss our videos this week!
