OSHA renews partnership with electrical contractors and associations

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has renewed a national strategic partnership agreement with the Electrical Transmission and Distribution (ET&D) Construction Contractors; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); and related trade associations to protect the safety and health of line workers as well as other electrical transmission and distribution industry workers.

The partnership has expanded and achieved several goals since the original 2004 agreement, including reducing the number of fatalities; providing an ET&D industry-specific OSHA training course for line workers, industry supervisors, and leadership; developing 14 best practices to reduce the frequency of hazardous incidents; creating a safety video and a mobile app featuring the best practices, industry updates, and other topics; and establishing a national Electrical Safety Stand Down.

“Through this long-term partnership, OSHA and ET&D have made a positive impact related to the safety and health of more than two million electrical workers. Most importantly, this partnership is identifying and addressing hazards that lead to injuries and fatalities among electrical workers,” says Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt. “With this renewed agreement, we will continue to develop and implement training resources that promote safe and healthful working conditions.”

Through the Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations, and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures to improve worker safety and health.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.