150 Workers Die Each Day From Doing Their Jobs

[badtoworse]

67. A good HASP is more than just handing out PPE

There is training in its proper use, LOTO procedures, planning and tailboard discussions before the start of a hazardous job and critique following the completion of the job. Even with that, mistakes still get made and safety rules still get broken. Sometimes an accident really is the employee's fault.

A few years back, we had an employee close a 500 kV switch into a section of grounded bus because a contractor told him he needed a circuit energized to test something. The employee was trained and knew (or at least should have remembered) that there are procedures to be followed when performing high voltage switching and arc flash protection should be worn. He ignored the procedures and didn't put on the arc flash suit. Fortunately, the circuit breakers tripped and de-energized the line before serious arcing or damage occurred. He could have been killed and he put other peoples' lives in jeopardy by his actions. I'm at a loss as to how the employer could have prevented this - the proper procedures were in place, the employee had been trained and had access to the PPE, but in spite of that, he acted thoughtlessly and jeopardized his own life and that of others. What are your thoughts about this incident?

BTW, this was the employee's second safety violation. After this one, he was terminated for his own and everyone's else's protection. IMO, this was the only thing the employer could do.